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| Khyber Agency operation broadened |
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Monday, June 30, 2008
Illegal FM radio station, six hideouts destroyed, private jail unearthed
By Javed Aziz Khan
PESHAWAR: The security forces on Sunday widened the operation to more areas of Bara sub-division in Khyber Agency, destroying an illegal FM radio station, six more hideouts of the militant groups and unearthing a private dungeon.
No resistance was offered by any militant group and no casualty reported. The paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) continued to blow up the hideouts of certain groups with explosives and artillery fire.
“The writ of the state has been restored to a great extent and civil administration has taken control of those areas now. We had to secure Peshawar from any incursion and it is being done successfully,” Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rahman Malik told newsmen outside the Balahisar Fort, the headquarters of the Frontier Corps, where he visited the main control room of ‘Operation Popular’.
During Sunday’s operation, no casualty was reported as security forces destroyed six more hideouts of the Lashkar-i-Islam of Mangal Bagh, Amr Bilmaroof wa Nahi Anilmunkar of Haji Namdar and Ansarul Islam of Qazi Mahboob. Several hideouts of these groups were also razed on Saturday.
“We have destroyed the Mahboob Markaz, residence of Lashkar-i-Islam leader Misri Khan, the hideout of Gud Malang in Akakhel and a private jail in Kohi on Sunday,” additional chief secretary (ACS) for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), Habibullah Khan, said while briefing newsmen at the Fata Civil Secretariat.
The residence of a militant leader Tayyab and a sub-headquarters of the Lashkar-i-Islam in Malik Dinkhel were destroyed later in the evening. All these base-camps were vacated by the inhabitants who had already moved to safer places after their leadership decided not to resist the action.
Munsif Khan, second in command of an outfit, said the government should have addressed the issue through talks instead of taking action. He, however, made it clear that they were not going to clash with their own Army.
The ACS, Fata, while commenting over Baitullah Mahsud’s pulling out from the agreement with the government, said that it could not be linked to the Khyber Agency operation. “These elements (in Bara) had established a parallel administration in Khyber Agency which cannot be tolerated at any cost. The force has been directed to take action against anyone who offers resistance,” the ACS maintained.
The official said a register had been recovered from a hideout that had details of several people who were kidnapped from across the country and released after payment of huge ransoms.
Though there was no announcement about lifting of the curfew, people continued to come out of their houses in many places. The roads leading to the strongholds of the militants were, however, blocked by the security personnel with barricades and barbed wire.
Meanwhile, Rehman Malik presided over a meeting on the Bara operation —’Operation Popular’— at the Governor’s House on Sunday where apart from the NWFP governor, Owais Ahmed Ghani, the federal interior secretary, the NWFP chief secretary, the additional chief secretary for Fata, the IG, Frontier Police, the IG, FC, the commandant Frontier Constabulary and MNAs from Peshawar were also present.
“The provincial government will decide to carry out operation in any part of the province. As far as operations in other agencies are concerned, we will not disclose the details at this stage,” the advisor to the prime minister opined.
The official told newsmen that security forces had destroyed an illegal radio station and unearthed a private jail. He vowed action against those challenging the writ of the government.
Rehman Malik further added that the government had directed the security forces to take special care to ensure the safety of women, children and elders and that was why no mishap had taken place in the Bara operation so far. He dispelled the impression that Bara or Peshawar was being handed over to the Army, saying that the operation was being led by the civilian government under the NWFP governor.
Tension was witnessed in areas of the provincial capital close to the tribal Khyber Agency on Sunday. “We have been hearing loud booms of artillery fire targeting different hideouts of the militants since Saturday. The locals fear reprisals,” Fawad Ali, a resident of F-9-sector of Phase-VI in Hayatabad, told this scribe.
His house is at a stone’s throw from the main Frontier Road in the Khyber Agency. Heavy contingents of police commandos and Frontier Constabulary have been deployed in the sector and other parts of the township close to the boundary wall with Khyber Agency. Security personnel have erected barriers in the area to block anyone coming from the tribal areas.
“We have secured all the localities near the boundaries with the deployment of additional contingents of the Frontier Constabulary and police. Every step will be taken to protect the public from any attack,” a police official, requesting anonymity, said.
An official of the Peshawar Police said that 45 suspects were rounded up Sunday on the directives of the federal government who, otherwise, could have created a law and order problem. Heavy ammunition, he added, was also recovered during raids on their hideouts.
Residents of several villages of Peshawar like Matani, Mashokhel, Mashogagar, Sheikh Mohammadi, Sheikhan, Sarband, Neway Kelay, Acheenay, Regi, Nasir Bagh, Michni, Mathra, Daudzai and Khazana also feared retaliation from members of different groups.
It is pertinent to mention that during briefings of the ACS Fata, IG, FC and Rehman Malik, government officials parried certain questions from mediapersons. “It is premature to comment on that,” were the answer by the advisor for interior and Fata ACS when journalists asked about the possibility of an operation in other tribal areas and Peshawar.
