Rangers get powers for Karachi only

KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Monday, in a bid to end the persisting tense relations and row between the Sindh government and the Rangers, signed the summaries for extending the stay of the Sindh Rangers in the province by one year and to extend the special policing powers of the paramilitary force in Karachi for 90 days.

The federal government, meanwhile, expressed its resentment over the provincial government for not extending the Rangers’ policing powers to the whole Sindh.

The terms of both special policing powers of the Sindh Rangers in Karachi under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the stay of the paramilitary force in the province in aid of civil administration and the police had ended on 19 July, 2016.  

Previously, the Sindh government had extended in May 2016 the special policing powers of the Sindh Rangers in Karachi for 77 days while the term of stay of the Rangers in the province in aid of the civil administration and police had been extended for a year in July 2015.

Apart from straining relations between the Sindh government and the Rangers, the lingering issue regarding the stay and special powers of the Sindh Rangers also strained relations between the provincial authorities belonging to the PPP government and the interior minister in Islamabad as the latter repeatedly called for immediate extension in the special powers of the Sindh Rangers for the sake of the continuity of the ongoing targeted operation in Karachi against terrorists and lawless elements.

The other day, during a meeting with Syed Murad Ali Shah in Dubai, Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari directed him to resolve the issue regarding powers of the Sindh Rangers at the earliest after completing legal consultation on the issue.

Under the special policing powers derived from the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Rangers could conduct raids, detain and investigate people suspected of being terrorists. The powers of the Sindh Rangers to detain people suspected to have links with terrorism for a period of 90 days to interrogate them had already ended as the Protection of Pakistan Act had lapsed after passage of its sanctioned two-year term.

Meanwhile, presiding over a meeting on law and order here at the CM House on Monday, the new Sindh CM said that Pakistan Rangers and police have done a wonderful job by restoring peace in the city. 

“We must appreciate their struggle and sacrifices for restoring law & order in the province,” he said and addedthat their role in eradication of terrorism and target killings and crackdown on extortionists was no doubt commendable.

On the occasion, the Sindh Chief Secretary, Siddique Memon, gave the chief minister a summary under which the Home Department had recommended the extension in the stay of Pakistan Rangers in Sindh for another one year and granting special power to the paramilitary force for 90 days in the city of Karachi.

The chief minister approved the summary forthwith and directed the chief secretary to coordinate with the federal government for issuing a notification at the earliest in this regard.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Siddique Memon, Inspector-General of Sindh Police, A D Khawaja, Home Secretary Riaz Hussain Soomro and others.

The IG police briefed the chief minister on the overall law and order situation and invited him to visit the police headquarters. The chief minister accepted the invitation.

Meanwhile, Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister on Information, Moula Bux Chandio, said that Rangers’ special powers issue had been resolved amicably that would help maintain law and order in Sindh province.

Meanwhile, addressing a press conference in Islamabad at the Punjab House, Federal Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan expressed Centre’s resentment for not extending Rangers’ policing powers to the whole Sindh. He said that that if the paramilitary force’s policing powers were not approved for the whole province then they will consider other options in this regard.

While pining hopes with incumbent Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah, the minister said that the issue of Rangers’ policing powers in Sindh will be a settled with sharp progress in awarding Rangers an extension in their policing powers.

Commenting killing of several police and military personal in Karachi and Larkana, the minister said that lineage culprits have not yet been traced. “The paramilitary force has to have legal cover as they curb activities of criminals in the city.”

“So far 31 personnel of security forces have been killed in Karachi operation. The operation has not come at an easy price,” the interior minister added.

He said Rangers personnel in Karachi are carrying out operation with consent of the Sindh government and the federal government and Rangers extension issue in Sindh will not be politicised and controversies on extension issue of Rangers will not be allow to turn into political football.

The interior minister said that people from all over Pakistan have supported Karachi operation as this operation has put positive implications Karachi situation.

Nisar said that he got the information from the media that Rangers’ powers had been extended. The minister said security forces have put their lives on stake and their sacrifices should not be played upon for seeking political mileage. “We hope the extension of Rangers’ policing powers does not continue to be delayed.”

â€"Shakeel Anjum reported from Islamabad

 â€"Originally published in The News

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BSF firing martyrs Pakistani citizen in Kasur

KASUR: A Pakistan citizen was martyred in unprovoked firing by Indian Border Security Forces in Kasur, sources said.

According to Rangers officials, Iqbal Ejaz, a shepherd by profession, was grazing his cattle in Bhaki Wand area of Kasur and by mistake crossed the border. After which the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel without prior warning opened fire on him. The victim died on the spot. The BSF personnel took Ejaz?s body with them.

The Rangers protested strongly to the incident upon which the BSF returned the body, which the Rangers handed over to the relatives of the deceased.

The  firing is an open violation of the recent decision taken in talks between the Pakistan Rangers and India?s BSF, said Rangers? officials.

The Rangers officials demanded convening of a flag meeting.

The two-day bi-annual talks between the Pakistan Rangers and BSF had concluded on July 20, discussing matters related to border management.

Both the sides in talks had agreed on joint patrolling on border and resolved to address the issues relating to defence installation and objections to these installations amicably through talks.

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Rangers carry out raids in Karachi a day after powers extended

KARACHI: Rangers sprung to action a day after their stay in Sindh was extended with special policing powers in Karachi.

A targeted operation was conducted at a building in Liaquatabad. During the raid Rangers arrested four suspects and took them away to an unknown place for interrogation.

Weapons hidden inside four gunny bags and two bullet proof jackets were recovered during the operation, Rangers said.

The operation was conducted over a tip off from an under custody suspect Khalid.

A shootout at Singoo Lane, Lyari killed an alleged gangster from Ozair Baloch group. Shah Zaman alias Shaho was involved in six murders including that of a policeman, a Rangers statement said. The shootout injured a Rangers personnel.

A search at two hotels near Preedy Station, Saddar lead to the arrest of over 10 suspects who were taken to an unknown location for interrogation.

 

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Trump campaign asks Capitol Hill to back him in Khan controversy

WASHINGTON: US Republican Donald Trump's presidential campaign appealed to Capitol Hill for support on Monday as his attacks on the Muslim parents of a decorated American soldier killed in Iraq drew sharp rebukes from fellow party members.

Trump's criticism of Khizr Khan and Ghazala Khan, who took the stage at last week's Democratic convention, sparked growing concern and dismay from Republican lawmakers responding to the latest Trump outburst to blindside his party colleagues.

Republican Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war and the most prominent veteran in Congress, along with the commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, joined the chorus of condemnation, reflecting the highly regarded place the military and its veterans hold with many in the United States.

Trump's dispute with the Khans has dominated the White House campaign in recent days and underlined the uneasy alliance between many leading Republicans and the party's freewheeling, unorthodox nominee for the Nov. 8 election.

Rob Wasinger, a onetime congressional candidate who has been working for the Trump camp on congressional outreach, sent an email to senior Senate aides saying, "We want to get several member statements out today on this, and would really appreciate your help."

A similar appeal was made to Republicans in the House of Representatives, according to a senior aide.

Attached to the appeal were talking points lawmakers could use to try to tamp down the controversy growing since last week's appearance at the Democratic convention by the Khans, the parents of US Army Captain Humayun Khan, who was killed by a bomb in Iraq 12 years ago.

Hope Hicks, a spokeswoman for Trump, said that the campaign was grateful to have support in Congress and that Republicans are working to keep Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton from winning the presidency. Wasinger refused to comment when contacted by telephone.

