Wednesday, 12 February, 2014
NEWS
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TRIPLE BOMBINGS IN PESHAWAR CINEMA KILL 13 unidentified men use thRee hand gRenades in attack, injuRe 20 taliban deny they caRRied out gRenade attack PESHAWAR
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STAFF REPORT
HREE back-to-back explosions inside the city’s Shama Cinema on Tuesday killed 13 people and left at least 20 others seriously injured. The multiple explosions occurred when a show of a Pashto film was ongoing in the cinema. Subsequently, 13 people were killed whereas 20 others were injured, an official at Lady Reading Hospital, Syed Jameel Shah, said where the wounded persons were shifted by rescue personnel for medical treatment. Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Ejaz Ahmed said three grenades were used and up to 80 people
‘REAL STAKEHOLDERS NOT PART OF PEACE TALKS’
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Aitzaz Ahsan on Tuesday slammed the peace talks with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), saying the real stakeholders were not made part of the peace process. Speaking in the Senate, Ahsan said that there should have been a female, and members of the minority Shia sect included in the dialogue process. “The decision is for our destiny and Taliban are holding talks with the Taliban,” said the PPP leader. He further declared that TTP has no interest in implementing Sharia in the country and their only concern revolves around the release of their accomplices imprisoned in Pakistani jails. He said that the talks illustrate the submission of the government in front of the insurgents. Ahsan added that only 30 percent of the Taliban were in the tribal areas and the remaining along with their supporters were present all over the country. PML-N leader Mushaidullah retorted to Ahsan’s criticism saying the PPP did not take the dialogue process seriously during their term. STAFF REPORT
were in the cinema at the time of the explosions. Meanwhile, security forces cordoned off the site of attack whereas army personnel sealed the area from Shami Road. Shama Cinema is situated in the busy Bacha Khan Chowk area of Peshawar. The blast at the cinema came 11 days after a similar attack at Picture House Cinema situated in Kabuli Bazaar area of the city. The attack also came as negotiators for the federal government and for Taliban militants met for a second time today as part of efforts to end the bloody seven-year insurgency. Scraps of human flesh, blood-soaked shoes and caps littered the floor of the hall after the blasts. Akbar Khan, 62, whose left arm and left thigh were injured, said from his hospital bed that he was watching a movie when a deafening blast rocked the auditorium. “It seemed like a hot iron rod pierced through my left arm and leg as I was hit by ball bearings,” he said. “I ran towards the gate, from where I was taken to hospital.” Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid denied involvement. “We condemn the blast, it’s not our activity,” he told a foreign news agency. Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan, whose party is ruling the province, said the blasts were an attempt to sabotage peace efforts.
PESHAWAR: Rescue workers inspect the scene of triple bombings in the hall of Shama Cinema on Tuesday. INP
Taliban want release of ‘some comrades’ as CBM govt negotiatoRs seek pm’s guidance foR meeting scheduled today ISLAMABAD MIAN ABRAR
The negotiators representing the militants have informed the government’s dialogue team that the Shura of the banned Tehreeke-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have urged the government to move from positive gestures to confidence building measures (CBMs) and an unconditional release of some TTP prisoners could serve the purpose, Pakistan Today has learnt reliably. The message was conveyed to the government committee at an informal meeting which took place at the residence of Major (r) Amir, sources privy to the dialogue process said. The meeting was held after Professor
Ibrahim and Maulana Yousaf returned from North Waziristan after informing the Taliban political shura and receiving their response regarding the demands of the government. “Both the teams also finalised an agenda for the formal meeting to be held between both sides today (Wednesday). Later, the government’s team called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and apprised him on the development of the talks-process and sought his guidance for the meeting,” the sources added. “During their meeting with the TTP Shura, the negotiators said that the TTP leadership expressed satisfaction on the talks process and urged for restraint from both sides for success of the dialogue process. The TTP negotiators told their counterparts that the TTP leadership wanted the dialogue with an open minded approach and all issues would be discussed at length to achieve durable peace. The TTP also wanted the
government to move from positive gestures to confidence building measures and the unconditional release of some of the Taliban prisoners may serve as a part of the same,” the sources added. Speaking to reporters after the meeting between the government and TTP committees, Irfan Siddiqui, the coordinator of the government’s committee, said the response from the Taliban’s political shura over the demands of the government was satisfactory. Maulana Samiul Haq, the TTP committee leader said the militants’ demands were conveyed to the government’s committee and in the first stage, attempts are being made to achieve a ceasefire between both the sides. During a news conference on Monday, Professor Ibrahim had said the dialogue process had entered a critical phase and he had received a positive response from the TTP leadership to the government’s demands.