“What is the use of these briefings when you people are parrying our queries?” was the response of an irritated journalist. Also, there is no official tasked with updating newspersons on the operation.
Online adds: Meanwhile, US spy planes were seen hovering over different areas of South Waziristan. US drones made flights in areas of Makin, Ghulam Khan and Jada Khail at very low altitude, causing anguish and sense of insecurity and fear among the local people, a private TV channel reported on Sunday.
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Three killed as Sh Rashid escapes attempt on life
By Shakeel Anjum
RAWALPINDI: Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief and a candidate for NA-55 (Rawalpindi) by-election Sheikh Rashid Ahmad was wounded, while three people — a guard and two party workers — were killed when four gunmen more |
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12 soldiers killed in South Waziristan
ISLAMABAD: Twelve soldiers embraced martyrdom while two others were injured in a clash with militants during the ongoing operation Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan Agency (SWA), the ISPR said on Monday.
S more |
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Plan to attack five-star hotel foiled
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The CIA police here on Monday claimed to have foiled an attack on Americans staying at a five-star hotel and arrested six terrorists, including a suicide bomber.
Addressing a press conference, SS more |
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Govt taking court for a ride
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: She fought her case in the media. She won her battle in the judicial forum too. But still the government is bent on making an example out of her for refusing to follow the illegal dictates of her min more |
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Pakistan against arms race: Gilani
By Azeem Samar
KARACHI: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday said Pakistan does not want to be engaged in an arms race with any country.
Speaking as chief guest at the induction ceremony of second Chinese-m more |
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Punjab-Sindh water row Centre’s intervention sought
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Tension between Punjab and Sindh over opening of the Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Punjnad link canals has touched a new high as the former has sought the Centre’s intervention.
The Punjab has sai more |
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French, Dutch fight over giving LNG to Pakistan
By Khalid Mustafa
ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin and his team is all set to thwart the attempt of an unscrupulous combine of oil industry heavyweights and some functionaries of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Re more |
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Nine killed as no let-up in rains
By Nisar Mahmood
PESHAWAR: Nine people were killed and scores of others injured as heavy rains and snowfall lashed various parts of the country for the fourth consecutive day on Monday.
Reports from the Shangla district more |
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Malik orders NUML closure as protest enters 5ht day
ISLAMABAD: The protest of the students of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML) against thrashing of Professor Malik Tahir by Registrar Brigadier (R) Obaidullah Ranjha entered its fifth consecutive more |
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Malik insists no Blackwater in Pakistan
By Muhammad Anis
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik while responding to an accusation from a PML-N parliamentarian told the National Assembly that Blackwater was not providing security to the president and the prime mini more |
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FBR gets list of properties rented out to foreigners
By Hanif Khalid
ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has received list of properties from Foreign Office, which were in use of foreigners in Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar and Lahore, but these were not shown in annual tax more |
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Repealing of 17th Amendment
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has begun efforts to create consensus on repealing the 17th Amendment before presidential address to the joint sitting of the parliament.
The prime minis more |
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Three suspects held in Mohmand
By our correspondent
GHALLANAI: The security forces arrested three suspected persons during search operation in Safi subdivision of Mohmand Agency, official sources said Monday. The sources said the security forces carried out sear more |
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No presence of Blackwater, DynCorp in Pakistan, NA body told
ISLAMABAD: Secretary Interior Qamar Zaman again negated on Monday the presence of Blackwater, DynCorp or any other foreign security agency in the country. “Neither the Blackwater and the DynCorp nor any other s more |
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Govt urged to take up water issue with India
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Q, Parliamentary leader in the National Assembly, Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat while urging the government to take up the issue of ‘water terrorism’ with New Delhi, has question more |
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Avalanche kills 17 Indian soldiers in held Kashmir
HELD SRINAGAR: Seventeen Indian soldiers were killed on Monday in an avalanche that slammed into a group of 70 combat troops at a high-altitude warfare training camp in Kashmir, the army said on Monday.
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Taliban defiant as Afghans flee ahead of assault
KANDAHAR: The Nato commanders urged the Taliban to surrender as troops dug in on Monday for a major assault on their key stronghold in southern Afghanistan, sending thousands of residents fleeing.
The Ta more |
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Plea to freeze foreign accounts
By our correspondent
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday ordered the federal government to submit a reply within four weeks on a petition seeking freezing of accounts in foreign banks and recovery of illegal assets accumu more |
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Attack on Sh Rashid
RAWALPINDI: The PML-N candidate for by-polls from NA-55, Malik Shakil Awan, has announced suspension of electioneering for a day to mourn the death of those killed in the attack on the office of his rival, Shei more |
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Indian forces to halt Kashmir rally outside UN office
HELD SRINAGAR: The held Kashmir authorities deployed thousands of police and troops on Monday to prevent a protest outside the UN office here over the recent killing of two teenage boys by Indian security force more |
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briefs...
20 die in Afghan floods, avalanches
KANDAHAR: Twenty people have died in floods and avalanches triggered by some of the heaviest rain and snow in Afghanistan for 50 years, an official said on Monday. At more |
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ISSN 1563-9479 
