| DAWN/The News International, KARACHI | 26 January 2002, Saturday, 11 Zeqaad 1422 |
KARACHI: Muttahida chief, Altaf Hussain has said that sudden and mysterious disappearance of journalists Ghulam Hussnain and Daniel Pearl (of America) was a matter of serious concern. He expressed his shock that no investigation was conducted to find out their whereabouts and those responsible for their disappearances. He further said it was amazing that none of the journalist bodies including APNS, CPNE, PFUJ spoke a single word against the disappearance. He appealed to President Musharraf to take notice of these mysterious disappearances and hold thorough investigation into this matter and bring the culprits responsible to justice.
Muttahida actvist granted bailKARACHI: A bench of Sindh High Court, comprising Justice Muhammad Afzal Soomro, granted bail on Friday in the sum of Rs 100,000 to an activist of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Furqan alias Dara, allegedly involved in injuring a man by firing. The court passed the order after hearing the contentions of the applicant's counsel. He submitted that his client was implicated in the case due to his political affiliation. The applicant had moved the SHC as Additional District and Sessions Judge Karachi East had rejected his bail plea on November 30, 2001. The prosecution stated that complainant Riaz lodged an FIR with Korangi police station on August 24, 2000 saying that accused had fired at him with intentions to kill and injured him seriously when he was returning to his house. Police had later arrested the accused.
Accused in murder case identifiedKARACHI: Two, including a minor boy, died in different mishaps, while robbers killed the owner of a bakery on resistance.
Sajid Ali, 8, was crushed to death when a wall of a mill, within Site police limits, collapsed suddenly, while he was playing there. The child lost his life on the spot. Sources said the child had came to the city three days ago from Dir area of NWFP.
A middle-aged man, Ghaus Ahmed was killed and three others including Kamran, Khizer and Sabir were injured when their car (AA-7956) collided head-on with Mehran Coach (PE-4498) on National Highway, within Steel Town police precincts. The driver eluded leaving the coach behind.
Adam, 20, reportedly drowned in the sea within Docks police area. Efforts were on to recover the body. However, no official confirmation was available. Pyari Begum, a housewife and resident of TPX police limits received burn injuries when her clothes caught fire while cooking. She was admitted at the Civil Hospital Burns Ward, with 90 per cent burn injuries.
Muhammad Rafique, 40, owner of Shehzad Bakery, was killed in Zia Colony, by robbers within SITE police limits. Sources claimed that the victim was at his bakery when three armed bandits sneaked into the shop and at gunpoint demanded cash. The victim got hold of two of the robbers on which their third accomplice opened fire. A bullet hit him into his skull causing his instant death. The robbers eluded without taking anything.
BODY FOUND: A dry fruit vendor was found dead on a pavement within Aarambagh police limits, sources said. Jaggu Parth, father of six and a resident of Swami Narayan Mandir complex, Ranchhor Line, was missing since last night after he left house to sell dry fruits.
Early on Friday, the Aarambagh police were informed that a middle-aged man was lying breathless near Gullu Hotel within their precincts. Police reached the scene and sent the body to Civil Hospital for autopsy where hospital sources claimed that the victim possibly lost his life due to consumption of poisonous liquor. However, the MLOs reserved the report and sent his viscera for lab tests. The police were following the matter.
ROBBERIES: Allah Bachaio, a private security guard, was on duty when robbers entered a house R-11/2, Khayaban-e-Saadi, DHA, owned by Shahpur, a recruiting agent. The guard raised alarm on which the dacoits beat him with pistol butts and fled without taking anything.
Meanwhile, armed men looted cash gold ornaments and other valuables from M Shafie's house in Bughdadi; US $ 1,146, Rs 62,800, jewellery including three diamond sets, two gold sets and other valuables from the shop of Imran Manzoor in Clifton police limits; huge quantity of cloth from the godown of Amin Shah, in Quaidabad police area; and Rs 95,200 from a dry-cleaning shop in Artillery Maidan.
Robbers barged into a flat in Bughdadi, held the women inmates hostage at gunpoint and looted Rs 1,200,000 and jewellery, prize bonds and other items.
ARRESTED: The CIA police raided a workshop in Garden police limits and recovered two stolen vehicles. The police arrested M Aslam, stated to be the owner of the workshop. The accused was involved in lifting vehicles and selling their parts. Fatah Muhammad was arrested from Pak Colony police area with one kilogram of charas.