The appeal did not generate any help for Trump. A senior Senate Republican aide, who asked not to be identified, said Republican senators were pleased with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's statement on Sunday calling Captain Khan "an American hero" and noting "a travel ban on all members of a religion is simply contrary to American values."

At the same time, the aide said the controversy would probably not cause Republican senators to withdraw their endorsements of Trump.

In a convention speech delivered with his wife at his side, Khizr Khan showcased his son's military service and criticized Trump's call for a temporary ban on Muslims from entering the United States, holding up a copy of the US Constitution and suggesting Trump read it.

Since then, Trump has complained he was "viciously" attacked by the couple and suggested Ghazala Khan might not have been "allowed" to speak, implying her silence reflected restrictions placed on women by some traditional Muslims.

McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential candidate and current chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a lengthy statement sharply criticizing Trump's comments.

"While our party has bestowed upon him the nomination, it is not accompanied by unfettered license to defame those who are the best among us," said McCain, a prisoner of war for five years during the Vietnam War.

His counterpart on the House Armed Services Committee, Representative Mac Thornberry of Texas, echoed McCain, saying in a statement he was "dismayed at the attacks Khizr and Ghazala Khan have endured after they spoke about their son's service and sacrifice."

The head of the 1.7 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars also said Trump's attack on the Khans went too far. Trump and Clinton spoke to the group's national convention last week.

 'No tolerance'

"Election year or not, the VFW will not tolerate anyone berating a Gold Star family member for exercising his or her right of speech or expression," said Brian Duffy, the national commander of the country's oldest and largest war veterans organization, referring to families who have lost relatives in wars.

President Barack Obama did not mention Trump by name, but said military families who had lost loved ones in service should be honored for their sacrifice.

"No one has given more for our freedom and our security than our Gold Star families," Obama said at the Disabled American Veterans national convention in Atlanta. "Our Gold Star families have made a sacrifice that most of us cannot even begin to imagine. They represent the very best of our country."

In the talking points sent to lawmakers, the Trump campaign said he had been asked about the Khans' comments during the convention and wished them well. The talking points also noted that Trump "wants to end radical terror, so that our soldiers like Mr. Khan's son will be safe."

The list also says Trump had not directly compared his sacrifices to the Khans. Trump said over the weekend he had also made sacrifices in his life by working hard, creating jobs and being successful.

The Khans bristled at that suggestion and, in numerous television appearances over the weekend, said Trump was ignorant about Islam and about their family's sacrifice.

Trump's off-the-cuff insults and controversial proposals such as the Muslim ban and a plan to keep illegal immigrants out by building a wall along the Mexican border, have made many in the party establishment reluctant backers of his White House bid.

On Monday, during a town hall event in Columbus, Ohio, Trump told supporters he thought the November election might be "rigged." Later that day, he said former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders "made a deal with the devil" when he agreed to back Clinton. "She's the devil," Trump said, referring to Clinton.

In his statement, McCain recalled how Humayun Khan died, saying that when a suicide bomber aimed his vehicle toward a building housing hundreds of US soldiers, the captain told his subordinates to stay away, then ran toward it.

McCain thanked the Khans for coming to America, saying "your son was the best of America, and the memory of his sacrifice will make us a better nation ? and he will never be forgotten."

In a remarks to television networks on Monday, Khizr Khan said Trump lacked the empathy to be a leader and chided him for throwing the first salvo in their exchange.

 

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Bus-truck collision kills 10, injures 38 in Jamshoro

JAMSHORO: A collision between a bus and truck claimed 10 lives while 38 others were wounded on Tuesday near Petaro, police said.

The dead included one child as well. The injured were shifted to the Jamshoro hospital, police said.

According to SHO Jamshoro Haroon Rashid, the bus was en route from Dera Ismail Khan to Karachi when the accident occurred near Petaro.

Earlier today, at least two people were reported dead and 21 wounded after a passenger bus overturned on the National Highway near Ghotki.

Road mishaps are common in Pakistan with over-speeding as the main cause in most of the accidents. Worn-out vehicles transporting people, bad road infrastructure and rampant disregard of traffic laws also lead to similar incidents.

 

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Bus-truck collision kills 10, injures 38 in Jamshoro

JAMSHORO: A collision between a bus and truck claimed 10 lives while 38 others were wounded on Tuesday near Petaro, police said.

The dead included one child as well. The injured were shifted to the Jamshoro hospital, police said.

According to SHO Jamshoro Haroon Rashid, the bus was en route from Dera Ismail Khan to Karachi when the accident occurred near Petaro.

Earlier today, at least two people were reported dead and 21 wounded after a passenger bus overturned on the National Highway near Ghotki.

Road mishaps are common in Pakistan with over-speeding as the main cause in most of the accidents. Worn-out vehicles transporting people, bad road infrastructure and rampant disregard of traffic laws also lead to similar incidents.

 

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Nawaz to open Saarc interior ministers meeting

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif will be inaugurating the Saarc Interior Ministers meeting on August 4 at a local five star hotel where all interior/home ministers except from Bangladesh are expected to attend. However, Dhaka will be represented by senior diplomats and officials.

Sharif’s inaugural address on Thursday will take into consideration recommendations of the three-day envoys’ conference which commenced on Monday in which according to the FO spokesman, “the envoys (will) also present their recommendations about the existing foreign policy with a view to reviewing, adapting and recalibrating policy in accordance with the prevalent strategic, political and economic trends.”

Sharif will also be addressing the concluding session of the envoys conference. All eyes will be on Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh on August 4, who so far will be calling on Nawaz Sharif after the inaugural in a group with other Saarc interior ministers as has been the protocol. But no one is ruling out Singh calling on Sharif individually with the Indian media speculating that he will be carrying a message from Sharif’s counterpart Narendra Modi.

New Delhi has ruled out a bilateral meeting between Singh and his counterpart Chaudhry Nisar, and Islamabad does not appear to be desperate to seek such a meeting. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has demanded: “But it is important that if there are bilateral meetings, the government does what it has failed to do in the past and that is to take the nation into confidence as to what its vision is.”

Indian media reports point out that Singh is expected to raise the issue of cross-border terrorism at the meeting. It was at the 13th Saarc Summit held in Dhaka in November 2005 that the heads of state decided that the Saarc interior/home ministers would meet annually preceded by a meeting of the interior/home secretaries to strengthen cooperation in the area of counter-terrorism, which they agreed was a challenge to all states and a threat to humanity, and could not be justified on any grounds.

The first meeting of Saarc interior/home ministers was held in Dhaka on May 11, 2006, followed by a meeting in New Delhi in 2007. Though Nawaz Sharif has raised the issue of the latest situation in Indian Held Kashmir on several occasions, his Thursday’s address is also expected to focus on the issue which Greater Kashmir described on Sunday as one where there was “complete shutdown and undeclared curfew-like restrictions in many Kashmir areas, clashes were witnessed in Srinagar and various places in North and South of Valley in which at least 20 people including a girl sustained pellet, bullet and teargas shell injuries.”

Sharif should send out a strong appeal and there should be one from the Saarc interior ministers to New Delhi too about banning the pellet shooting guns and saving Kashmiris from losing their eyesight.

Greater Kashmir further reported today, “With the number of eye injury cases rising during the past three days, the surgeons at the SMHS hospital here were forced to postpone the scheduled retina surgeries to attend to the fresh pellet victims.

