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Showing posts from June, 2024

جعلی ڈرائیونگ لائسنس ،نیا سکینڈل

پاکستانی جعلی شناختی کارڈز اور پاسپورٹوں کے قصے تو اب بہت پرانے ہو چکے ہیں اور دنیا بھر میں اس قسم کے جعلی دستاویزات پر نقل و حرکت کرنے ،ملازمت حاصل کرنے اور ان کی آڑ میں پاکستان کو عالمی مزید پڑھیں The post جعلی ڈرائیونگ لائسنس ،نیا سکینڈل appeared first on Mashriq TV. http://dlvr.it/T90BMw

No chance of Imran getting out of jail under current PTI leadership: Fawad Chaudhry

Former information minister Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday said that he did not see any chance of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan being released from Adiala Jail as long as the current party leadership is in charge. His remarks were the latest in a series of broadsides launched against the present PTI leadership over the past week. Chaudhry, who left the PTI in the aftermath of the state’s crackdown against the party following May 9 riots, said earlier this month that the current PTI leadership had badly failed to provide a political strategy due to which problems were exacerbating for the party despite enjoying massive public support. “The real focus of the PTI should be on building an opposition alliance with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Jamaat-i-Islami,” Chaudhry had said while speaking to journalists at his residence in Ladhar. Separately, in a private conversation with Dawn on Thursday, Chaudhry said no one in the curr

PIA announces slashed fares for Umrah pilgrims

Discount on fares for Pakistan-Madina pilgrims is effective immediately, and will remain in effect until July 15. http://dlvr.it/T8z5ZS

بلوچستان میں بارشیں، لینڈ سلائیڈنگ و حادثات میں‌ 6 افراد جاں بحق

بلوچستان میں بارشیں ، لینڈ سلائیڈنگ سے ٹریفک روانی متاثر، مختلف واقعات میں‌6 افراد جاں‌بحق. ویب ڈیسک: صوبہ بلوچستان میں بارشوں اور لینڈ سلائیڈنگ کے باعث متعدد شاہراہیں بند جبکہ گاڑیاں پھنس گئیں، مشرقی بلوچستان میں کوہ سلیمان رینج کے مزید پڑھیں The post بلوچستان میں بارشیں، لینڈ سلائیڈنگ و حادثات میں‌ 6 افراد جاں بحق appeared first on Mashriq TV. http://dlvr.it/T8ys4P

President Zardari signs Finance Bill into law

The new federal budget comes into effect from July 1 http://dlvr.it/T8ydqB

Opposition in Punjab holds ‘parallel session’

LAHORE: Amid escalating tensions with the treasury, the opposition in the Punjab Assembly held its own session on Saturday, pledging not to accept “fake Form-47” Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, even if the speaker suspended all its lawmakers. Opposition lawmakers from the PTI (Sunni Ittehad Council) and ruling PML-N lawmakers had been at loggerheads after 11 opposition members were suspended for 15 sittings due to “rowdyism” during Maryam Nawaz’s speech on Friday. The government further escalated the situation by stripping opposition leader Malik Ahmad Khan Bhachar of his perks and privileges and closing his chamber in the assembly. A heavy contingent of police and a prisoner van were stationed outside the Punjab Assembly as the session began on Saturday, with orders to prevent the 11 suspended lawmakers from entering. Expressing solidarity with their suspended members, the opposition lawmakers held their own session outside the assembly gate and made fiery speeches

Justice Minallah criticises ECP's verdict in SIC reserved seats case

Says decision deprived voters of their fundamental rights and misinterpreted Supreme Court's ruling http://dlvr.it/T8xz9T

قومی وطن پارٹی نے بھی عزم استحکام آپریشن کی مخالفت کردی

ویب ڈیسک: قومی وطن پارٹی نے بھی عزم استحکام آپریشن کی مخالفت کرتے ہوئے پارلیمنٹ کو اعتماد میں لینے کا مطالبہ کردیا ۔ پشاور میں پریس کانفرنس کرتے ہوئے قومی وطن پارٹی کے چیئرمین آفتاب احمد خان شیرپاؤ نے کہا مزید پڑھیں The post قومی وطن پارٹی نے بھی عزم استحکام آپریشن کی مخالفت کردی appeared first on Mashriq TV. http://dlvr.it/T8xQJd

