26 Monday, August 17, 2015

Minister, 15 others killed India summons Pak envoy New Delhi TERROR JOLTS PAKISTAN ndia summoned Pakistan’s Shadi Khan envoy in New Delhi yesterday wo suicide attackers toI protest against civilian deaths yesterday killed a in recent troop firings along PakistaniT provincial minister, their disputed border, hiking who had campaigned against tensions ahead of talks between militants, and at least 15 other the nuclear-armed rivals. people, after detonating a bomb Six civilians died on the at a meeting the minister was weekend in troubled Indian attending. Kashmir after firing and shelling “Punjab Home Minister by Pakistani troops from across Shuja Khanzada has embraced the border, according to Indian martyrdom,” said chief rescue police. official Mohammad Ashfaq. Another two civilians were Khanzada, 71, had been killed in shelling by Indian holding a meeting with local soldiers into the Pakistani side of people who had come to the disputed Himalayan region, express their condolences on according to a Pakistani official the death of his cousin. Army and rescue officials gather around a collapsed building Pakistani rescuers and onlookers gather at the site of a suicide on Saturday. He was trapped with several at the site of a suicide bomb blast in the village of Shadi Khan bomb blast in the village of Shadi Khan “We lodged a protest, and others under the rubble after conveyed our anger, at the the blast brought down the Ehsanullah terrorism. “Such dastardly Air strikes kill 40 militants unprovoked firing by Pakistani roof of the building in the coward attempts can’t dent our in NW Pakistan: military troops since August 8” including village of Shadi Khan in Attock Ehsan, national resolve to eliminate the “the systematic targeting of our district. spokesman for menace,” said army spokesman Islamabad civilian populations”, an Indian “There were two suicide Major General Asim Bajwa in a Air strikes yesterday killed foreign ministry statement said bombers, one stood outside the hardline statement. 40 suspected militants in after the meeting. the boundary wall and the Jamaat ul Ahrar “Khanzada Shaheed (martyr) northwest Pakistan near the Pakistan High Commissioner second one went inside and faction of the was a bold officer whose Afghan border as part of a Abdul Basit sought to blame stood in front of the minister,” sacrifice for the greater cause major operation against the Indian troops for the uptick Mushtaq Sukhera, provincial Tehreek e of cleansing Pakistan won’t go in firing incidents in recent Taliban and other insurgents, police chief, said. Taliban Pakistan to waste.” months. “The blast by the bomber Punjab’s government the military said. “There have been close to 70 standing outside ripped the (TTP) movement announced a three-day The attacks took place in ceasefire violations from this wall which caused the roof to Shuja Khanzada was a retired claimed mourning period in the the Shawal area of the North side of the LoC (Line of Control) fall flat on the minister and army officer province starting today. Waziristan tribal region, and working boundary,” Basit people gathered there,” he said. responsibility Officials said there were up where the army has been told reporters outside the foreign Sukhera added police were for the hardline Jamaat ul Ahrar for the attack to 40 people in the compound waging an offensive against ministry office in Delhi where he investigating whether the faction of the Tehreek e Taliban when the suicide attack took militant hideouts since June had been hauled in. attacker inside the building Pakistan (TTP) movement place. The attack caused the last year. India and Pakistan often detonated a bomb. claimed responsibility for the the Pakistan Muslim League entire roof slab to fall in one “In precise aerial strikes, 40 accuse each other of violating a A police spokeswoman said attack on Twitter, saying it (Nawaz), the party of Prime piece - complicating rescue 2003 ceasefire agreement along terrorists were killed this that 16 people including the was revenge for the killing of a Minister Nawaz Sharif. efforts. their de facto border known as minister and two policemen sectarian militant commander The prime minister, along A specially-trained team of afternoon in Shawal,” the the Line of Control (LoC) that were killed and 22 others and others. with President Mamnoon army rescuers with modern military said in a statement. divides Kashmir. were wounded in the attack, Khanzada, a retired army Hussain and army chief equipment was working with It said it had reports that sev- Firing and shelling between 70 kilometres (43 miles) colonel, had been a member General Raheel Sharif civilian rescuers to lift and cut eral others were wounded, troops has occurred on an northwest of Islamabad. of the Punjab assembly since condemned the attack and sections of the fallen roof to without giving details. ‘almost’ daily basis for the past Ehsanullah Ehsan, spokesman 2002 and an active member of expressed their resolve to fight reach the victims. week along the LoC. Pakistan’s ex-spymaster Hamid Gul dies aged 79

Islamabad brain haemorrhage, relatives about Pakistan’s arch-rival chief guest at the final parade akistan’s former spymaster said. Prime Minister Nawaz India and the United States. organised by the Taliban Hamid Gul, who trained Sharif sent condolences to India viewed him with government. PAfghan resistance fighters his family. deep suspicion for his alleged The administration was against the Soviets and helped Following the Soviet links to Kashmiri militants toppled by a US-led invasion create the Taliban, has died at withdrawal from Afghanistan fighting New Delhi’s rule. later that year after failing the age of 79. in 1989, the country slid Washington worked with to hand over Al Qaeda chief Gul headed Pakistan’s into anarchy. Taliban him during the 1980s but Osama bin Laden following Inter-Services Intelligence fighters trained in Pakistan later lobbied for his inclusion the 9/11 attacks. (ISI) agency between 1987- gradually prised control on a UN list of international “Fear is no policy. 89 during the final years from the Northern Alliance terrorists. Surrender is no option,” of the Soviet occupation of of commander Ahmad Shah During an interview reads the home page of his neighbouring Afghanistan. Massoud, a national hero. in June last year, Gul had website generalhamidgul. But in retirement he was During this period, Gul said war would continue if com.pk, which depicts still seen as reflecting the maintained contacts with Afghanistan signed a security Pakistan’s green and white mindset of Pakistan’s powerful both sides in an unofficial pact allowing some 10,000 national standard along with military establishment and role as mediator. US-led troops to remain in Gul’s photo in army uniform. intelligence agency.Gul died Gul remained in the the country in non-combat He was frequently late Saturday at the Combined limelight after leaving the roles until 2016. quoted by both local and Military Hospital in the scenic military and was popular Gul also recalled his international media on issues hill resort of Murree north of among hardline Islamist last visit to Afghanistan in related to Afghanistan and Islamabad after suffering a groups for his strong views August 2001, when he was India. Hamid Gul