Pakistan Views

The students of two groups in MAO college Lahore exchanged heavy firing on Monday for about two hours. According to police armed activists of two factions of Muslim Students Federation (MSF) held positions in MAO College and exchanged fire during the 9th class examinations in the college. The students were trapped in their classes during the shootout, which was continued for about two hours. The police reached to the college during the firing but could not enter in the premises. The police entered in the college as the firing subsided but the gunmen sneaked out of the premises. The students of the college held protest demonstration outside the college and burnt tyres to protest against the incident.

The provincial metropolis and Islamabad were without power on Tuesday following a technical fault at the Gutti 500kv power transmission in Multan paralysing life and industrial activities. The irritating and repetitive power-cuts have prompted a five-member committee headed by senior Technical and Planning Manager Arshad Raza to submit an inquiry report within 72 hours. Pakistan Electricity Power Supply Company Managing Director Munawar Baseer told a press conference on Tuesday.The power went off at 0905 hours when the 500kv in Multan’s Gatti transmission line tripped after the technical fault, resulting in the tripping of other 500 and 220kv transmission lines and loss of 2600mw generation - apparently 25 percent of the available generation capacity.
Baseer said the inter-tripping system put in place by the National Transmission Distribution Company prevented the system from collapsing and damaging the 500kv and 220kv system equipment, such as transformers and generators. About the subsequent chain of events, he went on to say the inter-tripping scheme had split the system into two parts - North and South of Multan - and limited the power disruption to only the North. The power system South remained normal, he added. “The Southern Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan continued getting power. The power supply through Karachi Electric Supply Company has also remained unaffected,” he said. He also said the National Power Control Centre in Islamabad acted under the Emergency Response System and restored the power to Islamabad at 0947 hours by interconnecting the Mangla system through 220kv Mangla-Rawat line. The Tarbela Hydel Power Station and Tarbela-Sangjani line were restored. The 220kv and 500kv systems to Lahore, Faisalabad and other areas were partially restored by 1430 hours and fully restored at 1513 hours. He told reporters that the committee would submit a comprehensive report covering the analysis of network operations, protective system in place and anomalies. “The committee will then present clear recommendations and specific solutions in the network protection and control system to avoid such mishaps in the future,” he added. He said his company had set up state-of-art call centres in FESCO, LESCO and IESCO under the company’s supervision and also rental powerhouses and rehabilitation of the existing thermal power plants.
He went on, “The company is pursuing a plan in two ways - one from the demand side and the second from the supply management. Targeting of 1800mw for 2008, the company is adding 425mw on a fast-track rental generation, 550mw by adding a new rental plant and 300 more by rehabilitating the current GENCO owned generation plants. PEPCO has targeted 1850mw in 2008 by energy conservation initiatives. As earlier mentioned, PEPCO has achieved its target of 500mw of saving by the energy conservation campaign. Further, a medium-term plan to enhance the generation capacity of 6100mw has also been articulated.”

A reshuffle was made in Pakistan Army here on Monday as Lieutenant General Shafaat Ullah Shah, Corps Commander Lahore was posted as Chief of Logistic Staff at the General Headquarters, besides many Principal Staff Officers of Pakistan Army transferred and given new assignments.
Major General Mukhtar Ahmed, DG NAB has been transferred and posted as Director General in General Headquarters. The command authority of Pakistan Army has made transfers of various PSOs of the force and they were given new assignments.
Lieutenant General Shafaat Ullah Shah, Corps Commander Lahore, has been transferred and posted as CLS at the General Headquarters. Lieutenant General Ijaz Ahmed Bakhshi replaced General Shafaat as Corps Commander Lahore, said a press release of Inter-Services Public Relations here on Monday.
Corps Commander Mangla, Lieutenant General Sajjad Akram has been transferred and posted as Deputy Chairman, Earthquake, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Authority (Erra), whereas, Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed, deputy chairman Erra has been posted as Corps Commander, Mangla. Lieutenant General Shujaat Zamir Dar has been given new assignment in General Headquarters.

The police have arrested two persons in suspicion for planning suicide attack, the sources said. Explosive material in large quantity and jacket kits used in suicide attacks were also seized from their possession, the police claimed. The police also said that the held persons have made important disclosures, which will help in arresting miscreants wanted in terrorism activities.

The death toll in suicide attack and explosions at Pakistan Navy War College near Mall Road Underpass Lahore has increased to seven with several injured in the incident. After suicide attack at Pakistan Navy War College cylinders in vehicles parked in the premises explode in a series,” a spokesman of the government of Punjab said on Tuesday. Two persons were killed in the cylinder blasts,” the spokesman added.wenty seriously injured persons have been provided medical aid at Mayo and Services Hospital in Lahore. While remaining injured have been admitted in other hospitals of the city.The gates of the college were closed after the explosions. Army commandoes have sealed the area and media persons have been denied access to the premises. ccording to reports the head and body of the suicide bomber were found from the spot and transferred to hospital.President Musharraf, caretaker prime minister Mohammedmian Soomro, Asif Zardari, Sindh governor Ishrat-ul-Ebad, chief minister of Sindh Justice (Rtd) Abdul Quadir Helepota and others have condemned the incident and expressed grief over loss of precious lives.

Four terrorists belonged to a banned outfit have been arrested here on Tuesday.
Police sources said that alleged terrorists included Fahad Munir, nephew of Riaz Basra of outlawed outfit Lashkar-i-Jhangvi and his three aides.
According to Lahore police, arrested persons are being interrogated about suicide bombings. Explosives and detonators have also been recovered from the detainees.

The annual election of Lahore High Court Bar is underway on Saturday. The voting which begun at 9:00 am would continue till 5:00 pm.
At least ten thousand lawyers are exercising their right of vote. Fifteen candidates are taking part in these elections.
Anwar Kamal supported by Professional Group, Pervez Inayat Malik supported by Sardar Latif Khan Khosa group and Moazzam Iqbal contesting for president ship.
For vice president, four candidates, for secretary five and for secretary finance three candidates including two women are contesting elections.

The lawyers of the Lahore Bar also boycotted the courts and voiced slogans outside Aiwan-e-Adal and Session Courts.
Lahore High Court (LHC) lawyers staged a demonstration and raised vociferous slogans outside the court of LHC former president Justice Ahsan Bhawan, inside the court of Justice Molvi Anwarul Huque and outside the courts of other judges, while the security men had to intervene to drive out the lawyers from the court of Justice Molvi Anwarul Huque and the court was adjourned.
Following the incident, a delegation of the Lahore High Court Bar led by its president Firdaus Butt called on the LHC Chief Justice, Justice Zahid Hussain, when the CJ Zahid Hussain said that the lawyers wanted to boycott the courts may do so, but should not pressurize the judges. LHC CJ assured the Bar president that the cases would not be disposed off on lawyers’ staying away from the courts.

The cold weather intensified after the downpour in early morning here on Thursday.
The intermittent rains, which started from 4am in Lahore and other cities, have increased the intensity of cold weather.
According to Met Department, the rainy season will last all day long in Lahore, Sahiwal, Okara, Bahalnagar, DG Khan, Jhehlum and Sargodha and Friday will be cloudy; whereas, Saturday will be a routine Punjab day with the sun and sunshine.

At least three students killed when a Rawalpindi-bound train hit them on Wednesday morning near Shahdra area of Mughalpura. The children including two brothers were on route to their school. Owing to the fog-covered atmosphere, they could not make out the train drawing near, while crossing the railways track. The train ran over them. All of them died on the spot.