Section 144 imposed in Rawalpindi

 

RAWALPINDI: The twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have been armed and barricaded. The Benazir Bhutto International airport (BBIA) has especially been completely sealed to keep the activists of the Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) away from the airport where the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri will land in early hours today (Monday).
Section 144 has been imposed in Rawalpindi, all the routes leading to the airport have been sealed and army soldiers were reported to have been deployed in the area. However, ISPR sources said no army personnel have been deployed around the airport.

The DG ISPR tweeted: “No #Army troops depl anywhere including Airport for policing. Troops already depl before Op ZarbeAzb at sensitive locations against terrorist threat.”Sources claimed that Dr Qadri could be taken into custody by the law enforcing agencies on his arrival at the BBIA and shifted to Lahore by a helicopter or by road under stringent security because of threats to his life.

“Troops are ready as back-up to tackle any untoward situation, if any, on the arrival of the PAT chief,” sources said and added that threats to the life of Dr Qadri from the TTP were still there.

“Over 100 PAT leaders of different categories have been arrested so far under section 16 of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) ordinance and shifted to an undisclosed place,” the PAT leadership claimed, adding, “It was unethical that the police arrested leaders of the PAT including naib Ameer Punjab Ahmad Nawaz Anjum, secretary coordination Sajid Bhatti and Anaar Khan from the Chief Commissioner Office who were negotiating with the Chief Commissioner Rawalpindi on his call.”

Incidents of scuffles between PAT activists and the police followed by hide and seek were reported at different entry points on GT Road while PAT activists who were coming to Rawalpindi to receive their leader at the BBIA, were not allowed to use the Motorway.

Police resorted to lathi charge and used tear-gas at various places to disperse the activists who broke the barriers to continue their voyage but heavy contingents of police and Rangers intercepted them at every stage.

Clashes between the police and PAT activists occurred at different areas of the twin cities. Lathi charge and tear-gas was used by the police at Mandi Mor and Koral Chowk to disperse the people. The clash continued till late night.

The Red Zone, the most sensitive part of the federal capital, has been protected by deploying the Rangers and Elite Police force at entry points and sensitive buildings. “The army and Rangers have been placed on the Margalla Hills to counter threats of attacks from the hilly areas of Islamabad,” the sources said.

Murree and Azad Kashmir have been separated from Islamabad and Rawalpindi by placing heavy containers at Bahra Kahu Road and Kahuta Road at 11:00pm. The local administration warned visitors to leave Murree and enter Islamabad before the given time to avoid difficulties.

The government has decided to suspend mobile phone services in the twin-cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad till 11:00am, the sources said. The Interior Ministry has issued instructions to the PTA in this regard.

Agencies add: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain condemned the arrest of PAT workers in Punjab.In a statement, the MQM chief said the people responsible for the Model Town incident should be arrested but instead the PAT workers are being arrested and they were being subjected to state terrorism.

Altaf said the government was crushing its opponents during a time when the Pakistan Army was at war against the terrorists and the country needed unity.The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi also condemned the arrest of PAT workers and leaders across Punjab.

“The government has not learnt a lesson from the Model Town incident. They are repeating the same mistakes by an unannounced crackdown against the PAT workers who have been arrested and harassed by the police in various towns,” said Pervaiz Elahi.

Govt only seems to own Lahore, Rawalpindi: Khursheed Shah

ISLAMABAD: Opposition leader in the National Assembly, Khursheed Shah Tuesday said failure to take timely decisions on part of the government has led to a clash among institutions which is ‘extremely dangerous’.

“Mr Prime Minister, lets join hands and save the country,” Khursheed Shah asserted while addressing the legislators from the floor of lower house.

He lamented that the incumbent government only seems to own Lahore and Rawalpindi.

“Had the government invested Rs40 billion on electricity project instead of Metro Bus it would have served the people better,” he argued, adding when the urban centers are enduring up to 12-14-hour duration of power outages per day what to talk of the rural parts of the country.

He said Khawaja Asif, dressed in a suit and tie, used to frequent the Supreme Court to take the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to task during the previous government. “Today he (Khwaja Asif) himself is the Minister for Power, what is stopping him now to resolve the electricity crisis,” he asked.