Sources said during the past two days the hospital could conduct only 10 to 12 vitrectomies as the surgeons at the Ophthalmology Department remain busy “repairing” the wounds of the fresh victims which were rushed from across Kashmir.

“Even the eye-specialists from outside, who were scheduled to conduct vitrectomies, had to attending to fresh pellet victims, the sources said.  On Thursday while the hospital admitted 15 fresh pellet victims, the number of the injured persons received on Friday was 29, the day when more than 120 persons had got injured across Kashmir.

Today, the hospital again admitted five more persons with pellet injuries to eyes, taking the total number of eye victims including bilateral cases to 49 for the three days.” Saarc, especially at the interior minister level, should raise the issue of pellet guns and continuing blinding of unarmed Kashmiris. The situation is changing and Saarc’s charter is out of date while discouraging bilateral issues.

- Originally published in The News

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Turkish foreign minister arrives in Islamabad on one-day visit

ISLAMABAD: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu arrived here Monday night on one-day official visit to Pakistan.

During the visit Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will hold bilateral talks with Adviser to PM on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz, on Tuesday. They will also address a joint press conference after the talks.

Upon his arrival, Cavusoglu said the excellent bilateral relations are being transformed into economic partnership for the mutual benefit of both countries.

The excellent bilateral relations are already being transformed into a vibrant economic partnership as both countries want to build strong and mutually advantageous relations, he told APP in an interview.

Mevlut Cavusoglu said bilateral relations and regional developments will be on the agenda during his visit to Islamabad.

Turkey and Pakistan enjoy deep rooted and time tested relations of brotherhood, he added.

"We are not geographically neighbors but the affinity between Turkey and Pakistan is unique since the close ties between our countries derive its strength from the brotherly relations between our peoples," said the visiting dignitary.

Questioned on Pak-Turkish cooperation to fight the scourge of terrorism, Cavusoglu said terrorism is a global scourge and should be countered globally, adding, "Pakistan is a very important partner not only for Turkey but for entire international community in our joint fight against terrorist networks".

"We appreciate efforts of the Pakistani authorities in dealing with this threat and we have exemplary cooperation with Pakistan in countering terrorism," he said.

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Five robbers killed in Sahiwal 'encounter'

SAHIWAL: Five suspected robbers were killed on Monday night in an alleged encounter with police in Sahiwal, while two cops also wounded in the exchange of fire.

The encounter that took place near Jhaal Road, Sahiwal, left five dacoits dead, while three of their accomplices managed to escape the scene, police said.

Two policemen were also wounded during the shootout that occurred late on Monday night, they added.

The wounded cops and the bodies of deceased robbers were shifted to hospital.

Officials said the identities of the deceased are being ascertained.

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Five robbers killed in Sahiwal 'encounter'

SAHIWAL: Five suspected robbers were killed on Monday night in an alleged encounter with police in Sahiwal, while two cops also wounded in the exchange of fire.

The encounter that took place near Jhaal Road, Sahiwal, left five dacoits dead, while three of their accomplices managed to escape the scene, police said.

Two policemen were also wounded during the shootout that occurred late on Monday night, they added.

The wounded cops and the bodies of deceased robbers were shifted to hospital.

Officials said the identities of the deceased are being ascertained.

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Two killed, 21 injured in passenger bus rollover near Ghotki

GHOTKI: At least two people were reported dead and 21 wounded after a passenger bus overturned on the National Highway near Ghotki on Monday night.

The incident left two people dead, police said, and 21 wounded. The bodies and injured were immediately shifted to hospital.

Officials said the cause of the incident is yet to be determined.

Road mishaps like this are a common occurring on the highways with over-speeding as the main cause in most of the cases.

Worn-out vehicles transporting people have also led to such incidents in the past.

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Another gene link to depression found: studyÂ

PARIS: Scientists on Monday reported fresh evidence for an inherited risk for depression, uncovering 17 genetic variations which they linked to major depressive disorder (MDD).

The discovery should boost understanding of the biology behind MDD and open up paths for treating it, the team wrote in the journal Nature Genetics.

MDD, also known simply as depression, is considered a mental disorder that most experts believe is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression is one of the main causes of disability worldwide, affecting some 350 million people.

It can cause mood changes, fatigue and loss of sleep and appetite.

The new study is the first to see genetic associations with MDD among people of European ancestry. The only previous DNA evidence had been found in Asians.

"We hope these findings will help people understand that depression is a brain disease with its own biology," said Roy Perlis of the Massachusetts General Hospital, who co-authored the study.

"Now comes the hard work of using these new insights to try to develop better treatments," he said in a statement.

The team used data available online -- the genetic profiles of more than 450,000 people, shared voluntarily for purposes of exactly such research.

Among them, some 121,000 reported a history of depression.

The shared genetic variants were on locations of the genome involved in the birth of neurons in the developing brain, the researchers said.

Elisabeth Binder of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology said the study was a breakthrough in the genetics of depression.

It represents "a first glimpse of light on the horizon for clinicians and patients that in the future we may be able to base diagnoses and treatment on biology," she said via the Science Media Centre in London.

But Jonathan Flint of the University of California in Los Angeles, noted the people in the study had themselves reported their depression history, rather than providing a formal medical record.

As a result, the observed association "may have nothing to do with major depressive disorder," Flint cautioned.

 

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Pakistan boxer Shah Hussain Shah aims to repeat father?s feat at Rio Olympics

KARACHI: Twenty-six years after Hussain Shah from Lyari won bronze medal â€"Pakistan’s only Olympic boxing medal â€"at Seoul Olympics, his son Shah Hussain Shah is now set to represent Pakistan in the greatest extravaganza of sports in Rio, Brazil.

Shah Hussain Shah, 23, is probably Pakistan’s only hope for a medal in Rio Olympics. He will be competing in Judo competition, 100 kg weight category.

Having won a silver medal at the Glasgow commonwealth games in 2014, Shah Hussain Shah is now looking to reach the podium at the Olympics.

Speaking exclusively to Geo News from Japan, where he lives with his parents, Shah Hussain Shah said that victories achieved by his father are benchmark for him and he’s looking to repeat his father’s success in Rio.

“I am proud to be known as the son of Hussain Shah. His performances, achievements and victories are morale boosting for me, I have reached to this milestone of playing Olympics by looking at my father’s sporting achievements,” Shah told Geo News.

“I have worked really hard, have trained with top Judokas here in Japan and I am looking forward to giving my best on the day of my fight,” he added.

Shah Hussain Shah, who is also known as “Shah Baba” in his family, has full backing of his father Hussain Shah who won an Olympic Bronze in 1988.

Hussain Shah, the legend boxer of Pakistan, says he is proud to see his son representing Pakistan in the Olympics. Shah Snr. is confident that his son will surely win a medal for the country.

“I am very confident that Shah baba will win the medal for [the] country, he has worked really hard and as a sportsman, I can foresee his success,”

“When I went to take part in the Olympics, I was empty handed. I didn’t get any facility but Shah baba has got everything which can make him keep his chin up and I am sure he’ll make everyone proud,” said the legend boxer.

Hussain Shah has also requested the countrymen to pray for his son's success at the Olympic. 

 

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Pakistan will be among top 10 emerging markets from Asia: BMIÂ

ISLAMABAD: International financial market analysis firm BMI says that Pakistan will be developed as manufacturing hub over the coming years.

According to a Business Monitor International report, Pakistan will be among top 10 emerging markets from Asia and Africa in future because of its economic growth over the next ten years.

