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Altaf asks govt to declare Saraiki belt a province
6 ‘RAW agents’ arrested in Karachi
3 kidnappers killed, hostages recovered
Reckless driving claims life; boy commits suicide
SSP activist acquitted in sectarian killing case
Man from Karachi convicted for 6 months freed after 9 years
Multan-Quetta Railway line damaged by blast
Rail link to Iran hit by blast, microwave tower attacked
Altaf asks govt to declare Saraiki belt a province
MULTAN: Muttahida Quami Movement chief Altaf Hussain has
asked the government to declare Saraiki belt a separate province and transfer
power to the people of this region, otherwise, he himself would plead the
case of Saraiki people before the United Nations. Addressing by telephone
from London the participants of Saraiki Province Conference arranged by Sooba
Movement at the Multan Press Club on Thursday, he said the Saraiki belt had
been facing deprivations and exploitation for the last 57 years. He demanded
of the government to establish agriculture, engineering, medical and
information technology universities. He also demanded eight bridges over
Chenab and Sindh rivers, motorways and a tax-free zone.
6 ‘RAW agents’ arrested in Karachi
KARACHI: The Sindh police on Thursday claimed to have
arrested six terrorists from the Baloch Colony police jurisdiction, which
yielded arms and ammunition, explosives, and literature regarding guerrilla
warfare and anti-state elements.
The arrested terrorists had allegedly been operating in
the province under the patronage of Indian Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)
and were entrusted with targeting communication links and vital installations
by blasting bridges on important roads, Wapda installations, and railway
tracks to destabilise the country.
Asad Jahangir, the acting Provincial Police Officer (PPO),
Sindh, disclosed this, while addressing a press conference in the Police
Auditorium within the office of the SP Driving License (DL) branch, Clifton,
on Thursday. "The Crimes Investigation Division (CID) and the
investigation branch of police raided a house in Baloch Colony on a tip-off
from the Army Intelligence and nabbed the terrorists," he added. The
suspects were nabbed after an exchange of fire, Asad said.
The alleged terrorists were identified as Mazhar Bhatti
alias Sarang, Ghulam Asghar alias Ali Raza Shah, Imran Leghari, Fayyaz
Janwari, Sanaullah Bhatti, and Rafique Leghari. Police also claimed to have
recovered from their possession a 7mm bore rifle, four pistols, 60
kilogrammes of explosives, five detonators, three electronics detonators,
four Russian hand grenades, and 60 feet of fuses.
The suspects used to be briefed on anti-state activities
and according to them they had the patronage of certain prominent personnel
of the RAW, Asad Jahangir added. The suspects have admitted to their
involvement in various terrorist acts, including blasts on railway tracks, at
Wapda installations, and an attempt to destroy Jamshoro bridge on January 18,
2005, the PPO claimed.
3 kidnappers killed, hostages recovered
KARACHI: At least three members of a gang were killed and
a policeman received injuries when the Anti-Violent Crimes Cell (AVCC) began
an operation for recovering of two kidnapped persons in Mochko police
jurisdiction on Thursday.
According to details, unknown persons kidnapped Muhammad
Faisal, an engineer working in a local company and resident of
Gulistan-e-Jauhar and his company’s driver Imran, when they were returning
from work Wednesday night and passing through the Hub-River Road within the
SITE police jurisdiction.
The kidnappers called the abductees’ relatives and
demanded Rs4 million as ransom. The kidnapping was reported to the police,
who registered a case and transferred it to the AVCC for further
investigation.
A joint team of Citizen Police Liaison Committee (CPLC)
and AVCC immediately started investigations and surveillance of identified
areas with the help of mobile phone signals through sophisticated equipment.
On a tip off the joint team, headed by DSP Khurram Waris,
located the house, where the captives were kept and after surrounding the
house asked the criminals to surrender.
The kidnappers instead of surrendering opened fire and
tried to escape. Police retaliated and entered the house.
During exchange of fire Qaseem Qureshi, a policeman
sustained bullet injuries and three kidnappers also received bullet injuries,
which proved fatal before shifting them to any hospital.
Later their bodies were brought to the Civil Hospital,
where one of the three deceased was identified as Jawaid, brother-in-law of
Razzak alias Commando a close aide of Rehman Dacoit, also a most wanted and
criminal culprit, DSP Khurram told The News.
Police claimed to have recovered three TT pistols and one
repeater from their possession and the kidnapped engineer Faisal along with
driver Imran were safely recovered.
Reckless driving claims life; boy commits suicide
KARACHI: Tension prevailed in Nazimabad No 1 and nearby
localities when a recklessly driven bus crushed a man while a depressed youth
ended his life by hanging himself, police said.
According to details, Jawaid Bashir, 35, Secretary of
Rizvia Market Association, resident of Nazimabad, was seriously injured when
a recklessly driven bus of route No 4-K ran over him, while he was crossing
the road. He was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where he died.
