Two soldiers embrace mar tyrdom in

Balor ambush

RAWALPINDI S ta f f r e p o r t

Two soldiers embraced martyrdom and another sustained wounds during an ambush on a combat patrol of security forces in general area of Balor, in Balochistan, the ISPR said on Sunday

According to a statement issued by ISPR the military s media wing a combat patrol of security forces was initiated in general area Balor based on credible intelligence with respect to move of a group of terrorists, linked with firing incidents on Security Forces and civillians besides planting of Improvised Explosive Devices in Hoshab area While establishment of blocking positions to cut the escape routes was underway, a party of terrorists tried to ambush closing in patrol and opened fire onto Security Forces

As a result of heavy exchange of fire two brave sons of the nation Major Saqib Hussain and Naik Baqir Ali embraced Shahadat while another soldier got injured, the ISPR statement said The statement said the security forces in step with the nation remain determined to thwart such attempts at sabotaging peace stability and progress of Balochistan Resultantly the follow up operation to nab the perpetrators of attack continues in the area Earlier in the day, three terrorists were killed during an exchange of fire with security forces in Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Sunday According to a statement of ISPR the military s media affairs wing the security forces carried out an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Kulachi area of DI Khan and three terrorist were gunned down in the exchange of fire

The killed terrorists remained actively involved in various terrorist activities against security forces Police and innocent civilians

They were also highly wanted for conducting a raid on a Police check post in Kulachi on 11 April 2022, which resulted in Shahadat of five brave police constables

Govt committed to fast economic progress: SAPM

ISLAMABAD S ta f f r e p o r t Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) Qaiser Ahmad Sheikh on Sunday said that the incumbent government under the leadership of Shehbaz Sharif was trying to remove all hurdles on the way to economic progress and prosperity

Talking to a private television channel program, he said that there had been difficulties in fulfilling the demands and criteria for investors who were trying to heavy investments in the country He said investors had made complaints about the long procedure for investment in Pakistan He said the government under the vision of Shehbaz Sharif has announced the establishment of committees to facilitate the investors One window operation facility would help address all genuine issues of investors he stated adding a heavy investment from the Gulf region is coming to Pakistan soon Giving examples of the glorious period of the 60s and 70s he said credit goes to Pakistan for providing an economic road map to East Asian and South Asian countries He said that Pakistan has the full potential and resources to make fast progress under the guidance and policies of the PML-N government

The defection-ridden Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday announced a 17-member caretaker committee to carry out reorganization of the party in Karachi As per details, PTI Sindh President Haleem Adil Shiekh issued a notification regarding formulation of the caretaker committee and names of its members after approval from the PTI chairman The committee will finalize the names of members of seven districts and will also complete the organization on town, UCs and block basis PTI’s Khurram Sherzaman has been nominated as the coordinator and Dr Shahab Imam advocate will be the secretary of the committee Earlier Pakistan Tehereek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Akram Cheema, who recently made party s Karachi president, announced that he was parting ways with the PTI over the events of May 9 In a press conference, Cheema – who had been a member of National Assembly (MNA) from Karachi – announced that he had resigned from the party s position I strongly condemn the attack on military installations on May 9 As a Pakistani, I demand that such people should be punished,” Cheema stated “We should not fight with the institutions,” the ex-lawmaker added The press conference from Cheema comes a day after an anti-terrorism court granted bail to him in the May 9 rioting and arson case Last month Muhammad Akram Cheema had been appointed as president of the party s Karachi division following resignation of Aftab Siddiqui, who quit politics over May 9 events

Four killed, several injured in rival tribes clash near Shikarpur

SHIKARPUR

S ta f f r e p o r t

Four villagers were killed and several others injured in a clash between rival tribes – Kharos and Nareja – near katcha area of Madeji in the jurisdiction of Tajo Dero Police Station on Sunday According to an initial report, after some interval the tribal deadly clash broke out in two rival Kharos and Nareja communities when they attacked on each other with automatic weapons As a result of firing four persons Aftab alias Arif Kharos, Saleh Narejo, Rabnawaz alias Raboo and one other whose name could not be ascertained till late evening were killed in their deadly clash Three of killed persons were sent to Taluka Hospital Madeji for medico legal formalities by area police The cause behind the clash was said to be an ongoing old tribal dispute developed between Kharos and Nareja tribes over the theft of cattle