سیاسی جماعتوں سے رابطے:اے این پی نے کمیٹی تشکیل دے دی

ویب ڈیسک: عوامی نیشنل پارٹی (اے این پی )نے خیبرپختونخوا میں سیاسی جماعتوں سے رابطوں کیلئے کمیٹی تشکیل دے دی ہے ۔ پارٹی رہنماؤں کے مطابق کمیٹی کی سربراہی اے این پی کے صوبائی صدر میاں افتخار حسین کریں گے۔ مزید پڑھیں The post سیاسی جماعتوں سے رابطے:اے این پی نے کمیٹی تشکیل دے دی appeared first on Mashriq TV. http://dlvr.it/T8x7wH

Another member resigns from PTI's core committee amid growing internal conflicts

Junaid Akbar echoes Sher Afzal Marwat's stance that 'certain people' can meet Imran Khan while others are 'denied' http://dlvr.it/T8wtjh

LHC admits plea challenging PIA’s privatisation

RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Rawalpindi bench has admitted a petition challenging PIA’s privatisation process and also asked the top law officer to respond to the questions raised in the plea. Justice Jawad Hassan issued the order on Friday on a pro bono petition filed against the procedure adopted to privatise PIA. The judge also expressed his intention to examine the law introduced by the previous caretaker government to set up an appellate tribunal for privatisation disputes. The petition stated that the government issued an advertisement to privatise the national carrier without properly evaluating its local and foreign assets as required under the Privati­sation Commission Ordinance, 2000. When the judge questioned the petitioner’s counsel over the plea’s maintainability, he argued the requirements in Section 23 of the Privatisation Commission Ordinance, 2000 have not been met. While proceeding with the privatisation process, principles already settled

Family points finger at PPP MNA, two sons in journalist Nasrullah Gadani’s murder in Ghotki

SUKKUR: Slain journalist Nasrullah Gadani’s mother and two relatives have reiterated the allegation in statements recorded under Section 164 CrPC in a Mirpur Mathelo court that Pakistan Peoples Party’s MNA and his two sons had Nasrullah killed through their men. Ms Pathani Gadani, who was complainant in the case, and witnesses, Yaqoub Gadani and Salahuddin Gadani along with their counsel advocate Salahuddin Panhwar appeared before the second civil and first magistrate the other day and told him that PPP MNA Khalid Khan Loond, his sons, Shehbaz Loond, who was chairman of Mirpur Mathelo municipal committee, and Noor Mohammad Loond, had Nasrullah slain but the trio was so powerful that police had not dared include their names in the FIR. They appealed to the court to bring Nasrullah’s real killers to justice as per law and serve speedy justice to the bereaved family. Gadanis’ counsel Salahuddin Panhwar told media persons that the complainant and the witnesses had clearly stated t

ٹور ڈی فرانس سائیکل ریس کا 111واں ایڈیشن کل شروع ہوگا

ویب ڈیسک: کھیلوں کی دنیا میں منفرد مقام رکھنے والی ٹور ڈی فرانس سائیکل ریس کا 111واں ایڈیشن کل اٹلی میں شروع ہوگا۔ ریس میں 8 اور 15 جولائی کو ریسٹ ڈے ہوگا۔ انٹرنیشنل سائیکلنگ یونین کے زیر اہتمام ہونیوالی مزید پڑھیں The post ٹور ڈی فرانس سائیکل ریس کا 111واں ایڈیشن کل شروع ہوگا appeared first on Mashriq TV. http://dlvr.it/T8v6MF

Pakistan’s envoy to US stresses need for modern arms for Operation Azm-e-Istehkam

Ambassador Masood Khan urges Pak-US partnership for Azm-e-Istehkam’s success. http://dlvr.it/T8tjLw

NA passes 11 more demands for grants

Demands were related to Foreign Affairs Division, Foreign Missions, Interior Division, other expenditure http://dlvr.it/T8tLvH

