DAWN/The News International, KARACHI
29 January 2005, Saturday, 18 Zilhaj 1425
www.karachipage.com
(click on
underlined
key-words/dates to get more details)
Rival groups’ clash over mosque issue claims one life
Kidnapped judges freed
Sui PPL manager among four held for Dr Shazia rape
Sui colonies to be moved away from plant
Gas pipeline blown up near Pattoki, suspending supply to Lahore
RAWALPINDI: LEAs ordered to hand over suicide bomber's head to father
MMA failed to enforce Islamic rule in NWFP: Bilour
US Ambassador Crocker calls on PAF chief
Rival groups’ clash over mosque issue claims one life
KARACHI: Two persons were gunned down and two lost their lives in different mishaps on Friday. According to details, four persons received bullet injuries when armed men opened fire upon them in a dispute over occupying a mosque in Sector 36-B near Lyari Expressway within the Surjani Town police jurisdiction. Area police said that four armed men came in the Taisar Town locality in Surjani police jurisdiction and tried to kidnap Qari Enayatullah at gunpoint. When they were taking Enayat forcibly he raised alarm on which his neighbours responded and confronted with the kidnappers, police said. Armed men started firing, which resulted in injuries to Qari Aziz-ur-Rehman, 40, Qari Enayatullah, 40, Hidayatullah and Wazeer-ru-Rehman. The injured were rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH), where doctors pronounced Aziz-ur-Rehman dead, while the other critically injured were admitted. Two of the four assailants were caught by the area people who later handed them over to the police who were identified as Akhtar Qadri and Ahmed Raza Qadri, both activists of Sunni Tehreek (ST), while their two accomplices managed to escape. The Surjani Town police said that this incident was result of a dispute over the occupation of a mosque. Police have registered a case against the arrested accused persons on complaint of Qari Enayatullah and are investigating. Mehmood Aalam, 35, a shopkeeper and resident of Majeed Colony Landhi, sustained bullet wounds when he resisted in a robbery bid in front of his shop, when he was closing it for Juma prayers within the Quaidabad police jurisdiction. Area people rushed him to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), where doctors pronouned him dead. FALLS TO DEATH: Ibrahim Gabool, 26, a labourer who hailed from Kashmor (Sindh), died when he fell down mysteriously in a 300 feet deep well near New Sabzi Mandi within Gaddap police jurisdiction. His body was recovered and shifted to a private hospital and then sent to his hometown without completing legal formalities. Muhammad Siddique, 26, fell down from the rooftop of Decent Gardens in Block 7 Gulistan-e-Jauhar police jurisdiction. His body was shifted to the JPMC. It was yet to be ascertained, whether the deceased slipped accidentally or was pushed by someone, police said. ARRESTS: The Divisional Intelligence of Excise police has nabbed two drug sellers and claimed to have recovered 1600 grams of hashish from their possession. The arrested drug sellers were identified as Shahzad and Muhammad Hanif, while the ringleader Sohail managed to
escape.
Kidnapped judges freed
SHIKARPUR, Jan 28: Two kidnapped judges, Abdul Wahab Abbasi and Farooq Ahmed Channa, were freed on Friday. Mr Abbasi and Mr Channa were kidnapped from Shikarpur district some 57 days back while on their way to Shikarpur from Larkana. The Regional Police Officer of Sukkur region, Tariq Saleem Lone, speaking at a press conference held here in the evening, claimed the recovery of Mr Abbasi was not an outcome of any deal. The police officer also claimed that Mr Channa would also be freed within few hours. He said that Shamu Jatoi, Khadim Lolai, Abdul Hameed Kharos, Mirza Kharos, Esso Shar, Illahi Bux Rind, Amanullah Tunio and Ahmed Jatoi were involved in the kidnapping. Replying to a question, he confirmed that the judges were not shifted to Balochistan but they remained in the custody of kidnappers in kutcha area of Larkana district and adjoining areas. The freed judge, Abdul Wahab Abbasi, on the occasion told newsmen that he and Mr Channa were kept together in kutcha areas of Madeji and were shifted to various places. He said Mr Channa was separated from him some eight days back. He said the kidnapers gave him good news about his release and said that he would meet Mr Channa on the way on Friday.
