19 terrorists killed as military operation continues in NWA

RAWALPINDI: Nineteen terrorists have been killed as operation ‘Zarb-e-Azb’ launched by the Pakistan military continues in North Waziristan Agency (NWA).

According to the ISPR, PAF jet aircrafts destroyed six confirmed terrorist hideouts on the outskirts of Mir Ali killing eleven terrorists on Friday evening. Terrorist concentrations were also targeted on Saturday morning by Artillery Tanks and heavy weapons outside Miranshah killing seven terrorists.

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander of Miranshah, Umer has also been killed by security forces last night on the outskirts of Miranshah.

ISPR states that after the surrender of 19 terrorists there are reports that more terrorists are ready to lay down their arms. Meanwhile, one prominent Al-Qaeda commander has been arrested while trying to flee and initial investigations shows him as an explosive, IED and suicide belt expert. Three terrorists were arrested by security forces while trying to cross the Indus River near Mir Ali.

An effective cordon is in place around terrorist hideouts in all places in North Waziristan Agency.

The civilian population has been evacuated from North Waziristan and announcements are being made for any stranded tribals who may have stayed back for any reasons, to leave also.

Govt, military fighting terrorism together: President

ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain said that the government and military were ready to fight terrorism together.

The president emphasised that it was essential that hurdles not be placed in front of the government in its effort to eliminate terrorism from Pakistan.

Addressing a ceremony at the National Defence University (NDU), President Hussain said the country was passing through a difficult stage.

According to the president the challenges faced by Pakistan would be eliminated once development projects launched by the government were completed.

Need to set up military tribunals for terrorists

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army has sent in its officers and Jawans to lay down their lives so that the rest of us can live in peace. The Pakistan Army is at war. The rest of Pakistan does not seem to be. There is absolutely no doubt that the Pakistan Army will win the battle on the ground. But to win the war and there must be unity of effort.

Over the past 11 years, fatalities in terrorist violence stand at 52,653. Since 2002, there have been 398 suicide attacks killing 6,032 and injuring an additional 12,560. Since 2000, there have been 4,941 bomb blasts.

On September 20, 2008, the Marriott Islamabad was bombed. Rehman Malik, the-then minister of interior, charged Lashkar-e-Jhangvi for the attack.Justice Malik Muhammad Akram of the Anti-Terrorist Court acquitted Dr Usman, Rana Ilyas, Hameed Afzal and Tehseenullah Jan as the police failed to provide evidence against them.

On November 19, 2008, Major-General Ameer Faisal Alvi was shot by three gunmen on Islamabad Highway. The accused were set free for lack of evidence.On October 18, 2007, the Karachi bombing killed 140 and injured more than 350. Qari Saifullah Akhtar and his three sons, all linked to al-Qaeda and the outlawed Harkat-ul-Jihad, were arrested. A month later, Saifullah was freed due to lack of evidence.

On May 8, 2002, 11 French engineers were targeted in Karachi. On September 18, Sharib Zubair was arrested as the mastermind behind the attack. Mufti Mohammad Sabir was also arrested as the suspected bomb-maker. The two men had their convictions overturned.

In 2009, some 629 terrorism cases came before the Anti-terrorism Courts (ATCs) in Punjab. Suspects in 471 cases were acquitted. In 2001 and 2003, a total of 333 arrests were made. Only 38 of them were convicted and the rest were acquitted.

The overall acquittal rate in terrorism-related cases stands at 75 percent. In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the province most affected by terrorism, the acquittal rate is even higher. In Swat, some 575 terrorism-related cases were filed in the three Anti-Terrorism Courts.

Out of the 575, only 15 accused were sentenced.

In 2007, 28 cases were filed; only one accused was punished. In 2008, a total of eight cases were filed, six were acquitted; one was punished and one was declared wanted. In 2009, five cases were filed, four were released and one was punished. In 2011, a total of 191 accused were arrested, only four were sentenced.

Pakistan’s judicial system is ending up boosting the morale of Pakistan’s enemies. There is voluminous evidence that “the ease with which terror suspects are acquitted encourages terror outfits to indulge in worse actions with no fear of effective crackdowns.”

Military tribunals have been used in the US, the UK, Germany, Canada and India. To be certain, military tribunals do not mean the imposition of military authority on Pakistan’s civilian population. To be sure, military tribunals will not be a substitute for Pakistan’s civilian judicial apparatus. Military tribunals would mean military justice only for enemy combatants.

Remember, “Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate”.

More than 400 US military drones lost in crashes: report

WASHINGTON: The United States has lost more than 400 military drones in major crashes worldwide since 2001, The Washington Post said Friday in a report questioning the safety and reliability of the unmanned aircraft.

Citing 50,000 pages of accident investigation reports, the Post said military drones have since the 9/11 attacks "malfunctioned in myriad ways," including mechanical breakdowns, human error and foul weather.

"Military drones have slammed into homes, farms, runways, highways, waterways and, in one case, an Air Force C-130 Hercules transport plane in midair," it said.

Of the 418 known crashes between September 11, 2001 and the end of 2013, the Post said it had identified 194 so-called Class A crashes that resulted in either the total loss of a drone or damages in excess of $2 million.

The total figure is almost equal to the number of major crashes involving US Air Force fighter jets and attack planes during the same period -- even though the drones flew far fewer missions and hours.

Sixty-seven drone crashes occurred in Afghanistan, and 41 in Iraq, but 47 occurred within the United States during test and training flights, the Post said on its website.

One army drone crashed near an elementary school playground in Pennsylvania in April, while a Reaper belonging to the air force disappeared into Lake Ontario in upstate New York in November.

The hefty Predator -- arguably the best-known American military drone -- was involved in 102 Class A crashes, followed by the smaller Hunter and larger Reaper models with 26 and 22 losses respectively.

The Post´s investigation comes as the Federal Aviation Administration drafts a set of regulations to govern an expected surge in the use of commercial drones in the coming years.

The United States owns about 10,000 drones, from the one-pound (0.5-kilogram) Wasp drone that combat troops can deploy in a firefight to the huge Global Hawk high-altitude reconnaissance platform.

Linking military operation to drones misleading: FO

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office (FO) has strongly rejected that drone attacks are being carried out in the tribal areas with Pakistan’s consent.

