Iran approves “peace pipeline” deal with Pakistan

(Reuters) – Iran finalized a $7 billion “peace pipeline” deal on Sunday to export natural gas to Pakistan by 2015, Iran’s state television reported.

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“The deal was signed. Export of Iran’s gas to Pakistan will be launched by the end of 2015,” state TV reported.

“For 25 years Iran will export one million cubic meters of natural gas to Pakistan per day,” it said.

The project is crucial for Pakistan to avert a growing energy crisis already causing severe electricity shortages in the country of about 170 million, at the same time as it confronts Islamist militancy.

Iran has the world’s second largest gas reserves after Russia but has struggled for years to develop its oil and gas resources. Iranian officials say the country needs $25 billion to develop its crucial energy industry.

Sanctions by the West, political turmoil and construction delays have slowed Iran’s development as an exporter.

The pipeline will connect Iran’s giant South Fars gas field with Pakistan’s southern Baluchistan and Sindh provinces.

State television said the pipeline was 1,000 km (620 miles) long, with about 907 km of it already built.

Dubbed the “peace pipeline,” the project has been planned since the 1990s and originally would have extended from Pakistan to its old rival, India. New Delhi has been reluctant to join the project because of its long-running distrust of Pakistan, with whom it has fought three wars since independence in 1947.

Under a deal signed in March, Pakistan will be allowed to charge a transit fee if the proposed pipeline is eventually extended to India.

The United States has tried to discourage India and Pakistan from any deal with Iran because of Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme, which the West fears is a cover to build bombs.

Iran, hit by a fourth round of U.N. sanctions on Wednesday over its refusal to suspend its uranium enrichment activities, denies any such ambitions.

(Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by Paul Tait)

Pakistan, Iran finalise gas pipeline deal – ministry

Pakistan and Iran have finalised a deal for the construction of a much-delayed pipeline to pump Iranian natural gas to the energy-starved South Asian country, the Pakistan petroleum ministry said.

The $7.6 billion project is crucial for Pakistan to avert a growing energy crisis already causing severe electricity shortages in the country of about 170 million.

Pakistani and Iranian petroleum officials signed the agreement on Friday evening in Islamabad, the ministry said.

“The project is now ready to enter into its implementation phase,” the ministry said in a statement.

Pakistan said the first gas is scheduled to flow by the end of 2014 and expects its total cost on the project to be $1.65 billion, funded through private and state capital.

Under the deal, Pakistan will import from Iran 750 million cubic feet of gas daily for 25 years. The amount could be increased to 1 billion cubic feet a day and the deal could be extended five years if needed, the ministry said.

The ministry said the imported gas would help generate about 5,000 MW of power.

The pipeline would connect Iran’s South Fars gas field with Pakistan’s southern Baluchistan and Sindh provinces.

Iran has the world’s second-largest gas reserves after Russia. But sanctions by the West, political problems and construction delays have slowed its development as an exporter.

“U.S. OPPOSITION”

Dubbed the “peace pipeline” by the two countries, the project has been planned since the 1990s and originally would have extended from Pakistan to its old rival, India.

However, India has been reluctant to join the project given its long-running distrust of Pakistan, with which it has fought three wars since independence in 1947.

Under a previous deal between Iran and Pakistan, Islamabad holds the right to charge a transit fee if the pipeline is eventually extended to India.

The United States has tried to discourage India and Pakistan from any deal with Iran because of Tehran’s suspected ambitions to build nuclear weapons. Iran denies any such ambitions.

India has invested in civilian nuclear reactors to help fulfil its increasing energy demand. It also signed a landmark civilian nuclear deal with the United States in 2008.

Nuclear-armed Pakistan has long called for a similar deal with the United States, but Washington has been unwilling to make an agreement with its ally, which is battling an al Qaeda-linked Islamist insurgency.

(Editing by Chris Allbritton and Paul Tait)

Musharraf ‘poised’ for comeback to Pak politics

Washington, May 18 (ANI): Former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf is likely to announce his future political plans today (Tuesday, May 18) during a meeting with his supporters here, sources close to him have revealed.

According to one of Musharraf’s close aides, the general would meet his supporters and regional coordinators of Pakistan First, an organisation that works to promote Pakistan’s interests in the US.