Sui PPL manager among four held for Dr Shazia rape
MULTAN: Sibi police arrested Field Manager of the Pakistan Petroleum Ltd, Pervez Majolah, Sui hospital Surgeon Dr Osman Wada, Medical Officer Muhammad Ali and Dr Afzal Pasha following the cancellation of their pre-arrest bails by the Sibi sessions court in Dr Shazia gang rape case on Friday. Meanwhile, police parties are conducting raids in Karachi for the arrest of Dr Sikandar Jatoi. Police sources said PPL Field Manager Pervez Majolah submitted his wrong written statement with the police describing Dr Shazia case as "a dacoity" instead of a rape incident. Dr Shazia was allegedly gang-raped at a hospital in Sui. The statement turned the police investigations into wrong directions while the manager also concealed shifting of Dr Shazia from Sui to Kashmor, then Kandh Kot to Karachi besides pressurising her to withdraw the case. The arrests came three weeks after renegade tribesmen, angered over the attack against the doctor, fired hundreds of rockets, damaging a gas plant run by the company near Sui and prompting authorities to dispatch thousands of troops to control the situation. Meanwhile, Dera Bugti journalists have protested against authorities’ discriminative attitude for not allowing them to attend the press briefing because of their relations with Bugti tribe. Tension mounted among the local journalists on Friday when Islamabad-based journalists were brought to Sui for the briefing.
Sui colonies to be moved away from plant
SUI: The 10 residential colonies near the Sui gas field must be moved eight to 10 kilometres away to ensure security of the key national gas installation, said Commandant Frontier Corps in Sui Col Mujeebur Rehman while briefing Islamabad-based journalists here Friday. "Miscreants were using residents of local colonies as human shields while attacking the gas plant," he said. The government has arranged the visit of journalists to show them damages to the Sui gas field caused in attacks by miscreants from January 7 to 11. The journalists were also taken to the gas plant, the hospital and other areas, which were targeted by terrorists. Col Mujeebur Rehman said the terrorists fired "unlimited" number of rockets and mortars from January 7 to 11 and the police have registered cases against the attackers. He said the miscreants were using the nearby colonies as human shields and the armed forces were reluctant to retaliate with the same force to ensure the safety of civil population. "It is better that all the colonies near the PPL installations should be pushed eight to 10 kilometres away so that they could not be used as human shields by the terrorists," he added. He said in the area near gas installations there are 10 colonies comprising 2,400 houses in which around 15,000 people reside. He dismissed reports about search or demolition of houses of the locals. "The locals voluntarily surrendered their licensed weapons to the law enforcement agencies," he added. The surrendered weapons including pistols, guns and night goggles were shown to the media team. When asked about the origin of the ammunition used by the miscreants, he said it was very difficult to trace the origin but it was not locally made. "They fired heavy ammunition from the long distance and smaller ammunition from the nearest colony," he added. "After taking security measures, the law and order situation in the area is under control," he said. The operational plant of gas and gas purification plant in Sui have also started operation after repair, he said. Both plants were damaged due to rocket firing in early January The PPL General Manager, Mohammed Iftikhar, told newsmen that 1,081 people out of 1,485 employed at the Sui plant were locals. He said due to terrorist attacks, the PPL gas plant suffered a loss of Rs 10 million while the gas supply to the country had been partially suspended for eight days causing a loss of Rs 440 million. He said the Sui gas field provides gas to 22 percent commercial and domestic users. He said till 1980 the situation was under control but afterwards due to interference of union and local tribal leaders the situation worsened day by day. "Even the PPL gave jobs to unskilled workers under pressure from the local tribal leaders and the union. The salaries of house servants were given from the accounts of the company," he added. He said a number of multinational companies could not discover new gas reservoirs in the area due to the pressure tactics used by the local tribal leaders. He said the government started holding talks with Sardar Attaullah Mengal and Nawab Akbar Bugti in 1999, which continued for two years. In December 2001 an agreement was reached with Bugti, he said. Under the agreement, he said, the PPL has given jobs to 168 persons and every worker was paid Rs 22,000 per month, which include all kind of facilities. The PPL had to employ 344 more persons following another demand, which cost the company Rs 70 million annually, he added. Replying to a question he said the PPL was giving Nawab Akbar Bugti and his family facilities worth Rs 2 million per month. He said the government has declared Sui as the Special, Secured and Prohibited Area and established a security zone so that the supply of gas to the country continues without any hurdle. Giving briefing on the recently established Sui garrison, Spokesman of 12 Corps Lt Col Suhail Shahzad said one battalion of the army has been placed at the garrison. He said the army acquired 400 acres of land in two phases under the Land Acquisition Act. "The government has paid Rs 100.188 million to Haji Muno Kalpar, who is owner of the land," he added. He said the garrison was being constructed for the safety of the people and the key national installation and it will bring prosperity for the local people and development for the area. ISPR Director Brig Shah Jehan said the land for the construction of the cantonment has been purchased under the Land Acquisition Act. He said, "200 acres of land was earlier purchased and the rest was acquired from seven to eight months earlier." He maintained that the garrison will be constructed in three to four years. "The construction of the cantonment will not only gear up the pace of development in the area but also generate employment opportunities for the local population," he added.