At her weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday, FO Spokesperson Tasneem Aslam said it was completely misleading and wrong to link these strikes with the ongoing operation in North Waziristan. She said that Pakistan condemned the recent incidents of US drone strikes that took place near Miramshah in North Waziristan during the early hours of Wednesday.

The spokesperson added that Pakistan regarded such strikes a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. She said these strikes also had a negative impact on the government’s efforts to bring peace and stability in Pakistan and the region.

Referring to previous statements and efforts of Pakistan on the drone issue, the spokesperson said Pakistan had agitated the issue at various international fora and presented and passed a number of resolutions against the drone strikes.

She said a resolution, sponsored by Pakistan, was also passed by the Human Rights Council on drone strikes and that Pakistan had also taken up the issue of drone strikes with the US officials at various levels to lodge its protest.

In response to another question about the military operation in North Waziristan and contact with the Afghan leadership, the spokesman said Pakistan had conveyed to the Afghan leadership that the operation was the need of the hour and aimed to purge the area from extremist and terrorist elements.

She said there was a need for better border management and parallel steps on the other side so that no terrorist could escape into Afghanistan. She said Pakistan has emphasised that there should be better management across the border this time and the Afghan government should also take adequate steps so that there could be no disturbance and interference from the Afghan side in this operation.

On the presence of Maulvi Fazlullah in Afghanistan, Tasneem Aslam said Pakistan does not allow the use of its territory against the neighbouring country and expects the same from Afghanistan.

Responding to a question about asking the Canadian government to stop Dr Tahirul Qadri from travelling to Pakistan as he is a Canadian citizen, the spokesperson said although there were international norms in this regard yet Qadri was also a Pakistani citizen and, therefore, this law was not applicable.

Commenting on the forthcoming visit of Adviser to Prime Minister on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz to the Russian Federation, the spokesperson said he will attend a conference but he will also meet his Russian counterpart during this visit and discuss the bilateral relations and regional situation.

The spokesperson said Pak-Russian ties had been on a positive trajectory in the last few years and these relations were improving in different fields. She said Sartaj Aziz will discuss with the Russian leadership ways and means to further improve these ties, especially in trade and economic sectors.

Replying to a question on the latest situation in Iraq, the spokesperson said, “We are concerned about the escalation of violence in Iraq. Pakistan wants stable, peaceful and calm, not only in Iraq, but also in the region.”

The spokesperson said Pakistan’s envoy in Baghdad had informed that all the Pakistanis living in Iraq were safe and sound as they were living away from the disturbed areas.Replying to a question, the spokesperson said there were 281 Pakistanis in different prisons of China. She said 90 percent of these Pakistani prisoners were held on charges of drug and illegal trade activities while very few were in jails on the charge of illegal entry or stay in China.On question of any contact between Pakistan and India, the spokesperson said the two sides were in contact with each other.

Massive political support for military operation

 

ISLAMABAD: Moments after the army launched a full-scale operation against the Taliban militants in North Waziristan on Sunday, the political parties seemed divided on the issue, with a majority supporting the operation.
Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah on Sunday welcomed the military operation and assured his party’s full support to the armed forces.The opposition leader said the prime minister should take parliament into confidence on the operation and make strict security arrangements in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad for the safety of public and sensitive installations.

“The final victory will be of the people of Pakistan and terrorists will have to face elimination,” he said.Khursheed Shah again assure the armed forces of the rock-solid support of his party, the Pakistan People’s Party, and the people of Pakistan in their operation against the militants.

“The PPP will continue to give scarifices for the defence of the country,” he added.Agencies add: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister and head of government dialogue committee Irfan Siddiqui said talks and terrorism could not move side by side.

Talking to a private television channel, he said the military operation was decided after repeated incidents of terrorism in the country. “It was reflective of the people’s aspirations,” he said.Siddiqui said both the government and the army were sincere in the dialogue process and the process continued even during the incidents of terrorism but no result-oriented breakthrough came from the opposite side.

He said 100 or so incidents of terrorism had hit the country during the dialogue process. “One group was involved in the talks and the other indulged in terrorism. There was no command and we were forced to launch the operation. Now this is the stance of the entire nation,” Siddiqui added.

MQM chief Altaf Hussain on Sunday welcomed the launch of the military operation against the Taliban militants.“I welcome this operation and am glad that the government is supporting the armed forces,” he said while speaking to a private TV channel.

“Those who have not backed the operation must realise that it is a matter of national security. I appeal to them to come on the same page by setting aside their political compulsions,” he said.

“I fear that the Taliban will sneak into Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta after the operation. They can carry out small attacks in cities in retaliation and to divert the army’s attention from the operation,” he opined.

“I also call upon all civil agencies to be vigilant and act against suspected people. I want to tell the people of Pakistan that our enemies can take advantage of the situation. We need to set up vigilance committees to protect our cities and towns,” he said. The MQM chief urged all media channels to play the national anthem to unite the nation.

Speaking to a local news channel MQM Senator Babar Ghauri said: “This is a commendable decision by the government; we have been repeatedly telling the current government that instead of engaging the terrorists in dialogue the government should act against them.”

He said Karachi had a number of terrorists and it might suffer from a blowback; this threat should be tackled so that Karachi does not have to suffer on account of this.”

The Awami National Party (ANP) leader Zahid Khan said: “We also held a dialogue previously (during our govt) but that did not produce effective results. We wanted peace and we were okay if that came through dialogue but unfortunately that could not happen.

This time, learning from our experience, we had cautioned the government that the dialogue approach would not work. The government should have taken parliament into confidence before launching the operation but it didn’t.”Secretary Information Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Shireen Mazari criticised the government for not taking political parties into confidence before launching the operation.

In her statement on Twitter, she said it was shameful that the prime minister had failed to take political parties into confidence.She said a central core committee meeting of the PTI would be held on Monday (today) in which an announcement of policy would be made.

The Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) Sunday announced full support to the military operation against terrorists. Chairman Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza of the Sunni Ittehad Council said his party extended full support to the operation against terrorists. He said it was their demand from day one that the solution to Taliban militancy lay in an operation.

“History teaches us that rebels should be crushed forever instead of holding dialogue with them. It was proved through the decision of launching the military operation that the lone voice raised against terrorists by the Sunni Ittehad Council leader Sahibzada Haji Muhammad Fazl Karim five years ago was correct.”

Majlise Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Nasir Abbas Jaffery welcomed the launch of a military operation against terrorists in the North Waziristan and said the decision represented national aspirations.

