AI demands UN investigation in Israel-Gaza conflict war crimes

LONDON: Amnesty International (AI) has urged the UN to urgently mandate an independent international investigation into Israeli airstrikes on Gaza as well as Palestine’s indiscriminate shelling of Israel, and hold accountable those responsible for war crimes.

The UN questions the legality of Israel’s Gaza offensive, while Netanyahu is dismissive of international pressure.

Despite claims by Israel that its operation “Protective Edge”, launched June 8, targets Hamas militants, most of more than a hundred Palestinians killed in airstrikes on Gaza are civilians, Amnesty says, adding that at least 24 children and 16 women were among the casualties.

Simultaneously, at least 20 people in Israel have been wounded by rocket attacks from Palestinian territories, according to the human rights watchdog, calling on the UN to set up a “fact-finding mission to Gaza and Israel to investigate violations of international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict.”

“Swift UN action is needed as lives hang in the balance,” said Philip Luther, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Amnesty International. “The international community must not repeat previous mistakes, standing by and watching the devastating consequences for civilians of both sides.”

Amnesty sees arms embargo on Israel and all Palestinian military groups as a means of preventing the violence escalating further.

“Pending such an embargo, all states must immediately suspend all transfers of military equipment, assistance and munitions to the parties, which have failed to properly investigate violations committed in previous conflicts, or bring those responsible to justice,” Amnesty's official statement reads.

Strikes on homes, performed as part of Israel’s military operation, are a matter of particular concern to human rights groups. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, on Friday questioned the legality of such attacks.

Israel has argued that all targets in the Gaza strip are either military facilities or are homes of Hamas militants.

In case of doubt, buildings ordinarily used for civilian purposes, such as homes, are presumed not to be legitimate military targets,” Libi Vice, spokeswoman for the Israel Defense Forces (IFD) told RT on Thursday.

Human rights watchdogs want proof that 340 housing units, destroyed in Gaza, were actually used for military purposes.

“Unless the Israeli authorities can provide specific information to show how a home is being used to make an effective contribution to military actions, deliberately attacking civilian homes constitutes a war crime and also amounts to collective punishment against the families,” said Amnesty's Luther.

“Firing indiscriminate rockets, which cannot be aimed accurately at military targets, is a war crime, as is deliberately targeting civilians,” he added. “There can be no excuse for either side failing to protect civilians, including journalists, medics and humanitarian workers, or civilian facilities.”

Amnesty International has also called on Israel and Egypt to “ensure that sufficient amounts of medical and humanitarian supplies are allowed into Gaza”. Healthcare services in the region have been on the brink of collapse due to shortages of supplies, the World Health Organization earlier warned.

Friday saw thousands of activists in London and Oslo protesting against Israeli strikes in Gaza. Organizers of the massive rallies said Palestinians are facing “a horrific escalation of racism and violence” at the hands of the IDF.

Nisar orders high security alert in twin cities

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Saturday directed the police and district administration of Rawalpindi and Islamabad to keep the twin cities’ security on high alert, as the situation was sensitive in the wake of the ongoing military operation in North Waziristan.

He said this while chairing a meeting of the district and police administration of the twin cities here.

The minister said the security agencies need to work beyond their call of duty and show utmost responsibility to counter any unfortunate incident.

Reviewing the overall security plan of the twin cities, the minister said there should be flawless coordination between the security apparatus for effectively tackling emergency situations.

He also directed the police to further enhance their capacity through physical training and modern equipment.

The minister directed tightened security of sensitive places. He said surprise search operations, especially in adjoining areas of Islamabad Airport, be made more intensive.

He said joint patrolling teams of the Rangers and police had given a sense of security to the residents but their services need to be made more target-oriented and effective.

Captain among three soldiers killed in cross-border attack

KHAR: Three security personnel, including an army captain, were killed in an attack by Afghanistan-based Pakistani Taliban militants in Mamond tehsil in Bajaur Agency, official and tribal sources said on Saturday.

Sources said heavily armed militants operating from the Kunar province of Afghanistan stormed the checkpost of the security forces in Ghakhi Pass near the Pak-Afghan border.

Three soldiers were killed while two persons, including a civilian, suffered injuries in the attack.

The injured were taken to the Agency Headquarters Hospital in Khar, the administrative headquarters of Bajaur Agency, from where they were referred to a military hospital in Peshawar due to their critical condition.

The political administration and the security forces arrested 60 suspects during a search operation in the area after the attack. Such arrests are mostly made under the collective responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR) against the tribesmen living in the area where the attack has taken place.

The security forces also defused two remote controlled bombs during the search.

The militants affiliated with the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operating from Kunar often attack border areas in Bajaur. However, it was the first major attack after the Pakistani forces launched a major operation against the militants in North Waziristan on June 15.