Meanwhile, Musharraf reportedly called several political leaders in Pakistan to garner support for his recently floated party- the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML).

Insiders said Musharraf telephoned several prominent leaders belonging to Dera Ghazi Khan, Sindh and Mian Muhammad Azhar in Lahore.

They said Musharraf also had a chat with former President Farooq Leghari to discuss various political aspects.

It is reported that they discussed about certain ‘disappointed’ political leaders who could join the APML.

Musharraf and some of the ‘dissident’ leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Q and (PML-Q) and the PML-Z are already in contact, “and some of the rebel leaders have given a green signal to Musharraf for standing in the presidential elections, The Daily Times reports. (ANI)

Pakistan struggles with ‘power plan’

Islamabad, April 25 — Confusion reigned supreme in Pakistan with some government departments remaining open while others staying closed on Saturday, following the prime minister’s decision that Pakistan’s public sector will have a 5-day week. The confusion comes as Pakistan struggles to bridge the gap between electricity production and consumption – and to try and reduce the number of blackouts the country faces each day.

On Saturday, schools were closed in some parts, while they were open in other areas. Banks remained open despite the Central Bank’s direction that they stay shut.

The measures have not gone down well with people. Muhammad Shah Abdali, a landlord in Sindh, says that on a “good day,” there is power for 6 hours.

“Otherwise we have blackouts for almost 22 hours”. Owing to protests, the government decided to curb consumption through a series of measures, which include closing markets by 8 pm and disallowing marriage halls to function for more than three hours in a day.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani unveiled his power conservation strategy earlier this week. The strategy also proposes a five-day week for the public sector, as against the normal six-day working week.

Private schools have rejected this proposal saying they “cannot be expected to change the classes to suit the whims of politicians.” In higher education institutions, a massive reshuffling of classes has, however, started.

The most vocal opponents to the power conservation measures are businessmen. “We would rather die than close my shop at 8 pm,” said Muhammad Firoz, a member of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce, who claims that the government “is once again punishing the poor”.

The government says the move will save enough power to cut down power outages. So far, this has not happened.

Newlyweds Shoaib-Sania arrive in Karachi

Karachi, April 22 (IANS) Carrying placards reading ‘Welcome to Pakistan’s daughter-in-law’, hundreds of fans gathered outside the Jinnah International Airport as newlyweds Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza arrived here Thursday.

The couple were welcomed by Sindh Sports Minister Mohammad Ali Shah and other government officials.

‘It feels great to have arrived here in Pakistan,’ Online news agency quoted Sania as saying on her first visit to this southern port city.

Shoaib said the couple will stay in Pakistan for one week.

They will fly to Islamabad, where they would be treated as state guests, to arrange Sania’s visa for Sialkot, Shoaib’s hometown, where a reception is planned for April 25.

They are expected to meet top officials in Islamabad, including Indian High Commissioner Sharat Sabharwal.

Sania’s mother is accompanying the couple. It is expected that the Indian guests will start arriving in Pakistan in the next day or two to attend the Valima reception.

Another reception will be held in Lahore two days later, family sources said. Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is also expected to hold a reception in the couple’s honour later this month.

Baloch and Sindhi activists demand Pak be declared as ‘terrorist state’

Mon, Mar 29 05:17 PM

Baloch and Sindhi activists here have demanded that Pakistan be declared a ”terrorist state”.

A large number of people from the two communities converged in front of the BBC World Service office in London to protest and observe Pakistan’s illegal occupation of the “independent state” of Balochistan on March 27, 1948, a day that has since been declared as ”Black Day”.

“This is the time the world should realize and they should, I think, this is the time for the security, for the peace and for the stability of the region, and the international community that they should declare Pakistan as a terrorist state,” Samad Baloch, a member of the Baloch Human Rights Council, said.

The protest intended to tell the international community, including the UN, that Balochistan should be recognized as an occupied country.

The protesters, holding placards with anti-Pakistan slogans, its military, and human rights violations, blamed Pakistani authorities for settling Taliban militia everywhere in the country.

“Basically, they are settling Taliban everywhere; they are settling Taliban in Gilgit and Baltistan; they are settling Taliban in Pakistani-occupied Kashmir; they are settling Taliban in Sindh; they are settling Taliban in Balochistan, because they are their strategic extension,” said Lakhu Luhana, Secretary General, World Sindhi Congress, UK.

