CMYK
Tuesday, 7 July, 2020 I 15 Dhū al-Qa‘dah, 1441 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XI No 9 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition
uzair BaloCh was an iranian sPy, Jit rePort says g
Pakistan, China ink agreement of $1.5bn Azad Pattan Hydel Power Project g
Asim Bajwa says mega project will create 3,000 jobs, provide an annual income of Rs1.38bn to Punjab, AJK from water use
Report claims Lyari ganglord passed on info of army installations to Iranian intelligence, killed at least 198 people on ‘ethnic and political grounds’ KARACHI
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STAFF REPORT
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HE Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report on Lyari ganglord Uzair Jan Baloch states that he passed on secret information regarding Pakistan Army installations to the Iranian intelligence and was behind a large number of targeted killings and politically motivated murders of rival gangsters and civilians. The Sindh government made public the JIT reports of three high-profile cases — concerning Uzair Baloch, the Baldia factory fire incident and former chairman of the Fishermen Cooperative Society Nisar Morai — after much controversy and litigation in courts on Monday. The three JIT reports were uploaded to the website of the Sindh home department and elicited varied responses from different political parties. The six-member JIT formed by the Sindh government in February 2016 to interrogate Baloch, comprising representatives of security and intelligence agencies, unanimously declared him as “black”, finding that Baloch along with his gang members was involved in a large number of murders/targeted killings of his rivals and innocent citizens including ethnic and “politically motivated killings”. “The accused has accepted his criminal acts before JIT and co-related all his actions with actual criminal happenings on [the] ground,” the report said of the chief of the outlawed Peoples Amn Committee (PAC). He also martyred several police and Rangers personnel and attacked police stations. In total, Baloch “confessed” to killing 198 people on ethnic and political grounds and owing to
Coronavirus in
Pakistan
CONFIRMED CASES:
233,646
DAY'S DEATH TOLL:
50
RECOVERED:
NEW CASES:
3,344 DEATHS:
131,659 4,818 SINDH:
96,236
PUNJAB:
81,963
KP:
BALOCHISTAN:
AJK/GB:
ISLAMABAD:
28236
10,814
1,342/1,561 13,494
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Baldia factor y fire JIT says incident was a ‘planned sabotage/terror activity ’
ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
gangwar rivalry, according to the report. It revealed that Baloch, 42, told the investigators that he and his accomplices killed 11 traders of the Shershah junk market in 2010 because they were “sympathisers” of a political party and gave extortion to that party. He also admitted that in order to take revenge of the killing of his father, he kidnapped his rival gang leader Arshad Pappu and two others with the help of certain police officers and murdered them brutally. In addition to the murders, the JIT said Baloch was also involved in extortion, land grabbing, China-cutting and narcotics trafficking. Another revelation in the report was regarding Baloch’s alleged espionage activities. Baloch disclosed that he obtained a fake birth certificate of Iran in the late 1980s with the help of his aunt, who was a dual Pakistan-Iranian citizen, and in 2006 managed to obtain his Iranian identity card and passport. In 2014, when Baloch was residing with a friend in the Iranian port city of Chabahar, one Haji Nasir offered to arrange a meeting between Baloch and Iranian intelligence officers.