In a statement, he said the killers of 60,000 Pakistanis never deserved any concessions. “We not only back the announcement, but also assure our armed forces that every person shall move shoulder to shoulder with them against the anti-state elements. The entire 180 million population of Pakistan endorses the operation,” he said.

PTI MNA Dr Arif Alvi said his party had always warned that an operation of this scale will result in a large influx of refugees in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which his party rules.

“The PML-N government did not tell the public and the opposition why talks had failed. We do not know about the dimensions of this operation.”JI Ameer Sirajul Haq termed the decision of an operation in North Waziristan Agency (NWA) disappointing and said the government right from the outset had made its “good intentions” manifest by letting the talks’ issue linger in the committees.

He said the national leadership and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should have been consulted before the operation, as it would further complicate the political and national crisis in the country.

He further said that no measures by the government had been seen for protecting the local populations from the effects of the operation. “This situation can further transform into a human tragedy on a large scale,” he stated.

JI parliamentary leader and Ameer of Punjab Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar and Secretary General Nazir Ahmed Janjua said the operation will intensify the bloodshed in the country.

They said the government had made an unwise decision by opting for the military operation, as matters were heading towards improvement through the government-Taliban dialogue.

The two leaders said the government had led the country on the path of destruction by launching an operation in NWA under the patronage of the US. They noted that military operations were no solution to any problem.

The JI Punjab leaders further said that parliament and the nation had not been taken into confidence on the operation.

They said that the government should immediately halt operation in the NWA.Major General (retd) Jamshed Ayaz lauded the launch of operation. “It came slightly late. But better late than never. Pakistan has suffered a big loss – and Pakistan comes first. They have made a correct decision to launch this. The time for talks is over now.”Defence analyst Rasul Bakhsh Rais asked what the KP government had done to stop terrorists from entering their province.

Musharraf’s trial a test case between civilian, military supremacy

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is presently going through a cold war between its civilians and the military as General (retd) Musharraf’s high treason trial has become a test case on whether the country is heading towards civilian supremacy and the rule of law.

“It’s a transition from military supremacy to civilian rule and rule of law,” a top PML-N leader told The News on condition of not being named.

He added that if the government gives a safe exit to Musharraf then how could you justify trying thousands of others, including former President Asif Ali Zardari, ex-Prime Ministers Yusuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Amin Faheem.

Key PML-N leaders agree that Musharraf’s treason trial has become the main irritant between the civilian and military leadership.

Despite top PML-N leaders, including Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan, having confidence and trust in General Raheel Sharif, rarely does anyone in the party deny tensions in the civilian-military relationship.

It is said that some influential pro-Musharraf elements are putting pressure on General Raheel to get Musharraf off the hook at any cost.

The PML-N, which has always been demanding Musharraf’s trial under Article 6 for twice abrogating the Constitution, today stands divided on the issue.

Amongst the senior PML-N leaders, many are now in favour of letting Musharraf go abroad to save the system. A small minority, however, insists that letting Musharraf off the hook means seriously compromising the transition to civilian supremacy and badly denting the struggle for rule of law and constitutionalism.

Informed sources said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif wants to leave Musharraf’s fate to the legal course and believes that any concession by the executive of the former dictator would mean compromising the rule of law.

The sources said that for the same reason, the prime minister decided to challenge in the SC the SHC decision of removing Musharraf’s name from the ECL in 15 days.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan are said be the leading voices in the PML-N demanding leniency in Musharraf’s high treason trial.

These voices fear that Musharraf’s case may lead to the cropping up of serious misunderstandings between the civilian and military leadership which may endanger the future of democracy as was pointed out by Mahmood Khan Achakzai in the National Assembly.

Many politicians and media observers believe that certain pro-Musharraf elements are allegedly behind the recent but sudden emergence of the anti-government, anti-system alliance of the PML-Q and PAT and the possible joining in of Sheikh Rashid to exert pressure on the PML-N government.

As highlighted by editorials in leading newspapers, a campaign has been launched recently to suggest that the PML-N government has failed to deliver and unless removed Pakistan will collapse. These editorials term this view as “nonsense” and rightly point out what they call the “so-called sins” of the NS government which prominently include Musharraf’s trial.

It is suggested by the PML-Q-PAT, Shaikh Rashid and others, including some in the media, the last one-year rule of Nawaz Sharif has been the worst in the history of Pakistan. They argue that the government must be removed and the system be overhauled to save the country from collapse.

The last one-year rule of the federal and provincial governments may not be up to the mark, but it is generally believed and even authenticated by the international agencies that Pakistan has improved as against what it was under the previous regime. Transparency International reported less corruption in Pakistan and there have been no mega scandals of corruption during the last one year. The World Bank, IMF and other international institutions see an improvement in Pakistan’s economy.

Accountability and governance have been the weak areas of the government but still, they have not been as bad as was the situation during the previous regime.

With the recent emergence of the thoroughly known trio—the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, Allama Tahirul Qadri from Canada and Sheikh Rashid of Lal Haveli—warnings are being issued by the likes of Raza Rabbani, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, I A Rehman and others that if the present system is derailed it would be a serious blow not merely to the system but to the Federation and its unity.

Blowback of operation worrying govt, military

ISLAMABAD: Neither the government nor the military establishment has any doubt about the capability of the army to flush out the militants from North Waziristan but the real issue is if we have the capacityto check the blowback of the operation in cities and towns of Pakistan. The answer is no.

During a series of interactions between them on the issue of terrorism and militancy, the most serious concern of the civilian leadership has been how we would be able to protect the life and property of people with the available resources, skills and capacity of the law enforcing and security agencies.

With the country’s counterterrorism capacity having been badly exposed many times in the recent years, the Karachi airport attack being the latest example, the policy of dialogue has been pursued. It is said that despite clear warnings and repeated intelligence reports, if the incidents like the Karachi airport attack and DI Khan jailbreak could not be averted, how the people could face the full-scale blowback of militants if the all-out military operation is launched in North Waziristan.

Since the menace of militancy and extremism is scattered all over, it is believed even if the military operation in the NWA becomes 100 percent successful, it would not mean elimination of terrorism and militancy in the country. During the recent years, several military operations were launched in areas like Swat and in most of the tribal agencies following which the militant activities in those particular areas were also checked to a great extent but terrorist activities never stopped. Such activities instead gathered more pace and severity.