Luhana said that Sindhis and Balochs are being denied their basic rights.

“People are being disappeared, the political activists, and the Sindhi people… historical rights, political rights and legal rights and cultural rights, they have been completely denied them. There is no law and order, they have entered into poverty and suffering and that has descended on Sindh and Balochistan,” he said.

The protestors also said their struggle would continue until they had achieved their goal of a free Balochistan.

They said that Pakistan never wants to resolve the Kashmir issue, as it would then stop receiving international aid.

“If the Kashmir problem solved, how Pakistan General…becoming…take money, so they are the most corrupt army in the world, people call it fifth largest army of the world, but we say this is the most corrupt army in the world,” Mir Ghulam Hussain, Information Secretary, Baloch Human Rights Council, UK, said.

New Delhi accuses Pakistan of sponsoring terror in Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistan, which claims Kashmir in full, has consistently denied its involvement in abetting an anti-India insurgency that has killed more than 47,000 people since 1989.

Former legislative assembly member from Balochistan and member of the powerful Marri tribe, Harbiya Marri, also said that Pakistan has no intentions to have peace with India, and the dialogue between the two countries is a farce.

“They have no intention of having peace with Pakistan because they have to maintain this large army and the army is main ruler of Pakistan, which is controlling Pakistan for the last 62 years. So this is the creation of this artificial stage. So, they have to have some sort of dialogue to show we want peace but in reality the intentions are not peace. They want these camps to be maintained to keep on terrorizing Indian government, people and the whole world,” he said.

India broke off a four-year-long sluggish peace initiative with Pakistan after the November 26, 2008 Mumbai attacks, saying dialogue could resume only if Islamabad acted against militants on its soil. It blamed the attacks, which killed 166 people, on Pakistan-based militants.
ANI

Baloch and Sindhi activists demand Pakistan be declared as ”terrorist state”

London, March 29 (ANI): Baloch and Sindhi activists here have demanded that Pakistan be declared a ”terrorist state”.

A large number of people from the two communities converged in front of the BBC World Service office in London to protest and observe Pakistan”s illegal occupation of the “independent state” of Balochistan on March 27, 1948, a day that has since been declared as ”Black Day”.

“This is the time the world should realize and they should, I think, this is the time for the security, for the peace and for the stability of the region, and the international community that they should declare Pakistan as a terrorist state,” Samad Baloch, a member of the Baloch Human Rights Council, said.

The protest intended to tell the international community, including the UN, that Balochistan should be recognized as an occupied country.

The protesters, holding placards with anti-Pakistan slogans, its military, and human rights violations, blamed Pakistani authorities for settling Taliban militia everywhere in the country.

“Basically, they are settling Taliban everywhere; they are settling Taliban in Gilgit and Baltistan; they are settling Taliban in Pakistani-occupied Kashmir; they are settling Taliban in Sindh; they are settling Taliban in Balochistan, because they are their strategic extension,” said Lakhu Luhana, Secretary General, World Sindhi Congress, UK.

Luhana said that Sindhis and Balochs are being denied their basic rights.

“People are being disappeared, the political activists, and the Sindhi people… historical rights, political rights and legal rights and cultural rights, they have been completely denied them. There is no law and order, they have entered into poverty and suffering and that has descended on Sindh and Balochistan,” he said.

The protestors also said their struggle would continue until they had achieved their goal of a free Balochistan.

They said that Pakistan never wants to resolve the Kashmir issue, as it would then stop receiving international aid.

“If the Kashmir problem solved, how Pakistan General…becoming…take money, so they are the most corrupt army in the world, people call it fifth largest army of the world, but we say this is the most corrupt army in the world,” Mir Ghulam Hussain, Information Secretary, Baloch Human Rights Council, UK, said.

New Delhi accuses Pakistan of sponsoring terror in Indian-administered Kashmir. Pakistan, which claims Kashmir in full, has consistently denied its involvement in abetting an anti-India insurgency that has killed more than 47,000 people since 1989.

Former legislative assembly member from Balochistan and member of the powerful Marri tribe, Harbiya Marri, also said that Pakistan has no intentions to have peace with India, and the dialogue between the two countries is a farce.

