Friday, 31 August 2012

Iran has doubled its capacity in an underground uranium enrichment facility, International Atomic Energy Agency said. But Iran Rejects IAEA report.

The number of centrifuges at the Fordow facility, about 130 km from Tehran, had more than doubled to   around 2,000 from around 1,000 in May.
The report also showed that Iran had produced nearly 190 kg of higher-grade enriched uranium since 2010, up from 145 kg in May.The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report on Thursday indicated that despite threat of an Israeli or U.S. military strike on Tehran's nuclear facilities, the Islamic Republic was rapidly increasing the enrichment capacity of its Fordow site, buried deep underground to withstand any such hit.

 Tehran denies this, saying it needs nuclear technology to generate electricity.

But Iranian lawmaker says UN watchdog report revealing doubled nuclear capacity at the underground Fordow facility is nothing but a "political move" aimed at overshadowing Non-Aligned Movement conference in Tehran.
"It seems that this report is a scenario for psychological warfare because Iran was able to show its authority and international position at the NAM summit," said  lawmaker Kazem Jalali  
Iran has portrayed its hosting of the summit of the 120-nation group of developing nations as proof that Western efforts to isolate it for its disputed nuclear programme have failed.

Thursday, 30 August 2012

Iran is "never seeking nuclear weapons" and will not give up its right to develop nuclear energy, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei  told a summit of non-aligned countries that opened in Tehran that "I insist that the Islamic Republic of Iran is never seeking nuclear  weapons," Khamenei said, rebutting Western and Israeli suspicions his country was engaged in pursuing such a goal.He called the use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction "a major and unforgiveable sin."Khamenei also said that "we will never give up the right to peaceful nuclear energy," underlining Iran's determination to push ahead with its atomic programme.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Addressing Western economic sanctions designed to pressure Iran on the nuclear issue, he said: "Sanctions -- which those who babble call 'paralysing' -- not only do not and will not paralyse us, but have made our steps steadier and elevated our resolve and boosted our confidence in our assessments," he said.


At least 12 people including two workers of MQM were gunned down in different incidents of violence in Karachi.

A Rangers man walking on the road near Star Gate within the limits of Airport police station was shot dead by unknown assailants. Police said deceased Muhammad Younus was on his way when gunmen riding a motorbike targeted him and managed to flee near old Airport building.In Model Colony, a man identified as Khalid Kashmiri, 40, was shot dead, said the police. They claim that he worked for the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Muttahida Organising Committee and was in-charge of the committee’s unit 189 in Malir.  Shah Faisal SP Latif Siddiqui said that five suspect attacked Kashmiri on his way home. He was shot multiply times and died on the spot. The body was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Another party worker identified as 28-year-old Shaukat was killed near his house in New Karachi, said the Bilal Colony police. They claim that unidentified men on a motorcycle opened fire at him. The body was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.Meanwhile, a man sitting outside his home was shot dead within the remit of Sohrab Goth police station. Police said that Muhammad Ahsan Siddique was sitting outside his home when gunmen riding a motorbike targeted him with bullets and managed to flee. He was taken to the hospital where doctors pronounced him dead. Police have so far been unable to ascertain the affiliation of the deceased with any political party.The body of 18-year-old Reema Khan was found in a graveyard in Orangi Town. The body was taken to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital. The police claim that Reema was killed over a family dispute. The body of an unidentified woman was found in Korangi, said the Ibrahim Hyderi police.  


Haji Shair Ahmed was on loading pickup when unknown gunmen targeted him at sector 5, Orangi Town. He was shot twice and was rushed to the Abbasi Shaheed hospital where doctors pronounced him dead and handed over his body to the family after autopsy. Police said that the deceased was a resident of Lines Area and had gone to Orangi Town to deliver some stuff. Police have so far been unable to ascertain the motive behind the murder. 

Wednesday, 29 August 2012

At least 9 security personnel were martyred and several others were injured in militants attack in South Waziristan


At least eight soldiers were martyred and 18 militants were killed in a clash after militants attacked a chek-post in South Waziristan Agency on Wednesday.
Soon after the incident the security, putting a wide cordon around the entire area, began a search operation. 