KIDNAPPED: A housewife and her newborn baby were allegedly abducted from her North Karachi residence. Sources quoting family members said that four armed men forcibly took away Aasiya, wife of M Hasan, resident of Sector 16-A, North Karachi along with her 5-day old child.
CARJACKING: Bandits took away 15 cars and 14 motorbikes from different parts of the city.
PAF jet crashesKARACHI: A Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Mirage fighter jet crashed over the Arabian sea near Karachi and military officials said on Friday that rescue parties had been unable to find the wreckage or the pilot. Officials said the pilot, who was flying solo on a routine training mission, had not broadcast a distress signal. The aircraft had suddenly disappeared off radar screens at about 7:30 pm on Thursday. The officials dismissed any link of the crash with India or with the military tension, saying their plane came down far from the border. "The plane was flying very near to Karachi -- what does India have to do with it?," Wing Commander Nazar said. Karachi is more than 185 km from India. The plane took off from Karachi airport and was on a training mission before crashing over the Arabian Sea," he said. "Our search mission is going on," he said and added "What went wrong with the plane could only be established after wreckage is found."
Coalition troops using Karachi airportHYDERABAD: The federal government is seriously considering to cut to size the freedom of seven regional, lingual and ethnic organisations or put a ban on their activities, credible sources told The News. The sources in the Federal Ministry of Interior and in the Sindh Home Department, said a ban would be slapped on the activities of some of the organisations, which the government believed, had close links to India.
A province-wide crackdown is expected in the next 48 hours, as police plan to raid the offices, head offices and the residences of the leaders and activists of the seven organisations. The agencies have been assigned the task by the government to keep a vigilant eye on few organisations and look for their links to India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
The government is facing a tough time since India made public a list of 20 most-wanted men, whom India wants extradited to it. The government of Pakistan has decided to adopt a tit-for-tat policy for countering the Indian aggression.
The agencies have been given a three-point agenda in the first stage: check their links to RAW or any other Indian organisation; financial status or backing, and particulars and activities of their office-bearers. The agencies have also been assigned the task of keeping a watch on military deserters.
A Home Department official, working in the political section at Karachi, said on condition of anonymity that under a watchlist there were seven organisations, which included nationalist, ethnic and some sort of mainstream organisations, dominating the political scene of the Sindh province. The second stage would depend on the outcome of the first, but it would be a tough job, as any plan might bring swift reaction from the targeted parties and individuals, the sources added.
A senior police official said the IGP, Sindh had been directed by Islamabad-based senior officials of the Interior Ministry to nab all the proclaimed offenders and absconders, without looking into their affiliation or notoriety. A crackdown in this connection is likely to be launched in the next few days throughout the province and police have been asked to thoroughly use their intelligence network for arresting the wanted persons. Before the Sindh government gives a green signal for the arrest of the absconders and proclaimed offenders.
Condition of graduation may hit heavyweightsNEW DELHI: India tested on Friday a new short-range version of its intermediate, nuclear-capable Agni missile, prompting angry condemnation from Pakistan and raising concerns of a fresh escalation in military tensions between the South Asian rivals.
Military analysts said the missile, with a range of just under 700 km, had been developed specifically with Pakistan in mind, although the Indian government firmly denied any suggestion of provocation. The missile was tested at around 8:50 am (0320 GMT) from the Chandipur test range off the eastern coastal state of Orissa.
"The test was taken in a non-provocative manner across international waters," foreign ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao said, adding that Pakistan had been informed in advance, along with the five nuclear powers, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States.
Pak deterrence in place, says MusharrafISLAMABAD: Observing that India had no reason to escalate tensions and emphasising that the ball was now in India's court, President General Pervez Musharraf said on Friday that Pakistan was fully prepared to thwart any nefarious enemy designs.
"Pakistan's deterrence, which consists of its quantified force, capability of causing unacceptable damage to the enemy and our resolve, is in place," the president maintained. He was addressing senior armed forces officers at the General Headquarters, as part of his interaction with the officers and keep them abreast of the latest developments, diplomatic endeavours Pakistan has been initiating for regional peace and the government's policy on sensitive security matters.
General Musharraf said peace in the region is in the greater interest of Pakistan and India. The president highlighted the situation in Afghanistan with special reference to the rehabilitation process.
Dilating upon the situation on Indo-Pak borders, he observed that there was no reason for Delhi to escalate tension. "Now the ball is in India's court," emphasised President Musharraf, as India is under international pressure to pull back its forces from the borders.