Pakistan Views

At least 14 people have been killed in flooding and rains in different parts of Frontier whereas provincial government has called army after severe flooding and rains throughout the province.

Three more bodies have been recovered from the rainstorm drain in Tekhta Baig area of tehsil Jamrood of Khyber Agency.

There is low flooding in River Chinnab at Khanki and Qadirabad and River Ravi at Biluki in Punjab and River Indus at Guddu.

Situation is worsening in different areas of district Peshawar as floodwaters had entered into houses in Potohar, Reigi, Shahi Bala and adjoining areas forced people to stay at homes.

District government has called army and helicopter help to cope up with the situation. Chief Minister Frontier Ameer Hyder Khan Hoti said that full support would be given to district government.

Transporters have started wheel-jam strike in Peshawar against hike in petroleum products prices.

Sources said that the strike has begun at the end of deadline given by transporters for withdrawal of increment in prices.

Heavy police contingents have been deployed at Haji camp ada, Charsadda ada, Kohat ada, Peshawar bus terminal and other bus terminals in the city.

The passengers of inter-provincial and local buses are facing severe problems due to strike.

Meanwhile, transporters stage protest demonstration at GT Road and burnt tyres.

The spate of prolonged and unannounced load-shedding of electricity in the provincial capital city here including other districts continued, which has triggered acute shortage of water also in several areas, paralyzing the normal life of the people.
University Town, Gulbahar, Rashidabad, Bashirabad, Wazirbagh Road, Haji Camp, Nothia and old city areas bore the main brunt of 6 to 8 hours of load-shedding, which continued in the night also, forcing the people to pass sleepless nights. Protracted power outage has caused acute shortage of water also in several areas. Besides Peshawar, Abbotabad, Charsadda, Nowshehra, Mardan and other districts as well suffered load-shedding with no respite. Citizens have demanded cutting short the load-shedding time in summer season.

Militants and political administration signed a peace pact Wednesday after a 10-day operation to clear the area of militants.

The agreement was signed by officials from the Khyber district administration and an 18-member group of tribal elders, who held talks with militant leader Mangal Bagh a day earlier.

A 13-member peace committee of tribal elders and Khyber administration officials has been formed to ensure the implementation of the pact which was signed in Peshawar.

It was assured to the government that Laskar-e-Islam has accepted the writ of the government in the area.
All religious groups would remain peaceful and the display of weapons in the region’s main town of Bara would be banned.

The main market in Bara has been reopened since the agreement was signed and a curfew on the town lifted.

A 35-member tribal Jirga arrived here Sunday to negotiate the ongoing operation in Khyber Agency with the agency’s Political Agent and other government officials. Jirga has formally initiated its working today and would hold talks with Lashkar-i-Islam chief, Haji Mangal Bagh and agency’s political administration. Earlier, the government and the militant organization, allegedly involved in the deadly sectarian clashes in the agency, agreed on holding negotiations to resolve the issues following days-long operation in the area by security forces. Some 16 hideouts were demolished and 90 suspects were arrested on their alleged affiliation with the two militant sectarian organizations during the operation. Bara, the main insurgency-hit town of the agency, is still impounded in curfew in view of the ongoing operation. Jirga members also met with the Lashkar chief on Saturday to get his confidence over Jirga activities, after achieving mandate for negotiations by the government to end operation and resume peace in the agency.

Security forces have taken control of Bara in an operation against miscreants in Khyber Agency on Saturday. The Inspector General of FC, Major General Muhammad Alam Khattak has said that operation would continue and last for five days.

Sources said that mortar shells have been fired from Qila Shahkas of FC in tehsil Jamrood.

Meanwhile, additional contingents of security forces have been dispatched to tehsil Bara from tehsil Jamrood. During the operation, two hideouts of a local religious movement Lashkr-e-Islam were blown up and security forces also destroyed the house of movement’s chief Mangal Bagh.

The security forces convoy comprised of six armored vehicles and tanks. In Aka Khel area, a commander of Lashkr-e-Islam, Shoaib was killed in clashes with security forces while 3 security personnel were also injured.

Situation in Khyber Agency has been tense since several days and political administration has imposed indefinite curfew in the area. Sixty people have been killed and more than 80 injured so far in the clashes.

Fighter helicopters of Pakistan army made low flights over the area on Saturday morning.

Two roadside bombs on Saturday killed two policemen and a civilian in northwest Pakistan, police said.The policemen died when the vehicle they were travelling in was blown up in Nasir Bagh neighbourhood of provincial capital Peshawar, local police officer Majid Khan told AFP.The bomb, apparently detonated by remote control, also injured two police officers, he said, adding that a police investigation was underway. A bomb also struck a vehicle carrying civilians in Khyber tribal district just outside Peshawar, killing one person and injuring three others, local official Ghulam Habib told AFP.

Five children were killed and a woman wounded in fire at a house in Sirki Gate area of Peshawar on Monday. Five children were burnt to death in the blaze, which was reportedly caused by electric short circuit. The children died in the incident identified as Nauman, Usman, Ayisha, Nadia and Tahira, were five to 13 years of age.

The death toll in attack on police check-post at Matni area here rose to three after death of an injured in hospital. Police said that some unidentified assailants late at night opened volley of fires on the police check-post manned by Reserve Police and FC personnel at Qadirabad Primary School of Matni area here, leaving two personnel dead and seven injured.
The injured were shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital here. Another injured succumbed to his injuries in the hospital increasing the death toll to three including two FC personnel and a policeman. According to the sources four injured persons after providing the first aid were discharged from the hospital. Two injured were still in hospital and one of them stated to be in a critical condition. Police have registered case against unknown attackers.

A blast has been occurred at Ring Road in Peshawar that destroyed a motorbike and partially damaged several shops.
According to sources, unknown persons planted an explosive material outside Noor Khan market at Ring Road that went off and partially damaged seven shops. No loss of life has been reported in the incident.
Bomb disposal squad said that the 1 kg explosive was used for the blast.