The injured were shifted to the hospital while sources confirmed that a search operation was also under-way in the area after the attack. 

Monday, 27 August 2012

Pakistan Vs Australia

Batting has always remained a worry for Pakistan as coach Dave Whatmore said on Sunday that they snatched defeats out of the jaws of victory against Sri Lanka during the recently concluded series which they lost 4-1.
Younus Khan’s absence is another cause of concern for the hosts because the dependable Khan used to build the innings whenever the openers failed to fire.
Australian stand-in coach Steve Rixon was surprised by this decision.
Kamran Akmal’s inclusion definitely gives Pakistan more options but their middle order looks brittle. They have to come up with a positive approach to counter the bowlers like James Pattinson and Mitchell Starc who have won the game for Australia against the brave Afghanistan on Saturday night.
On other side AUSTRALIA has dropped its only frontline spinner Xavier Doherty for the opening match of their one-day international series against Pakistan to be played in heatwave conditions.While Pakistan are expected to rely heavily on spin trio Saeed Ajmal, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Hafeez, Australia will go into the Sharjah clash with an attack of quicks and part-time spinners.

Pakistan's captain is Misbah-ul-haq and vice-captain is Mohammad Hafeez.

Australian team: Michael Clarke (capt), David Warner, Matthew Wade, Mike Hussey, David Hussey, George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson, Dan Christian.

31 militants were killed, while three security personnel lost their lives during the clash in Bajaur agency.


At least 37 people, 31 of them militants and four Pakistan Army soldiers, including an officer, were killed and several others received injuries in fierce fighting between security forces and Afghanistan-based Pakistani militants in the mountainous Batwar area of Salarzai tehsil of Bajaur Agency on Monday.
 “During the clash, 31 militants were killed, while three security personnel” lost their lives, said a senior official of the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC), which is leading the operations to purge the area of militant presence. 
Among the dead, two were members of the Salarzai Amn Lashkar, who have been fighting side by side with the security forces and had given a tough time to militants hiding in narrow valleys in the mountains in Salarzai tehsil near the Afghan border. According to sources, around 300 militants from Malakand and Bajaur tribal regions based in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Nuristan provinces had jointly launched the attack from their bases in Afghanistan on Salarzai tehsil in Bajaur Agency on August 23 and took control of six small villages near the Afghan border.


Meanwhile, spokesman for the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Ihsanullah Ihsan in an email to media organisations claimed they had killed several Pakistani soldiers and members of the peace committee during the four days of fighting.

Thousands of Pakistanis have lost their lives in bombings and other militant attacks since 2001 when Pakistan joined an alliance with the United States in Washington’s so-called war on terror. 

Supreme Court has given PM Ashraf three more weeks to reopen corruption cases against the president.

PM Ashraf appeared before the court Monday and pledged to resolve the situation, which resulted in his predecessor being disqualified from office.The Supreme Court, on August 8, issued a contempt notice to Prime Minister Ashraf for not implementing its order of writing a letter to the Swiss authorities to reopen a money-laundering case against President Zardari. 
The court, however, expressed its displeasure over the frequent ridiculing statements made by the Sindh governor and asked him to take control of it.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira told reporters that Mr. Ashraf will go before the court again on September 18.
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Sunday, 26 August 2012

PM Raja Pervez Ashraf will appear before the Supreme Court in the contempt of court case,

Pakistani Prime Minister, Raja Pervez Ashraf, will appear before the Supreme Court on Monday in contempt of court proceedings, presidential spokesman said late Sunday.Leaders of the Pakistan People's Party-led government's coalition partners will accompany the Prime Minister as he presents himself before the apex court.
The decision was made at the high-level meeting of the government's allies presided over by President Asif Ali Zardari here at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Sunday.
Prime Minister  Raja Pervez Ashraf

 The Supreme Court had ordered Ashraf to personally appear on Aug. 27 to explain as to why he is not writing to the Swiss authorities to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.The court disqualified Yusuf Raza Gilani as Prime Minister in June following his refusal to write to the Swiss authorities.

The government has reduced the profit rates on National Saving Schemes.