The TTP Bajaur Agency chapter claimed responsibility for the night-time attack. It spokesperson, who uses the same name, Shahidullah Shahid, as the central spokesman of the TTP, made a phone call to reporters in Khar and Peshawar using the SIM of Afghanistan’s mobile phone service, to claim responsibility for the attack. He said their men operating in the border area blew up the vehicle of the security forces supplying troops in Gakhi Pass and killed all seven soldiers on board. He claimed the Taliban fighters also seized weapons and other equipment and brought these to their bases.

Meanwhile, Yousaf Raza Mujahid, claiming to be the head of the obscure Taliban al-Qaeda group in Bajaur and Mohmand agencies, appealed to the Pakistani government and the “mujahideen” to announce a ceasefire keeping in view the prevailing security situation in the country.

In a phone call from an undisclosed location to reporters, he said the enemies of the country were benefiting from the rift between the Taliban and the government.

He urged the leaders of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to play their role in steering the country out of the prevailing crises and strengthening democracy.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan strongly condemned the terrorist attack. The governor expressed deep shock and sorrow over the loss of precious lives of security personnel.

The governor said that the immortal sacrifices of the officers and jawans of the security forces, FC and Pakistan Army for the security of the country will never go in vain and will always be remembered with great pride.

NNI adds from Islamabad: Pakistan lodged a formal protest with Afghanistan over the cross-border attack.

“Pakistan strongly condemns the terrorist attack on a Bajaur Scouts vehicle at Gakhi Pass in Bajaur Agency launched from across the border in Afghanistan. An officer and two soldiers embraced Shahadat in the attack, while two soldiers were critically injured,” the Foreign Office said.

It said a strong protest had been lodged with the Afghan side in Islamabad and Kabul. “It has been reiterated that Afghanistan should eliminate terrorist sanctuaries and not allow its territory to be used against Pakistan,” said the FO statement.

It said at a time when a “monumental effort” was underway through a major offensive to eliminate all terrorists and their hideouts in North Waziristan tribal region, Afghanistan’s cooperation remained essential for the success of Pakistan’s counter-terrorism endeavours.

INP adds: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif condemned the cross-border terrorist attack on a Pakistani checkpost in Bajaur Agency in which three soldiers, including a captain, embraced martyrdom.

In a statement, the prime minister said the security forces were fighting the war against terrorism to protect the future of the country and laying down their lives for the purpose.

The prime minister said the nation will always remember the sacrifices of the armed forces for the country. He said such attacks could not deter the resolve of the government to eliminate terrorism.

Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif also condemned the attack on security forces in Bajaur.

They prayed that Almighty Allah rest the departed souls in eternal peace and grant courage to the bereaved families to bear the loss with equanimity.

Another 13 militants killed in NWA airstrikes

 

MIRANSHAH: Military authorities on Saturday claimed another 13 militants have been killed and seven of their hideouts destroyed in airstrikes in the Mir Ali subdivision of North Waziristan Agency.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement said fighter jets pounded the hideouts of militants after they fired rockets on the posts of the security forces in Mir Ali on Saturday morning.

It said the jets pounded seven hideouts of the militants and killed 13 terrorists. The statement said most of those killed were foreigners.

According to ISPR, a huge cache of arms and ammunition was also destroyed in the airstrikes. It also said consolidation of the cleared area in Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan, and on the Miranshah-Dattakhel road is in progress.

According to the military officials, six motorcycle-borne improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and two vehicle-borne IEDs, both ready to be used in terrorist attacks, two 12.7 mm guns, one 14.5 mm gun, three vehicles, 11 suicide jackets and a huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered during the last 24 hours in Khar Warsak and Zartangi.

They said three terrorists, including an Uzbek national, have been apprehended from the Boya area. They added that two explosives-laden vehicles were destroyed through aviation strike at Degan village. They claimed two suicide bombers were identified and chased and eventually they exploded and took their lives when encircled close to Boya.

ISPR said relief operations for the IDPs were continuing at full pace in Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan, Tank and Peshawar.

“So far 96,533 ration packs each weighing 110 kilograms have been distributed among the IDPs,” it added.

According to the ISPR statement, 1,012 tonnes of ration has been collected so far at 59 relief collection points established by the Pakistan Army throughout the country. It said most of the ration has been transported to Bannu.

“The army doctors, specially moved to reinforce the local medical effort at Bannu, are busy in providing relief to the patients. So far 12,587 patients have been treated at the Field Medical Hospital established at Khalifa Gul Nawaz Hospital in Bannu by army doctors,” it added.

45 more killed in Gaza as toll reaches 151

GAZA CITY: At least 15 Palestinians were killed in new Israeli strikes on Gaza City late on Saturday, medics in the coastal enclave said.
“At least 15 Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike on the Tuffah neighbourhood in Gaza City that hit a house and a mosque,” emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said. An earlier toll said 10 were killed.Another 35 were wounded in the same strike, and one more person was killed in southern Gaza´s Rafah that also injured five people, Qudra said.

