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Thursday, 5 september, 2013
khyber agency’s bagh maidan cleared of militants: officer T PESHAWAR
STAFF REPORT
HE commanding general officer for Orakzai and the adjacent Tirah Valley, Major General Humayun Aziz, on Wednesday said Bagh Maidan area had been cleared of militants and now it was safe for teh internally displaced persons (IDPs) to return home. “We have cleared 99 villages and hamlets over an area of 200 square kilometres in 22 days of military action,” Aziz said while briefing reporters. Bagh Maidan is considered a gateway to Tirah Valley, an inaccessible part of Khyber Agency, governed by administration through tribal elders, mostly based in
1984 Sikh riotS: uS diStriCt Court SummonS Sonia gandhi
Bara, Jamrud and Landikotal tehsils. However, now senior officials of the armed forces are desirous of establishing offices of civil administration, schools, hospitals and other facilities in the area. Aziz said military action in Bagh Maidan began on May 28 and had been completed by June 20. During the 22-day operation, 104 militants were killed and 64 were injured, adding that eight security forces personnel had been martyred and 25 had been injured. The killed included Lt Col Sajiid. He said earlier 1,000 to 1,500 TTP militants were present in this part of Khyber Agency however now only 500 had been left. He said while fleeing the militants set on fire almost all houses in the area.
NEW YORK ONLINE
On a complaint by a Sikh group, a US federal court has issued summons against Indian ruling party Congress president Sonia Gandhi for shielding party officials allegedly involved in inciting attacks on Sikhs in November 1984, Indian media quoting an attorney said on Wednesday. In a class action suit filed before the district court of eastern district of New York, "Sikhs For Justice" (SFJ), a US-based human rights group, and other victims of the November 1984 anti-Sikh violence sought compensatory and punitive damages against Gandhi. According to SFJ Attorney Gurpatwant S Pannun, under federal rules, it has 120 days to serve the summons and complaint on Gandhi who is currently visiting the US for medical check-up. The suit under Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) and Torture Victim Protection Act (TVPA) accuses Gandhi of shielding and protecting Kamal Nath, Sajjan Kumar, Jagdish Tytler and other Congress party leaders from being prosecuted for their alleged role in the 1984 violence. The 27-page complaint against Gandhi alleges that between November 1 and 4, 1984, about 30,000 members of the Sikh community "were intentionally tortured, raped and murdered by groups that were incited, organised, controlled and armed" by the ruling Congress party.
PESHAWAR: Locals protest against the recent increase in petroleum prices on Wednesday. INP
shariF moves To arresT decay S RAHMAN OLITICAL class is known throughout the world to be power hungry but exceptions are always there the like of which is shining on our horizon in the shape of Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif who is a breaker of power-mongering traditions. As such, PM Sharif is an iconolclast who has set new trends and traditions in national politics that will definitely go a long way in cleansing the country of political hanky panky manifesting at times in the form of horse-trading, breach of trust and loyalty-buying machinations. No more machinations, this is the loud and clear message from Nawaz Sharif who has pioneered the cause of altruistic politics i.e politics of sacrifices for greater national cause. The underlying spirit is that of building up the nation afresh for the sole objective of ridding it of all those ills that have caused damage to national integration and solidarity. Not striving to form governments in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Balochistan and AJK is a highly positive move undertaken on the part of Nawaz regime in the direction of national unity and cohesiveness. This was total departure from the past. Who doesn't know that a large number of our politicians had been putting the things
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upside down to grab power even in the midst of elected government's mandated tenures. It is on record as how some politicians had been conspiring with national institutions' senior office-holders with the idea of stage-managing their political opponents' ouster. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership took a 360-degree turn and bid farewell to all these political malpractices. The party could easily form governments in KPK, Balochistan and AJK by joining hands with other political parties that would have been more than willing (rather were already willing) to join hands with the single largest party at the Centre and the twothird majority party in the biggest province of Punjab. But Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif did not go for any powerseeking endeavours. In Balochistan, he took a very wise step of lending support to a middle-class, intellectually honest and upright political worker namely Dr Abdul Malik, to form the government. This sacrifice alone is more than sufficient to prove that PML-N has permanently adopted the political philosophy of service to the nation and end to politics of fragmentation, grievances and conspiracies. In Balochistan in particular this move was called for since long as the wide gulf and disconnect between the Balochistan government leaders and their people had continued to widen further to aggravate the security situation inside that province. Obviously, when any region or province is confronted with a situation of fragmentation, the end result is decay and deterioration in the 'peace and stability' environment. So, on one hand, Nawaz Sharif's politics of sacrifice has arrested the decay and deterioration of peace and stability environment and, on the other, it has sent a strong signal to the Baloch brethren that no one in other provinces would be henceforth allowed to victimize the people of Balochistan for the perpetuation of their own perks, privileges and power. Even in the case of KPK, the humble, sacrificing approach of PML-N leadership has yielded a very positive
demonstration effect and led to diversification and sharing of national political power. Had Prime Minister Sharif or his party colleagues seriously tried to form government in KPK, the target would have been achieved with more or less effort and political wheeling and dealing. In this particular case, the PML-N again took a pragmatic stand with extreme sense of accommodation for other political forces including the staunch rival, Imran Khan, of PTI. This has furthered the cause of national unity through diversity of politics. Many advanced nations of the world have seen successes through diversity of politics and governance. Nawaz Sharif's political sagacity and farsightedness is established from his KPK policy as well as from his AJK policy. In AJK the situation was ripe for a change of government with the noconfidence motion having already been tabled in the AJK assembly against the sitting PM. The PML-N leaders could take advantage of that no-trust move to pave the way for installation of a government either of their own choice or the one enjoying the PML-N patronage, albeit for a temporary phase. Even that 'opportunity' was rejected. The reason for rejecting that opportunity was the same that of ensuring greater national unity through sharing and diversification of political power.
nato trailer driver Shot dead in maStung MASTUNG ONLINE
Unidentified armed men on Wednesday opened fire on a trailer carrying a NATO container in Mastung, killing the driver of the vehicle. According to Levis sources, the assailants opened fire at the NATO container near Choongi Crossing and fled, killing the driver, Abdul Aziz, on the spot. Sources said the driver was a resident of Nasirabad. His body has been moved to hospital for autopsy. Law enforcement agencies have cordoned off the area to arrest the accused.
baloCh inviteS Jui-f to Join baloChiStan govt ISLAMABAD ONLINE
Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has invited the Jamiat Ulema-e-IslamFazl (JUI-F) to join the provincial government. The sources said the invitation was extended in a meeting with JUI-F leader Abdul Ghafoor Haideri on Wednesday. Muhammad Khan Sherani, Maulana Wasay and Hasil Bazenjo were also present. Baloch asked the JUI-F to become part of provincial government as it had already joined the federal government. Haideri said he would get back to the chief minister after consultation with the party leadership. In the meeting, the Balochistan government, cabinet and security matters were also discussed.