ISLAMABAD:Profit rates on National Savings Schemes down.The government has reduced profit rates on National Savings Schemes (NSS) for the investment made on or after August 27 in a response to the recent cut in discount rate by SBP.According to the Central Directorate of National Saving Schemes‚ the new profit rate on Special Saving Certificates – a three-year maturity scheme on which profit is paid semi-annually – will be 10.8%.New rates for Regular Income Certificate have been decreased by 1.32 per cent to 11.04 per cent. Similarly, new rates for Defence Savings Certificates have been slashed by 1.18 per cent to 11.5 per cent. Meanwhile new rates for Savings Accounts have been reduced by 1.24 per cent to 7.40 per cent.

 Officials said that the move was in accordance with the government’s policy to provide market-based competitive rate of return to investors of National Savings.

A Taliban spokesman said in an email sent to reporters that Haqqani is alive and in good health in Afghanistan.

A Taliban spokesman in Afghanistan rejected reports that the son of the founder of the powerful Haqqani militant network has been killed.
Zabiullah Mujahid said in an email sent to reporters late Saturday that Haqqani is alive and in good health in Afghanistan."A number of media have reported that Badruddin Haqqani has been killed. We would like to inform all media that this rumor is not correct," Mujahid said in the email.Pakistan is investigating whether the son of the founder of the powerful Haqqani militant network, which has been blamed for high-profile attacks and kidnappings in Afghanistan, was killed in a U.S. drone strike this week, officials said Saturday.

Pakistani intelligence officials have also said they are 90 percent certain he was killed in an American missile strike Tuesday in the North Waziristan region. They said their information was based on reports received from their agents in the field but acknowledged they haven't spoken to anyone who has seen the body.The U.S. has long viewed the Haqqani network as one of the biggest threats to U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan as well as the country's long term stability. The group has shown little interest in negotiating with the Washington, and has pulled off some of the highest-profile and most complex attacks in Afghanistan, although not necessarily the most deadly.



Saturday, 25 August 2012

More than 200 bodies were found in a town outside Damascus.

Dozens of bodies were found Saturday in a town outside Damascus that has been the focus of what activists described as a scorched-earth campaign by Syrian troops aiming to wipe out rebels and their sympathizers in several suburbs of the capital.
Forty to 50 bodies were found in the town of Daraya, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group with a network of activists inside Syria. The town had already sustained heavy shelling, and bodies have been turning up there for days in the wake of army raids, leading activists to count more than 100 dead since Wednesday.
Most of the victims were found Saturday in the basement of one building, activists said.

Maher al-Mikdad, the spokesman for the family clan that kidnapped more than 30 Syrians in retaliation for the abduction of a relative this month in Syria, told reporters that his family let most of the captives go "as a goodwill gesture."
He said that in order to press for the release of his relative, Hassan al-Mikdad, the clan would hold onto four Syrians who he said are members of the Free Syrian Army, the main group of rebel fighters in Syria, and a Turkish man who was also kidnapped.
The al-Mikdad is a powerful Shiite clan in Lebanon.


Friday, 24 August 2012

Bangladesh won by 5 wicket against Pakistan in Under-19 World Cup.

Pakistan batting first and made 235 for the loss of 8 wickets in the allotted 50 overs. Muhammad Nawaz was a top soccer from the Pakistani side. He scored 82 runs.Pakistani bowlers were failed to bowled well.Bangladesh achieved the target in 46.2 over for the loss of five wickets. 
Bangladeshi captain inam-ul-haq 
Captain Inam-ul-Haq was a top soccer. He scored a century to help his team defeat Pakistan by 5 wickets.
Captain  Inam-ul-Haq was declared the Man of the match.
Bangladeshi bowlers bowled very well,
Taskeen Ahmad took 3 wickets, while Shahid Ilyas and Diwan Sabir took 2 wickets each. 
 
Bangladesh got seventh position in under-19 World cup.