If Mullah Fazlullah can lead Taliban, he can lead nation too! says taliban Ready foR ceasefiRe but govt should take the initiative says taliban do not feaR militaRy opeRation in case talks fail ISLAMABAD AGENCIES
In a move that could affect the ongoing peace talks with the government, the Pakistani Taliban have said that they want their commander Mullah Fazlullah to lead the country. “In Pakistan, Mullah Fazlullah is leading us and he has all the qualities to
lead the Pakistani nation,” said Shahidullah Shahid, spokesman of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Shahid further said in an interview with Newsweek Pakistan that the militants, who are fighting for Sharia in Pakistan, consider Afghan Taliban spiritual leader Mullah Omar as their “Amir-ul-Momineen” (leader of the faithful). The TTP is engaged in peace talks with the government and negotiators from both sides met for the first time last week to draw up a roadmap for dialogue. But Shahid said the TTP is at war with the government for two reasons its “friendship” with the US and the continuation of the “un-Islamic democratic system”. “We want the establishment of Sharia in Pakistan; this was the reason that Pakistan was created,” he claimed. Shahid said his group is ready for a ceasefire but the government should announce it first. He also described the government’s assertion that peace talks be conducted within the framework of
the Constitution as a “precondition”. Asked about 15 demands the TTP has reportedly made for talks with the government, he said, “We do not disagree with the demands being attributed to us in the media. However, we have is-
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sued no such information to the media.” The Taliban’s position has been communicated to the government through a committee led by radical cleric Samiul Haq, he said. The TTP wants the peace process to succeed even though previous talks failed because of the government’s “non-seriousness and foreign pressure”, he claimed. “If these talks fail, the government will obviously try to launch a military operation. But we have been tested before and passed such phases with success dozens of times,” he said. Asked about the TTP’s defeat at the hands of the Pakistani Army in Swat Valley, Shahid claimed the militants were not defeated as they had not lost their capability to fight for Sharia. Mullah Fazlullah, the current head of the TTP, hails from Swat. He fled from the region to Afghanistan when the military operation was launched in 2009 to flush out militants.
TALKS WITH TALIBAN WITHIN CONSTITUTION, MINISTER TELLS SENATE g
Rehman says govt sincerely pursuing talks with militants ISLAMABAD APP
The Senate was informed Tuesday that there is no confusion on addressing the issue of terrorism and the government is seriously pursuing dialogue with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). “The government is not confused. It has clarity in its stance that dialogue will be held within the ambit of the constitution. Dialogue is our first priority as mandated by all political parties,” State Minister for Interior Baleeghur Rehman told the House in his winding up speech on law and order situation in the country. The members from across the divide thoroughly discussed the issue on a motion moved by Senator Raza Rabbani and recorded their opinions on the ongoing law and order situation in the country. “The government is sincere in its efforts. There is no weakness. Dialogue is the first option and the government will only go for other option once this option is fully exhausted,” the minister said. About the situation in Sindh and Balochistan, he said the situation is improving in both the provinces in wake of the wise policies of the government and the Sindh chief minister has himself acknowledged a 40 percent decline in criminal activities in the province especially in Karachi. He said law and order is exclusively a provincial matter but the federal government is facilitating the provinces in this regard. He said the National Security Policy has been approved and it will soon be implemented as a whole. The partial implementation of the policy, he said, had also started generating desired results.
US WEIGHS DRONE STRIKE AGAINST AMERICAN IN PAKISTAN: REPORT WASHINGTON AGENCIES
The US government is debating whether to kill an American citizen abroad who is allegedly part of the al Qaeda network and plotting attacks against the United States, media reported Monday. President Barack Obama’s administration is weighing the possible drone strike against the American who is Pakistan, CNN television reported, citing an unnamed US official. The identity of the American al Qaeda militant and his location remain secret, as officials fear revealing that information would lead him to go deeper into hiding and derail a potential drone missile strike. US intelligence agencies and the Pentagon declined to comment on the reports. Under new guidelines handed down by Obama last May, a decision to use lethal force against an American overseas has to be based on “a continuing, imminent threat to US persons” and only if capturing the terror suspect is “not feasible.” According to the media reports, two officials said the American was an al Qaeda operative who has been directly responsible for attacks against US citizens abroad and who continues to plan attacks using homemade bombs. The Justice Department reportedly was still working to build a case against the American al Qaeda member, which would be required for any decision to go ahead. The new rules for drone strikes came in for criticism last week from the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Mike Rogers of Michigan, who accused the administration last week of undermining counter-terrorism efforts.