According to the Interior Ministry documents, there are 60 proscribed organisations, including hardened terrorist outfits operating in Pakistan. In many cases, they are interlinked and spread all over the country. Thinking as if everyone is in North Waziristan is nothing but self-deception.

Then there are problems of IDPs, the “good Taliban” who have a peace agreement with the military authorities and the possible immigration of greater number of tribal people to Afghanistan where the Afghan intelligence agency with the support of RAW is doing everything possible to fuel terrorism in Pakistan.

As against the policy of dialogue, which the facts prove, brought a considerable size of relief during the recent months in the otherwise terrorism-stricken country, the fallout of a full-fledged military operation in North Waziristan would be too serious and too vast.

In view of the complexities involved in this issue, owing to the disappointing level of State’s capacity to counter terrorism and because of serious damage to life, property, business and economy of the country, each and every APC held during the recent years called for dialogue with the Taliban.

The APC convened by the present government also decided in unison to initiate the dialogue process. However, the kind of support the civilian government wanted from political parties and other key players to seriously pursue the peace process was not available.

The government in its dialogue policy had opened doors for negotiations with all the anti-state and non-state groups within the limits of the Constitution and without compromising the primary interests of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the State.

Despite certain hiccups and challenges, the dialogue process brought a unilateral ceasefire from the TTP and for the first time since 9/11, a comprehensive government-TTP dialogue process started. The peace talks also led to divisions and infighting within the TTP as some influential Taliban groups were clearly inclined to enter into a peace deal with the government.

During the talks process, there were fewer incidents of terrorism like the one in the federal courts area while numerous attacks were carried out against the security personnel. Generally, the TTP distanced itself from such attacks whereas in the recent Islamabad Sabzi Mandi terrorist attack case, the TTP condemned it and termed it un-Islamic.

While the talks process got suspended because of the Taliban infighting, there were also incidents of terrorism and retaliatory strikes by the armed forces, which further created complications and led to the latest terrorist attack in Karachi.

The government is now under tremendous pressure to call off the dialogue process and go for a full-fledged military operation in North Waziristan. The civil-military leadership met on Tuesday and is expected to meet again soon to evolve a strategy. In the present situation, the best option could be the third option where the dialogue process would continue to woo those who are interested in peace whereas others could be targeted by surgical strikes. In the meantime, the government would have to work day and night to improve its counterterrorism capacity.

Jang Group being silenced apparently on military orders, says Amnesty

 

ISLAMABAD: Amnesty International, the world human rights watchdog, has said that up to 80 percent of the Jang Media Group’s distribution in print and on the airwaves has been disrupted by media industry bodies, apparently under the orders of the Pakistani military.
The Pakistani authorities should immediately investigate the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the military’s premier spy agency, over its alleged involvement in journalist attacks, said the Amnesty International on the third anniversary of the abduction and killing of journalist Saleem Shahzad.

“Failure to investigate such incidents thoroughly, impartially and transparently and to hold perpetrators accountable fosters a culture of impunity for attacks against independent media in Pakistan,” said David Griffiths, Asia-Pacific Deputy Director at Amnesty International.

In an open letter, Amnesty International and nine other human rights organisations called on the Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to fulfil his promise to end the impunity enjoyed by individuals and groups who attack journalists.

The nine other organisations are: Article 19 (UK), Human Rights Watch, Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom House, International News Safety Institute, Internews, Pakistan Coalition on Media Safety, Pen International and Reporters Without Borders.

“Saleem Shahzad’s killing was one of the worst manifestations of the threats journalists face across Pakistan every day. The authorities’ inability to investigate officers of the ISI properly and bring to justice those responsible for Shahzad’s death is unacceptable – he was abducted in broad daylight in the heart of Islamabad, the national capital,” said David Griffiths.

“Pakistan must immediately restart the criminal investigation into Shahzad’s death, as has been promised by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on multiple occasions. Events of the past few weeks have again highlighted how precarious the situation for Pakistani media is. Continued impunity will only fuel the violence.”

Last month journalist Hamid Mir narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in Karachi. He has accused the ISI of being responsible for the attack.

“According to Amnesty International’s research, the ISI is the state organ most regularly accused by journalists of carrying out harassment, intimidation or abuse against them or their colleagues. This does not necessarily mean that the ISI is always to blame. But if ISI officials are innocent of the accusations they have nothing to fear from thorough investigations and due process,” said David Griffiths.

“We cannot determine who exactly is responsible for these high-profile attacks against journalists until there is proper investigation. All suspects must be presumed innocent until proven guilty and afforded a fair trial in line with international standards.”

To demonstrate their expressed commitment to the rule of law and respect for human rights, Amnesty International calls on the ISI and all other state institutions to cooperate fully with the criminal investigations into the Shahzad, Mir and other attacks.

Saleem Shahzad, an Asia Times Online correspondent, was abducted on 29 May 2011 in Islamabad, and his body was found dumped two days later bearing marks of torture. Shahzad had written articles on a range of sensitive national security issues, including alleged al-Qaeda infiltration of the Pakistani military and the state’s relationship with the Taliban.

Less than a year before his death, Shahzad had told colleagues of an alleged death threat from the ISI. The Pakistani government in 2011 set up a high-level investigation into his death but key evidence mysteriously disappeared and no one has yet been brought to justice.

At least 34 journalists have been killed in relation to their work in Pakistan since the restoration of democracy in 2008, but in only one case during this period have the perpetrators been brought to justice.

In a report released last month, Amnesty International documented how media workers in Pakistan live under the constant threat of harassment, violence and killings from a range of state and non-state actors.

Since the release of the report, a standoff between the country’s largest private broadcaster Geo TV (part of the Jang Media Group) and the authorities has intensified after the network accused the ISI of being behind the assassination attempt on journalist Hamid Mir.

Several Jang Media Group journalists have told Amnesty International that they have received daily threats and harassment by unknown individuals by phone and in person. Many dare not enter their offices or identify themselves as belonging to Geo TV or other Jang Media Group outlets for fear of being attacked.

“There is absolutely no justification for the vicious, organised campaign of harassment against Jang Media Group staff across Pakistan,” said David Griffiths.“It is particularly disappointing that rival media channels and some political parties have joined the chorus to attack Jang Media Group, rather than demand a full and impartial investigation of the circumstances surrounding the attack on Hamid Mir.”