The new deaths brought the toll in the fifth day of the conflict to 151, with more than 1,000 people wounded.

Earlier, Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip killed 30 people on Saturday, including two severely handicapped women in a care facility, medics said.

The Jewish state kept options open for a possible ground offensive into densely populated Gaza despite international pressure to negotiate a ceasefire in the conflict.

In strikes, eight people were killed in raids on Gaza City, central El-Bureij and northern Jabaliya. They included a woman aged 25, and a 16-year-old, Qudra said.

Earlier, six men were killed in the Sheikh Radwan district of western Gaza City, Qudra said. Aged from 21 to 58, they were sitting outside homes in the area when the strike hit, witnesses said. Neighbours told AFP two nephews of former Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya were among them and named them as Nidal and Alaa al-Malash.

Their deaths followed an early morning strike that killed two women at a charitable association housing the disabled in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza. The women, Suha Abu Saada and Ola Washahi, both had severe mental and physical handicaps, association director Jamila Alaywa said. Four others were wounded in the attack —three residents and a helper, she said.

Another three people were killed in eastern Gaza City and three in an attack on the western side of town.

Earlier, Qudra announced the deaths of eight other Palestinians in raids that hit targets including a bank, two mosques and the houses of Hamas officials. Israel’s military said at least one of the mosques was being used to store weapons.

Israel began Operation Protective Edge on Tuesday in an attempt to halt cross-border rocket fire by militant groups. Gaza militants have fired approximately 525 mortar rounds and rockets that struck Israel, while another 138 rockets were intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defence system, the army said on Saturday.

Despite international concern, truce efforts have been unsuccessful, according to Egypt, which has been key in mediating previous ceasefires between Hamas and Israel. “Egypt has communicated with all sides to halt violence against civilians and called on them to continue with the truce agreement signed in November 2012,” the foreign ministry said.

“Former British premier Tony Blair, the envoy for the so-called Quartet of Middle East diplomatic players, flew into Cairo on Saturday for talks on ending the violence.

Ismail Haniya, Gaza’s former premier and the most senior Hamas official in the coastal enclave, ruled out any halt to hostilities. “(Israel) is the one that started this aggression and it must stop, because we are (simply) defending ourselves,” he said.

Israel says preparations are underway for a possible ground incursion, with tanks and artillery massed along the border and some 33,000 reservists mobilised out of 40,000 approved by the cabinet. More armour was seen heading south on Saturday morning.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said he expected a political decision on a possible ground operation by Sunday. “At the moment we are dealing with the first phase air attacks,” he told Channel One television on Friday. “I imagine we shall decide tomorrow (Saturday) or the day after on the next stage.

Kuwait requested an emergency Arab foreign ministers meeting to discuss “the deteriorating situation”, which a diplomat at the Arab League said will be held on Monday.

Israeli strikes on residential buildings in Gaza brought a rebuke from the UN human rights office over civilian casualty toll. “Even when a home is identified as being used for military purposes, any attack must be proportionate and precautions must be taken to protect civilians,” said spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani.

Amnesty International called for the United Nations “to immediately impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and Palestinian armed groups” and launch an enquiry into “violations committed on all sides”.

Reuters add: Israel rushed an eighth missile interceptor battery into service on Saturday to counter stronger-than-expected rocket fire from Gaza as the military pounded positions in the Palestinian enclave for a fifth day.

A mosque in the central Gaza Strip was bombed to rubble. The Israeli military said the mosque had housed a weapons cache.

“Eight other mosques have been damaged from bombing and 537 Gaza houses have either been destroyed or damaged, according to the Gaza-based Al-Mezan Association for Human Rights.

India says UN has no role to play in Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: The Narendra Modi government thinks the United Nations Military Observer Group (UNMOGIP) has no longer any role to play between Pakistan and India and has ordered it to vacate the government premises where they have been located free of charge for 40 years.

The free lunch is over, the UN has been told. Indian media reports say that the UN has been clearly told that “the UNMOGIP’s role has been overtaken by the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control. New Delhi is of the view that the UNMOGIP has no relevance or role to play whatsoever.”

The Foreign Office did not want to comment on media reports but the spokesperson told The News: “Even if true, such moves do not change the reality.”Meanwhile, an Indian official was quoted as saying: “They should stay in Srinagar and do what they want. In case they want to be stationed in Delhi, they should hire premises in a private property and not occupy the government property.”

It is only Pakistan that has time and again proposed to India to involve the UNMOGIP over disputes at the LoC as they are neutral observers and the ongoing blame game that follows skirmishes could come to an end.

But a strange philosophy governs New Delhi, where officially the UNMOGIP has offices in New Delhi and Srinagar with their mandate well known, but India refuses to involve them in any manner in disputes with Pakistan saying they do not want the third party involvement.