SC seeks clear list of ‘PTI candidates’ for Feb 8 polls

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Cou­rt on Thursday asked the ECP to furnish a clear list of PTI’s candidates, who had furnished both the declaration, as well as the party affiliation certificates, along with their nomination papers for the Feb 8 polls. Justice Yahya Afridi, a member of the full court, asked the ECP to provide such information for clarity due to anomalies which cropped up during the hearing. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa heads the full court hearing the Sunni Ittehad Council’s (SIC) appeal against the March 14 Peshawar High Court’s denial of reserved seats to the party. The CJP observed that a punishment was inflicted on PTI by denying common election symbol of ‘bat’ to them by the ECP after they had failed to hold intra-party elections. ECP could have given PTI candidates a different symbol, didn’t need to strip them of party identity, Justice Akhtar observes These candidates did not change their positions at the time of filing of nomination pap

PTI-sponsored tribal peace jirga opposes new military ‘offensive’

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-sponsored “tribal peace jirga” on Wednesday vehemently opposed the government’s plans to launch a military offensive against terrorists and insisted that the Operation Azm-i-Istehkam was a bid to occupy minerals in the Pakhtun belt. Chief of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party Mehmood Khan Achakzai, who also heads a coalition of six opposition parties under the banner of Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP), was the chief guest at the event, where PTI central leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, lawmakers from tribal districts, and tribal elders were in attendance. The participants unanimously passed a resolution against the Operation Azm-i-Istehkam, saying if the government intends to carry out such an operation, then the matter should be brought to parliament and the provincial assembly for a thorough discussion for the people’s information. They said the government should listen to all stakeholders

AJK forms special force to tackle riots

MUZAFFARABAD: In the light of the experience gained during the recent violent protests, the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) police have raised a ‘special anti-riot force’ to cope with similar situations in future more effectively by employing the latest techniques This was stated by AJK’s newly appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Rana Abdul Jabbar during his maiden media talk on Wednesday. The new force consists of 500 personnel, aged between 20 and 30 years, who are undergoing a specialised training by master trainers from Punjab, he said. “The idea behind raising this force is to ensure that a mob should not be handled by a mob (police) and that instead of might, psychological methods should be used to deal with a charged situation so as to mitigate the chances of loss on either side,” Mr Jabbar pointed out. He said 100 members of this force would be stationed at each of the three divisional headquarters, rea­dy to be deployed by the DIGs concerned as and w

Govt maintains SIC not entitled to reserved seats

• In reply before SC, govt says allocation to eligible parties is the only permissible solution • PTI seeks to join apex court proceedings, wants cardinal principles of democracy upheld ISLAMABAD: Ahead of today’s (Thursday’s) full court hearing on the matter of reserved seats, the government informed the Supreme Court that the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) was not entitled to reserved seats, seeking the dismissal of the instant petition. Meanwhile, the PTI has sought to become a party to the case. In its submission to the top court on Wednesday, the government said the SIC did not deserve seats reserved for non-Muslim and women lawmakers as it consisted entirely of independent candidates. The SIC did not field even a single candidate in the general election or furnish a list required under Section 104 of the Elections Act 2017, it argued. According to the response, the only constitutionally permissible solution was to allocate the additional seats to other eli

GB protests to KP over ‘unilateral’ move to put off polo festival

GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan administration has protested to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the latter’s “unilateral decision” to postpone the Shandur polo festival. The three-day festival was scheduled to begin on Friday (tomorrow). On Monday, the KP government announced the postponement of the event due to “inclement weather”. Criticising the move, the deputy commissioner of Ghizer, a district in Gilgit-Baltistan, said in a letter to his Chitral counterpart that it was “extremely disappointing and shocking for us in GB” to learn that the Shandur polo festival had been postponed. “This event is a cornerstone of our cultural heritage and a symbol of our districts’ friendship and cooperation. It is astonishing that the tourism department of KP has taken a decision without consultation, despite the fact that Shandur is a historic area of Gilgit-Baltistan,” said Habibur Rehman, the deputy commissioner. He said such decisions were always taken after consultations between the two ad