Some government officials have also tried to pull Geo TV off the air over allegedly “anti-state” and “blasphemous” content, and up to 80 percent of Jang Media Group’s distribution in print and on the airwaves has been disrupted by media industry bodies, apparently under the orders of the Pakistani military.

“Attempts to take Geo TV off the air are clearly politically motivated, and constitute a serious attack on freedom of expression in Pakistan,” said David Griffiths.“The last thing Pakistan needs now is a mudslinging campaign against Geo TV, the ISI or anyone else. Pakistan’s long-suffering journalists deserve protection from attacks and justice when they fall victim to abuse. It is the responsibility of Prime Minister Sharif’s government to deliver both. They should start by immediately resuming the investigation into Shahzad’s death.”

Following is the text of the letter:

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF

Joint statement of shared concerns about attacks on journalists in Pakistan

29 May 2014

Dear Prime Minister

Three years ago today, journalist Saleem Shahzad was abducted a short distance away from his Islamabad home and later found dead, his body bearing marks consistent with torture. We, the representatives of the undersigned group of civil society organisations working in human rights and media, call on you to fulfil your promise to end the impunity enjoyed by individuals and groups who threaten, attack, abduct, torture and kill journalists in Pakistan. In order to address these attacks on journalists, we urge you to follow through on the commitments you made in March, and as a first phase country for the UN Action Plan on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, and to take further concrete steps along the lines set out below.

Based on our collective experiences monitoring human rights globally, Pakistan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists, judging by the severity and extent of threats and attacks on media professionals due to their reporting. Dozens of journalists have been killed in Pakistan in direct response to their work over the last decade. At least eight journalists have been killed since your government came to power in June 2013.

Journalists and other media workers from across Pakistan face harassment, abduction, torture and attempts on their lives by state intelligence officers, members of political parties and armed groups like the Taliban. Journalists reporting on national security and human rights, and those reporting from the conflict-affected northwest, violence-ravaged Balochistan and the city of Karachi are most at risk as they rarely enjoy protection from the state or support from their employers.

We are deeply concerned at the failure of successive Pakistan governments to carry out prompt, impartial, independent and thorough investigations into abuses against journalists, or to bring those responsible to justice. Attempts on the lives of Hamid Mir and Raza Rumi and the abduction and killing of Saleem Shahzad exemplify the enduring challenge to justice when journalists come under attack: as far as our organisations are aware, no one has been brought to justice for any of these attacks. Only in two cases of journalist killings have the perpetrators ever been convicted in Pakistan.

The failure to bring those responsible for attacks on journalists to justice sends a signal that the media can be silenced through violence and that the perpetrators can literally get away with murder and other abuses. It also has a chilling effect on freedom of expression in Pakistan, with journalists increasingly resorting to self-censorship to avoid the risk of harm.

It is the Pakistan government’s duty under international law to protect the rights to life, liberty and freedom from torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of all individuals within its territory and under its jurisdiction, including journalists. As a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Pakistan must also ensure the media is free to carry out its critical function of facilitating and promoting freedom of expression, as guaranteed by Article 19 of the ICCPR. Journalists play a vital role in exposing human rights abuse. Ensuring that journalists are able to undertake their work free from harassment and abuse is therefore an essential cornerstone in the protection and promotion of human rights in Pakistan.

We call on your Government to urgently take the following steps, in line with Pakistan’s international legal obligations, so that journalists may carry out their work free from harassment and abuse:

* Re-start the criminal investigations into the abduction and killing of Saleem Shahzad, as promised by the current Pakistan government, and ensure that all potential suspects, including members of any military and intelligence authorities, are subjected to a full, independent and impartial investigation.

* Ensure prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into human rights abuses against journalists, including abductions, enforced disappearances, torture and other ill-treatment, extrajudicial executions and other unlawful killings.

* Ensure that all persons suspected of crimes involving human rights abuses against journalists, regardless of their status, rank or affiliation with state or non-state groups, are brought to justice in fair trials without recourse to the death penalty.

* Implement the Prime Minister’s announced plan to establish a public prosecutor at the federal and provincial levels tasked with investigating attacks against journalists, and ensure that it is independent, adequately staffed and resourced, and has authority to investigate the military and intelligence services in addition to civilians. Also implement the Prime Minister’s commitment to expedite the prosecution of the killers of journalists by changing trial venues and expanding witness protection programs.

* Ensure, in line with the United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, that media companies adhere to requirements on due diligence, health and safety, among other standards in national law and policy; and introduce systemic legal and policy reforms where such requirements either do not exist in national law or are inadequate.

We welcome your concern about the situation for journalists in Pakistan and look forward to the Pakistan government taking real steps to improve the working environment for journalists in Pakistan.

Yours faithfully

1. Amnesty International – Salil Shetty, Secretary General

2. Article 19 (UK) – Thomas Hughes, Executive Director

3. Committee to Protect Journalists – Joel Simon, Executive Director

4. Freedom House - Karin Karlekar, Project Director, Freedom of the Press

5. Human Rights Watch – Brad Adams, Executive Director, Asia Division

6. International News Safety Institute – Hannah Storm, Executive Director

7. Internews – Jeanne Bourgault, President

8. Pakistan Coalition on Media Safety – Owais Aslam Ali, Head of Secretariat

9. Pen International – Ann Harrison, Programme Director

10. Reporters Without Borders - Christopher Deloire, Secretary-General

Sisi sweeps election as Egypt military reasserts grip

CAIRO: Ex-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has scored a crushing presidential election triumph and consolidated the military´s grip, 11 months after the overthrow of the only Egyptian president not drawn from its ranks.

Ninety-six percent of voters, at least 21 million Egyptians, chose Sisi, who deposed elected Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, with ballots counted from all but a handful of 352 stations, state television reported Thursday.

Sisi´s only electoral rival, leftist leader Hamdeen Sabbahi, won less than four percent, according to the preliminary results.

The longtime opposition figure conceded defeat on Thursday but cast doubt on the estimated turnout figure of 47 percent after calls for a high participation rate as a sign of legitimacy.

Ahead of the final results due within a week, hundreds of Sisi supporters took to the streets on Wednesday night to celebrate, waving Egyptian flags, setting off fireworks and honking car horns.

