CM calls for donors conference to attract foreign investment in Balochistan

QUETTA: Chief Minister Balochistan Dr Abdul Malik Baloch has announced to convene international donors conference to attract foreign support and investment for development and prosperity of the least developed province of the country.

He made this announcement while giving post-budget briefing at Chief Minister's Secretariat on Friday. Parliamentary leader Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, Chief Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad and other high ups flanked him on the occasion.

“We want to show soft image of Balochistan to the outer world,” Dr Baloch said, adding that non governmental organisations would also be invited to get their input for a developed and prosperous Balochistan.

He, however, said that federal government should also come forward and help the provincial government in reducing poverty and unemployment.

In response to a question about the worsening law and order problem, he urged upon civil society and intelligence agencies to support his government's efforts for durable peace in the militancy-hit province.

The chief minister, moreover, admitted that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had a realistic approach towards issues relating to Balochistan. “Federal government must translate its words into action for the sake of peace,” he added.

He also announced formation of task force to review the performance of government departments. “The task force will be submitting report after every three month,” he said, asking media men to pin point short comings and weaknesses in government departments.

Dr Baloch informed that tension in Wadh town of Khuzdar district has been reduced following cooperation of Balochistan National Party Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Mir Shafiqur Rehman Mengal. “Our efforts have normalised the situation in Khuzdar,” he explained.

Regarding education and health, he said the coalition government has increased funds for promotion of health and education sector to bring the province at par with other parts of the country.

He announced that modern library would be established on Jinnah Road, the heart of Quetta city, to provide an opportunity to students to get modern knowledge.

Dr Baloch said that his government has evolved a strategy for promotion of Balochi, Pashto and Brahvi languages and for this purpose the three languages would be introduced in schools of Balochistan.

“We do not believe in lip service rather practice,” he made it clear and added that an all-out efforts would be made to give relief to the terrorism hit people of Balochistan.

MQM lawmaker, son gunned down in Karachi

KARACHI: Gunmen on Friday shot dead a Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) provincial lawmaker, his son and a passer-by outside a mosque in Karachi, officials said.

The outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the killing.

Mohammed Sajid Qureshi, in his early 50s, and his 25-year-old son were targeted in a drive-by shooting as they left a mosque after attending Friday prayers in the congested North Nazimabad neighbourhood.

“Gunmen on a motorcycle fired at (Sindh) provincial assembly member Sajid Qureshi, his son and a pedestrian when they were coming out of mosque,” said senior police official Amir Farooqi.

“He died on the spot, while his son and the third victim died at hospital,” Farooqi said.

Nasir Jamal, a senior member of MQM, confirmed the death of Qureshi and his son.

Speaking over telephone from an undisclosed location, TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said the attack on the MQM lawmaker was in continuation of their earlier announcement of targeting the ‘secular’ MQM, Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), allies in the former coalition government.

Qureshi, elected to the Sindh Assembly from Karachi’s PS-103 seat in the May 11 polls, was a member of the secular MQM, the largest political party in Karachi now considering whether to join the government in Sindh province.

Three days of mourning

The MQM has announced three days of mourning throughout Pakistan in protest of the killing of its lawmaker.

The party has appealed to all businessmen, traders, industrialists, retailers and transporters to keep their businesses shut on Saturday in protest of the assassination.

Meanwhile, party leader Abdul Rasheed Godil said the MQM would boycott the National Assembly proceedings until ‘serious steps’ were taken to stop 'target killings’ in Karachi.

Soon after the killing, the party also postponed the announcement of results of a ‘referendum’ held Thursday to decide whether MQM should join the Pakistan Peoples Party government in Sindh or lead the opposition in the provincial assembly.

Earlier this week, the PPP had formally invited the former coalition partner to join it for another five years in the Sindh government, but the MQM leadership said it had left it up to its voters to decide.

Senior party leaders had claimed more than 5 million people and party supporters had turned up to cast their votes, and the result was to be announced Friday after counting of ballots.

MQM has long held sway in Karachi, Pakistan’s business capital by the Arabian Sea, and its leader-in-exile Altaf Hussain lives in London.

A city of 18 million people, Karachi contributes 42 percent of Pakistan's GDP but is rife with murder and kidnappings and has been plagued for years by ethnic, sectarian and political violence.

Suicide bomber kills 14 at Peshawar mosque

PESHAWAR: At least 14 people were killed and several injured Friday in a suicide attack on a seminary and mosque in Peshawar, officials said.