The report reveals that Pakistan whose current primary sector is agribusiness with textile and rice being the key exports is expected to become a manufacturing hub in coming years.

BMI says textile and automotive sectors in Pakistan are showing the fastest growth rate.

The domestic manufacturing investment is also expected to be boosted considering the lower energy prices and an improved domestic energy supply.

Pakistan whose current primary sector is agribusiness with textile and rice being the key exports is expected to become a manufacturing hub in the coming years. In the beginning of BMI?s Forecast period, the textile and automotive sector presented a faster growth.

The domestic manufacturing investment is expected to be boosted considering the lower energy prices and an improved domestic energy supply.

 

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Arthur wants to see return of Pakistan ?warriors?

BIRMINGHAM: Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur wants to see his "warriors" of Lord?s return for the third Test against England at Edgbaston.

The tourists won the first Test at ?the home of cricket? by 75 runs, only to see England square the four-match series with a crushing 330-run win at Old Trafford.

"We?re going to have to raise our game considerably from Old Trafford -- without a doubt," Arthur told reporters at Edgbaston on Monday.

"I was really disappointed with our performance at Old Trafford -- really disappointed ... with the way we lost there," the South African added ahead of the third Test, which starts at the Birmingham ground on Wednesday.

"There are credible losses, and there are losses when you lie down and are steamrollered ... Old Trafford was clearly that.

"I told the guys I thought we were warriors at Lord?s. We were completely the opposite at Old Trafford.

"We?re doing everything we can to get us back on the right track ... and I?m 100 percent (sure) we will be come the first ball on Wednesday.

"We had some good, hard conversations around our performance.

"So we?ve dissected Manchester, the guys are in good spirits and we?re ready to play again.

"The overriding feeling is still one of confidence."

England captain Alastair Cook and Joe Root both made hundreds in Manchester but the rest of the home top order have yet to post a big score this series, with James Vince and Gary Ballance both in need of runs to cement their respective places.

"They are all quality players ... (but) at this level, confidence is such an important thing," Arthur said.

"They clearly know when they walk out to bat that they are playing for their Test places.

"So that provides another level of pressure.

"It?s not just the opposition running in and bowling a cricket ball at you. Suddenly that pressure is intensified because they?re playing for their places as well.

"We feel if we can get into them with the new ball, we?ve got a real good chance. Clearly, Cook and Root are the beacons of England batting at the moment."

But Pakistan have top-order problems of their own too, with opener Shan Masood having fallen six times for just 15 runs in 57 balls to James Anderson dating back to last year in the UAE.

"We?ve had discussions. We?ve given that position some serious thought," said Arthur.

"We?re very clear on what we?re going to do this Test, but it?s not for public consumption."

Pakistan could promote number three, Azhar Ali, to open and bring another batsman into the middle order.

"It has been a worry," added Arthur.

"The thing I?ve said to our batsmen is about the trend of dismissal.

"Batsmen are going to get out -- but when there is a trend that develops, that?s when it is concerning for us as support staff."

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Pakistan stocks end at record high

KARACHI: Pakistan stocks ended at a record high on Monday after the central bank left interest rates unchanged last week, dealers said.

The benchmark 100-share index on the Pakistan Stock Exchange closed up 0.75 percent at 39,800.64. It hit an all-time high of 39,917.13 during the session.

The State Bank of Pakistan in its monetary policy announcement on Saturday kept its discount rate unchanged at 5.75 percent.

"Unchanged interest rates in monetary policy announcement led to investor interest in banks, creating a positive sentiment in the first session of the week," said Hammad Aman, manager equity sales at Topline Securities Pvt Ltd.

United Bank Ltd gained 0.60 percent, MCB Bank Ltd was up 1.58 percent, Bank Alfalah Ltd rose 4.18 percent and National Bank of Pakistan gained 4.99 percent.

The rupee ended at 104.81/104.85 against the dollar, unchanged from Friday´s close.

Overnight rates in the money market fell to 5.40 percent from Friday´s close of 6.30 percent.

 

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Friends murder youth in debt in Karachi

Karachi: Youth killed by own friends in Karachi as he was unable to return the loaned money which was lost after being invested in Pakistan Stock Exchange, police said on Monday.

According to the police, the incident happened in Karachi’s Alfalah society when friends of the victim Farhan Ali entered his residence on Thursday night and wounded him with a sharp object.

The suspects tortured Farhan the entire night and fled the scene, taking valuables from the house along with them, said the victim’s family.

Farhan was taken to a hospital Friday morning but he succumbed to his wounds.

According to police, the suspect had alleged that Farhan had taken money from them which he invested in PSX. However, the money was lost therefore they killed him.

A case has been registered against the suspects and action is being taken to arrest them.

Farhan used to work in PSX and got married a year ago.

 

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Friends murder youth in debt in Karachi

Karachi: Youth killed by own friends in Karachi as he was unable to return the loaned money which was lost after being invested in Pakistan Stock Exchange, police said on Monday.

According to the police, the incident happened in Karachi?s Alfalah society when friends of the victim Farhan Ali entered his residence on Thursday night and wounded him with a sharp object.

The suspects tortured Farhan the entire night and fled the scene, taking valuables from the house along with them, said the victim?s family.

Farhan was taken to a hospital Friday morning but he succumbed to his wounds.

According to police, the suspect had alleged that Farhan had taken money from them which he invested in PSX. However, the money was lost therefore they killed him.

A case has been registered against the suspects and action is being taken to arrest them.

Farhan used to work in PSX and got married a year ago.

 

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Qandeel Baloch murder: Mufti Qavi claims ?clean chit?, police deny

MULTAN: Mufti Abdul Qavi, who made headlines for appearing in a video with model Qandeel Baloch, on Monday said that he has been cleared in the murder case of the social media star after submitting answers to the questionnaire provided, a claim denied by police sources.

Talking to the media at his residence in Multan, Qavi said that he had written down answers to the 14-point questionnaire a couple of days ago regarding the murder of Qandeel Baloch.

He claimed that the police had handed him a 'clean chit' after he had sent in his answers to the questions.

Meanwhile, police sources have denied clearing Qavi of the charges in the murder case.

They claimed that the investigation against the suspects including Qavi was underway.

According to the police, brother of the model Waseem and cousin Haq Nawaz could be involved in the murder following the results of the polygraph tests.

City Police Officer Azhar Akram will soon brief the media in this regard.

Mufti Qavi on Sunday denied any relation with Abdul Basit, a suspect in the murder case who reports suggested to be the cousin of the mufti. On July 15, Basit had allegedly driven Waseem and Haq Nawaz to Multan from Baloch's ancestral village Shah Saddar Din in Dera Ghazi Khan, around 130 kilometres away. Basit is reportedly a resident of the village.

The cleric said that he had not been contacted by any of Qandeel?s heirs after her murder and that he does not know details regarding her family.

Earlier, the mother of the slain model had claimed that Mufti Qavi had provoked her son Waseem into murdering her daughter.

Waseem had admitted to strangling her to death for the ?honour of the family.? However, sources in Punjab Forensic Science Agency on Saturday revealed that the model had been strangled to death by her cousin Haq Nawaz instead of by her brother.

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Aliens to be arrested, deported after Aug 31, says Nisar

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan on Monday said that the people holding fake National Identity Card (NIC) and residing illegally in Pakistan would be arrested, deported and sent to jail after August 31.

Speaking to newsmen in Islamabad, he said that campaign against fake National Identity Card (NIC) was underway.