IHC clears Zartaj Gul from no-fly list

ISLAMABAD: The Isla­mabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday ordered the removal of Pakistan Teh­reek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Zartaj Gul from the no-fly list and called for an inquiry into the 2022 arrest of former minister Dr Shireen Mazari in a corruption case. Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued these orders in their respective courts. Justice Jahangiri, while allowing Ms Gul’s petition, stated that there was no plausible reason or justification for placing the petitioner’s name on the Passport Control List (PCL). “Respondent No. 3 [Director General, Immigration and Passports Control] is directed to remove the name of the petitioner from the PCL within a period of one week,” he said. Orders fresh inquiry into Shireen Mazari’s arrest According to the court’s record, Ms Gul’s name was placed on the PCL based on the Punjab Home Department’s recommendations due to her involvement in FIRs registered at DG Khan police stations. Her

Nine more bodies found in Karachi as inquiry into heat-related mortalities begins

• Number of corpses found over past three days reaches 29 • Minister warns of murder cases against KE if probe finds people died due to loadshedding in harsh weather • Health dept confirms only one death due to heatstroke KARACHI: As Karachi braved another very hot and humid day on Tuesday, nine more bodies were found in different parts of the city, bringing the death toll to 29 over the past three days, hospitals and rescue services said. They added that none of the bodies bore any injury marks. The Edhi and Chhipa charities said that its volunteers recovered four and five bodies, respectively, from different parts of the city on Tuesday. Keeping in view the rising number of bodies and deaths reported by city morgues and major hospitals, Sindh Home Minister Zia Lanjar announced that an inquiry was being conducted to ascertain the cause of such deaths. In a statement issued on Tuesday evening, he said that if the inquiry found power loadshedding in sweltering heat as

Verdict reserved on plea for suspects’ surveillance

ISLAMABAD: Justice Babar Sattar of the Islamabad High Court has reserved a verdict on the capital’s police’s request to allow surveillance of suspects, after a crime has been committed. While appearing before the court on Tuesday, Islamabad Police’s Director Law Tahir Kazim said that after the court’s order against surveillance last month, cellular companies have stopped sharing “much-needed data” required for routine criminal investigations. He was referring to the judge’s order on May 30, where he stated that no state official was authorised to surveil citizens and anyone doing so or aiding such actions would be “liable for offences”. The judgement had also barred telecom companies and service providers from sharing data with police and intelligence agencies till next hearing. Islamabad police official says telcos have stopped sharing call detail records following IHC’s order last month The order was issued on petitions filed by ex-premier Imran Khan’s spouse, Bushra

Bilawal calls for political consensus to abolish NAB

ISLAMABAD: Taking part in the budget debate in the National Assembly, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Tuesday called for efforts to create a political consensus to abolish the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), as lawmakers from the opposition parties, while decrying their alleged political victimisation, questioned huge budgetary allocations for various institutions, including the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the judiciary. “We realised that NAB and the Pakistani economy cannot coexist,” said the PPP chairman who had come for the first time to the assembly since the presentation of federal budget by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb on June 12. He had come to the house after presiding over a parliamentary party meeting in which the PPP decided to vote for the budget, stating that it did not want to destabilise the country. Mr Bhutto-Zardari alleged that NAB was an institution created for political engineering and maligning politicians. He said the bus

PM Shehbaz confirms IMF role in budget prep

• Aurangzeb unveils changes to finance bill, including zero rating on local sales of export industries, stationery items • Allocations for PSDP cut by Rs250bn, reduced rates for hybrid electric vehicles to continue • Govt mulls stricter measures for retailers, distributors outside tax net • Tax rates won’t be increased for those who filed timely returns at least once in last three years ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed on Tuesday that the federal budget for next year was prepared in collaboration with the Inter­national Monetary Fund (IMF). His remarks came as Finance Minister Muha­mmad Aurangzeb ann­ounced significant ame­ndments to the proposed finance bill for 2024-25. “We had to prepare the budget jointly with the IMF” because of the prevailing circumstances and ground realities, the prime minister said in the Natio­nal Assembly when he took the floor briefly to respond to some points raised by a PTI member regarding the prevailing sense of deprivation