“They have no intention of having peace with Pakistan because they have to maintain this large army and the army is main ruler of Pakistan, which is controlling Pakistan for the last 62 years. So this is the creation of this artificial stage. So, they have to have some sort of dialogue to show we want peace but in reality the intentions are not peace. They want these camps to be maintained to keep on terrorizing Indian government, people and the whole world,” he said.

India broke off a four-year-long sluggish peace initiative with Pakistan after the November 26, 2008 Mumbai attacks, saying dialogue could resume only if Islamabad acted against militants on its soil. It blamed the attacks, which killed 166 people, on Pakistan-based militants. (ANI)

India agrees to review Nimoo Bazgo water project’s design

Lahore, Mar. 29 (ANI): While India has rejected six out of eight objections raised by Pakistan over the Nimoo Bazgo water project, it has agreed to review the design of the project.

During the first day of the three-day meeting of the Indus River Commission in Lahore, Pakistani officials raised concerns about the construction of Nemobaaz Go and Chutak power plants at the River Sindh by India, saying that the constructions would violate the Indus Basin Treaty and block 35,000 feet per acre water.

The nine-member delegation of the Indian water commission headed by G Aranga Nathan rejected six points raised by the Pakistani delegation and said that he would answer on the remaining two objections after consulting the top leadership in New Delhi, The Nation reports.

On Pakistani Water Commissioner Jamaat Ali Shah’s proposal to install the telemetric system along rivers, Nathan said the reactivation of the telemeter system was possible and he would consult his telemetric experts on the proposal.

Nathan added that a new meeting would be held soon if the two sides failed to resolve the dispute during this visit.

Meanwhile, Shah pointed out that an immediate breakthrough in the Indus River water talks was unlikely because of the “non-political nature” of the dialogue.

He added that the use of water for agricultural and hydroelectric purposes would be discussed during the remaining days of the dialogue.

He said objections over design of the Chutak project would be discussed on the second day. (ANI)

5 dead in Pakistan shootings

Pakistani authorities say unidentified gunmen killed five people, including the head of a hardline religious organisation, in two separate shooting incidents in Karachi.

A senior official for the southern province of Sindh says both attacks were “sectarian killings”.

The port city of Karachi, Pakistan’s economic hub, is the capital of Sindh.

“Unidentified gunmen on motorcycles attacked a car in (eastern) Gulzar-e-Hijri neighbourhood of Karachi late on Thursday night and killed Mufti Saeed Jalalpuri and three of his companions,” provincial government spokesman Jameel Soomro said.

Jalalpuri was head of Tanzeem Khatme-e-Nabuwwat, an organisation staunchly opposed to the Ahmadi community.

The Ahmadis were declared non-Muslims in 1974 by Pakistan for their belief that their founder was a prophet.

In an earlier incident, unidentified gunmen on motorcycles similarly attacked the car of Abdul Ghafoor Nadeem, city head of the banned Sunni Muslim sectarian group Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan, killing his son and injuring him and three others.

Mr Soomro said it was not clear who was responsible for the shootings but said “both incidents are sectarian killings”.

He says Police are investigating.

-AFP

Angry Hindus in Karachi demand safe return of missing nurse

Karachi, Sep.9 (ANI): Dozens of Hindus protested outside the Karachi Press Club demanding the safe return of a Hindu nurse, Bano, who went missing nearly three weeks ago.

People belonging to Maheshwari community protested outside the club carrying placards and banners and shouting slogans blaming police for Bano’s mysterious disappearance.

“Though the police have registered a case, nothing has been done for her return so far,” they said.

The elders of the community feared that Bano, who worked in a private hospital, might have been killed or forced to convert her religion.

One of the elders, Narain told the media persons that Bano had an altercation with the hospital administration just before she disappeared.

Angry agitators demanded that the government and concerned authorities ensure the safe release and return of Bano.

Forced conversion of Hindu women is not a new phenomenon in Sindh province as several such cases have been reported across the region in the past too, The Daily Times reported. (ANI)

Is Pak Navy building new base for US Marines in Sindh ?

Islamabad, Sep.3 (ANI): While the United States has repeatedly denied reports about a surge in US marines in Pakistan, an unconfirmed report has revealed that Pakistani Navy is secretly constructing operational facilities in Gharo, Sindh, which is meant to serve as a base for about 200 US marines.