At least 18 people were killed and 14 others injured in three US drone attacks in North Waziristan

18 people were killed and 14 other injured in U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal area (North Waziristan) on friday.Marking a sharp escalation of the controversial CIA-led campaign that continues to roil Pak-America  relations. 
Just a day before Islamabad had formerly protested over drone attacks and said them, illegal and against the International laws.Drones fired at least six missiles at three locations in thickly forested, mountainous area in North Waziristan tribal agency, two Pakistani security officials and a local Taliban commander said.Friday was the fifth day of strikes in North Waziristan this month, four of which targeted the Shawal Valley. 
The identity of those killed was not immediately known. Previous strikes in the area have targeted both individual commanders and fighters in trucks headed for the nearby Afghan border.The sources said that the drone attacks were carried out after 11am. In the first attack, US drone fired three missiles at a compound at Makki Qamar and killed six suspected militants.
In the second strike, a drone fired two missiles at another compound at Tonda Darra, killing four people. Both the targeted compounds were destroyed completely.

Since this year, at least 175 people have reportedly been killed in such drone attacks.
It was recently reported by a website which quoted two US official that US President Barack Obama has ordered a “sharp increase” in drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal area. Last week, the US attack in NWA killing over a dozen people. 


Thursday, 23 August 2012

Asian Oil markets down

Oil markets fell Friday as disappointment over weak economic indicators from the United States, China and Europe offset hopes for more stimulus from central banks. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in October shed 34 cents to $95.93 a barrel and Brent North Sea crude for October delivery dipped 49 cents to $114.52.
Japan's declined 1 percent to 9,085.79 and China's benchmark Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.2 percent to 2,109.07. Hong Kong's Hang Seng shed 1.2 percent to 19,899.2. 

Crude markets were down as "revived hopes for more stimulus from the US Federal Reserve faded and doubts about Europe's ability to address its debt crisis crept back in focus," Phillip Futures said in a report.  Elsewhere in Asia, South Korea's Kospi declined 0.5 percent to 1,922.79 and Taiwan's Taiex lost 0.4 percent to 7,471.94. Singapore's Straits Times Index shed 0.5 percent to 3,041.1, while Australia's S&P ASX 200 was off 0.8 percent at 4,349.3. Benchmark oil for October delivery fell 49 cents to $95.77 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1 to finish Thursday at $96.26 per barrel. 

Former Pakistani wicket keeper Zulqarnain uploads video of his injuries.


Zulqarnain Haider has uploaded a video on social networking website facebook, which shows him battered and bruised.
He had criticised the selection committee and Kamran Akmal a few days back and the board issued a show cause notice to him in this regard.
In 2010, the wicketkeeper-batsman had leveled allegations of match fixing against some national players but could not provide any evidence.

"At this juncture, my initial belief is that we should not pull back in our contact with the Afghans," Marine general John Allen.

The heightened concern within the U.S. military leadership about the growing number of “insider attacks” is not new. Infiltration of the Afghan National Army by the Taliban has been a known issue for some time. 
Marine Gen. John Allen said during a video conference with Pentagon reporters. "We perhaps need to be more watchful, Afghans and coalition, for the emergence of a threat and be able to react quickly to that."
Trust between coalition and Afghan forces is central to that strategy. "The closer the relationship the more secure, ultimately, our troops will be," Allen said.

Overall, Allen said the campaign in Afghanistan is succeeding.
"Coalition and Afghan forces have maintained unrelenting pressure on the insurgents, and we have denied and disrupted their operations and have largely pushed them out of the population centers," Allen said.
"We've taken scores of their leaders and fighters off the battlefield," he said.

Pakistan has formally launched a protest with the United States over the Drone attacks.

The Foreign Office (FO) summoned a senior US diplomat and protested against the US drone strikes in the country.  
Pakistan made it clear to the US that missile strikes in its tribal territory, especially North Waziristan Agency (NWA), are against international laws. The protest came up after the stepped up drone attacks during the last one week. Many people were killed in these attacks in North Waziristan on Eid days.

The Foreign Office (FO) summoned a senior US diplomat and protested against the US drone strikes in the country. 
Pakistan made it clear to the US that missile strikes in its tribal territory, especially North Waziristan Agency (NWA), are against international laws. The protest came up after the stepped up drone attacks during the last one week. Many people were killed in these attacks in North Waziristan on Eid days.There has been a dramatic increase in US drone strikes in Pakistan since May, this year.
Since this year, at least 175 people have reportedly been killed in such drone attacks.It was recently reported by a website which quoted two US official that US President Barack Obama has ordered a “sharp increase” in drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal area. Last week, the US attack in NWA killing over a dozen people.

