Pakistan News
Death toll in Lahore suicide attack touches 14
Tuesday 09 March, 2010: Rescue workers on Tuesday found another body in the debris of the office of a special investigation unit that was targeted by a suicide car bomber, taking the death toll in the attack to 14.
A spokesman for the state-run Rescue 1122 service said the body was found while workers were clearing the debris of the special investigation units office in Model Town area of Lahore.
Thirteen people were killed and about 80 others injured when the suicide car bomber struck the office on Monday.
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the bombing and said it would carry out more such attacks on government buildings till US drone attacks and military operations against militants were halted.
Hafiz Saeed accuses India of imposing war on Pak by building dams
Lahore, Mar. 8: Jamat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed has said India has imposed war on Pakistan by constructing illegal dams and diverting water of Pakistani rivers, and Islamabad should be ready to counter this hostility.
Addressing JuD’s protest rally against theft of Pakistani waters by India, the mastermind of the Mumbai terror attacks said that water is a matter of life and death for Pakistan, and vowed to stage protests across the country against Indian water aggression.
“I am declared guilty of raising voice for the oppressed people of Held Kashmir but my religion allows me for that,” the Nation quoted Saeed, as saying.
“UN Security Council imposed sanctions against Jamatud Dawah but now it is silent on controversial Indian plans in Held Kashmir,” he added.
He pointed out that due to shortage of water, Pakistan would have to face a lot of hardships in agriculture sector besides acute scarcity of potable water.
Meanwhile, hundreds of JuD activists participated in the rally, which culminated in front of Punjab Assembly.
The farmer wing of JuD also held the ‘Water Rally’ in Lahore to protest construction of Indian dams on rivers in Kashmir, and demanded the government to take practical steps to secure Pakistani water. (ANI)
Pak leaders blame 'foreign hands', RAW for Lahore attack
Islamabad, Mar.9: Continuing their old policy of blaming 'foreign powers' for terror attacks in the country, Pakistani leaders have once again pointed fingers toward involvement of foreign hands in Monday's suicide bombing at the office of the Special Intelligence Agency in Lahore in which at least 11 persons were killed.
Talking to media persons here, Interior Minister Rehman Malik blamed the Taliban for the attack, saying the banned extremist outfit was working as 'mercenaries' in Pakistan.
"Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been involved in all terror attacks in the country... they are hired killers and want to destabilise Pakistan," Malik said.
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah went a step ahead and directly blamed India's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for the suicide attack.
Sanaullah also pointed fingers towards Israel, and other countries.
"India's Research and Analysis Wing was involved in Monday's suspected suicide car bomb attack on a special investigation unit. Besides other neighbouring countries, India's RAW is also involved. Israel and other countries could also be involved," The Nation quoted Sanaullah, as saying. (ANI)
US drone attack kills five suspected militants in North Waziristan
Peshawar, Mar.9: At least five people were killed and three others injured in a suspected US drone attack in Maley Khan Sirai area located near Miranshah bazaar in North Waziristan.
A security official in Peshawar, while confirming the drone attack, said the unmanned Predator aircrafts targeted a compound in Miramshah where some militants had gathered, The Dawn reports.
"Two drones fired three missiles in Miranshah bazaar. Two buildings in the centre of the bazaar were hit and destroyed in the attack," a local resident said while requesting anonymity.
US drone attacks have recently increased in the Pak-Afghan border, which is the main hub of Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
The attack was the second major US strike in the region in the last one month.
In February, brother of Al-Qaeda linked extremist commander Sirajuddin Haqqani, was reportedly killed in a similar attack.
The Pakistani military, which is currently involved in an offensive in South Waziristan, is under increasing pressure from the United States to expand the offensive to North Waziristan.
US officials believe that the top leadership of the Pakistani Taliban has fled the Pakistani offensive in South Waziristan and is currently hiding in the North.
The Pak-Taliban had claimed responsibility for the suicide attack on a C.I.A. base in Khost, Afghanistan, in December, killing eight people.
The American drone attacks have increased since then, and one of them is thought to have killed the leader of Pakistani Taliban, Hakimullah Mehsud last month.
The Taliban insists he is still alive. (ANI)
No 'high profile' terrorist housed in SIA building during Monday's terror attack
Lahore, Mar.9: There were no high-profile terrorists housed at the Special Intelligence Agency's (SIA) sub-office, which was attacked on Monday.
According to The Daily Times, the main investigation office of the SIA had already been shifted to another place after intelligence reports of a terror threat.
The building was being used to house officials only, sources said.
Sources also said that a few days ago officials had brought Aqeel alias Doctor Usman, the alleged mastermind of the General Headquarters (GHQ) terror attack for interrogation, but later the investigations were shifted to the main investigation bureau.
Meanwhile, officials are also looking for a lead into the Monday's blast through a case registered on January 28, regarding an explosive device being found while some materials were being off-loaded in the building. (ANI)
|