Highly placed sources within the Pakistan Navy have disclosed that the Special Service Group Navy (SSGN) is constructing a massive complex in the Gharo comprising of halls, residential units, and storage facilities, the PKKH reported.

Speculations are rife that with the construction of the base near the coastal area, the SSGN would allow more US Marine ‘trainers’ to land on Pakistani soil on the pretext of training the country’s naval commanders in newly-acquired weapons and tactics.

It is worth mentioning here that Washington is planning to spend a whopping one billion dollars for revamping its main embassy building in Islamabad and increase the strength of its staff.

The Obama Administration is about to spend 405 million dollars for the reconstruction and refurbishment of the main embassy building and 111 million dollars for constructing a new complex for 330 personnel. A further 197 million dollars would be spent for construction of a housing unit for about 250 personnel.

Eighteen acres of land has already been acquired by the US for the project for a one billion rupees, and a Turkish firm has already built a 153-room compound for the embassy.

The US is also planning to send about 1000 additional staff to Pakistan, where 750 US officials are already stationed against a sanctioned strength of only 350 personnel.

But what is more worrying for Islamabad is that this surge would also boost the number of Marines by over 350.

However, Washington, time and again, has rejected reports regarding stationing of Marines in Islamabad. (ANI)

Official suspended for writing blood stained love letter to female Pak minister

Lahore, Sep 1 (ANI): The provincial government has suspended a Horticulture Department official for harassing Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism Sassui Palijo by writing her love letters.

According to a channel, Iliyas Hulio, a superintendent in the Horticulture Department in Karachi, wrote a love letter in his blood and sent around 100 emails to the Sindh minister.

After receiving a complaint from Palijo, the Horticulture Department conducted an inquiry into the matter, during which Hulio confessed writing the letter and emails to the minister.

Sassui Palijo is a liberal politician and a columnist in Pakistan. She is member of the provincial assembly of Sindh from Mirpur Sakro Thatta.

She is the only directly elected female assembly member in Sindh, the Daily Times reported. (ANI)

Pakistanis outraged over Minority Affairs Ministry’s failed promises

Karachi, Aug. 30 (ANI): Pakistan’s Minority Affairs ministry has left many people outraged after they found out that cheques distributed to them by the ministry were not worth 5,000 rupees as claimed, but just 1,000 rupees.

On Saturday, 200 people from different communities had gathered at Sindh Minister for Minority Affairs Dr Mohan Lal’s office to receive the cheques while chanting slogans in his favour, the Daily Times reports.

Addressing the distribution ceremony, Lal had said that his ministry is trying to help the religious minorities and these cheques were a part of the first phase of offering relief while similar projects are in the pipeline.owever, one such claimant Kaishi complained that she was told by the bank authorities that the cheque was not for 5,000-rupees.

“He (Lal) clearly told us that the cheques are worth Rs 5,000 each but we were actually given cheques worth Rs 1,000 only and those can also just be cashed at the bank in Hyderabad,” said Kaishi.

An outraged Kaisi soon found out that the ministry had fooled all the other cheque receivers as well, most of whom were widows.

“We need almost Rs 1,000 just to get to Hyderabad to cash the cheque besides we were told that these cheques were worth Rs 5,000,” said Gomi, another widow from Jogi Moar Colony.

These women had walked to the minister of minority affairs’ office almost every day for a year so that they may get some sort of financial assistance from the ministry and every time they were sent home empty handed with a lot of promises.

On being contacted, Lal’s casually said that these women would be compensated during the next phase.

“Actually we had already distributed a huge amount and there were not enough funds to issue cheques worth 5,000 rupees to these women,” he added. (ANI)

Zardari aims to convert barren land into goldmine with proposed ‘Zulfikarabad’ city

Karachi, Aug.18 (ANI): Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has asked the Sindh government to identify a million acres of barren land near the sea coast in Thatta district where a city named Zulfikarabad would be established.

State Minister for Information, Samsam Ali Bukhari said Zardari has asked the concerned authorities to develop an ultra modern city in the memory of the late President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

“Zulfikarabad will be the first city to be created after partition. The proposed city would have the latest infrastructure and facilities like Dubai, Karachi and Islamabad,” The Daily Times quoted Bukhari, as saying.