Superintendent of Police Rural Shafiullah Khan said the suicide bomber detonated his explosives in the mosque when worshippers were offering Friday prayers.

"One of the attackers wearing a suicide vest entered the mosque and blew himself up in front of the worshippers,” said Khan.

He said three attackers tried to enter the Hussaini madressa in Chamkini area but faced resistance by the security personnel posted at the entrance. He said two attackers were prevented from entering the complex while one managed to enter the Imambargah after the guards were gunned down.

Bomb Disposal Squad official Abdul Haq told Dawn.com that six to seven kilograms of high intensity explosives and four kilograms of pellets were used in the blast.

A loud blast was heard while the Friday sermon was underway at the Imambargah, which was preceded by gun firing, according to eyewitness accounts.

Eye witness Khadim Hussain told that he was inside the mosque when he heard gunfire followed by a huge explosion shattering the windows and the front canopy of the mosque.

Other eyewitnesses said that the attacker shot at the guards posted at the entrance of the complex before entering the premises where the explosives were detonated.

The complex comprises of a madressa and an Imambargah belonging to the Shia sect.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shauakat Yousafzai told reporters at the hospital that 14 people were killed while at least 30 were wounded from the deadly blast.

Officials at the Lady Reading Hospital said four bodies and at least 30 wounded had been taken to the hospital. Several of the wounded were reported to be in critical condition.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the incident and the loss of innocent lives while ordering immediate treatment of the victims.

Nawaz for early completion of Neelam-Jehlum Project APP

MUZAFFARABAD: PMUZAFFARABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the concerned authorities to expedite construction work on Rs274.882 billion Neelam-Jehlum Hydro-power Project and make it functional till 2014-15 to overcome the power shortage issue in the country.

During his visit to the site of the project, the prime minister told media representatives that the concerned authorities had sought time for the completion of project till 2016, conditional to availability of financial resources but he had declined and instead instructed them to complete it till 2014-15.

He regretted the fact that projects such as this were conceived in the past but were not given due attention as there had been vested interests. However, he added that they would have to change such culture in the country.

The Neelam-Jehlum project could not be achieved during the last many years and now its cost had swelled up to around Rs275 billion, he expressed his astonishment over delay in execution of the project.

“A 29-year long period has passed, but the project is yet to be completed,” he exclaimed, and observed that nobody questioned the gross negligence over such delay.

The prime minister said that the power issue had become a genie and the people were fed up with it but assured that his government would utilise all the resources to complete the project.

“If projects like this were given priority in the past, these could have been achieved. We are fully committed to achieve these kinds of projects and are dedicating each minute for giving relief to the masses,” he reiterated.

The prime minister also cautioned against the existing financial resources by advising that they would have to cut down the additional expenditures.

“The wastage of national wealth through corruption and corrupt practices should be effaced forever,” he declared, adding that the nation should also prepare itself for sacrifices in the greater national interest.

About energy related problems, the prime minister said the government was devising an energy policy which might be finalised within two weeks, and soon he would apprise the nation about the roadmap and the steps in this regard.

Responding to a query, he replied that terrorism issue was also being considered seriously. “The main issues are the lack of economic growth and rising poverty which gave rise to this issue,” he maintained.

The prime minister said overseas Pakistanis and foreign investors were also focussing on the developments taking place inside Pakistan to ascertain prospects of their investment in future.

Referring to idea of construction of Khunjrab-Gwadar-Karachi road and rail project, he expressed his resolve that it would be materialised soon, terming it a ‘game changer’ for the country.

On June 24, a team would leave for China for consultation over the project with the stakeholders, he informed.

The prime minister said that they would establish economic zones in Pakistan because the South Asian region in future would be the focal point of global economic activities.

He said that they wanted relocation of Chinese industry to Pakistan with massive prospects of growth in South Asian region, a home to billions of people.

Earlier, Syed Raghib Abbas Shah, chairman WAPDA, Gen (retd) Zubair MD Neelam Jehlum Company gave a briefing on the project.

The power house of the project is located in the Chattar Kalass which is 22 kms south of Muzaffarabad. Installed capacity of the project is 969 MW comprising four units of 240 MW each.

The original cost of the project was Rs130 billion but the revised PC-1 cost of the project was put at Rs274.882 billion as it has escalated due to change in design and machinery requirement owing to the earthquake of 2005.