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Pakistan and China on Monday signed an agreement for the construction of $1.5 billion Azad Pattan Hydel Power Project. Prime Minister Imran Khan witnessed the signing ceremony. Addressing the ceremony, the prime minister said the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project will prove to be a milestone in the country’s development and prosperity. “The CPEC is the future of Pakistan,” he said. The premier further said time would prove the long term benefits of the CPEC project, which was based upon economic cooperation between Pakistan and China. He said Pakistan could learn a lot from China in realms of economic progress and prosperity as the country was fast emerging as world economic power. He expressed the optimism that in the future, they would learn from the Chinese experiences. The CPEC had different phases with various bright aspects for prosperity and progress, he added. Referring to the signing of the agreement, PM Imran said it was part of the investment to complete a power project based upon the clean energy. Unlike past, the project would not burden the people, he said and mentioned the previous governments’ costly projects which were made functional with imported fuel, thus increasing the cost
At least five killed, several injured in Karachi thunderstorm KARACHI STAFF REPORT
Torrential rains on Monday wreaked havoc in the port city, killing at least five people, including a woman and children. Two persons died after the roof of a house in Ibrahim Hyderi collapsed, while a three-yearold girl died when a wall collapsed in Malir’s Shamsi Society, they said, adding that a woman was electrocuted to death in Liaquatabad, while a child died of electrocution in Mominabad, Orangi Town. Several others were injured as a pole-mounted transformer (PMT) fell in Ibrahim Hyderi, a spokesperson for the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum (PFF) said. One person was injured as a tree fell in Korangi’s Sector 33-D, while a five-year-old was wounded when a wall collapsed in Malir’s Memon Goth. The monsoon system was said to have been in Karachi’s southeast since the morning and had strengthened due to humidity from the sea, leading to the first rain in Pakistan’s financial capital. Earlier in the day, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) director had noted
PM says time would prove long-term benefits of CPEC
of energy manifold and stressing the local currency. The prime minister said due to those policies, the power industry ran into losses impacting the consumers. He regretted that the country could not compete with its neighbouring countries in terms of generating the low-cost energy. He said the hydropower generation was considered as a big source of clean energy which was also in line with his government’s policy of ‘Clean and Green Pakistan’ and regarded as environment friendly. Meanwhile, CPEC Authority Chairman Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa said 3,000 jobs would be created through the mega project and it would provide an annual income of Rs1.38 billion to Punjab and Azad Kashmir from water use. He added, “With an investment of $1.5 billion, no fuel import, we are moving towards cheaper and greener power.” Last year in November, Pakistan and China agreed to include 700 megawatts Azad Pattan hydropower project under the CPEC. which is to be financed through Chinese currency. Azad Pattan hydropower project is a run-of-theriver scheme on the River Jhelum, in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir, with a capability of four hours of daily peaking. The project would be located near the Azad Pattan bridge upstream of 720 MW Karot hydropower project and downstream of 640 MW Mahal hydropower project and would be part of the River Jhelum hydel cascade. The project would deliver approximately 3.3 billion units of clean, renewable energy in the grid after its completion in 2026. Being developed under the 2002 power policy, the project would be transferred free of cost to the government after the term.
more inside
Coronavirus death toll reaches 4,762 in Pakistan STORY ON PAGE 03
that thunder cells were observed near Karachi and the rain spell was “strong”. The PMD official said wind speeds in the thunderstorm were recorded at 54 kilometres per hour. According to data provided by the authority, the highest rainfall was recorded in Saddar, at 43 millimetres (mm), while 26 mm was registered at Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Faisal Base, 22mm in Nazimabad, 12mm at PAF Masroor Base, 8.8mm at Karacih’s Jinnah International Airport, 3.1mm in Landhi, and 1.2mm in Surjani Town. As the torrential rain accompanied by a thunderstorm started late afternoon in Karachi,
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two trees were reported to have been downed near Drigg Road on Shahrah-e-Faisal and the Arts Council of Pakistan, leading to traffic blockage. Despite the PMD’s early forecast, there seemed to be no plan to manage the traffic disruption from related authorities. Limited visibility due to heavy rain disrupted traffic flow at Shahrah-e-Faisal, while rain water stagnated near Quaidabad Bridge. A major traffic jam was seen at President House Road, I.I. Chundrigar Road, and near Governor House. People returning to their homes were stranded in traffic.
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Shujaat advises PM Imran to avoid confrontation with media STORY ON BACK PAGE
Dr Zafar Mirza tests positive for Covid-19 STORY ON PAGE 03
Zardari’s indictment in Park Lane reference deferred yet again
STORY ON PAGE 02