Three terrorists killed in DI Khan IBO

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 01

Earlier, a terrorist was killed by security forces during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in the Tirah area of Khyber district The InterServices Public Relations (ISPR) said an IBO was conducted after Tirah Khyber district

During an intense exchange of fire one terrorist was killed and three injured by the security forces According to the military s media wing, arms, and explosive material were recovered from the killed terrorists’ possession during the IBO the statement added

Geneva K ashmir moot highlights plight of K ashmiri prisoners languishing in Indian, IIOJK jails

MIRPUR (AJK)

S ta f f r e p o r t

While voicing their grave concern over the continual illegal detention of Kashmiri prisoners in Indian as well as Occupied Kashmir s jails speakers at a seminar held on the sidelines of the 53rd session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNCHR) in Geneva late Saturday, said that thousands of detainees lodged in different jails in and outside the Valley was getting worse with every passing day

The seminar titled Plight of Kashmir

Prisoners was attended and addressed by political activists, parliamentarians, public representatives, law experts and human rights defenders hailing from different parts of the world including Altaf Hussain Wani chairman Kashmir institute of International relations Faheem Kayani Hassan ul Bana Mirza Asif Jarral and others says a message reaching and released to the media here on Sunday

The speakers continued that thousands of Kashmiris who were arrested before and after 5th August 2019 have been languishing in India s notorious jails like Tihar which has become a death trap for Kashmiris

They said that a sizable number of Kash- miris who were taken into preventive custody on 5th August 2019 continue to rot in Amphala, Udhampor, Hiranagar, Khatua and Kotbalwal jails The speakers said that the Indian government has given a free license to its forces and agencies like NIA and Enforcement Directorate to arrest Kashmiris

They said that dozens of top rank political leaders including Muhammad Yasin Malik, Musarrat Aalam Bhat, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, Asiya Andrabi and others were picked up from their homes and whisked off to prisons outside the valley

They have been actually abducted by NIA and ED and shifted to Tihar Jail under frivolous and concocted charges the speakers said, adding that scores of detainees including Dr Qasim Faktoo, Dr Shafi Shariati, Ghulam Qadir and many more were rotting in jails serving life terms

The speakers while referring to conviction of prominent Kashmiri leader Muhammad Yasin Malik said that Malik s conviction in a manifestly dubious and politically motivated case filed by the Indian National Investigation Agency, amply demonstrates how the Modi government was using judiciary as a weapon to silence legitimate Kashmiri voices

Referring to India s history of using the judiciary and other state apparatus to suppress the political and democratic dissent in the occupied Kashmir, the speakers said that India which had deprived Malik of his fundamental right to defend himself in the court of law after implicating him in a concocted case was now hell bent on eliminating him by using its judiciary

Raising their concerns over the Indian investigation agency’s bid to seek the death penalty for Yasin Malik, the speakers said that the NIA’s malicious intention poses a grave threat to the life of Mr Malik who has been leading a nonviolent movement advocating for the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute They said that it was quite astonishing to note that the JKLF chief and other Kashmiri leaders were being penalised just for raising their voice for the voiceless Kashmiris

They said that the Modi s double edged onslaught against Kashmiris was aimed at whipping up anti-Muslim sentiments, polarise people and win votes They said that the Hindu nationalist party-BJP-which played communal card to stoke hatred between the people to win elections was now using the same tactics to save its vote bank

They said that there were ample evidence which suggests that the Modi led apartheid regime, which thrives on communal divide and anti-Muslim sentiment, could use the unlawful execution of the Kashmiri leader Yasin Malik as a means to regain popularity and to bolster chances of retaining power in the upcoming Parliamentary Elections being held in 2024

The speakers appealed to the UN secretary-general to take swift and decisive action by demanding the Indian government to stop using its judiciary as a weapon to punish Kashmiri leaders who have been waging a peaceful struggle to achieve the fundamental rights guaranteed to Kashmiris by no less an authority than the United Nations

They said that India being a signatory to the Geneva Convention on political prisoners was bound to respect the rights of prisoners They said it was high time that the world human rights bodies should mount pressure on India to release all illegally detained prisoners