After girls school, now Taliban destroys two boys school in Bajaur

Khar, May 3 (ANI): After having destroyed scores of girls’ schools across the North West Frontier Province, the Taliban blew up two more boys’ schools in the Khar tehsil of Bajaur Agency, increasing the number of schools so far destroyed in the area to 82.

Recently, unidentified men had blown up a boys’ primary school in the Zirgiray area of Nawagai tehsil in Bajaur.

This was reportedly the first such incident after the peace deal there. According to reports, such attacks have affected the education of around 50,000 children in the region.

Last year, the Taliban had targeted female teachers, with two of them being gunned down in an ambush in Khar region of Bajaur Agency.

Shazia Begum and Shamim Bibi, teachers at the Communal Girls School, were travelling in a van when extremists opened fire at the vehicle killing the two on the spot besides injuring two others. (ANI)

Seven terrorists killed by Pak security forces in Malakand

Rawalpindi, Sep 9 (ANI): The Pakistani security forces continued on Wednesday the search and clearance operations in Swat and Malakand during in which seven terrorists were killed.

According to a press release issued by Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the security forces conducted search operation in Charai near Malam Jabba and during exchange of fire with terrorists a soldier died and two others were injured. Also, seven terrorists were killed.

At least 11 terrorists voluntarily surrendered to security forces in Sarsanai, shadhand Banda and Bar Shaur, The News reported.

Local Jirga handed over a terrorist to security forces in Bar Kabulgram near Martung.

In Bajaur Agency, the security forces conducted search operation in Nawaga Bazaar and apprehended local terrorists commander along with five accomplices.

A wanted terrorist Kalam Khan voluntarily surrendered in Khar.

The security forces continued the relief activities, as at least 10 trucks of mix rations have been distributed amongst the IDPs of Bajaur. Also, as many as 294,841 cash cards have been distributed amongst the IDPs of Malakand. (ANI)

Indira Gandhi backed plot to kill Pak Army officials: Brig. Ahmed

Lahore, Aug.31 (ANI): Former Pakistan Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director General Brigadier (retired) Imtiaz Ahmed has alleged that former Punjab Governor Ghulam Mustafa Khar had hatched a conspiracy to kill several key Pakistan Army officials, and claimed that the plot was backed by the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

In an interview with a private television channel, Brigadier Ahmed said that Khar had chalked out a plan to kill several important commanders of the Pakistan Army in a bomb blast.e said the plan, according to which the Indian intelligence agency RAW would provide arms to Pakistan, was also approved by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

“An Indian official, Joshi, had arranged Khar’s meeting with Gandhi and finalized the plans,” Brigadier Ahmed said.

However, Khar has rebuked Brigadier Ahmed’s allegations saying he never knew any Indian official named Joshi.

He said some elements had hatched conspiracies to diminish his popularity and acceptance with the Armed Forces.

“I had visited to India to visit the graves of saints, not hatch a conspiracy,” The Daily Times quoted Khar, as saying. (ANI)

Heavy rains cripple normal life in Mumbai

Mumbai, July 14 (ANI): Heavy rains in Mumbai crippled normal life on Tuesday.

The heavy down pour accompanied by gusty winds since last evening led to traffic snarls at various places.

Suburban trains were also running late due to water logging on the tracks.everal low lying areas including King’s circle, Sion, Andheri Milan subway, Hind Mata were inundated.

Visibility at Mumbai International Airport was described as poor. Airport sources said visibility was restricted to just 800 feet this morning.

Water logging was reported at the Wadala truck terminus, Maratha Mandir, Khar, Andheri subways, Govandi and deonar colonies.

For past many years monsoon rains have been playing havoc in the state bringing about chaos in the entire region.

According to the city’s municipal officers, about a billion rupees are spent each year on bracing the city for the monsoon downpours. Yet rains continue to disrupt normal life. (ANI)

Heavy rains disrupt life in Mumbai on 14th July 2009

For the third time in ten days, heavy rains Tuesday disrupted normal life in the country’s commercial capital.

Waterlogging was reported from many low-lying areas of the city like Dadar, Khar, Santacruz, Goregaon, Malad, Kandivli, Andheri, Jogeshwari (western suburbs), Byculla, Mazagaon, Sion, Wadala, Vikhroli and Ghatkopar (all eastern suburbs).

According to the Weather Bureau, the city recorded 98 mm rainfall till this morning while the suburbs notched 125 mm.

Disruptions were reported in road, rail and air traffic movement since the morning. While traffic jams hit office-goers on the two highways serving the city and on other important roads, trains on the Western Railway, Central Railway and Harbour Line were running 15-25 minutes behind schedule.