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

Eid Gift: The government announce an increase in prices of petroleum products.

Under pressure from the Finance Ministry, the government has decided to increase the prices of CNG and petroleum products even before the Eid holidays are over despite an announcement made by the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Petroleum, Dr Asim Hussain, on Aug 13 that petroleum prices would not be increased during August as an Independence Day gift to the nation.

The new prices will be implementable after midnight on Thursday, according to a notification. It was earlier announced that the prices of petroleum products would be kept unchanged for now.
Sources in the Petroleum Ministry said the petrol price would go up by Rs3.21 per litre to Rs96.78 from Thursday. The new price of HOBC, with an increase of Rs4.85, is Rs125.01 per litre and of kerosene Rs96.35 with an increase of Rs3.52.
The rate of CNG for Region One, Potohar, Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, has been raised by Rs3.21, setting the new price at Rs88.61/kg. The CNG price for Region Two, Punjab and Sindh, has increased by Rs2.68 bringing it up at Rs80.94/kg.


This step is taken because of increasing the oil/petroleum in the international market.  
With this increase, the CNG prices will reach their highest ever level.

Tuesday, 21 August 2012

Two civilians were killed and 11 others including three children injured in Quetta Bomb blast.

The death toll of a blast that rocked Pakistan's southwest Quetta city Tuesday morning has risen to three, said local media.
Local Urdu TV channel Geo said that one was killed on the spot and another two died later at hospital.
The blast also wounded 13 others including five women and four kids.
The explosives-packed car went off after vehicles of the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) passed, FC spokesman Murtaza Baig told AFP.

Senior police official Wazir Khan Nasir told AFP: “The victims of the blast were all civilians who were passing from the area. The toll includes one man killed and 12 others wounded including two women and three children.”.
No group has claimed responsibility for the blast.


Sunday, 19 August 2012

Pakistan has rejected as "unfounded" India's assertion that elements in this country were using social media networking sites to whip up communal sentiments.


Islamabad: Interior Minister Rehman Malik said he had asked India to provide evidence that elements in Pakistan are using social media networking sites to whip up communal sentiments and create a scare among north-eastern people in India.
“The Indian (Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde) has said that rumours were generated from Pakistan through cellular services,” he told reporters during an interaction about his phone conversation with Shinde earlier in the day.
The Minister said, “I had requested him (Shinde) to provide evidence in this regard to us and we will take care of it”.
Malik said he and Shinde had discussed the regional situation, including rumours which forced thousands of people from Assam to flee Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu states.
He said India and Pakistan have expressed their resolve to work for the eradication of terrorism from the region and for the progress of the people of the two countries.
The Interior Minister telephoned Shinde to convey greetings for Eid-ul-Fitr and briefly spoke about pending issues between the home and interior ministries of the two countries.
During the conversation, Shinde expressed concern over the social media networking sites being misused by elements based in Pakistan to circulate false pictures and stories to whip up communal sentiments in India.
This was the first direct contact between the two ministers and Shinde sought Pakistan’s cooperation in neutralising such elements.
People from northeastern states crowd a railway station after disembarking from a train from Bangalore in Guwa“We will have to work jointly for the safety of the region,” he saMalik said he had invited Shinde to visit Pakistan to take forward work on a revised visa agreement between the two countries.


The terrorist attack on the Kamra airbase, clearly violated the spirit of Islam: President Zardari

the president said in his eid message  that the terrorist attack on the Kamra airbase, clearly violated the spirit of Islam.President Asif Ali Zardari called for rejecting “extremist trends and negative propaganda of misguided elements in the country” by promoting Islamic teachings of tolerance and affinity.he president called for rejecting extremist trends and negative propaganda of misguided elements in the country by promoting the Islamic teachings of tolerance and affinity. The president, in his message, said that a society developed on such lines would be helpful in resolving the issues of extremism and violence.“This is only possible by shaping our lives in accordance with the golden principles of Islam and by shunning hatred, animosity, greed and malice. Moreover, we need to promote within our ranks love and affinity, tolerance, generosity and endurance.”
Zardari prayed that may Allah Almighty bless everyone with real pleasure and bliss of Eid.


