Story Highlights
MQM Operation
A case has been filed by Rangers against Muttahida Qaumi MQM London-based chief Altaf Hussain, a week after Rangers raided Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) head office at Nine- zero in Karachi. The case has been registered under section-7 of Anti-Terrorism Act and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code. According to the complainant, the MQM chief had threatened Rangers officials following the raid on its Headquarters while speaking on a private TV programme.
According to police sources this case is first of its kind as no case has ever been registered based on statements made on a TV show. The Rangers official also stated that following the raid on MQM Headquarters, Altaf threatened members of the paramilitary force who were involved in the operation.
Meanwhile things turned ugly for MQM when a party worker on Death row Saulat Mirza, in a video statement, hurled allegations on Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and its top leadership, just a few hours before his execution is scheduled to take place. Mirza was found guilty of murdering the then managing director (MD) of Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC), Malik Shahid Hamid, and his two companions in 1997. Mirza said he was an MQM worker and received direct orders from party leader Babar Ghauri to assassinate KESC chief, however, MQM dismissed the allegations and claimed that these allegations do not hold any legal value.
Last Wednesday, the paramilitary Rangers raided MQM head office and surrounding areas, and seized a huge quantity of illegal weapons and arrested number of suspects including some convicts.
Meanwhile Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that operation in Karachi was launched after taking all political parties into confidence. He said the situation in Karachi had considerably improved since the start of the operation and incidents of kidnapping for ransom, extortion of money and target killing had reduced.
Lahore Church Attack
Two simultaneous bomb blasts on churches in Lahore on Sunday was the second most covered story this week in which 16 people were killed and nearly 80 were wounded. Blasts took place during prayers at two churches, located at half a kilometer apart in Christian-majority area of Youhanabad. Splinter group of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, Jamaatul Ahrar claimed responsibility for the attacks.
The agitated mob protesting after the blasts beat and burned two suspects, which were later found innocent. Thousands of Christians later spread across the city’s streets, blocked main roads and highway, damaged public property and smashed vehicles with clubs. Police resorted to baton- charge and gas shells to disperse the crowd as the mob clashed with police. Several people including protesters, police and citizens received injuries during the riot. District government deployed Rangers in Youhanabad to control the law and order situation, which calmed down after successful negotiations between the government and Christian community’s representatives. Protesters also took it to the street in other cities of Punjab where they chanted slogans against the government and demand security to the minorities.
Meanwhile Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan condemned bombing as well as killing of two citizens at the hands of mob. He said those who attacked churches will be punished, but those who burnt human beings alive shall also not escape. He promised to nab the law breakers and bring them to justice.
War Against Terror
Operation against terrorists in tribal areas of Pakistan continues as a Taliban leader and two others were killed in the latest attack by a US drone targeting bases of Pakistani Taliban leaders on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border on Thursday.
According to media reports Pakistani intelligence officials as well as Taliban sources confirmed strike on the border between Pakistan’s Kurram agency and Afghanistan. The Taliban in a statement said that strike killed Pakistani Taliban commander Khawray Mehsud who possessed great militant skills and was very close to Hakimullah Mehsud.
The strikes came amid warming relations between Afghanistan and Pakitan. Relations between the two countries have been improved as Pakistan supports potential peace talks between the Afghan government and Afghan Taliban. Meanwhile, according to media reports another 34 militants were killed in air strikes in the Khyber region on Wednesday. Media reports also quote security officials as saying that there were strong indications the leader of the Pakistani Taliban, Maulana Fazlullah, was in the area at the time of the air strikes.
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