Khursheed Shah said his party stands with the present government for strengthening the democracy. But, the government will have to abandon the anti-people policies, he warned.

Daily Jang’s vehicle set on fire in Rawalpindi

 

RAWALPINDI: The anti-Jang Group people attacking the group through different means this time torched a delivery vehicle of the Daily Jang loaded with Friday’s religious edition, after kidnapping and torturing the driver of the vehicle, in the wee hours of Friday.
The driver was shifted to the Holy Family Hospital after the “well-known captors” threw the blindfolded man in critical condition somewhere at Rawat.The Banni Police, however, have registered the case against unidentified criminals under sections 436, 427, 341, 342, 147 and 149 PPC but haven’t yet traced the “criminals” embroiled in the anti-Jang Group activities.

The driver of the delivery vehicle, Mohammad Razzaq, an employee of the Universal Distribution Network (UDN), said he was attached with the delivery network of the Jang Group as a driver for the last two years, adding that he left the Al-Rehman Building on his vehicle (registration number AJKA-3103) loaded with thousands of copies of the Friday’s edition of Jang for the Akhbar Market, Aabpara, at 2:10am.

He said gunmen on two vehicles intercepted him and straightaway dragged him out of his vehicle and pushed him into one of their cars. The driver said that the gunmen thrashed him inhumanly, blindfolded him and tied his hands on his back with a nylon rope. He said that they kept torturing him during about one-hour-long drive and later threw him out of their vehicle.

Razzaq said that as the light of the dawn appeared, a passer-by untied him and on query, he told him he was at the Chamber Road near Rawat. He, however, walked to Rawat and sought help from a van driver and informed his brother from the van driver’s mobile phone who reached there and started searching the delivery vehicle, which was left at the place from where he was kidnapped. His brother shifted him to the Holy Family Hospital as his condition was worsening, the driver said.

In the meantime, an employee of Geo TV living on the however, shifted him to Holy Family Hospital as his condition was worsening, the driver said.In the meantime, an employee of Geo TV living at Kuri Road (Sadiqabad) found the Jang’s delivery van which was burnt along with Friday religious edition of the newspaper. He informed chief security officer of the Jang Group about location of the van at Kuri Road.

The management of the Jang Group reprinted the burned copies and sent them for distribution.Earlier, on May 30, unidentified assailants equipped with lethal weapons, set the van carrying The News and Jang Friday edition to transport to Islamabad, after creating fear among the people at Committee Chowk. People who witnessed the last Friday attack confirmed that the assailants were carrying lethal weapons and they acted as professional fighters. “Their delivery was not like normal citizens or agitators but they seemed as trained people,” the witnesses said.

Mohammad Razzaq said that about 10/12 gunmen, carrying kalashnikovs, suddenly jumped in front of the van and pointed their guns towards him, asking him to come out of the van if he wants to save his life otherwise they would burn him alive. He said that three were holding pistols and remaining were carrying kalashnikovs.

Jang group vehicle attacked in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: Vehicles of the Jang group continue to be targeted across Pakistan. In the latest attack a vehicle carrying the group’s newspapers was first hijacked and later burnt in Rawalpindi.

The incident took place at 2:00 AM on Murree Road. The attackers hijacked the vehicle and the driver was assaulted. According to the driver Muhammad Razzaq he was delivering newspapers to Islamabad when his vehicle was stopped by four armed men. Razzaq said he was blindfolded and was told he would not be allowed to deliver the papers.

After being assaulted, Razzaq was left on the roadside. The driver reached the Jang building in Rawalpindi and the hijacked vehicle was recovered at 9:00 AM. The attackers had set the vehicle and newspapers on fire. The newspapers were reprinted and sent for delivery.

This is the latest in a series of attacks targeting Jang group newspaper delivery vehicles. On May 25 a vehicle was attacked in Lahore. Attacks have also taken place in Karachi and Rawalpindi.

Five killed in Rawalpindi suicide attack

RAWALPINDI: At least five people were killed when a suicide attacker targeted a security forces vehicle near Tarnol here Wednesday.

Two officers and three civilians were killed in the attack. According to the ISPR, the martyred officers include Lieutenant Colonels Zahir Shah Arshad.