In keeping with the hawkish line that Modi has taken on Kashmir, it will not be long before the UNMOGIP office in Srinagar is also wrapped up.INP adds: According to Indian Express, the South Block has asked the UNMOGIP to vacate the bungalow — 1AB, Purana Qila Road — which has been serving as its office for the last four decades. The government accommodation — a Type VII bungalow, about 7,000 square feet — was allotted to the UN mission “free of charge”.

The UNMOGIP, established under a UN Security Council Resolution, was meant to supervise the ceasefire line established under the Karachi Agreement of July 1949.

When contacted, UNMOGIP’s Military Information Officer Major Tomas Malm, who is based in Srinagar, confirmed that the government has asked them to vacate the premises. “UNMOGIP’s response is to relocate to another location in Delhi,” he said. Asked if they have been told the reason for this directive, he said, “The Indian authorities’ reason is unknown to UNMOGIP.”Asked if the move reflected New Delhi’s stand towards the UNMOGIP, he said, “You have to ask the Indian government regarding their attitude towards us.”

Geo restored in some cities, others still waiting

 

LAHORE: In various cities of the country, cable operators have restored the Geo TV transmission though people have complained about shifting of different Geo channels to later numbers. Complaints about illegal suspension of Geo News transmission are also pouring in from various parts of the country.
In Khanqah Dogran, where people launched a severe protest against the suspension of Geo News transmission from time to time, the cable operators have restored it. However, people complained that Geo News has been put at 33 number on cable instead of its real position on 14.

Expressing their pleasure at the Geo News restoration, they demanded the cable operators to place their favourite channel at number 14 again. Punjab Parliamentary Secretary for Information and Culture Rana Muhammad Arshad regretted that Geo News transmission was suspended for 17 days and Geo Tez for 40 days in Shahkot. He called upon the cable operators to restore the Geo channels immediately. He said the Geo channels are the most favourite channels of the people and the Geo TV network played an unforgettable role in the restoration of democracy and movement for an independent judiciary in the country.

In Gojra, people have expressed their pleasure at the restoration of Geo News on its real position at cable network. However, in various cities, including Karachi, Lah

Jets pound militants in NWA, kill 13

 

MIRANSHAH: After a few days of lull, the Pakistan Air Force fighter jets on Tuesday again pounded seven suspected hideouts of militants in North Waziristan and reportedly killed 13 terrorists.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a brief statement to the media about the latest air strikes in the Degan village, which had been attacked earlier as well.The press release didn’t provide further details about the air strikes and the identity of the slain militants.

Degan is located in the Dattakhel Tehsil, near the Afghan border, and is considered a stronghold of the North Waziristan-based Taliban headed by Hafiz Gul Bahadur.Hafiz Gul Bahadur’s group isn’t part of the mainstream Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), led by the Afghanistan-based Pakistani Taliban commander Mullah Fazlullah.

It was the second time that jet fighters carried out bombing in Dattakhel after the launch of the military operation in North Waziristan on June 15. Hafiz Gul Bahadur has until now remained neutral and has announced a ceasefire due to Ramazan till the 10th day of Eidul Fitr and directed his fighters not to attack the security forces.

Taliban sources said some of Gul Bahadur’s fighters had attacked a security checkpoint called Tipo in the Spinwam Tehsil a few days ago, killing two soldiers and causing injuries to a few others. The military authorities, however, didn’t confirm this report and said the soldiers died in a blast caused by an improvised explosive device (IED).

Also, despite repeated warnings by the military authorities and local political administration, the majority of the residents are said to be still residing in Dattakhel and its adjoining villages.

Miranshah and Mir Ali, which are the two major residential and commercial towns in North Waziristan, were largely in control of the militants from the TTP, Uzbeks, Arabs, Chechens and Punjabi Taliban while Gul Bahadur and his fighters dominated Dattakhel when the military launched the operation on June 15.

The militants and residents have vacated both Miranshah and Mir Ali and the adjoining villages but Dattakhel is still said to be in control of Gul Bahadur and his men. Also, residents haven’t vacated Razmak, Dossali and Garyoom tehsils as well as Shawa and Spinwam under arrangements with the army and the administration in return for guarantees that they won’t allow the militants to hide in their areas.

Three killed in rain related incidents in Lahore

LAHORE: Three persons including two sisters were killed and two others were injured in different rain related incidents in Lahore, Geo News reported on Tuesday.

According to the rescue sources, two sisters lost their lives when the roof of their fragile quarter came down in Singhpora area of Lahore due to heavy rain last night. The deceased sisters were identified as Iqra aged 16 and Muskan, 10.

On the other hand, a man was killed when one of the walls of his house collapsed in Badami Bagh area of Lahore last night. Two others also sustained injuries in the incident who were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

300 CNG stations closed down in Punjab due to non-supply of gas

Islamabad: The All-Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) has said that more than 300 compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations have been closed in Punjab, while thousands are on the verge of economic failure due to partial supply of natural gas and irrational pricing.