Nisar said that more than 23, 000 fake ID cards have been identified while 2, 24, 000 cards have been verified during the first month of the campaign.

He announced a reward worth Rs10, 000 for identifying aliens in Pakistan.

Interior Minister said during 15 days 2. 6 million SMS were received by NADRA for verification of family members while the authority also sent 1.8 million SMS to the people for this purpose.

Nisar said that one hundred thousand CNICs have been blocked from 2013 to 2016 and over two thousand passports were cancelled during this period.

He said one million SIMs also verified with the cooperation of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.

The minister said Rangers' role should not be politicised as they are rendering services for the peace in Karachi. 

Nisar said that the results produced by Karachi operation have come at a cost as 31 personnel have been martyred while 89 have been injured.

He said that the notification regarding Rangers’ powers was not only for Karachi, it is for the entire province.

“533 suspects have been arrested in 154 raids in interior Sindh. 34 of them belong to banned outfits”, said Nisar.

He said that delay in extending Rangers’ stay puts the lives of personnel in danger.

Interior minister further said that a visible reduction has been witnessed in crimes since the operation in the city and both federal and provincial governments should carry forward the operation for complete restoration of peace in Karachi.

Earlier today, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah approved the summary granting extension in Rangers’ stay in Karachi with special powers.

According to the CM’s spokesperson, Murad Ali Shah approved the summary which called for extending Rangers' stay for one year in Karachi and also granted them special powers for 90 days.

The spokesperson also said that the CM is hopeful Rangers would continue to play a vital part in maintaining the law and order situation of Karachi, just as they have in the recent past.

Powers of the paramilitary to detain an individual for up to 90 days lapsed on June 15. The Protection for Pakistan Ordinance which allowed the paramilitary to arrest suspects without a warrant lapsed on July 15.

Since 2013, acting under powers bestowed on the paramilitary force under Article-147, the Pakistan Rangers Sindh conducted multiple targeted operations in interior Sindh during which 533 suspects were arrested. Those detained were handed over to police and various law enforcement agencies for processing.

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Aliens to be arrested, deported after Aug 31, says Nisar

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan on Monday said that the people holding fake National Identity Card (NIC) and residing illegally in Pakistan would be arrested, deported and sent to jail after August 31.

Speaking to newsmen in Islamabad, he said that campaign against fake National Identity Card (NIC) was underway.

Nisar said that more than 23, 000 fake ID cards have been identified while 2, 24, 000 cards have been verified during the first month of the campaign.

He announced a reward worth Rs10, 000 for identifying aliens in Pakistan.

Interior Minister said during 15 days 2. 6 million SMS were received by NADRA for verification of family members while the authority also sent 1.8 million SMS to the people for this purpose.

Nisar said that one hundred thousand CNICs have been blocked from 2013 to 2016 and over two thousand passports were cancelled during this period.

He said one million SIMs also verified with the cooperation of Pakistan Telecommunication Authority.

The minister said Rangers' role should not be politicised as they are rendering services for the peace in Karachi. 

Nisar said that the results produced by Karachi operation have come at a cost as 31 personnel have been martyred while 89 have been injured.

He said that the notification regarding Rangers? powers was not only for Karachi, it is for the entire province.

?533 suspects have been arrested in 154 raids in interior Sindh. 34 of them belong to banned outfits?, said Nisar.

He said that delay in extending Rangers? stay puts the lives of personnel in danger.

Interior minister further said that a visible reduction has been witnessed in crimes since the operation in the city and both federal and provincial governments should carry forward the operation for complete restoration of peace in Karachi.

Earlier today, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah approved the summary granting extension in Rangers? stay in Karachi with special powers.

According to the CM?s spokesperson, Murad Ali Shah approved the summary which called for extending Rangers' stay for one year in Karachi and also granted them special powers for 90 days.

The spokesperson also said that the CM is hopeful Rangers would continue to play a vital part in maintaining the law and order situation of Karachi, just as they have in the recent past.

Powers of the paramilitary to detain an individual for up to 90 days lapsed on June 15. The Protection for Pakistan Ordinance which allowed the paramilitary to arrest suspects without a warrant lapsed on July 15.

Since 2013, acting under powers bestowed on the paramilitary force under Article-147, the Pakistan Rangers Sindh conducted multiple targeted operations in interior Sindh during which 533 suspects were arrested. Those detained were handed over to police and various law enforcement agencies for processing.

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Slain soldier?s Pakistan-origin father calls Trump a ?black soul?

WASHINGTON: The father of a slain Muslim American soldier assailed Donald Trump as a "black soul" Sunday in an impassioned exchange with the Republican presidential candidate over the qualities required in a US leader.

Khizr Khan electrified the Democratic convention last week with a tribute to his fallen son that ended with a steely rebuke that Trump had "sacrificed nothing" for his country.

Trump defended himself in an interview with ABC?s "This Week," insisting he had made "a lot of sacrifices" while suggesting that Khan?s wife, who stood silent on the convention stage as her husband spoke, had not been allowed to talk.

But Khan shot back in interviews on US television news shows, while his wife Ghazala explained in a Washington Post op-ed that she had been too grief-stricken to speak.

"Without saying a thing, all the world, all America, felt my pain," she wrote. "Whoever saw me felt me in their heart."

Their son, US Army captain Humayun Khan, was killed in Iraq in 2004 in a roadside explosion.

Khizr Khan, speaking on CNN, accused Trump of lacking the moral compass and empathy needed to be the country?s leader.

"He is a black soul. And this is totally unfit for the leadership of this beautiful country," Khan said.

Trump has courted controversy and sparked outrage during his drive for the US presidency with disparaging remarks against immigrants, Muslims and women.

His call to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the United States has drawn criticism even from leaders of his own party.

Yet Trump has attracted a fervent following among working-class white males and stands near even with Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the polls.

Jousting

In an interview with Fox News Sunday, Clinton took aim at Trump?s positive view of Russian President Vladimir Putin and accused him of "absolute allegiance" to Moscow?s foreign policy objectives.

Trump responded defiantly, saying in the ABC interview that he had "no relationship" with Putin, but that "if our country got along with Russia, that would be a great thing."

The jousting on policy was overshadowed, however, by the emotional back and forth between Trump and Khan.

"I work very, very hard. I?ve created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. I?ve had tremendous success. I think I?ve done a lot," Trump said about his sacrifices.

Trump questioned whether Clinton had been behind Khan?s address, which the naturalised Pakistani immigrant said he wrote with his wife.

He added: "If you look at his wife, she was standing there. She had nothing to say," Trump said. "Maybe she wasn?t allowed to have anything to say."

Khan said he had invited his wife to speak, but she declined, knowing she?d become too emotional.

He said running for president does not entitle Trump "to disrespect" the relatives of soldiers killed in combat.

"Shame on him! Shame on his family!" he told ABC News. "He is void of decency, he has a dark heart."

Repudiate

Khan called on top Republican lawmakers Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan to denounce Trump.

"They have advised him, they have counselled him... he had promised them to mend his divisive ways, harmful ways, hurtful manner and policies. Yet he comes back again on the same thing," Khan said.

He said it was the Republican leaders? "moral and ethical obligation to... repudiate him, withdraw the support."

Both lawmakers stopped short of doing that.

In a statement, Senate Republican leader McConnell called Humayun Khan "an American hero," praised the sacrifices of families like the Khans, and said he agreed with them that "a travel ban on all members of a religion is simply contrary to American values."

