KARACHI: Unidentified terrorists assassinated a cop and wounded another within Gulshan-e-Iqbal police precincts, witnesses and officials said on Friday. This was the fourth attack on the cops of District East police during the last three months.

According to witnesses, Sualeh Muhammad, 36, Head Constable and his colleague 38-year-old Ghulam Fareed of Gulshan-e-Iqbal police were performing their duty deputed at a kiosk near Moti Mehal. Two unknown slayers came in a Suzuki High Roof and sprayed volley of bullets with AK-47 Assault rifles killing Sualeh Muhammed on the spot while Ghulam Fareed sustained serious injuries.

Motorists and pedestrians informed the police about the incident and in no time police teams along with their seniors reached the scene. They rushed the wounded cop to Aga Khan Hospital and shifted the body of other cop to JPMC.

"Freed has sustained some seven bullets over his torso and was struggling for life while our senior doctors were trying to save him," said a source. This was the fourth attack on the cops of East police. Earlier, unidentified assailants killed three cops and wounded various others in different attacks in Jamshed Quarters, Gulshan-e-Iqbal and Sharea Faisal.

District East police chief, SSP Rehmat Khan Mehsood, when contacted by The News expressed his concern over the attacks. "Many forces could be involved behind the attacks on my force. We are, however, trying to investigate the real causes of such attacks all around the district of East," he said. HC Sualeh, who lost his life during the attack, hailed from Naushehro Feroze while Fareed belongs to Faisalabad.

LAHORE: Local administrations in the borders areas of Sindh and Punjab have made necessary arrangements to meet any emergency in wake of India troop buildup.

The local Civil Defence departments have started holding total blackouts in all the villages situated near the international border with India. The orders to this effect were passed on Thursday. The exercise is being carried out right from Shakargarh to Runn of Katch border.

Sources told The News that the development does not signify a precaution against a possibility of an Indian attack at any moment, rather it is a precautionary move for the deployment of Pakistani troops in a holding formation all along the border. In case of an immediate threat of attack, the Civil Defence would have first sought blackout exercises in the major cities, the sources said.

The sources in the military said the troop movement is conducted during the night as infantry and artillery march to forward locations for taking up positions. The usual troop-movement in times of threat on the front follows a specific sequence, that is, the formations leave their units for assembling at the concentration areas. Once settled there, the troops await orders for formal and predetermined positioning on the front.

The blackouts are resorted to evade the enemy's eye, which keeps a close vigil on the troop-movement during vulnerable situations. Once the troops take forward defensive positions, the blackouts will be called off, said a source. It implies that the military is in a complete readiness to engage in a battle in the event of an attack.

An official of the ISPR confirmed that the district administrations all along the eastern borders were instructed to hold blackouts in the forward villages. The Government of Sindh has also ordered immediate civil defence training programmes for government employees.

All the government offices and headmasters of government schools have been asked to make arrangements like fire fighting and first aid. Emergency has been declared in government hospitals.

Meanwhile in view of massive movement of the Indian army at the Thar-Rajasthan border, including the unusual activities of their air force over this area, the local administration in the Sindh town of Mirpurkhas has made all the necessary arrangements to tackle effectively any emergency situation.

The municipal officer in Mirpurkhas, in a press statement issued here on Friday, said that in view of the current situation in the country the municipal administration had updated the function of fire fighting system and sirens along with water supply system.

Highly informed sources said that the Indians had moved two of their corps with all the conventional weapons. The Pakistan Army is also on high alert and has taken all the precautionary measures.

"It is apparently not routine activities and the Indians have brought their ground forces to the forward positions," sources said and added that in the wake of these preparations by the Indian armed forces a surprise attack could not be ruled out.

ISLAMABAD: The government has indicated the prospect of an Indian attack on Pakistan, saying that New Delhi has no option now but to go for a possible attack on Pakistan, as it had put itself into a corner and it will be difficult for it to back off.

Military spokesman Major General Rashid Qureshi was asked at the Foreign Office briefing how close India was to starting a war with Pakistan. He said: "India started the deployment of troops and a certain momentum was established by these concentration of troops. The Indian government has put itself in a corner and it will be difficult for them to back off now. Any deployment in excess of what is required at the border is seen as a threat by the other country. They now claim to have deployed surface-to-surface missiles and each step that they take increases the threat. Pakistan, meanwhile, has exercised restraint and only deployed forces for defence. We continue to exercise maximum restraint but we will ensure that we retain the capability to defend ourselves."

When asked about reports that Pakistan was constrained to withdraw troops from its western borders, General Qureshi replied: "We don't talk about deployment and readiness of our troops." He also declined to comment on whether Pakistan had deployed its surface-to-surface missiles.

However, at this stage the government says it is not ready to move to the UN Security Council about the Indian threats as "Pakistan for the moment is taking all diplomatic measures to defuse the situation".

The military spokesman said in the last 24 hours there had been no serious clash along the LoC. Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Khan said that if New Delhi continued to take measures against Pakistan like it has been doing these past few days, then Pakistan would be constrained to react with the same actions.

"We express our disappointment at the measures taken by India yesterday evening. We have been constrained to take reprisal actions. Despite our best efforts and constant endeavours for dialogue more and more impediments are being put in our way. We constantly strive for a negotiated settlement of all problems," he said.

He was referring to the measures announced by New Delhi under which all PIA flights would be banned from flying over India from January 1, the Pakistan High Commission staff would be reduced by half and Pakistani diplomats constrained to stay within the limits of the capital.

Aziz said that from Pakistan's side these measures, which it has also announced for India, would become effective from January 5 when special flights would bring back Pakistan's diplomatic staff.

However, he said that the Saarc summit would go ahead as planned with the Foreign Secretary Inam ul Haq having left for Kathmandu and the foreign minister would leave shortly for the senior ministers' meeting before the summit.

President Pervez Musharraf, despite the restrictions imposed by India while banning overflights of PIA, would attend the summit. Aziz said that the recent restrictions on over flying India would inconvenience the Indian flights as well. "The Indians talk of more contact (between the two sides) yet they take these measures," he added.

General Qureshi said, "While about 12 PIA flights would be affected, the decision by India would affect 111 Indian flights over Pakistan."

When asked what step the international coalition was taking to help Pakistan in a situation when India was ready to attack its borders, Aziz replied, "Pakistan is in touch with all governments and leaders. The foreign minister was recently in touch with the secretary generals of the UN and the OIC. We have urged them to advise India to show restraint and to emphasise that tensions should not be escalated."

General Qureshi added: "All communications that world leaders have had with President Pervez Musharraf indicate that they totally understand Pakistan's view and also agree with our views."

Commenting on reports that the latest video released of Osama Bin Laden had been sent from Pakistan as claimed by the Afghan government, the military spokesman replied, "The US has rejected these claims made by Afghanistan. But if they really have some sources or information then they should share it with us and with the coalition."

As regards the US putting Lashkar-e-Tayba and the Jaish-e-Mohammad on the international terrorist list, Aziz Khan said, "Pakistan's concern is that each group is under scrutiny and any individual group or person involved in any undesirable activity will have action taken against them."

In this regard, Qureshi said, "Maulana Masood Azhar has been put under preventive detention and about 20 people from his party have been arrested for keeping unauthorised weapons."