The number of closed down CNG stations have been increasing creating problems for the masses, increasing unemployment and decreasing the income of the government, said APCNGA Supreme Council Chairman Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha.

In a statement issued here, he said that the natural gas allocated for CNG industry is being diverted to other sectors so that their profits could increase. He said that CNG industry is being deprived of natural gas despite the fact that it is the only sector which has no other alternative while other sectors have substitutes.

Ground operation begins in NWA

 

PESHAWAR: Following two weeks of heavy bombing and day and night artillery shelling, security forces came out of their heavily-guarded military camp in Miranshah and started the ground offensive by demolishing suspected militants hideouts on Monday.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in a statement said 15 militants were killed in exchange of fire with the troops during house-to-house search operation in Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan.

A security official in Miranshah said it was the second time during the past one week the security forces had conducted a ground operation.Pleading anonymity, he said it was a major offensive inwhich hundreds of soldiers, backed by tanks with air cover provided by helicopter gunships, took part and demolished a number of buildings that had served as sanctuaries for the local and foreign militants in the Miranshah bazaar.

“We have details of each and every place where the terrorists used to stay and make their plans,” the military official said. However, he said the troops didn’t face any significant resistance during the daylong ground operation.

“The start has been taken from Miranshah and after clearing it and adjoining villages, the ground operation would be extended to Mir Ali and other parts of North Waziristan,” he said.Though the North Waziristan tribal Jirga has been insisting that thousands of people were still stranded in various villages of North Waziristan due to a host of reasons, military officials said the ground operation was launched after the evacuation of all the civil population.

According to the ISPR, security forces recovered underground tunnels where improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were made. It said the area was cleared following a brief gunbattle with the militants that caused injuries to three soldiers.

Tribal sources in Miranshah and its adjoining villages said before the launch of the ground operation on Monday, helicopter gunships and long-range artillery heavily targetted the area where the troops later conducted house-to-house search operation.

“The army blew up several buildings and houses in Miranshah during the operation and thick smoke could be seen rising from distant places,” a tribesman told this correspondent on phone from Dossali.

Pleading anonymity, he said the people and militants had vacated Miranshah and its adjoining villages and shifted to Razmak, Shawal and Dattakhel areas in North Waziristan before the launch of the military operation. However, he said that many families had left behind some members to look after their homes and cattle head in the villages.

“Some of the people remained in their homes in the villages but they were ordered by the military to leave the area. They later came to Razmak and Dossali along with their cattle head. The residents of Razmak, Dossali and Garyoom would soon leave the area as they cannot do any business and lead normal life,” the tribesman added.

According to the ISPR, artillery, tanks and other heavy weapons were used in the action against militants.After the launch of “Zarb-e-Azb” military operation on June 15, the ISPR said 376 militants had been killed so far while 19 others surrendered to security forces. It said that 61 hideouts of terrorists were destroyed in the operation. The ISPR admitted that 17 soldiers had died fighting the militants.

Russian journalist killed in east Ukraine: employer

MOSCOW: A journalist with Russian public television has been shot dead in east Ukraine where pro-Moscow separatists are battling Ukrainian forces, the media worker´s employer Channel One said Monday.

Anatoly Klyan, a 68-year-old cameraman, was among a group of Russian journalists on a reporting trip with the insurgents, the TV channel said.

"Once on site, shots rang out from the soldiers´ side. Anatoly Klyan was mortally wounded in the stomach," said the channel.

The driver of the bus transporting the journalists was wounded and in hospital on Monday morning, said a reporter from Russian news channel Rossiya 24.Klyan had worked 40 years for the Russian channel and had carried out several missions in difficult conditions, his employer said.

On June 17, two members of a Russian television crew were killed in the ex-Soviet state´s separatist east. They were the first Russian media workers confirmed to have died in eastern Ukraine since fighting erupted there in mid-April.

Italian photographer Andrea Rocchelli and his Russian assistant Andrei Mironov were killed also killed in the restive region in late May.

Zarb-e-Azb: Ground operation begins in Miranshah

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army has started the ground operation in and around Miranshah after evacuation of the civilian population. The army has started a house to house search in Miranshah which is being carried out by infantry troops and special service group.


An ISPR press release said 15 terrorists had been killed in the ground offensive while troops have recovered underground tunnels and IED preparation factories inside. Three soldiers were injured in an exchange of fire.

Terrorist concentrations continue to be targeted by artillery fire, tanks and other heavy weapons in Mir Ali and other areas of North Waziristan.

Since the start of Zarb-e-Azb on June 15, 376 terrorists have been killed while 19 have surrendered to security forces. The Pakistan military has destroyed 61 terrorist hideouts while 17 soldiers embraced martyrdom.

Bollywood scion invests in Hollywood future

MUMBAI: The scion of a Bollywood filmmaking dynasty is forging a career in Hollywood in a bid to emerge from the shadows of his legendary father -- and challenge common stereotypes of India.