House Speaker Ryan noted that many Muslim Americans have "served valiantly in our military, and made the ultimate sacrifice. Captain Khan was one such brave example. His sacrifice -- and that of Khizr and Ghazala Khan -- should always be honoured. Period."

 

In a statement late on Saturday, Trump praised Humayun Khan as "a hero to our country," adding, "we should honour all who have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country safe."

But Trump took issue with the father?s convention night speech, including his claim that the billionaire candidate had never read the US constitution.

"While I feel deeply for the loss of his son, Mr Khan, who has never met me, has no right to stand in front of millions of people and claim I have never read the constitution" and "say many other inaccurate things," Trump said.

Clinton criticised Trump?s treatment of the Khans during a campaign stop.

"Mr Khan paid the ultimate sacrifice in his family, didn?t he?" she told an African American church congregation in Cleveland, Ohio.

"And what has he heard from Donald Trump? Nothing but insults, degrading comments about Muslims, a total misunderstanding of what made our country great -- religious freedom, religious liberty.

"It?s enshrined in our constitution, as Mr Khan knows because he?s actually read it."

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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: 10-year-old speed-reader posts the very first review

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the eighth installment in the Harry Potter saga that hit book stores worldwide over the weekend, already has dedicated fans spending sleepless nights reading it.

However, 10-year-old boy Toby L?Estrange rushed past everyone else and finished the story in just 59 minutes, after Amazon challenged him to post the first review of the book.

Toby, who had the latest book delivered to his Amazon Kindle by pre-order, scored it a six out of 10. It ?was a really good story? although ?the way the story is told everything?s quite jumbled with different realities so it?s quite hard to keep track of which reality you?re in,? he wrote.

?Firstly it?s the script for a play, so it?s quite different from reading a novel. The whole story is told through what the characters say to each other ? plus some stage directions. But once you get over that, you read it just the same as the others ? except the play is in two parts, so the book is too,? Toby wrote in his review.

?It?s a really good story. It?s a very complicated story. It happens in different times, so it?s really helpful if you know all the other books and characters quite well (I do ? and so does any other true Harry Potter fan). When I first started it was really difficult to know what was happening because everything was mixed up, but then it all got quite exciting ? and a bit (a bit!) clearer,? he wrote, concluding with the words: ?If you want to know any more, you?ll have to read it yourself. But that?s the whole point. And I think you?re going to love it.?

Several stores worldwide held midnight parties to celebrate the launch of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, as frenzied fans lined up outside the stores to get their hands on the latest book.

Author J.K. Rowling has hinted that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child will be the last book in the Harry Potter series.

 

Picture source: SWNS

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Russian helicopter downed in Syria

BEIRUT: A Russian military helicopter carrying five people was shot down in the north of Syria's rebel-held Idlib province on Monday, the Russian defence ministry said.

Russian air forces are supporting President Bashar al-Assad in Syria's five-year-old civil war.

Images shared on social media purportedly showed a dead body stripped of his clothes and Russian identity documents taken from the crashed helicopter.

The defence ministry said it was an Mi-8 military transport helicopter which had been shot down after delivering humanitarian aid to the city of Aleppo as it made its way back to Russia's main air base in the western province of Latakia.

Around 40 km north-east of the crash site, rebel groups are staging an offensive to break a government siege on rebel-held parts of eastern Aleppo city.

Pro-government forces on the ground are being supported by heavy air strikes in the area.

Russia's defence ministry said the helicopter was carrying two officers and three crew members.

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CM approves summary of Rangers' stay with special powers in Karachi

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Monday approved the summary granting extension in Rangers? stay in Karachi with special powers.

According to the CM?s spokesperson, Murad Ali Shah approved the summary which called for extending Rangers' stay for one year in Karachi and also granted them special powers for 90 days. The spokesperson also said that the CM is hopeful Rangers would continue to play a vital part in maintaining the law and order situation of Karachi, just as they have in the recent past.

The spokesperson also stated that the Chief Minister's recommendation will be sent to the federal government.

The decision comes one day after CM Sindh Murad Ali Shah held a meeting with former president and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari in Dubai. Zardari had reportedly granted permission to Murad to approve the summary for extending Rangers' stay in Sindh with special powers.

Powers of the paramilitary to detain an individual for up to 90 days lapsed on June 15. The Protection for Pakistan Ordinance which allowed the paramilitary to arrest suspects without a warrant lapsed on July 15.

Since 2013, acting under powers bestowed on the paramilitary force under Article-147, the Pakistan Rangers Sindh conducted multiple targeted operations in interior Sindh during which 533 suspects were arrested. Those detained were handed over to police and various law enforcement agencies for processing.

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PPP to launch protest against prime minister this month

KARACHI: The Pakistan People’s Party will devise a plan for a protest it will launch against the government for its failure to hold the prime minister accountable for his family’s alleged connection to offshore companies named in the Panama Papers.

“All those who have been named in the Panama Papers should be held accountable,” senior PPP leader Aitezaz Ahsan said.

“Nawaz Sharif and his family are actually looking for a way out,” he said.

He added that the PPP will announce its protest plan this month. “It is very possible that protests announced by different political parties consolidate into one large movement,” he said.

“We have shown the government a lot of flexibility,” he said.

The opposition is gearing up against the prime minister after his return to the country following an open heart surgery last month.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has announced an anti-government movement from August 7.

The party chairman Imran Khan said that if the government approves their Terms of Reference (ToRs) and form inquiry committee to probe Panama Papers then they would end the campaign.

The Election Commission of Pakistan will hear a reference against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over Panama Leaks on August 3.

The Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Awami Muslim League and Pakistan Awami Tehreek have filed references against the prime minister calling for his disqualification over hiding his assets when filing for nominations in the general elections 2013.

 

 

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PPP to launch protest against prime minister this month

KARACHI: The Pakistan People?s Party will devise a plan for a protest it will launch against the government for its failure to hold the prime minister accountable for his family?s alleged connection to offshore companies named in the Panama Papers.

?All those who have been named in the Panama Papers should be held accountable,? senior PPP leader Aitezaz Ahsan said.

?Nawaz Sharif and his family are actually looking for a way out,? he said.

He added that the PPP will announce its protest plan this month. ?It is very possible that protests announced by different political parties consolidate into one large movement,? he said.

?We have shown the government a lot of flexibility,? he said.

The opposition is gearing up against the prime minister after his return to the country following an open heart surgery last month.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has announced an anti-government movement from August 7.

The party chairman Imran Khan said that if the government approves their Terms of Reference (ToRs) and form inquiry committee to probe Panama Papers then they would end the campaign.

The Election Commission of Pakistan will hear a reference against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over Panama Leaks on August 3.

The Pakistan People?s Party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Awami Muslim League and Pakistan Awami Tehreek have filed references against the prime minister calling for his disqualification over hiding his assets when filing for nominations in the general elections 2013.

 

 

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Chinese police seize nearly 400 baby Siamese crocodiles: Xinhua

Border police seized 399 baby Siamese crocodiles, a protected endangered species, in southern China, state-owned Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

The roughly 25-cm long crocodiles were about 15 days old and were likely trafficked from Vietnam, the report said.

Police in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region said they saw three nervous-looking men moving goods in front of the house where the crocodiles were found and approached them for questioning. One man was caught, while the two others escaped.

Siamese crocodile skin is used to produce handbags and other luxury leather goods, but the reptiles can only be raised in China with a license and trafficking in them is illegal, according to Xinhua.