Sudan government officially confirmed the death of Sudan's Minister of Guidance and Endowments Ghazi al-Sadiq in a plane crash.

A Sudanese helicopter carrying a government delegation crashed in a mountainous southern region on Sunday, killing all 32 people on board including a Cabinet minister, a former presidential adviser, two generals and a TV crew.The Sudan government on Sunday officially confirmed the death of Sudan's Minister of Guidance and Endowments Ghazi al-Sadiq in a plane crash in Taloudy town in South Kordofan State earlier in the day that in all claimed 31 lives.This can confirm earlier remarks by Abdul-Hafez Abdul-Rahim, spokesperson of Sudan's Civil Aviation, that all the 31 passengers aboard the plane were killed in the incident.
Osman's statement noted that the plane tried twice to land but failed before colliding with a mountain due to bad weather conditions. 
The helicopter went down "due to harsh weather conditions" near Talodi, a small town about 650 kilometers (406 miles) southwest of the capital, Khartoum.Sudan has a poor aviation safety record, with a large number of jet accidents occurring on landing.On June 20, 2012, a Sudanese military training aircraft crashed at the air base in Port-Sudan city in eastern the country, leaving its two-member crew killed.
And in May 2008 – before South Sudan became a separate country – a plane crash in a remote area in the south killed 24 people, including key members of the regional southern Sudanese government.  

England Vs South Africa : South Africa (309 & 216-4) lead England (315) by 210 runs


LONDON Aug 19 - England's hopes of clinching a series-levelling win in the third test were receding on the fourth morning as South Africa extended their lead to 210 runs at lunch on Sunday, with AB de Villiers crucially dropped before he had reached double figures.
The Proteas were 216 for four at Lord's with the ever-reliable Hashim Amla 94 not out, approaching a 16th test century, and de Villiers on 24.
England received scant reward for their efforts - and did not help their own cause by dropping a crucial catch - as Hashim Amla tilted the equation against them in the Lord's Test.
Amla was the main stumbling block for the hosts, adding an unbeaten 94 here to the triple century which underpinned South Africa's opening victory at The Oval - an outcome responsible for their 1-0 lead at the start of this third and final Investec Test.
The umpires took the players off five minutes before the scheduled lunch interval because of rain.
The second new ball will be due just after the interval, which is likely to be England's last chance of redemption in the series.
England must win to level the series after losing the first test by an innings and 12 runs and drawing the second match. South Africa will leapfrog England to the top of the world rankings if they can avoid defeat.

Saturday, 18 August 2012

The Shawwal moon has not been spotted across the country, Chairman Ruet-e-Hilal Committee

Addressing a press conference, Mufti Rehman said that no credible testimonies of sighting the moon were received from the provincial capitals, including Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Quetta.
The various zonal Ruet-e-Hilal committees had convened a meeting to sight the moon in major cities of the country while the Central Ruet-e-Hilal committee meeting was held in Karachi.
The official announcement of the sighting of the Shawwal moon was made after consulting all the committees.

Eid in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa today : Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai, chief cleric of the Qasim Ali Khan Mosque in Peshawar, announced on Saturday that Eid-ul-Fitr in the city will be celebrated on August 19, Sunday.

He said that testimonies were received from 23 men and one woman from across the province.
K-P senior minister Bashir Bilour, on behalf of the provincial government, announced that Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on August 19 across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Areas of North Waziristan, including Bajaur, Mardan and Banu will also celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr on August 19.

Senior Minister Bashir Bilour also announced it formally that eid clebrate in KP today : Bilour regretted that once again the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee did not consider the witnesses’ reports confirming the moon sighting coming from every part of the province.

He said 23 evidences of Shawwal moon from across the province, including including Dera Islmail Khan, Bannu and Bajaur, were received.
Earlier, Peshawar’s Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committee demanded the Provincial Minister for Religious Affairs to announce celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr on Sunday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.