Uday Chopra, younger son of the late Hindi film director Yash Chopra, set up a subsidiary of his father's production house in Los Angeles and this year appeared on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet alongside Nicole Kidman.

His three-year-old company Yash Raj Films (YRF) Entertainment co-produced the recent "Grace of Monaco" starring Kidman, upcoming Jason Bateman comedy "The Longest Week" and is finalising the script of "Seducing Ingrid Bergman".

The job has made Chopra one of only a handful of Indians in Hollywood, where he hopes to match the success of his father and award-winning filmmaker brother, Aditya Chopra, back home.

"I know that even in my greatest success I would be lucky to get the success they enjoy, and I will always be looked upon as the third Chopra in a way," the 41-year-old told AFP in Mumbai, India's entertainment capital where he was born.

"I wanted to do something challenging and be a part of filmmaking because that is all I know."

His father, who died in 2012, was best known for his romantic and emotional films in a stellar Bollywood career that spanned decades.

Uday has also acted in Bollywood and is best known for his role as police sidekick Ali in the hit Indian franchise "Dhoom" -- and he wants to invest in commercial hits in Hollywood rather than festival features.

"When I first went to LA, the idea was to do romantic comedies because that's a genre we have done successfully in India," he said.

"I thought I would convert some of my Hindi material to English but I soon realised that comedies are in the space of the big studios, which means big budgets and big stars."

Chopra then opened up to new possibilities, and one of his upcoming projects is "a female-centric thriller based in India".

"It's a completely American movie but with India as a backdrop. I can leverage my strength in India as a line producer," he said.

He wants the film to portray India "in a dark and gritty way" and challenge typical perceptions of the country.

"People in the West think 'Slumdog Millionaire' is a Bollywood film and they have that one image of India -- dirty and crazy," he added, referring to the Oscar-winner directed by Britain's Danny Boyle.

- From Bollywood to Hollywood -

While Bollywood has often been accused of ripping off plotlines from Hollywood, India has a limited presence in the US industry, where Ashok Amritraj's Hyde Park Entertainment and Anil Ambani's Reliance Entertainment are the best-known production companies.

The latter has invested in Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks Studios to produce films such as "Lincoln", "The Help" and "War Horse".

Chopra said Hollywood players often assumed he was as rich as Reliance and would therefore "throw money at them and they can go ahead and make their movie.

"Or they think you are this Indian guy coming to Hollywood to throw big parties, make some statements and then never return. I don't fit into either one of those categories," he said.

Chopra, who divides his time between America, India and elsewhere, says he nevertheless enjoys the anonymity he gets in Los Angeles.

"One day I should shave my head bald, wear all white and go to a meeting and say this is how we are in India. They would probably think I am so exotic and would want to work with me."

The reviews of "Grace of Monaco", the opening film at Cannes, have been far from complimentary, describing it as "airless", "fantastically silly" and even a "fire risk".

Chopra admits that the criticism hit him hard and has affected the movie's success.

"Maybe Cannes was the wrong platform for a fairytale film with a happy ending," he said.

"We are independent producers, but the content we are creating is more mainstream and commercial in nature, to make money to engage a larger audience."

For now, Chopra wants to keep investing in international films, but the long-term plan is to wholly produce and generate his own Hollywood stories under the YRF Entertainment banner.

He says if his budget runs out he will head back to India -- but he is hopeful that America's Tinseltown will be the place he makes his mark.

"Hopefully by next year things will turn around, and if that happens I will be there forever."

Blast in northern Nigeria kills 10: police

KANO: An explosion in the red light district of northern Nigeria´s Bauchi city has killed 10 people and injured 14 others, police said Saturday. The cause of the late Friday blast was not immediately clear, but Boko Haram has attacked Bauchi repeatedly during their five-year uprising aimed at creating a strict Islamic state in the north. Bauchi state police spokesman Mohammed Haruna said the targeted building in the Bayan Gari neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city was widely known as a brothel.

"Ten people were confirmed dead, while 14 others sustained various degrees of injury," Haruna said, adding that the explosion went off at roughly 10:00 pm (2100 GMT). "The entire area has been cordoned off and (the) scene secured," Haruna said. Bomb attacks on targets which Boko Haram has branded sinful - including bars, churches and schools teaching a Western curriculum - have formed a major part of the insurgency.

Nigeria has estimated that more than 10,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in 2009. The violence has escalated in recent months, with more than 2,000 deaths recorded since the start of the year. The capital Abuja has been hit with three separate bomb attacks since mid-April, most recently on Wednesday when 24 people were killed in a blast at a popular shopping plaza in the heart of the city. Police had initially given a death toll of 21 for the attack, but the health ministry revised those figures upwards on Saturday. In Kano, the largest city in the mainly Muslim north, a bomb planted in the parking lot of a public health college killed eight people on Monday. The Islamist extremists have received unprecedented international attention in recent weeks following their April 14 abduction of more than 200 teenage girls from the town of Chibok in the northeast. The gruesome mass abduction has drawn condemnation from governments and prominent people worldwide and offers of military help from major world powers to boost Nigeria´s counter-insurgency effort.