“The president has directed that land identification be completed within weeks so that he could take the proposal to Chinese investors during his next visit to China,” he added.

Zardari met Sindh Governor D. Ishratul Ibad and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and other top officials and some architects from the private sector to discuss about the proposed project.

According to a statement released by the Bilawal House, international consultants would be invited to design the new city.

The statement said the whole concept is visualized by Zardari who aims to convert useless state land into a ‘gold mine’. (ANI)

7,571 incidents of violence against Pak women reported in 2008

Islamabad, Aug 13 (ANI): There were 7,571 incidents of violence against women reported during the year 2008 across Pakistan, Aurat Foundation’s annual report has revealed.

In the total number of reported incidents, 1,897 women were killed, 1,784 abducted, 778 raped and 29 received acid burns, according to the report, “Situation of Violence Against Women in Pakistan in 2008″.

The data collected by the foundation revealed that of the 7,471 incidents of violence against women, 4,416 cases had been registered in Punjab, 1,390 in Sindh, 779 in the NWFP and 767 in Balochistan while 209 had been reported in Islamabad, the Daily Times reported.

The report said almost all of the cases were reported and related to physical violence of “an extremely aggressive nature” such as murder, honour killing, abduction, rape, stove burning and acid throwing.

The report said first information reports (FIR) of only 5,462 cases had been registered. It said that there were no media reports of at least 784 cases.

The report revealed that Lahore district had the highest crime rate in terms of the incidents of violence against women with 911 cases, followed by Faisalabad with 494 cases, Rawalpindi 492 cases, Quetta 334 cases, Peshawar 331 cases, Sheikhupura 322 cases, Multan 235, Islamabad 209 cases, Kasur 196 cases, Gujranwala 184 cases, Sahiwal 176 cases and Karachi with 163 cases.

“Surprisingly, Karachi despite being the largest city of the country in terms of population, has the lowest rate of violence against women among the 120 districts of Pakistan, ” the report said.

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Women’s Development chairwoman said there was a need to improve the condition of women in the country and awareness should be created in the society. (ANI)

Appalling increase in Pak crime rate revealed by HRCP data

Karachi, July 9 (ANI): Data released by the Sindh chapter of the Human Right Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has revealed shocking details about the increasing crime graph in the country.

The data, which has been compiled on the basis of newspaper details, stated that incidents such as ethnic riots and honour killings have shot-up alarmingly by 21.34 percent in the first six months of 2009, as compared to the same period last year.

The statistics also revealed that crimes against women and children has also witnessed a steep rise, with an 83 and 162 percent increase respectively in the numbers of women and children being killed in various incidents.

According to the data, 119 women and 84 children were reportedly killed in different incidents during the above mentioned period.

The number of women who died after receiving serious burn injuries has increased to 23, while last year it was only four.

Political leaders also feature in the list of most affected people, with over 100 political activists killed in the said period, as compared to 74 in 2008, The Daily Times reports.

The report added that 25 policemen have been killed in the first half of the year so far. (ANI)

Pakistani Hindus allowed to travel to India to immerse ashes of ancestors

Karachi, July 5 (ANI): Hundreds of Hindus based in Sindh province would now be able to travel to India to immerse the ashes of their ancestors in the holy River Ganga, as they have been granted visas after decades of denial by the Pakistani authorities.

Now, that the authorities have allowed Hindus to travel to India, it is expected that several people of the community would be visiting India to perform the last rights of their ancestors and immerse the ashes in the holy water of the River Ganga for eternal transformation the body in accordance with the Hindu mythology.

Ashes of about 130 Hindus are lying at local cremation ground here alone, as authorities have denied giving important traveling documents to people for long and the heightened tension between India and Pakistan after the 26/11 Mumbai carnage, which made the matters worse, The Daily Times reports.

It may be noted that the Union Home Ministry and the External Affairs Ministry had agreed to issue the visas to Pakistani Hindus recently during a meeting with the office bearers of the South Asia Fraternity.