"It´s a victory for stability," said Tahra Khaled, among the crowd in Cairo´s Tahrir Square, nerve centre of the mass protests that forced autocratic president Hosni Mubarak to step down in 2011.Sisi, who retired from the army to run for office, becomes Egypt´s fifth president from the military, reasserting the institution´s grip on politics in the Arab world´s most populous nation.

The military has always formed the backbone of political life in Egypt and the institution has provided its leaders ever since army officers toppled the monarchy in 1952.The only exception was Morsi, elected a year after the fall of Mubarak, himself a former air force commander.

"Few would have imagined that... three years after Mubarak´s toppling, a field marshall, a new pharaoh, would be elected again with 96 percent, without even unveiling a programme and without campaigning," said analyst Karim Bitar.

Sisi rode on a wave of support for a potential new strongman who can restore stability and revive the economy after three years of turmoil.

But his opponents say that since he ousted Morsi last July, Egypt returned to autocracy.A state crackdown targeting Morsi supporters has left at least 1,400 people dead in street clashes and seen more than 15,000 others jailed.

Dozens of young activists have also been jailed for violating a law banning all but police-authorised protests.

A European Union team that observed the election said Thursday the vote was conducted "in line with the law," although it regretted the lack of participation of some "stakeholders", in a likely reference to Morsi´s banned Muslim Brotherhood and youth dissident groups.

Politicians, media, military all committed mistakes, Senate told

 

ISLAMABAD: Information Secretary of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahidullah Khan on Friday cautioned in the Senate that “no channel will remain open if Geo was shut down”.
Speaking in the House on a motion moved by the opposition senators to discuss the latest political situation, the PML-N legislator also insisted that the media should forge unity in their ranks, or the freedom they had won by rendering sacrifices, would go back to those forces from whom it was won.

The senator acknowledged the struggle rendered by Geo and the Jang Group. “Those whose policies led to the martyrdom of thousands of military men, civilians and got the Lal Masjid attacked should not be punished but Geo should be shut down,” the senator caustically observed.

He said it was too much to display the image of the ISI chief and resort to the allegations and added the derogatory content about the Ahle Bait was also highly condemnable. He contended that all, including politicians, the media, intelligence agencies and military generals, made mistakes and referred to the Kargil war during which he claimed that 3,000 soldiers were martyred. “All commit mistakes but it does not mean that the one who made a mistake should be crushed,” he said.

Mushahidullah contended some institutions have had their own mechanism of accountability but it should be seen being implemented. “No one asked Musharraf till now about the Kargil debacle but Hamid Mir, who received six bullets in his body, is being ridiculed,” he maintained.

The PML-N lawmaker said that whatever today was happening was being done by the supporters of Musharraf, who might be in the media, or living in Canada, Bani Gala or Lal Haveli. “When all targetted Geo, the leader of a political party Bahadur Khan also stepped in,” he noted.

Later, winding up the debate, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt Gen (R) Abdul Qadir Baloch alleged that Musharraf and his supporters and politically immature persons wanted to sneak into power corridors.

The minister was confident that the government was in a position to resolve the media issue immediately but would wait since it was sub-judice. He claimed those on the look to see packing up of the democratic set-up would be disappointed soon.

He assured the House that the issue would not be dragged for long and said the government, masses and the armed forces were fully aware of the challenges and the events that had recently taken place in India, Afghanistan.

PML-Q Senator Rubina Irfan, earlier, said the attack on Hamid Mir was condemnable and presenting on TV the head of top spy agency for eight hours was even more condemnable. PPP’s Senator Sardar Ali Khan said that the statement of finance minister to reduce taxes if the Ministry of Defence cuts the defence budget was uncalled for and provocative.

He alleged the government was following policy of confrontation with the State institutions. He asked the government to move for a patch-up and reconciliation vis-a-vis the media crisis. The bill to amend the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee was unanimously passed. It would allow Islamabad High Court chief justice to also be a part of the Judicial Commission. Similarly, the House also adopted a bill to repeal the Federal Court Act, 1937.

Ukraine army expands military ops in east: minister

KIEV: Ukraine´s army on Saturday broadened a military offensive to retake control of rebel-held towns and cities in the chaotic east of the country, the Ukrainian interior ministry said.

"The active phase of the operation is continuing. We will not stop," said Arsen Avakov on his Facebook page.

"Overnight, forces participating in the anti-terrorist operation in Kramatorsk took control of the TV tower that was previously held by the terrorists," added the minister.

Kramatorsk lies some 17 kilometres (10 miles) to the south of the flashpoint town of Slavyansk, where the army mounted a major offensive on Friday that claimed at least nine lives, including two servicemen as rebels shot down a pair of army helicopters.

The dawn raid on Kramatorsk comes after Ukraine suffered its bloodiest day since the Western-backed government in Kiev came to power.

In addition to the nine killed in Slavyansk, more than 30 people died in what Avakov called a "criminal" blaze in the southern port city of Odessa following deadly clashes between pro-Russian militants and supporters of national unity.

The authorities in Kiev have admitted the police are "helpless" to contain the pro-Moscow insurgency that has swept through more than a dozen towns and cities in the eastern part of the country.

The Ukrainian government and the West believe that the Kremlin is fomenting the chaos in a bid to destabilise the former Soviet republic ahead of planned May 25 elections.

Moscow denies the charges and has warned that Kiev faces "catastrophic consequences" if it continues what it sees as a military operation against its own people.

Russia has an estimated 40,000 troops on the Ukrainian border and Kiev has reintroduced conscription and put its armed force on full combat alert, fearing an imminent invasion.

Ukraine army expands military ops in east: minister

KIEV: Ukraine´s army on Saturday broadened a military offensive to retake control of rebel-held towns and cities in the chaotic east of the country, the Ukrainian interior ministry said.

"The active phase of the operation is continuing. We will not stop," said Arsen Avakov on his Facebook page.

"Overnight, forces participating in the anti-terrorist operation in Kramatorsk took control of the TV tower that was previously held by the terrorists," added the minister.

Kramatorsk lies some 17 kilometres (10 miles) to the south of the flashpoint town of Slavyansk, where the army mounted a major offensive on Friday that claimed at least nine lives, including two servicemen as rebels shot down a pair of army helicopters.

The dawn raid on Kramatorsk comes after Ukraine suffered its bloodiest day since the Western-backed government in Kiev came to power.