Gas pipeline blown up near Pattoki, suspending supply to Lahore
LAHORE: The 18-inch diameter main gas pipeline passing over the Balloki-Sulemanki Canal (BS-Canal) near Chakoke Village in Okara district ruptured on Friday night, as a result of "sabotage". Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Managing Director Rashid Ahmad Lone confirmed that the pipeline was blown up by saboteurs causing suspension of gas supply to a considerable area of Lahore and other adjoining areas and towns. Besides, the supply of gas to the industrial units in Raiwind areas has also been suspended. The gas supply from Sui has been stopped and heavy police contingents have been deployed in the affected areas of Okara. Meanwhile, the houses in the nearby villages have been evacuated to avoid any further possible loss and the SNGP officials and engineers also reached the spot to examine the damage. The blast bang was heard in a radius spanning miles at about 9:00 pm and local police accompanied by the DSP Muhammad Ashiq Marth reached the scene. "There was no fire at all but the leakage of the gas from the ruptured pipeline was sounding high," the police officer said and added that the pipe got ruptured from its middle. He, however, ruled out any possibility of sabotage or bomb blast. SNGPL General Manager (Transmission) Shariq, however, did not rule out the possibility of sabotage. "The possibility of the sabotage cannot be ruled out but it will only be ascertained once the entire gas gets leaked out of the pipe and the engineers inspect the pipe," he said and added that it might also be an accidental rupture. The gas supply through the pipeline was supposed to remain under suspension for the whole night. The officials were, however, trying heir level best to restore the gas supply to the Lahore areas as soon as possible and there was a plan to stop the gas supply to industrial units for continuing supply to the domestic consumers. The other plans for restoring the gas supply included the alternative routes of supplying gas to the domestic users.
RAWALPINDI: LEAs ordered to hand over suicide bomber's head to father
RAWALPINDI, Jan 28: The anti-terrorist court Rawalpindi on Friday directed the law enforcement agencies, probing the
terrorist attack on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in Fatehjang
, to hand over the
suicide bomber's head to his father
. The suicide bomber' father, Mohammad Mukhtar, was also present in the court when the order was given. Mohammad Irfan, 23, blew himself up during an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in July in Fatehjang. Irfan's body was blown up while his head was found lying near the scene of the attack. The head was preserved by the authorities concerned for investigation. The suicide bomber, who according to his father, had been missing from his house situated on Sheesh Mahal Road Lahore since 2004, was well-built and a graduate. The deputy inspector general of police Rawalpindi, in a recent press conference, had revealed that Irfan, who had C-4 explosive wrapped around his waist, was among seven persons killed in the terrorist attack on Shaukat Aziz. Amjad Farooqi, who was allegedly involved in an assassination attempt on President Gen Pervez Musharraf, is believed to be the mastermind of the attack on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and had persuaded Irfan and his friend Obaid to carry out the act. Irfan reached on the designated point and detonated his explosive-laden belt while Obaid failed to do so.
MMA failed to enforce Islamic rule in NWFP: Bilour
KARAK: Central Vice-President Awami National Party (ANP) Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour has demanded of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal government to quit, as it failed to honour its promises regarding enforcement of Islamic rule in the province. The Awami National Party leader was addressing a meeting held here in connection with the death anniversary of Pakhtun nationalist leader Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan at the district office of the party late on Thursday. Secretary Information Mian Iftikhar Husain also criticised the MMA government. The ANP secretary information Mian said, "The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal always opposed the participation of women in politics but now the top leaders of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal have sent their daughters and daughters-in-law to the assemblies." He alleged: "The struggle of the MMA is not aimed at serving Islam rather they are endeavouring for vested political interests." Mian Iftikhar reiterated the pledge of the party to resist the construction of Kalabagh Dam.
US Ambassador Crocker calls on PAF chief
ISLAMABAD: US Ambassador Ryan C Crocker called on Chief of the Air Staff Pakistan Air Force Air Chief Marshal Kaleem Saadat at Air Headquarters, Chaklala on Friday. They remained together for some time and discussed matters pertaining to professional and mutual interests. Later the dignitaries exchanged souvenirs.
YESTERDAY'S NEWS
© DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2005
© JANG Group, 2005
Go Back to Karachi Page