China is a major destination market for many products made using exotic, and often endangered, species. The government has held high-profile events to destroy large caches of illicit animal products in attempt to discourage trafficking in them.

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Pakistan will be made secure for every race, religion, ethnicity: PM Nawaz Sharif

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif presided a high-level meeting on internal security and National Action Plan in Islamabad on Monday, where he expressed resolve to make the country secure for every race, religion and ethnicity.

The meeting reviewed Pakistan?s internal security situation and implementation of the National Action Plan and discussed operations against terrorists countrywide.

The Prime Minister said that relentless efforts by the federal and provincial governments and unwavering resolve of the public are crushing terrorist and extremist elements in the country, adding that Pakistan is headed in the right direction.

He said that extremist elements are a global threat and Pakistan has been fighting terrorism and extremism for many years. He added that Operation Zarb-e-Azb and implementation of the National Action Plan have significantly improved the security situation in Pakistan.

The Prime Minister further said that the federal government will continue to assist the provincial governments through effective coordination and intelligence sharing with federal agencies in order to deal with internal security threats.

He also said that the public will soon be given a stable, peaceful and prosperous Pakistan to live in.

The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, National Security Advisor Nasser Khan Janjua, DG ISI Lt. Gen. Rizwan Akhtar, DG Intelligence Bureau Aftab Sultan and other senior government officials.

Law enforcement agencies have been cracking down on terrorists and extremists all over Pakistan under the National Action Plan. According to documents obtained by Geo News/The News, counter-terrorism authorities have arrested over 15,000 hate preachers as part of a crucial exercise to swiftly execute the National Action Plan, a move the federal government claims is aimed at ?de-radicalising the society? for maintaining constant peace in the country.

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Indian national level athlete drowns while taking 'selfie'

A female national level athlete fell in to a pond and died while trying to take a ?selfie? with friends in the Indian state of Madhya Pardesh.

The 20-year-old athlete, identified as Pooja Kumari, was trying to click a picture with a fellow athlete at Sports Authority of India club in Bhopal.

According to details, the athlete while posing all of a sudden lost her footing and slipped in a pond.

According to reports, two friends were accompanying her who also like Kumari did not know how to swim and sought help, but it turned out to be quite late.

The club?s staff tried to save her by pulling her out of the pond and shifting her to a hospital where doctors pronounced her dead.

Kumari had joined the local sports club three years ago and was also a winner of sub-junior national level gold in Delhi. She was on a break since three months due to an injury.

 

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Drug dealer allegedly sets woman on fire in Faisalabad

FAISALABAD: A drug dealer, after dousing a woman with petrol, set her on fire on Monday in Faisalabad, police said.

The woman’s face and arm were badly affected due to fire. She was shifted to a hospital later.

According to details, the woman had asked the drug dealer not to use and sell drugs in front of her home.

Following which the suspect set her on fire due to which 50 percent of her body was burnt.

The drug dealer after committing the alleged crime, fled from the spot.

Police registered a case of the incident and started search for the suspect.

 

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Murad Ali Shah reduces security protocol

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah reduced his security protocol to four police mobiles, his spokesman said.

Former CM Qaim Ali Shah had nine police mobiles in his protocol.

The new CM Murad has surprised officials in the Sindh cabinet with his apparent dedication to his job. Media reports claim that he reaches his office at the CM House at 9 AM sharp.

His punctuality has forced other ministers in the cabinet to take charge. Health Minister Dr Sikander Mandhro visited the Civil Hospital on Monday. He asked the director of a trauma centre over why the project had been left unfinished.

?The complete payment has been made. Why hasn?t the project been completed,? the minister inquired.

Meanwhile, education minister Jam Mehtab Dahar in a statement said that his foremost priority will be to reopen all the schools that have been left unattended. He added that school staff should be punctual.

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Over 15,000 hate mongers arrested in 18 months

ISLAMABAD: The counter-terrorism authorities have arrested over 15,000 hate preachers as part of a crucial exercise to swiftly execute the National Action Plan (NAP), a move federal government claimed to ‘de-radicalise the society’ for maintaining constant peace in the country.

Law enforcement agencies rounded up 15,259 clerics, religious teachers and prayer leaders under charges of ‘delivering hate speeches and possessing hate/anti state material’ following the newly formed laws to cope with terrorism and extremism under the NAP, revealed official progress report obtained by Geo News (ASKKS Programme)/The News, showing progress made by the federal government under the NAP in past eighteen months. 

Tens of thousands of arrests were made on the basis of intelligence reports gathered by counterterrorism department and special branch of provinces as well as by the operators of intelligence bureau in thousands of combing operations being conducted across the country. “We want to get rid of extremismâ€"de-radicalise the society. It’s only way to wage a successful war against terrorism and extremism,” said Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Yousaf. 

“Come what may, actions against all extremists under NAP will go on,” he declared while talking to Geo News/The News.

More than 14,869 cases were filed against hate preachers, clerics, religious teachers, prayer leaders and dozens of religious scholars, official data exclusively obtained by Geo News/The News further revealed.

The counterterrorism forces arrested 11,169 clerics and hate mongers who were later sent to courts for facing terrorism charges in 10,648 cases in Punjabâ€"a province claimed to find its security forces active in swiftly executing the NAP.

The police and Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) forces arrested 2,845 clerics in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in last one and half year. Later over 2,693 cases were filed against these accused religious leaders who are now facing multiple charges under a newly formed plan to deal with extremists and hate mongers in the province which witnessed 70 percent drop-down in terror attacks during this period.

Sindh police got managed to file 1,133 cases against 775 hate mongers who were spreading extremism in society through their speeches and lectures in mosques and madrassahs during this period. Official documents suggested that Balochistan province showed lethargic response when it comes to handling extremists involved in delivering hate speeches and possessing hate materials in the province. Around 108 cases were registered while 100 clerics were arrested by the law enforcement agencies in the province.

The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) police arrested 32 clerics that belonged to different schools of thought since the NAP started. Later 119 cases were registered against these hate mongers in the federal capital.

The government of Gilgit-Baltistan filed 33 cases against 40 clerics/religious teachers who were violating loud speaker laws in the area. Majority of arrested clerics are said to be having affiliation with Sunni and Shia community over there. The law enforcement agencies also filed 126 cases against 200 religious school teachers and prayer leaders in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

Official data further revealed that around 6,000 cases were registered against shopkeepers who were selling either hate materials or anti state materials. Over 3,200 cases were registered against owners of shopkeepers in K-P, 1085 in Punjab, 13 in G-B and 66 cases were filed against those who hold hater materials in AJK. Over 1,200 books and hundreds of other instruments linkage to extremism were confiscated by the police in Balochistan.

Under new NAP laws, the ICT and provinces have got geo-tagged over 62,600 mosques across the country. Islamabad and Punjab have completed mapping exercise of all madrassahs while mapping exercise of Sindh (80%), K-P (75%), Balochistan (60%) and Fata (85%) is going on and will be completed by end of this year. The law enforcing agencies have also completed geo-tagging of 2,926 minority worship places across the country.

“Arrests of religious teachers and clerics continued. We have taken up this issue with high upsâ€"but thousands of arrests go on as usual,” said Abdul Qadoos Mohammadi, the spokesperson for Wafaq-ul-Madaris Pakistan. Many other issues like registration of seminaries and opening of accounts remain another sticking point, he added. 