A spokesman for the Pakistan Army said the attack took place at approximately 9:30 AM.

Following the attack the area has been cordoned off by security forces and an investigation has begun.

The identity of the attackers is not yet known and no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Funeral Prayers Held

The funeral prayers for martyred Lt. Colonel Zahir and Lt. Colonel Arshad were offered on Wednesday afternoon at Chaklala Garrision.

Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Defence Mnister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, General Rashad Mehmood Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, large number of military personnel from three services and people from all walks of life attended the funeral prayers.

Later, bodies of Shaheed Colonel Muhammad Zahir and Colonel Arshad Hussain were sent to their ancestral towns where they will be buried with full military honour.

Van carrying Jang, The News bundles set on fire in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: A van carrying bundles of the Daily Jang and The News was attacked near Committee Chowk.

Eight to ten armed men attacked the van and set it on fire after dousing it with petrol. The van was travelling from Rawalpindi to Islamabad. The drive of the van remained was not hurt in the attack.

According to sources over 7,000 copies of the newspapers were burnt resulting in losses in the hundreds of thousands.

The driver of the van said he was dragged out of the vehicle and threatened. He added that the attackers were carrying pistols and Kalashnikovs.

In a similar attack unidentified bike riders set a vehicle carrying bundles of the Daily Jang and The News on fire in Lahore on Sunday.

Gang of extortionists busted in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Police have busted a gang of criminals getting extortion from top businessmen of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad impersonating themselves as leaders of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The police arrested four members of the gang, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Akhtar Umar Hayat Lalika said while addressing a press conference in his office Monday.The gangsters were earlier acting in Karachi and one of them was killed during an encounter with the Karachi Police, the RPO said.

He said that the gangsters used to make telephone calls to businessmen after conducting detailed recce and pressurised them to provide them extortion, threatening that they were TTP leaders and would kill or kidnap their children if they failed to fulfil the demands.

Big blast heard in Rawalpindi

RAWALPINDI: A big blast heard at around 8.25 A.M. on Wednesday morning here, Geo News reported.

Police and rescue teams trying to ascertain the location and cause of the explosion.

No loss of life in Rawalpindi cracker explosion

RAWALPINDI: A cracker exploded outside a house located near Dhok Rataimral in Mohalla Mazharabad, but fortunately no loss of life occurred on Monday here, Geo News reported.

Police said that the cracker explosion occurred outside the house of Mobinullah, which sent the entire area in great panic and harassment, however, no loss of life reported.

Police and rescue teams have rushed to the scene of incident.

ECNEC approves Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project

ISLAMABAD: The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved on Saturday the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus Project (Islamabad portion) at a total cost of Rs 23.839 billion.

According to the decision, the Federal Government would contribute Rs 13.419 billion whereas the rest of the amount, Rs.10.419 billion, would be chipped in by the Punjab Government.

The ECNEC, which met here at the Prime Minister office with Finance Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in the chair, approved the Metro Bus Project subject to clearance of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) by the competent authority.

The Islamabad portion comprising 13.9 kilometers, would include Peshawar Mor Interchange as designed by the Capital Development Authority and 14 bus stations with allied facilities.

The Metro Bus System will be a world class facility being provided to the residents of twin cities, as per international standard and as per the vision of Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif.

The construction of long awaited Peshawar Mor Interchange under this project will go a long way in redressing the congestion problem at this intersection, provide relief to the people, and help in smooth flow of traffic during peak hours.

The project will start from I J Principal Road at Faizabad where Rawalpindi portion terminates, and after traversing through IJ Principal Road, 9th Avenue, and Jinnah Avenue, will finally terminate at Pakistan Secretariat.

The project envisages construction of 13.9 KM long dedicated signal free corridor of 9.60 to 10.10 meters width at normal section and from 19.00 to 21.10 meters width at Metro Bus System (MBS) stations and tranches in Islamabad territory.

It will be capable of accommodating articulated buses running simultaneously in both directions.

The meeting was attended by Pervaiz Rashid, Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning and Development, Anusha Rehman, Minister of State for Information Technology, federal secretaries and senior officials from federal and provincial governments.