In addition to the nine killed in Slavyansk, more than 30 people died in what Avakov called a "criminal" blaze in the southern port city of Odessa following deadly clashes between pro-Russian militants and supporters of national unity.

The authorities in Kiev have admitted the police are "helpless" to contain the pro-Moscow insurgency that has swept through more than a dozen towns and cities in the eastern part of the country.

The Ukrainian government and the West believe that the Kremlin is fomenting the chaos in a bid to destabilise the former Soviet republic ahead of planned May 25 elections.

Moscow denies the charges and has warned that Kiev faces "catastrophic consequences" if it continues what it sees as a military operation against its own people.

Russia has an estimated 40,000 troops on the Ukrainian border and Kiev has reintroduced conscription and put its armed force on full combat alert, fearing an imminent invasion.

US military intelligence chief stepping down

WASHINGTON: The head of the US Defense Intelligence Agency and his deputy will step down later this year, officials said Wednesday, but denied reports they were being forced out.

Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, who had served as director of the DIA since July 2012, and deputy David Shedd, said in a joint memo to employees that "they will depart the agency and retire by early Fall 2014," according to an agency statement.

Their "retirements have been planned for some time," said Pentagon press secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby in an email.

Flynn played a key role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, serving under General Stanley McChrystal as part of US efforts to dismantle insurgent networks through raids by special operations forces.

But The Washington Post, citing unnamed sources, said Flynn was being pushed out of office after disagreements with other senior figures, including Michael Vickers, the undersecretary of defense for intelligence and a former CIA officer.

The DIA is undergoing dramatic changes under a plan to deploy more spies in the field, and Flynn´s efforts to speed up the transformation proved "disruptive," according to his critics, the Post reported.

US defense officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, rejected the report and said Flynn and Shedd both had planned to retire for a number of months.

The intelligence agency´s statement said the pair had led a "transformation" that "helped reshape DIA culture," allowing "the agency to nimbly respond to recent crises without having to create special task forces or move people.

"Flynn´s successor has not been announced but the Post said it would likely be Lieutenant General Mary Legere, who would be the first female officer to lead the agency if nominated and confirmed by lawmakers.

Ukraine army expands military ops in east: minister

KIEV: Ukraine´s army on Saturday broadened a military offensive to retake control of rebel-held towns and cities in the chaotic east of the country, the Ukrainian interior ministry said.

"The active phase of the operation is continuing. We will not stop," said Arsen Avakov on his Facebook page.

"Overnight, forces participating in the anti-terrorist operation in Kramatorsk took control of the TV tower that was previously held by the terrorists," added the minister.

Kramatorsk lies some 17 kilometres (10 miles) to the south of the flashpoint town of Slavyansk, where the army mounted a major offensive on Friday that claimed at least nine lives, including two servicemen as rebels shot down a pair of army helicopters.

The dawn raid on Kramatorsk comes after Ukraine suffered its bloodiest day since the Western-backed government in Kiev came to power.

In addition to the nine killed in Slavyansk, more than 30 people died in what Avakov called a "criminal" blaze in the southern port city of Odessa following deadly clashes between pro-Russian militants and supporters of national unity.

The authorities in Kiev have admitted the police are "helpless" to contain the pro-Moscow insurgency that has swept through more than a dozen towns and cities in the eastern part of the country.

The Ukrainian government and the West believe that the Kremlin is fomenting the chaos in a bid to destabilise the former Soviet republic ahead of planned May 25 elections.

Moscow denies the charges and has warned that Kiev faces "catastrophic consequences" if it continues what it sees as a military operation against its own people.

Russia has an estimated 40,000 troops on the Ukrainian border and Kiev has reintroduced conscription and put its armed force on full combat alert, fearing an imminent invasion.

Tribal Jirga asks govt, Taliban, military to extend ceasefire

 

PESHAWAR: The Jamaat-e-Islami’s Tribal Peace Jirga on Thursday called upon the government, the Taliban and the military to extend the ceasefire and remove all hurdles in the way of peace talks.
“The tribal elders fully support the ongoing peace process in the light of the unanimous resolutions passed by the All Parties Conference and land constitutionally and where the people had no fundamental human rights as guaranteed by the Constitution to each citizen of Pakistan.

It said due to the continuing drone strikes, artillery shelling and military operations, thousands of innocent tribal people, including children, women and elders, were killed or injured and many became mentally ill.

The declaration stated that peace in the country was linked to peace in Fata.Jamaat-e-Islami chief Sirajul Haq, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-S) head Maulana Samiul Haq, who is the head of the Taliban designated talks committee, JI provincial chief Prof Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, JUI-S provincial chief Maulana Yousaf Shah and tribal elders addressed the Jirga.

Sirajul Haq said dialogue was the only option for peace in the country as the tribal people were in favour of peace talks from the day one. He said the government should accept the demands of the tribal people, who were direct victims of the military operations and Taliban attacks.

“Success of the peace talks is a success of Pakistan and its failure is the failure of the country and the people as well,” Sirajul Haq said, adding it was strange that some people sitting in Dubai were talking about military operations.

“We are proud of the Pakistan Army. The world is praising our army for war, but it will be in the interest of the country that our army shows patience in the ongoing peace process,” the JI chief said. He stated that even if those sitting in Islamabad did not want to hear the Taliban peace committee, the committee members would go there for the sake of peace.

“We have brought the Taliban and the government to the negotiating table. Now it is up to the government to take advantage of it,” the JI chief added.All three members of the Taliban negotiation committee, Maulana Samiul Haq, Prof Ibrahim and Maulana Yousaf Shah, told the tribal people that they were hopeful about the success of the peace talks and bringing durable peace in Fata.

The tribal elders from all the agencies and Frontier Regions, including Malik Misal Khan, Malik Toor Muhammad Bangash, Malik Salim Khan Mehsud, Maulana Abdul Haq Mohmand, Mufti Noor Muhammad Mehsud, Sheikh Janzada and senior lawyer from Fata Karim Mehsud announced full support to the peace talks and for the Taliban and government negotiation committees.

Akhtar Amin adds: Speaking on the occasion, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief and a key member of the Taliban negotiating committee Prof Muhammad Ibrahim Khan said the peace talks would not succeed unless the army became directly involved in the process.

“Let me make it clear that the war is between the Taliban and the Pakistan Army. Both the government and the people are suffering due to this fighting. The army is a direct party to this war with the Taliban,” Ibrahim said.

