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| Injured Bajaur civilians accuse both sides of collateral damage |
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008
By Qaiser Khan Afridi
PESHAWAR: Expressing their ordeal, the victims of “Bajaur Agency Bombardment” admitted to Lady Reading Hospital slammed the government for targeting civilians despite its claims of halting military operation during the month of Ramazan.
The tribesmen, who got seriously injured due to massive shelling at Inayat Killay and other parts of the agency, were equally critical of the militants, who they said brought destruction to their once peaceful region through their controversial activities. They said the government announcement about temporary suspension in its drive keeping in view the sanctity of Ramazan had pleased the tribe and the IDPs rushed back to their hometowns.
“But the announcement could not materialise even for a single moment, as firing and shelling from ground and air continued unabated in Ramazan, and mostly civilian people were targeted,” they said.
“We were on way to Peshawar when a military helicopter started shelling on us despite the fact that we had raised our arms as per their orders to show we are civilians,” a 15-year-old Khalid Khan, laying on a bed in the surgical ward, told ‘The News’.
The teenager, who sustained injuries in his backbone, was cursing the forces, saying the people in the convoy were innocent, having nothing to do with militants but many of them were killed and some injured. With his cracked and dry lips, Khalid Khan time and again asked for a glass of water from his attendant, saying he was helplessly lying on the ground for almost two hours following the attack as the jet fighters continued hovering after by the helicopter onslaught.
“I am scared and dreadful and don’t want to go back to Bajaur unless the operation is stopped,” the teenager who used to work with his one-legged father in their fields in Bajaur said.
An unnamed, bearded attendant of an injured person at the surgical ward criticised the government and Taliban, saying the innocent Bajaurians were being made scapegoat. “It’s not the way the Taliban are implementing Islam as Muslims can’t kill innocent people,” the attendant, who was in his 30s, told The News.
He said these elements were maligning the religion by undertaking the activities, which gave nothing but miseries to other Muslims. “The Taliban usually kidnap well-off people for ransom. If Taliban get money, they spare the kidnapped, otherwise kill them by labelling them as American spy,” he claimed.
The attendant, who used to earn 40,000 to Rs50,000 in marble business earlier, said their homes had been destroyed and their business ruined. “The armed forces and militants snatched livelihood from the people and left them without homes and in miserable condition,” he said.
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CJ says good governance being compromised
By Sohail Khan
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Tuesday that good governance is being compromised as it is believed that the administration of justice is the sole duty of courts or the legal fratern more |
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Hakimullah dies of wounds in Multan?
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Yousuf Tal more |
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The ECC met here unde more |
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Three provinces to hold LG polls in four months
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ISLAMABAD: A high level meeting here on Tuesday at the Aiwan-e-Sadr decided that the chief ministers of Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan would hold local government elections in four months.
President Asif Al more |
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Senators condemn attack on Sh Rashid
By our correspondent
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PIA obliges religiously; latest being religious minister
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A brigadier without brigade has a history of thrashing
By Umar Cheema
ISLAMABAD: The basher-brigadier of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), who assaulted his professor colleague late Thursday, has a long list of such incidents on his credit as his resume is sprin more |
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PAC settles drought money misuse
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NA-55 by-polls
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has urged all the political parties, including the PML-N, to withdraw from the NA-55 by-polls in favour of Sheikh Rashid.
“ more |
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Point scoring be avoided in Rashid attack case: Shahbaz
By our correspondent
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He said a joint investigation team comprising federal and provincial agencies including I more |
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SC moved against delay in judges’ appointment
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was moved on Tuesday against the government’s delay in the appointment of judges in the apex court and was prayed for directing the government to perform its constitutional duty by more |
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‘74 killed in Bajaur operation’
By Hasbanullah Khan
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Afghan unrest kills US, French soldiers
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The US service member was killed in an improvised bomb blast in southern Afghanis more |
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Army called in for today’s Lakki by-election
By our correspondent
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Meeting discusses political issues
ISLAMABAD: A meeting held here at the presidency on Tuesday and presided over jointly by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani discussed political and development issues in the N more |
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Rashid accuses PML-N of promoting criminal culture
ISLAMABAD: Head of Awami Muslim League, Sheikh Rashid, on Tuesday criticised the PML-N-led Punjab government for promoting criminal culture in Rawalpindi and the province.
Talking to a private TV channel more |
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Briefs...
Over 64 dead in Afghan avalanches
KABUL: At least 24 bodies have been recovered and 40 other people are feared dead after avalanches swept vehicles into a ravine and trapped cars in a mountain pass overn more |
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ISSN 1563-9479 