Deputy PM Dar for ‘normalising’ ties with India

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday advocated for the normalisation of relations with India, expressing Pakistan’s openness to dialogue, while also outlining conditions aimed at easing tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, who have long been embroiled in disputes. Speaking at the 51st founding anniversary of the government-run think tank Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI), Mr Dar, who also holds the portfolio of foreign minister, said: “Pakistan does not believe in perpetual hostility. We seek good-neighbourly relations with India on the basis of mutual respect, sovereign equality, and a just and peaceful resolution of the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute.” Urging a break from the debilitating cycle of conflict, Mr Dar emphasised that India and Pakistan owe it to the people of South Asia to prioritise cooperation over discord. With the region lagging far behind on human development indices, beset by poverty, unemploym

Govt, opposition lock horns over new military operation

• Senate also adopts resolution against lynching incidents in Swat, Sargodha • Standing committee ‘rejects’ proposed taxes on salaried class, baby milk, school books and stationery, poultry feed, cheap phones ISLAMABAD: The opposition and treasury benches on Monday locked horns over the plan to launch a fresh military operation, with Leader of the Opposition Syed Shibli Faraz voicing concern over the Azm-i-Istehkam operation and saying the word Istehkam (stability) has political connotations. Mr Faraz was of the view that stability would remain a pipe dream sans supremacy of the Constitution, rule of law, adherence to democratic principles and recognition of the true mandate of the electorate. He said those who came to power through ‘Form 47s’ had failed to present a balanced budget, which even their allies refuse to own. Mr Faraz said the key to the country’s prosperity, security, progress and stability lay with PTI founder Imran Khan. Senators belonging to the PTI al

SC full court resumes hearing SIC plea seeking reserved seats in assemblies

The Supreme Court on Tuesday resumed hearing a petition of the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) — the new home of PTI-backed candidates — against the denial of reserved seats in assemblies for women and minorities. A 13-member full court — comprising Justices Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Munib Akhtar, Yahya Afridi, Aminuddin Khan, Mandokhail, Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Ayesha Malik, Athar Minallah, Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, Shahid Waheed, Irfan Saadat Khan and Naeem Akhtar Afghan — is presiding over the hearing. The proceedings are being broadcast live on the SC’s website and its YouTube channel. The SIC had earlier been joined by PTI-backed independent candidates after they won the Feb 8 elections as their party had been deprived of its electoral symbol ‘bat’ in an SC ruling. In a 4-1 verdict in March, the ECP had ruled that the SIC was not entitled to claim quota for reserved seats “due to having non-curable legal defects and violation of a mandatory provision of submission of par

IHC reverts Islamabad poll pleas to Jahangiri-led tribunal

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday allowed the election tribunal, superseded by a presidential ordinance, to resume hearing election petitions regarding the three constituencies of Islamabad, also issuing a contempt of court notice to PML-N lawmaker Anjum Aqeel Khan for using “derogatory language” against the presiding judge of the tribunal, namely Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri. On the application of the PML-N candidates —Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Raja Khurram Nawaz, and Anjum Aqeel — the Election Commission of Pakistan had transferred the election plea from a tribunal led by Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri to another tribunal led by retired justice Shakoor Paracha in light of an ordinance promulgated by the president, which allowed retired judges to head election tribunals. The decision was challenged in the IHC by the PTI runner-up candidates, Shoaib Shaheen, Mohammad Ali Bukhari, and Amir Mughal. At the last hearing, Chief Justice Aamer Farooq said Mr Aqeel used contemp

President suggests rehabilitating outlaws who lay down arms

KARACHI: Aside from ‘hardened criminals’, outlaws operating in the Katcha areas of Sindh should be rehabilitated if they surrender to the state, President Asif Ali Zardari said on Monday. Chairing a meeting on Sindh’s law and order situation in Sukkur, the president also emphasised the need to improve the road, healthcare and education infrastructure of the Kacha areas on a priority basis to improve the socio-economic conditions of its residents. Those who surrendered should be gradually brought into the mainstream and rehabilitated to make them responsible and productive citizens of the country, he said. President Zardari also advised that a national jirga, comprising of tribal chiefs, should be convened to engage and negotiate with the local population to bring normalcy, as well as prevent crimes, de-weaponise and improve the security situation in the area. Stresses need to better infrastructure, improve lives of katcha residents; proposes national jirga to bring togethe