“A meeting of the chief of the army staff and DG Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) with the Taliban committee is a must to hear the army’s point of view on the peace talks,” Prof Ibrahim said. Ibrahim said those asking the Taliban to follow the Constitution should follow the Constitution first as a precedent.

In the presence of two other members of the Taliban committee, Maulana Samiul Haq and Maulana Yousaf Shah, Prof Ibrahim said they wanted to ask the army chief General Raheel Sharif if he would like to see the peace talks succeed or not.

He said the army had already inked peace accords with the Taliban groups, including one led by Hafiz Gul Bahadur in North Waziristan, and these agreements were still intact.

“If Islamic articles of the Constitution of Pakistan are implemented, we would give an assurance that the Taliban would accept the Constitution,” he stressed.

In his subsequent press talk, Prof Ibrahim said both the Taliban and security forces had reservations about certain incidents. He said the Taliban were complaining about the arrests and ‘extrajudicial killing’ of their men while the security forces were questioning why the Taliban continued attacks during the peace process.

However, he claimed that both the issues would be discussed in the next round of talks between the Taliban Shura members and the government negotiators, expected to take place within a few days.

Maulana Samiul Haq and Prof Ibrahim appealed to the Taliban and the Pakistan Army to observe the ceasefire in respect of the holy month of Rajab and to make the dialogue process successful.

In his speech to the Tribal Peace Jirga, Maulana Samiul Haq said the government committee was not in contact with the Taliban nominated committee. He warned that if they found the government committee was not interested in the talks, they would be compelled to withdraw from the peace process. He said the prime minister and other key government functionaries should cancel their foreign tours and focus on the peace process. The government functionaries should first put their own house in order and then go on foreign tours, he said.

Maulana Yousaf Shah said the second round of peace talks between the Taliban Shura members and the government negotiators was expected in two or three days.“I am in contact with the Taliban Shura members and there are no serious reservations about the process on both the sides,” he claimed.He added that he was hopeful of an extension in the ceasefire from the Taliban side in the next meeting and other positive outcomes regarding the peace process.

Military believes in democracy, Constitution: Gen Raheel

 

RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif said on Wednesday that the armed forces of Pakistan believed in the strengthening of democracy, supremacy of the Constitution and rule of law and would render every sacrifice for the country’s security, progress and prosperity.
He said that Pakistan’s armed forces were keeping a close vigil on the internal and external challenges and were fully capable of meeting all the threats to the security of the country.Addressing a large gathering on the eve of Youm-e-Shuhada here at the GHQ, he said that the armed forces remained alert round the clock for the defence of the motherland.

“Nobody should doubt the capabilities of the Pakistan Army as it will come to the expectations of the nation,” he added.General Raheel Sharif said that the Pakistan Army would continue to play its role in ensuring the security, progress and prosperity of the country.

Stressing the need for unity to overcome the internal and external challenges confronting the country, he said that the Pakistan Army supported every effort for the eradication of terrorism and restoration of peace in the country.

While lauding the supreme sacrifices rendered by the security forces for the defence of the country, the COAS said that the nation always stood with the Pakistan Army in every difficult time.

While declaring that the Pakistan Army supported every effort for the elimination of terrorism and restoration of peace, the chief of army staff said that it was his wish that all the elements fighting against Pakistan should submit before the Constitution and laws of the country and return to the mainstream.

He made it clear that the people and the armed forces were fully capable of thwarting the nefarious designs of the enemies of the country.All nations fight shoulder-to-shoulder with their armies on the internal or external fronts and keep their spirits high, he said and added, the Pakistan Army’s strength was the confidence the people reposed in it.

“The Pakistani nation always stood behind its army and our valiant soldiers will render all sacrifices for national security,” he added.He said that the relations between the Pakistan Army and people would become stronger with every passing day.

General Raheel called for following the golden principles of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah — unity, faith and discipline — to put the country on the road to progress and prosperity.He called upon all the institutions of the country to make efforts for the success of democracy and assured that the armed forces would continue their efforts for the development of the country and prosperity of the people.

Lauding the role of the media and civil society along with other institutions of the state in nation building, he said that the media always played an important role in moulding public opinion in favour of national security.

“We believe in the freedom of the media, responsible journalism and appreciate its sacrifices,” he added. Youm-e-Shuhada (Day of Martyrs) was observed to pay homage to those soldiers who had laid their lives for the cause of the motherland.

Pak-US military, intel cooperation strengthening: Ambassador Jilani

WASHINGTON: Pakistan Ambassador to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani said that military cooperation and intelligence sharing between Pakistan and the US is progressing smoothly, Geo News reported on Tuesday.

Talking to Geo News after attending a dinner in Washington, Ambassador Jilani said that the cooperation between Pakistan and the US over the Pak-Afghanistan border vigilance will continue even in more effective manner.

He said that Pakistan had a clear stance over the Afghan presidential elections that there would be no interference. The international community including the US had lauded Pakistan’s role for a stable region.

Ambassador Jilani told that Pakistan is likely to receive a payment from Asian Development Bank and World Bank next month while the next tranche of $350 million under Coalition Support Fund will be transferred to Pakistan in few days.

Civilian, military leadership on same page for development: PM

Gwadar: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Thursday that the civilian and military leadership was on the same page for development in Pakistan.

During a meeting over a development project, Prime Minister Sharif expressed commitment to turn Gwadar into a free port like Hong Kong and Singapore.

Earlier upon his arrival in Gwadar, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was welcomed by Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif.

The prime minister arrived at the PNS Akram Base alongside federal ministers Ishaq Dar and Ahsan Iqbal. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was greeted by Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch and other provincial ministers.

Gunmen attack Iraq military base, kill 10 soldiers

BAGHDAD: Militants launched a brazen attack on a military base in a restive area in northern Iraq on Thursday, killing at least 10 soldiers and wounding 12, officials said.

The morning attack at the base outside the city of Mosul, about 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, started with a suicide bomber who detonated his explosives-laden truck at the gates of the facility, an army officer and a police officer said.

A group of gunmen then opened fire from apparently commandeered military Humvees and a shootout ensued. At least 10 troops were killed and 12 were wounded, the officials said.

Eight militants were also killed in the fighting.

A medical official confirmed the causality figures.

All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to talk to media. (AP)