A spokesperson for Mumbai Airport said that all incoming flights were delayed by 15-20 minutes on account of poor visibility (about 800 metres) and due to gusty winds over the city.

As a precautionary measure, several schools in the city and suburbs declared a holiday. Children were informed by phone not to attend school in view of the heavy rains and the forecast for a downpour during the day.

The Weather Bureau has forecast heavy to very heavy rains accompanied by strong gusty winds in the city over the next two days.

Earlier, heavy rains had disrupted life in the city July 4 and 8, causing great hardship to office-goers, working women and students.

Pak Taliban declares economic support under BISP to women as ‘haram’

Khar, Apr 6 (ANI): The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Bajaur Agency has declared that the money provided by the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) to women as “haram and un-Islamic”.

The TTP also warned the women against getting the BISP support money or having Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) made.

In a broadcast on the Taliban’s illegal radio channel, Bajaur TTP chief Faqir Mohammad asked the people to stop women in their families from getting their CNICs made as during the process, the women had to come in contact with men, which was considered ‘obscenity’.

The Daily Times quoted him as saying that women did not need CNICs and the TTP would not allow them to get the cards.

The PPP-led Government had introduced Benazir Income Support Programme that would benefit 3.4 million families who will get subsistence allowance as well as resources to start their own earning.

Under the programme, Rs 1,000 per month is given to each of 3.4 million families, covering about 14 to 15 per cent of the population in the lowest income bracket. (ANI)

Six militants, four civilians killed in Bajaur

Khar, Feb. 18 (ANI): Pakistani troop driven artillery and helicopter gunship killed six Taliban militants and four civilians in northwest tribal area bordering Afghanistanon Tuesday.

During the military fire, the helicopter gunship pounded underground bunkers of militants outside Khar, the main town in the Bajuar tribal district, killing six, local government official Farooq Khan said.

“Six militants were killed when helicopter gunships and artillery fired shells at their underground bunkers,” the Dawn quoted Khan, as saying.

Separately, a woman and three men were killed, while four others got injured when a rockets attacked a house, paramilitary barracks and a school.

The rocket attacks created panic in the town, and all markets and government offices were shut down, residents said.

Pakistan’s northwestern tribal belt is suffering from war-like conditions, after Pakistan Government’s secret deal with America to crush Islamic extremism on its border along with Afghanistan.

But, Pakistan has been blamed by the US and Afghan officials who say it is not doing ‘enough’ to stop militants crossing the border to attack western troops.

Islamabad, however, says the ongoing Bajaur offensive, like other military operations elsewhere in the northwest, is proof of its commitment to crushing insurgents. (ANI)

Pak Taliban threatens to blow up NWFP schools

Peshawar/Khar (NWFP, Pakistan), Feb.11 (ANI): The Pakistani Taliban on Wednesday threatened to destroy all schools in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) if government troops did not leave the area within three days.

According to the Dawn, the ultimatum was given to force the government to halt military operations in the tribal area of Bajaur or face a ‘massive attack’ on the main town of Khar.

A foreign news agency quoted Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) spokesman Maulvi Omar as saying on phone: “After three days we will spare no school in Bajaur and attacks on schools will be launched in other tribal districts in the next phase.”

A separate announcement would be made shortly about targeting government buildings, power lines and even hospitals, he added.
Islamic militants in Pakistan’s northwestern Swat valley have blown up more than 170 schools in the past two years as part of a violent campaign to enforce their repressive brand of Islamic Sharia law.
Pakistani forces launched a massive operation in Bajaur last August. (ANI)

22 tribesmen killed in suicide attack on local jirga in Bajaur

22 tribesmen killed in suicide attack on local jirga in BajaurKhar, Nov 7: Around 22 tribesmen were killed and 45 injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at a Salarzai jirga in the Bajaur Agency last evening.

A man claiming to be a member of a not-s-well-known organization ‘Karwan-e-Nematullah’ accepted responsibility for the attack by calling up journalists on phone.

The blast targeted a lashkar in Batmalani, about 40 km northeast of the Bajaur Agency headquarters Khar. “Two to three hundred members of the lashkar were finalising their strategy after demolishing houses of Taliban when the blast occurred,” the Daily Times quoted local police official Fazal-e-Rabi as saying.

Malik Rahimullah, a tribal elder, said the explosion occurred as soon as armed contingents began to move.

Among the dead were lashkar head Malak Fazal Karim and his aides Malak Wazir Khan and Malak Sakhi.

Hospital officials said the death toll was likely to rise because several of the injured were in critical condition. (ANI)