Following the accident, area people set the killer bus on
fire.
SUICIDE: Zahid Rafique, 20, resident of Khairabad Sector
11 1/2, Orangi Town, a depressed youth ended his life by hanging in his
house.
BODY FOUND: Two unidentified bodies including that of a
woman were found from separate spots in the Docks police jurisdiction. Area
police told The News that the woman’s body was found near KMC Hut on
Hawkesbay beach, while the man’s body was found floating near OP-1 near
Keamari within the Docks police limits.
VEHICLES: At least 17 vehicles including eight motorcycles
were hijacked from various parts of the city.
Police recovered 12 vehicles including six motorcycles.
SSP activist acquitted in sectarian killing case
KARACHI: An Anti-Terrorism Court in Karachi on Thursday
allowing acquittal application filed by the activist of banned Sipah-e-Sahaba
Pakistan (SSP) exonerated him in a sectarian killing case.
"The application under section 265-K CrPC is allowed
as there is no probability of accused being convicted," ordered the ATC
Judge, Aley Maqbool Rizvi. "Mohammad Faisal alias Pehalwan is acquitted
and released if not involved in other cases."
The SSP activist was booked on the charge of killing Dr
Sibtain Ali Dosa, his employee Ali Nawaz and friend Mohammad Arshad Shahid in
Kharadar area Karachi.
Prosecution alleged the accused along with absconding
co-accused attacked the clinic of Dr Sibtain Ali Dosa on May 2, 2000 and
killed the above-mentioned persons and injured two others. Earlier, the ATC
on Nov 27, 2000 acquitted Qari Nisar in the said case, as prosecution had
failed to produce any evidence against the defendant.
The Defence Counsel, Ashraf Mughal, took plea for
acquittal on ground that the applicant’s name was not mentioned in the
previous charge sheet in which another accused was tried and he was falsely
implicated in the said case after his arrest in a case lodged in Nabi Bux
police station Karachi.
He contended that prosecution witness had not disclosed
the feature of the applicant nor he was earlier booked in the case submitting
there was no probability of applicant being convicted. Special Public
Prosecutor Abdul Waheed Khan opposed the application.
The court observed in order that the perusal of record had
not clarified as to how the name of the applicant transpired in the case, as
the case decided by the ATC was itself explanatory when the applicant was
nowhere cited as accused either directly or indirectly.
Besides, the court further observed that the charge framed
by the court was also silent about the applicant; contrary to that the charge
was framed against Qari Nisar Ahmed and absconding Shaukat Ali and Asif Ramzi
to the murder of Dr Sibtain and others.
Man from Karachi convicted for 6 months freed after 9 years
QUETTA: Azizullah, a resident of Karachi who had been
arrested under the Foreign Act, was released on the orders of the Balochistan
High Court (BHC) on Thursday after a lapse of over nine years.
Addressing a press conference, office-bearer of the
Society for Empowering Human Resources (Seher), Andaleeb Qaisrani said
Azizullah son of Farooq Ahmed, a resident of Allahbad Colony, Korangi,
Karachi,
had gone to Naushki area of Balochistan on January 25, 1996 to see a friend,
where he had been arrested under the Foreign Act and awarded six months
imprisonment.
Despite being a Pakistani, he could not find release for
nine years and three months, she said.
Azizullah said he was 23 years’ old when he had been
arrested, and now he is around 32 years.
He said he had written to successive federal and
provincial governments, but to no avail.
He spent nine years of his imprisonment in Mach jail and
the remaining time in the District Jail Quetta.
He said he would restart his poultry business once he
reaches Karachi.
Multan-Quetta Railway line damaged by blast
DERA GHAZI KHAN, March 3: Saboteurs blew up the Multan-Quetta rail track near Kot Chutta station, 18km from here, on Thursday night. Police said the blast occurred at 8:50pm.
Following the blast, Chiltan Express going to Quetta from Lahore was halted at Dera Ghazi Khan. It was the fifth such incident in Dera Ghazi Khan district during the past five weeks.
Rail link to Iran hit by blast, microwave tower attacked
QUETTA, March 3: Saboteurs blew up a railway line between Nushki and Ahmedwal, which links Quetta with the Iranian border town of Zahidan, and fired rockets on a PTCL microwave tower in the early hours of Thursday.
Reports reaching here said that an explosive device had been planted on the railway line in Chaghai district. The explosion damaged the railway track.
"About three feet of the track were blown up by the powerful blast," officials of the railway control office here told Dawn. However, train service on this line had not been affected as the department operated only a weekly service on this section, they added.
Soon after the blast, railway engineers and other staff rushed to the place and began repairing the line. "We have replaced the damaged part," one railway official said.
The attack on the microwave tower in Ahmedwal damaged transmission line, disrupting telephone service in many parts of Chaghai district. "We are trying to restore the telephone system in the area," a PTCL official said.