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.

Two suspects held, weapons seized in Hangu search operation

HANGU: The security forces claimed to have arrested two suspected persons and seized a huge cache of weapons during the search operation in the district on Friday. Talking to reporters, Col Afrasiyab said that acting on a tip-off, the security forces raided the dens and hideouts in various areas of the district and arrested two suspects.

Three machine guns, seven SGP-9 machine guns, 98 rocket shells, two rocket launchers, 10 sophisticated machine guns, 10 detonators, explosive materials used in improvise explosive devices (IEDs), five suicide vests, huge quantity of explosives, six masks, hundred of handgrenades and thousands of cartridges had been recovered from their possession, he said. The official said timely action by the security forces had saved the area from destruction and massacre.

Finance ministry challenges figures given in report by The News

ISLAMABAD: The finance ministry has issued a rebuttal to the report in The News titled “GDP Growth Worked Out?” written by Khalid Mustafa, published on June 23, and called it misleading and based on an ignorance of the system of computation of GDP estimates followed in Pakistan as well as internationally.

It said the reporter is harping on the issue that the GDP growth number for 2013-14 are much lower than those estimated by the PBS.

This issue has already been responded by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) in different newspapers.“It is clarified that annual estimates of GDP as well as GFCF for the year 2011-12 (Final), 2012-13 (Revised) and 2013-14 (Provisional) were approved by the National Accounts Committee (NAC) Meeting on 15th May, purely on the basis of data available up to that point of time and not in accordance with the desires of any one in the government hierarchy. The data for the balance of the year is projected, which is the reason that these numbers are provisional and remain provisional till full data becomes available over the following months.

The correspondent has also commented on the quarterly GDP estimates.

The first quarter growth and the second quarter/mid-year growth, both were released by PBS; one is acceptable to the writer while the other is not. The IMF accepted the figure of PBS which should be ample proof of the reliability of the statistics released by PBS.

As far as the question of withholding the information of large scale manufacturing is concerned, it is completely baseless. The Quantum Index Manufacturing Industries (QIM), the indicator being used to measure the performance of this sector, is compiled on the basis of information received from three major sources including Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC), Ministry of Industries and Provincial Bureau of Statistics which takes time and is published after certain time lag. The latest available information was up to the month of February, 2014 was used to derive the estimates of large scale manufacturing which were approved by the NAC. Further, the writer has completely misstated the facts by quoting that the budgeted PSDP of Rs1150 billion has been used in the compilation of value addition of construction. The fact is that total value addition of construction sector even at current prices is Rs494.3 billion; therefore, the question of inclusion or exclusion of these PSDP figures is not relevant.

The correspondent has also mistakenly attributed the profits of commercial banks with the value addition of finance and insurance sector. The value addition of this sector, being compiled through Financial Intermediaries Services Measured (FISM), is based on the amount of advances and loans and not on profits of banks.

The correspondent gives his verdict that the GDP growth is 3.5 %. He has not given any analysis to support his claim but has picked up a number that is being bandied about in the press. The commentators need to familiarise themselves with the methods of GDP computation before commenting on technical issues.

In connection with his view on budget number to show lower budget deficit; it is stated that writer’s view is not correct. PTA is a government authority responsible to collect the licensing / auction fees on behalf of the federal government and such auction fees on behalf of the federal government and such auction fees are always form part of the Federal Consolidated Fund. Similarly, the non-tax revenues receipts are revenue of the federal government administered by various ministries/divisions/departments and comprise of following main sources: i) Income from property and enterprise, ii) Receipts from civil administration and other functions, iii) Miscellaneous receipts.

The income from property includes the mark up recovered from the provinces and public sector enterprises, dividend and other receipts of the regulatory bodies. The receipts from civil administration comprise of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Profit, Defense Receipts, Law & Order Receipts etc.

The foreign grants are reflected under non-tax receipts according to the Chart of Accounts, as per International Best Practices. These are always form part of the federal government and the actual receipts under these heads can be verified from the historical data disseminated on the Website of the finance division.

Khalid Mustafa adds: I am grateful that the Ministry of Finance has given me the opportunity to further highlight the mistakes the government has committed in calculating the provisional GDP growth of current financial year 2013-14 at 4.1 percent. The article I wrote in Money Matters — the magazine of The News International which was published on June 23, is not misleading, rather it mirrors the manipulations done to show better GDP growth.

Some of the issues the finance ministry has raised in the clarification I have factually not mentioned in my article. For example, I have not mentioned anything about the revised GDP growth targets; rather I kept my focus on provisional GDP growth which the government has worked out based on the numbers of first 9 months of the current fiscal which suit the government.