Meanwhile, in Hardwar, where the ashes are to be immersed, two ashrams have offered to provide free accommodation and food to the visiting Pakistani Hindus during their stay. (ANI)

Pak Hindus feel vindicated after Govt. asks NAPA to vacate Hindu Gymkhana building

Karachi, June 26 (ANI): The Culture and Tourism minister of Sindh, Sassui Palejo has asked the National Academy of Performing Art (NAPA) to vacate the premises of the Hindu Gymkhana, which was rented out to it in 2005.

Replying to a question put up by Senator Arif Mustafa Jatoi, Palejo told the Sindh Assembly that a notice in this regard has already been dispatched to NAPA.

Palejo said that the Gymkhana’s building has been declared a ‘protected building’ under the Sindh Cultural Heritage Preservation Act 1994.

The Sindh government was forced to take the action, as civil society, members of Hindu Community and culture-friendly people have been criticising the way the building is being utilized in the recent past, The Daily Times reports.

They said that the building of the Gymkhana should only be used for the purpose it was constructed, that is for holding social and cultural events of the Hindu community.

They also opined that the building should be given back to the Department of Culture and Tourism for establishing an Arts and Crafts centre to prevent it from being misutilised.

The Hindu Gymkhana was built during 1925 to1927 by famous philanthropist Seth Ram Gopaldas Goverthandas Mohatta.

Mohatta’s main motive behind its construction was to provide a separate place for Hindus to organize their cultural activities and social gatherings. (ANI)

Sindh government declares 80 shrines ‘sensitive’ to terror attacks

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Karachi, June 22 (ANI): The Sindh Government has declared at least 80 shrines of saints, including 36 in Karachi, as sensitive, following a terror threat in the province.
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The shrines which have been declared sensitive, are those under the administration of the Auqaf Department, while there are many more shrines across the province where the possibility of a terror attack cannot be ruled out, the Daily Times reports./pp
According to sources, the Auqaf Department had provided a list of 80 shrines to the Sindh Home Department, and asked for foolproof security to avoid any untoward incident of terrorism. /pp
Since the possibility of a terrorist act cannot be ruled out anywhere at any time, therefore, we have asked for more security for the safety of devotees, the paper quoted Provincial Minister for Auqaf Abdul Haseeb, as saying./pp
Following a threat of a suicide bombing attack, police had sealed the shrine of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi on Thursday and devotees were not allowed inside the premises./pp
However, the shrine of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi will be opened for devotees on Tuesday. /pp
The security arrangements for the shrine of Hazrat Abdullah Shah Ghazi have been carried out by deputing law enforcers along with private security guards there while a metal detector gate has also been installed at the place. The security measures taken would be reviewed in a meeting today (Monday) and then the tomb would be opened for devotees on Tuesday, Haseeb said. /pp
Moreover, the devotees have condemned the sealing of the shrine, saying that this is not the appropriate way to tackle terror threats./pp
If the law enforcers receive information regarding terror attacks in the city, would they shut down the whole of Karachi? they questioned./pp
According to sources, mosques and imambargahs are facing grave terror threats, especially during Friday prayers, but no reliable arrangements have been made by the law enforcement agencies. (ANI)/p

Poor infrastructure making Pakistan’s South Punjab plum picking for Talibanisation

Lahore, June 20 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) MPA from Rahimyar Khan, Makhdoom Syed Ahmed Mehmood, has said that the provincial government needs to quickly build schools, hospitals and roads in South Punjab or it will become the next region in Pakistan to be wracked by insurgency.

“The situation in my area has become very bad. The insurgency that we see in the Frontier, in Sindh, in Balochistan … now we’re hearing the same kind of things in South Punjab,” Mehmood said during Friday’s budget session in the Punjab Assembly.

Memood further said that South Punjab lacked schools and colleges.

“The disparity between the southern and northern parts of the province could be gauged by the fact that Rahimyar Khan, with a population of 3.6 million, had just four degree colleges each for boys and girls, while Gujranwala, with a population of 2.6 million, had 16 colleges for girls and 21 for boys” the Daily Times quoted Memood, as saying.

Mehmood blamed the lack of work and education opportunities as the principal reason behind people joining the Taliban in NWFP, and claimed that the Tribal Areas and South Punjab were heading the same way.

He further highlighted that the provincial budget announced last Tuesday should have included at least Rs 50 billion to build infrastructure and schools in the region.

Mehmood warned that the time has come to take initiatives in South Punjab to stop the situation from further deterioration. (ANI)