Twin blasts kill 2 in Quetta’s Hazara Town 17 killed

QUETTA: At least two persons were killed and several others wounded when two back-to-back bombs struck Hazara Town in Qeutta on Sunday, police say. 

The blasts took place near an Imambargah in Aliabad locality of Hazara Town

According to Rescue teams 17 peoples Were killed and 44 people are  injured which were shifted to Bolan Medical Complex. 

Meanwhile, security forces cordoned off the area and launched a probe into the attack.

Quetta: blast in Aliabad Area 15 injured in Hazara

QUETTA: Fifteen people were injured in a blast in Aliabad area of Hazara Town here on Sunday, Geo News reported quoting rescue sources.



The injured have been rushed to Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Bolan Medical Centre and Civil Hospital.

Committee to propose steps for Aafia’s repatriation

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Interior Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has formed a committee to make recommendations to the cabinet to facilitate Dr Aafia Siddiqui’s repatriation to Pakistan, said an official announcement on Saturday.

However, the composition of the committee remains a mystery with even the interior ministry’s spokesman unaware about it.

“I am not aware of the composition and do not even know if such a committee has been formed,” Interior Ministry spokesman Umar Hameed said.

Dr Siddiqui, declared by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as the most wanted female terrorist facilitator, is serving an 86-year prison term in the US.

Dr Siddiqui and her family have denied all allegations levelled by the US against her, including a murder attempt during her days in the US army base at Bagram, Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, an official told Dawn that composition of a task force on missing persons had almost been finalised, adding a formal announcement to this effect was expected next week.

The task force will prepare a list of missing persons after holding deliberations with security agencies, their families and human rights organisations and propose ways and means for their early return.

The task force will also look into the recommendations prepared by a commission on missing persons headed by retired Justice Javed Iqbal. The interior minister said the task force must be in place by next week for preparing a transparent policy in the light of the Supreme Court’s orders on the issue. He said processing of mercy petitions should be restarted and all processed cases be sent to Aiwan-i-Sadr for decision.

The minister asked Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Secretary Younus Dhagha to step up investigation into the recent murder of 11 tourists at the base camp of Nanga Parbat and keep him posted about the progress.

Minister for power to visit India

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Saturday that he had decided to send the water and power minister to India to explore potential areas of cooperation between the two countries.

Speaking to members of the Pak-India Joint Business Council at the Prime Minister’s Office, he said: “We are facing acute electricity shortage and any assistance in the power sector will help us in addressing the problem.”

Expressing satisfaction over the visit of Indian businessmen under the auspices of the council, Mr Sharif said: “It is reassuring that both sides are sitting together and talking to each other.” He said his government was pursuing investor-friendly policies.

The prime minister said it had always been his endeavour to bring the two countries closer to each other so that they could benefit from each other’s experience.

He said his party had pursued a policy of friendship and cooperation with India during its previous stints in power and the same policy of amity would be followed this time to promote peace and prosperity in the region.

Indian members of the council informed the prime minister that India could be of great help in providing support in medical science, higher education and technical and vocational training.

The meeting discussed non-discriminatory market access and agreed that the industrialists of both countries should be provided a level-playing field.

MQM chief Altaf is back

KARACHI: Few hours after announcing his surprise resignation as the chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Altaf Hussain withdrew his earlier decision on the appeal of his party workers.

Earlier, Altaf Hussain, the founder of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, resigned as chief of the party in the wee hours of Sunday. Following his announcement, hundreds of MQM workers gathered at Nine Zero in Karachi's Azizabad area, requesting the MQM leader to take back his resignation.

After receiving emotional appeals by party workers, Altaf retracted his decision of leaving reins of the party. Following his latest decision, celebrations erupted at Azizabad, which is the MQM stronghold.

Hussain had earlier said that he was voluntarily handing over all authority and responsibilities as party leader to the MQM's Rabita (Coordination) Committee.

Speaking to media via telephone from UK, Hussain said Scotland Yard police had raided his residence some days ago and had seized some material, following which he decided to voluntarily step down as party leader on moral grounds.

Hussain said he would not seek legal counsel or a solicitor but would plead his case himself if he were to be produced in court in the Imran Farooq murder case. He said that he would accept any decision by the courts.

Dr Imran Farooq was one of the founding members of the MQM, then known as the Mohajir Qaumi Movement. The party later transformed into the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, the largest political party in Karachi.

Farooq, who had also been living in exile in London since 1999, was stabbed to death on his way home from work in Green Lane on Sept 16, 2010 outside his residence.

Recently, the London Metropolitan police had stepped up investigation into the murder, and police searched two residential properties in London earlier this month as part of the ongoing probe. It conducted several raids, arrested some eight suspects, questioned several people and scanned through thousands of documents.

Sunday’s announcement came as a shock to party workers and supporters as Altaf Hussain has served as the chief of the MQM ever since its inception in 1984.