Coming to paragraph three of the clarification, I know very well that PBS came out with the work-in-progress quarterly estimates of GDP and according to PBS calculations, as per the work in progress, the real GDP grew by 5.1% in the first quarter of 2013-14. The officials of PBS went to show this number to finance minister; because that was the first time they calculated quarterly GDP. The finance minister got excited knowing the fact that this is a work in progress and went ahead and informed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and leaked the number to the press.

It attracted widespread criticism from professional economists because the number was beyond their expectations. After that the finance minister started saying, “I don’t own this number, but at the same time I don’t disown this number.”

In the paragraph 4 of the clarification, finance ministry claimed that it has not withheld the information about Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM). I do not agree with the ministry as it has withheld the information of large manufacturing scale for the month of March that shows negative growth of 2.7% and for July-March period, the number was down to 4.3% as opposed to 5.3% used in calculation of the GDP keeping in view of the number of first 8 months not the 9 months. Here the government has visibly played the foul.

About the 11% growth in construction sector the government has worked out is highly questionable as there is no one-to-one correspondence between PSDP and value added in construction. It is known to everyone that construction growth is derived from the cement production and growth in cement production has alarmingly stayed at 0.13% which is almost flat. When there is flat growth in cement production, then how construction sector can grow by 11%. The 11% growth in construction sector becomes more controversial when the PSDP has already been slashed to Rs393 billion. Here I would appreciate if the government shares with the masses and with me the methodology of calculating value added in construction as the 11% growth in construction sector is not understandable. If the cement is not utilised, then what’s the rationale of 11% growth in construction? Here I’ll be happy to see the methodology used by the government.

In the clarification, the ministry has criticised the author of the article saying he had given his verdict that the GDP growth is 3.5% without any analysis to support his claim. Here I want to clarify that I have mentioned 3.5% growth with supporting facts by stating both saving and investment have declined sharply compared to last year. How on the earth, GDP growth can accelerate in the midst of declining saving and investment rate. I will appreciate if the government clarifies this anomaly.

In the clarification the ministry stated that writer’s view is not correct on government’s intention to show the better growth arguing that PTA is a government authority responsible to collect the licensing / auction fees on behalf of the federal government and such auction fees on behalf of the federal government and such auction fees are always form part of the Federal Consolidated Fund. Similarly, the non-tax revenues receipts are revenue of the federal government administered by various ministries/divisions/departments and comprise of following main sources.

Here I clearly want to mention that I did not raise the said issue what clarification says. However, I did mention about the utilisation of Universal Services Fund (USF) for which cellular companies contribute a certain portion of their profits. USF is meant for infrastructural development in telecommunication sector and the huge amount in the fund was accumulated over the last several years and how can the government use the resources accumulated over the years in just one year. To the best of my knowledge, cellular companies have already gone to Supreme Court and challenged the taking over of this amount as non-tax revenue.

In the last paragraph of the clarification, the finance ministry says that the foreign grants are reflected under non-tax receipts according to the Chart of Accounts, as per International Best Practices. If this is the best international practice, then why does IMF treat fiscal deficit separately with and without foreign grants.

The Finance Division is best advised to look at the IMF program document. By treating foreign grants as revenue, the government has eliminated the difference and readers can see in the IMF document, particularly in fiscal table that foreign grants appear as separate line item and has never been treated as part of non-tax revenue.

Therefore, the author stands by its article.

Sethi gets Pakistan Big 4 status in ICC

LAHORE: Pakistan made extraordinarily significant gains at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) annual meeting in Melbourne on Thursday, says a press release.

Of the three major concessions that PCB Chairman Najam Sethi was able to secure was the ICC’s willingness to grant Pakistan the fourth rank (‘Big Four’) after the ‘Big Three’ in terms of the percentage of revenue to be received from the ICC in the next eight years from broadcasting and other rights on ICC fixtures. The concessions include ICC’s confirmation to Pakistan for the award of presidential position with effect from June 2015.

“The PCB had organised itself and planned to get maximum advantage for Pakistan cricket from an extremely precarious position. We have accomplished all our objectives. And I am positive that in the times to come Pakistan Cricket shall greatly benefit from what PCB has been able to obtain for it today,” Sethi said while speaking from Melbourne.

It may be mentioned that Sethi had promised massive achievements for Pakistan after taking over the PCB charge. Talking to the Geo News programme, Aaj Kamraan Khan Key Saath, Sethi promised more good news.

Suicide bomber kills seven in Shiite area of Baghdad

BAGHDAD: A suicide bomber killed seven people and wounded dozens at a market in the a north Baghdad neighbourhood of Kadhimiyah on Thursday, security and medical officials said.

The blast struck at about 6:30 pm (1530 GMT) in the Bab al-Darwaza market in Kadhimiyah, which is home to the shrine of a revered Muslim figure.