Five suspected militants were killed and four others injured in a US drone attack in Mamoonzai area


US drone kills five suspected militants in NWA.The identity of the killed and injured couldn’t be ascertained but locals said they included foreign militants.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office in a statement protested against the drone attack, saying it was a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

 Pakistan protested against drone attacks :
                                                                       
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry condemned the latest drone attack. "Pakistan has consistently maintained that these attacks are a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and are in contravention of international law," the ministry said in a statement.

Some Uzbek foreign fighters were among the dead in Saturday's strike, according to two Pakistan intelligence officials. Three people were also wounded, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity.

General Ashfaq Parvaiz Kayani on Friday ruled out any joint Pakistan-US operation against militants in North Waziristan,

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has no plans to conduct a joint military operation with the US against the Taliban in the country, the army announced Friday. Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has "dispelled" the speculative reporting in the US media that a joint military operation is on the cards, Xinhua quoted the army as saying. The US media had reported that Islamabad and Washington agreed to launch a joint anti-terror operation in North Waziristan, bordering Afghanistan. The national interest will be the main consideration for any decision, he added. US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta had said on Monday that Pakistan had decided to launch a  military operation  against Pakistani Taliban in North Waziristan but the campaign was not against the Haqqani network.
According to an ISPR statement issued after a meeting between General Kayani and US CENTCOM Commander General James N Mattis, the army chief categorically dispelled the speculative reporting in the US media regarding an understanding given to ISAF Commander General John Allen about Pakistan Army's readiness to launch joint operations in North Waziristan Agency (NWA).


Friday, 17 August 2012

TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) Spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan claims responsibility of Kamra Airbase attack


TTP claims responsibility of Kamra Airbase attack. TTP (Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan) Spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed that four of their fighters were killed after destroying three aircraft and killing a dozen soldiers. He declared it to be a successful operation carried out to avenge the killing of former al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.MeanwhilePakistan Air Force has decided to form an investigation committee regarding attack on the Kamra Air base on Thursday.
According to Media Reports, this was decided in a meeting chaired by Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt on Thursday.
The meeting discussed the attack in detail and also gave briefing to Air Chief Marshal on the security conditions of the Aeronautical Complex and Minhas Base.

The security officials successfully repulsed an attack at the PAF Minhas airbase


Soldiers repulse attack on Kamra base.killing eight terrorists. A ninth militant, hiding outside the boundary wall, exploded his suicide vest in desperation when cornered.
One security staffer was martyred fighting the insurgents while four others, including the base commander, were wounded and shifted to the PAC Hospital, where they were later stated to be stable. The Pakistan Air Force said one plane also suffered damage in the Taliban claimed attack that came at around 2:15am.
PAF Minhas in Kamra town of the Punjab is some 15 kilometres from Attock and 60 kilometres northwest of capital Islamabad. The adjacent Pakistan Aeronautical Complex assembles Mirage and JF-17 fighter jets, with Chinese help. And, reportedly some Chinese engineers were also present there when the attack came.The terrorists exploited the night of 27th of Ramzan, which is considered as the most sacred night among the Muslims and devoted for worship. At the time of the attack most of the men of the nearby village Pind Suleman Makhan were in mosques for prayers while most of the men at the airbase were also busy in worship.“Most of the male residents of the village were in mosques for special prayers,” local resident said. “I heard three or four explosions, there was heavy gunfire also,” he said. “It appears that the militants arrived using a village track and climbed over the wall.”
One officer told AFP that he saw flames after waking up for his late night meal, eaten during the dawn-to-dusk Muslim fasting month. “There was an announcement by megaphone for soldiers not to move from the barracks and we were forbidden from going to the area where I saw the fire,” he said. Special forces and police were scrambled to the scene.
“Eight miscreants were killed inside the Minhas base boundary wall and one miscreant exploded himself outside the perimeters where he was hiding,” the air force announced. It said there had been a shootout “for more than two hours”. Officials at the Air Headquarters said the miscreants wanted to target 32 PAF jets at the Minhas Base including the Orion and JF-17 Thunder.