Former NACTA Chief Hamid Ali Khan says, "It's a long and complicated battle. Arresting hundreds or thousands of clerics is not the solution. Extremism needs a holistic and comprehensive approach. The entire society and state have to fight together. It means creating a tolerant society, interfaith harmony, compassion and humanity. It involves defeating mindset, ideologies network and financing of extremist groups and winning hearts and minds of people. Its way forward is to bring Madressah reforms, modernise curriculum, education reforms and constructive role of media and civil society in particular." 

 â€"Originally published in The News

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Three-day conference of Pakistani envoys begins in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: A three-day conference of Pakistani envoys began on Monday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad.

According to the media reports, nine Pakistani envoys in US, UN, India, China, Moscow, EU, Afghanistan, Geneva and Austria were attending the meeting.

The envoys who have been invited are Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani (Washington DC), Ambassador Masood Khalid (Beijing), High Commissioner Abdul Basit (New Delhi), Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi (UN New York), Ambassador Ayesha Riyaz (Vienna), Ambassador Naghmana Hashmi (Brussels / EU), Ambassador Abrar Hussain (Afghanistan), Ambassador Tehmina Janjua (UN/Geneva) and Ambassador Qazi M. Khalilullah (Moscow).

At the conference, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will express his vision for regional and global peace.

Nawaz Sharif will highlight the immense potential of CPEC projects in terms of investment opportunities as well as reduction in unemployment and poverty.

The Envoys' Conference is a regular feature in which Pakistan's representatives in various regions brief the government on important developments in their respective areas of accreditation, and challenges and opportunities arising out of such developments, stated the FO’s press release.

The envoys also present their recommendations towards existing foreign policy with a view to review, adapt and recalibrate policy in accordance with the prevalent strategic, political and economic trends. Last year's Envoys' Conference had focused on connectivity, and regional issues and developments.

 

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Three-day conference of Pakistani envoys begins in Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: A three-day conference of Pakistani envoys began on Monday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad.

According to the media reports, nine Pakistani envoys in US, UN, India, China, Moscow, EU, Afghanistan, Geneva and Austria were attending the meeting.

The envoys who have been invited are Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani (Washington DC), Ambassador Masood Khalid (Beijing), High Commissioner Abdul Basit (New Delhi), Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi (UN New York), Ambassador Ayesha Riyaz (Vienna), Ambassador Naghmana Hashmi (Brussels / EU), Ambassador Abrar Hussain (Afghanistan), Ambassador Tehmina Janjua (UN/Geneva) and Ambassador Qazi M. Khalilullah (Moscow).

At the conference, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will express his vision for regional and global peace.

Nawaz Sharif will highlight the immense potential of CPEC projects in terms of investment opportunities as well as reduction in unemployment and poverty.

The Envoys' Conference is a regular feature in which Pakistan's representatives in various regions brief the government on important developments in their respective areas of accreditation, and challenges and opportunities arising out of such developments, stated the FO?s press release.

The envoys also present their recommendations towards existing foreign policy with a view to review, adapt and recalibrate policy in accordance with the prevalent strategic, political and economic trends. Last year's Envoys' Conference had focused on connectivity, and regional issues and developments.

 

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Karachi to have 10,000 12MP CCTV cameras soon, says IGP Sindh

KARACHI: Karachi needs 100,000 CCTV cameras and funds have been approved for the project’s first phase wherein 10,000 will be installed at 200 locations, the provincial police chief said on Sunday.

These cameras will have a resolution of 10 to 12 megapixels and also capable of capturing night vision footage, IGP AD Khowaja told The News.

The official said 60 locations had been chosen for areas falling in East district including Ferozabad, Tipu Sultan, Sharea Faisal, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Aziz Bhatti, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Airport, and Model Colony where the cameras would be installed.

In the Central district, 30 locations have been selected in the areas of Samanabad, Gulberg, Jauharabad, Azizabad, Yousuf Plaza, Rizvia, Gulbahar, Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, Sharifabad, and Super Market.

Similarly, 30 locations have been chosen in the West district’s areas of Baldia, Madina Colony, Saeedabad, Ittehad Town, SITE-A, SITE-B, Pak Colony, Shershah, Orangi Town, Iqbal Market, Surjani, Gulshan-e-Maymar, Peerabad, Pakistan Bazaar, Manghopir, and Mominabad.

In the South district and the police’s City Division, 80 locations have been selected in Clifton, Boat Basin, Gizri, Darakhshan, Sahil, Kharadar, Mithadar, Risala, Mauripur, Moachko, Docks, and Jackson.

The IGP said these cameras would be operated by the command and control unit at the Central Police Office.

“The Sindh police had 2,300 installed cameras at different locations of Karachi earlier, but their resolution was only 2 megapixels which were of no help in identifying at crime scenes,” he said. “Besides, after their installation, they were never maintained so many of them malfunctioned.”

However, the provincial government in a recent meeting finalised the proposal for the new cameras with a resolution of 10 to 12 megapixels and approved funds for the first phase.

The police chief said the locations that had been chosen included schools, religious places, entrance and exit points of government and private offices, commercial areas, VVIP movement routes, and places with a high rate of target killings, muggings, and other crimes.

“The chief minister has assured that funds would be released soon,” he added.

The official said with the new cameras, police would be able to acquire video evidence. 

“Initially the project will cover major spots all over the city, but its main concentration will be the main sensitive and commercial zones including government installations and red zone areas. In addition to this, the system will also monitor vehicles plying on the city’s roads and those entering and leaving the city.”

The surveillance system will cover National Highway, Super Highway, RCD Highway and Coastal Highway.

The cameras will also be able to store footage and have the feature of zooming in and out.

“The objective behind the installation of a surveillance system in Karachi is to help in deterrence of terrorist activities and street crimes, monitor vehicular traffic, increase VVIP security, and to improve the overall public safety.

Linking cameras

In a recently held meeting, plans were discussed that focused on coordination and linking of private cameras in the city and at banks and other financial institutions with the Sindh police's Central Command Centre, with an aim for improving the monitoring, investigation, and controlling of crimes.

The meeting reviewed at length the launching of a pilot project to monitor the entrance and exit points and the surroundings of banks and other financial organisations on the major thoroughfares of Karachi.

As per the plan, a survey of the city would be carried out to ascertain the points where strict surveillance was needed.

A study will be conducted on the number of streets and roads connecting different areas and major thoroughfares for a comparative analysis with deployment of police for monitoring and quick response action.

- Originally published in The News

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Custom officials foil smuggling bid at Karachi airport

KARACHI: Custom officials on Monday foiled a bid to smuggle out of the country more than two kilograms of gold and foreign currency worth Rs 310,000. 

Officials arrested three suspects during a search operation at the Jinnah International Airport.

During the search, 2.35 kilograms of gold worth Rs 1.6 million along with foreign currency worth Rs 3,142,000 was also recovered from the suspects.

The recovered gold and money has been seized under the Customs Act, 1969 and a FIR was lodged for further investigation.

 

 

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Custom officials foil smuggling bid at Karachi airport

KARACHI: Custom officials on Monday foiled a bid to smuggle out of the country more than two kilograms of gold and foreign currency worth Rs 310,000. 

Officials arrested three suspects during a search operation at the Jinnah International Airport.

During the search, 2.35 kilograms of gold worth Rs 1.6 million along with foreign currency worth Rs 3,142,000 was also recovered from the suspects.

The recovered gold and money has been seized under the Customs Act, 1969 and a FIR was lodged for further investigation.

 

 

Read More