Three new Supreme Court judges notified

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Law and Justice on Monday notified appointment of three judges in the Supreme Court and issued a notification for appointment of acting chief justices of Lahore High Court (LHC) and Sindh High Court (SHC). According to the notification, Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, Chief Justice of Sindh High Court, Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed Khan, Chief Justice of Lahore High Court, and Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan of LHC have been appointed in the Supreme Court. The notification said: “In exercise of the powers conferred under clause (1) of Article 177 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the President of Pakistan is pleased to appoint” the above-mentioned judges. The parliamentary committee on appointment of judges last week confirmed the nominations of three high court judges to the Supreme Court. Earlier, the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) had nominated these judges for elevation to the top court. Likewise, the law ministry notified J

Police break up PTI rally in Karachi’s Korangi, detain many workers

KARACHI: Dozens of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf activists, including an MPA, were injured and detained in Korangi when police used baton charge to break up their protest rally seeking the release of Imran Khan on Sunday, witnesses and party officials claimed. Despite repeated attempts by Dawn to seek the police version of the incident, DIG-East Azfar Mahesar and Korangi SSP Tauheed Rehman Memon did not respond. The PTI organised a rally at Korangi No1. Several workers, including some travelling in vehicles, were passing through a road when a contingent of police arrived. PTI-Karachi spokesperson Muhammad Ali Bozdar claimed that the police used force against peaceful participants due to which city president Raja Azhar, general secretary Arsalan Khalid and many others suffered injuries. “The police further escalated the situation by arresting MPA Wajid Hussain, Arsalan Khalid, Rizwan Niazi, Haris Mevo, Qadeer Ahmed, and over two dozen other workers. They were taken to s

PTI leader Asad Qaiser, JUI-F chief discuss committee formation to resolve issues

ISLAMABAD: Amid rumours that efforts are going on to bring Maulana Fazlur Rehman into the coalition government, former speaker of National Assembly Asad Qaiser reached the residence of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief in Islamabad and claimed he discussed with him the formation of a political committee to resolve issues with JUI-F. After the meeting with the JUI-F chief, Mr Qaiser informed the media he shared five names with the Maulana Fazl as members of the committee. He asserted the names will be finalised at JUI-F’s meeting on June 29, and once the committee is formed it would start working to resolve issues. Mr Qaiser said the two parties wanted the rule of law in the country and they would take all possible steps to ensure the supremacy of Constitution in the country. In reply to a question, Mr Qaisar said the discussion with Maulana Fazl was fruitful, and the agreement on forming committees was a significant breakthrough. He also said that both part

Pak-Afghan border calm after forces, militants clash

LOWER DIR: The Pak-Afghan border at the Maidan tehsil in the Lower Dir district remained calm and peaceful on Sunday after clashes between security forces and intruding militants from Afghanistan for two days. Residents and official sources told Dawn that there was no shelling and firing from any part of Maidan. Upper areas of Maidan had been tense for the last two days due to exchange of fire between FC soldiers and militants. According to local residents, FC soldiers returned to their Lal Qila base on Sunday and reports from the area suggested the militants had either taken shelter somewhere in the area or they have retreated to Afghanistan. There were reports of presence of militants in the Suripao, Lamotai Top and Safarai forest areas of Maidan. On getting information, soldiers of Frontier Corps 185 and 181 Wings were dispatched to the area to block militants’ movement. Grand jirga, peace walk to be held today The militants allegedly attacked the troops, who return

Locals sceptical over FC deployment in AJK

MUZAFFARABAD: Fed­eral Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday approved the deployment of Frontier Constabulary (FC) in Azad Jammu and Kashmir on the request of AJK premier Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, in a decision that raised eyebrows in the region in wake of recent deaths allegedly at the hands of a paramilitary force amid violent protests in Muzaffarabad. The deployment decision comes on the heels of a warning by Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) that the activists of the rights movement would stage “peaceful sit-ins” at AJK’s entry and exit points with Pakistan if the authorities did not honour the pledges made to the alliance leadership and released the detained activists by June 25. According to a press release issued by the AJK government, the meeting between Mr Haq and Mr Naqvi, held in the latter’s office in the federal capital, focused on the law and order situation and overall security in the valley. Both leaders also discussed the political climate and the [AJK’s] upc