In his telephone conversation with media, Hussain called on his party workers "to stay united, and to continue the struggle that he had once started."

He also urged his party workers to accept all decisions by the MQM's Rabita Committee in the same manner that they acted upon his directions.

Shortly after news of the announcement on TV channels around 5 am, a large number of party workers and supporters were started gathering at the MQM's 'Nine Zero' headquarters in Karachi as well as offices in other parts of the country. The members have requested Altaf to take back his resignation.

Addressing MQM workers in a telephonic speech at 10 am from London, Altaf said until the Imran Farooq murder case investigation was not completed; the party’s Rabita committee would manage MQM affairs.

Moreover, he added that he was being dragged unnecessarily in the investigation of Imran Farooq's murder, adding that it was a conspiracy hatched against him by the British government.

On this occasion, MQM workers chanted slogans and appealed to Altaf to take back his resignation.

Chinese mountaineer narrates dramatic escape

ISLAMABAD: It was his four years in the military that helped Zhang Jingchuan survive the terrorist attacks on mountaineers at the Nanga Parbat base camp that left 10 of his colleagues dead last Saturday.

The Chinese citizen left Pakistan on Wednesday after sharing his incredible story with the Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP).

“We were asleep when they came for us. They dragged us all out and tied up our hands. We were then made to get down on the ground on our knees. After they searched everyone, the massacre began. The shot was aimed at my head but it missed. And I began to run towards the valley,” Zhang Jingchuan told the ACP in brief comments, adding how the military training had helped him stay alert and not lose presence of mind.

“Survival in the wilderness or under such circumstances is part of training of soldiers. Zhang Jingchuan is a martial artist that was probably why he was quick to react, seeing an opportunity to somehow untie his hands and run for his life after the bullet missed his head,” explained ACP President Col Manzoor Hussain.

According to the ACP spokesman, Karrar Haidri, Zhang Jingchuan returned to the base camp after hiding for more than an hour and made a call for help.

He had contacted his agency, the Seven Summit Treks in Nepal, which then got in touch with famous mountaineer Nazir Sabir, the owner of Nazir Sabir Expeditions, which was managing one of the four expeditions on the Nanga Parbat.

The ACP said after Nazir Sabir approached the military, helicopters reached the base camp, 4,800 metres high, at around 6am to 7am.

The only Pakistani murdered at the base camp was Ali Hussain, a cook and a high-altitude porter from Hushe village.

The sole bread earner of his family, Hussain left behind his five year-old son and two daughters.

According to the ACP, three climbers from the Polish Alpine Club — Adam Stadnik, Boguslaw Magrel and Wlodek Kierus - who were climbing the Nanga Parbat at the time of the attack had also told various sources the nightmarish experiences.

“The camp was surrounded, all climbers were dragged out of their tents, bound, robbed and then shot,” the ACP quoted Boguslaw Magrel writing in a blog.

The ACP said there were about 50 or so climbers from Pakistan, Ukraine, and international teams consisting of climbers from Russia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Azerbaijan.

Another team of Ukrainian and Slovak climbers along with Sherpas from Nepal had brought with them mountaineers from China and a climber from Turkey.

Col Manzoor Hussain, the ACP president, explained that the expeditions had started arriving in the area weeks back and had been getting acclimatised.

“The Chinese were part of the Nazir Sabir Expedition and had arrived late on June 19 and were still at base camp I. The other climbers who were at the base camp that night and were killed were those who were unwell or had set up base camp II farther up the route and had returned to rest,” said Col Hussain, explaining how the climbers would often establish base camps higher on the mountain but descend to the previous camp as a technique to gradually get used to the thin air at the high altitudes.

After a sleepless night, the climbers were flown to Gilgit in helicopters and brought to Islamabad in a C-130 aircraft.

However, most of the climbers who had to abandon their summit after the incident updated their blogs, urging discretion especially when terrorist elements had targeted foreign tourists in Pakistan.

Nonetheless, the ACP said the Romanians on the Rupal side, the highest rock and ice wall in the world, of the Nanga Parbat were still climbing and had reached 7,200 metres a few days ago on the 8,126 metres high peak.

After managing to equip the route and camps for a summit push, the team started descending to lower camps.

The team was now for a clear window to continue the climb and make a summit push. An official decision on the matter was awaited.

KPK to supply power to whole country in five years: Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government would generate sufficient electricity in the next five years to meet the energy needs of the country.

He assured that the PTI would establish an exemplary government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and introduce a model of good governance for other provinces to follow. Imran said that the PTI government would eliminate the class-based education system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and introduce a uniform education system, syllabus. He vowed to remove dichotomy from the education system in the province.

Imran said the PTI provincial government would establish an independent accountability institution to ensure transparency and accountability in the province. He said that there is an immense need to devise a common national agenda and ensure national reconciliation to form a counterterrorism strategy.