China Gezhouba Group Corporation is constructing the 62kms long tunnel, and about 5,000 workforce is involved in the overall project.

Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervez Rashid and Shaukat Tarin accompanied the prime minister on his first ever visit to any ongoing development/infrastructure project in the country after assuming his office.

President Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan, prime minister AJ&K Ch. Abdul Majeed and former prime minister of AJK Raja Farooq Haider received the prime minister at the site of the project.

Neelam Jehlum Hydro electric Project is a mega project of immense national importance. It is in the vicinity of Muzaffarabad (AJ&K) and envisages the diversion of Neelam river water through a tunnel and after producing power, out-falling into Jehlum river.

It will also help reduce the gap between demand and supply of power in the country.e country.

Karzai suspends US talks, sets new conditions for Taliban negotiations AFP

• KABUL: The Afghan government on Wednesday threatened to boycott planned talks with the Taliban in Qatar announced by the United States, saying the peace process had to be “Afghan-led”.
• “The latest developments show that foreign hands are behind the Taliban’s Qatar office and, unless they are purely Afghan-led, the High Peace Council will not participate in talks,” a statement said.
• The High Peace Council is the government body in charge of leading peace efforts with the Taliban.
• The statement also criticised US involvement in the agreement to open the Taliban office that is meant to facilitate peace negotiations.
• “The opening of Taliban office in Qatar, the way it was opened and messages it contained, contradicts the guarantees given by the US to Afghanistan,” the statement said after a meeting at President Hamid Karzai’s palace.
• Karzai on Wednesday also broke off crucial security talks with the United States, angry over the name given to the Qatar office.
• The row centres on the Taliban office using the title “Islamic Emirate Of Afghanistan” – the formal name of the Islamist movement's government from 1996 until it was toppled in 2001.
• Explaining the suspension of the security talks, Karzai’s spokesman Aimal Faizi earlier told AFP: “There is a contradiction between what the US government says and what it does regarding Afghanistan peace talks.
• “The president suspended the BSA (Bilateral Security Agreement) talks with the US this morning.”
• “The president is not happy with the name of the office. We oppose the title the 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan' because such a thing doesn't exist,” said a palace official who declined to be named. “The US was aware of the president’s stance.

Rescue operations in full swing as Uttarakhand death toll reaches 150

With skies clearing, rescue of stranded people and relief operations intensified in the Indian state Uttarakhand where the death toll in the rain and floods shot up to 150 as thousands of pilgrims still remained stranded.

Reports on Wednesday suggested that the famous and ancient Kedarnath shrine feared to have damaged in the flood, is intact notwithstanding the heavy damage all around it in which 50 people died in the landslide that accompanied torrential rain and flash floods.

Watch shocking footage as floods wash away 3-storey building in Uttarakhand 

With rains ceasing in the last two days, there were no fresh incidents of landslides and flooding.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accompanied by Indian Congress Party president Sonia Gandhimade an aerial survey of the worst-hit areas while Indian Home Secretary RK Singh also undertook a similar mission separately.

Principal Secretary of the state government Om Prakash said the death toll in the state has gone up to 150 but was not in a position to give the exact estimate since several villages in Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts in the upper reaches were still under water.

Vijay Bahuguna, Chief Minister of the state told reporters that he was also not in a position to give the exact estimate of death and destruction which he said was unprecedented in the state.

 It would take one year to restore normalcy on the road to Kedarnath from the after effects of the cloud burst which he described as a "Himalayan tsunami".

The first priority is to rescue the stranded people especially those on pilgrimage from various parts of the country, distribution of medicines and rehabilitation and compensation for the affected, he said.

Disaster Management authorities said in Chamoli that eight bodies were recovered by villagers late Tuesday from Bansinarayan area of Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary.

They seem to have perished on Sunday itself in the downpour that lashed the area while they were in search of Kira Jari, a rare aphrodisiac found in the alpine grassland of the sanctuary.

Chamoli Additional District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar said 1500 pilgrims and locals have been evacuated so far from Ghanghariya, Duendhar and Pulna from near Hemkund Sahib in the district to Joshimath relief camps.

IAF evacuates 180 in Uttarakhand | 15,000 pilgrims stranded on their way to pilgrimages: Army | See pics | Himachal CM rescued from Kinnaur after 60 hours  

With the improvement in weather many more stranded pilgrims are likely to be evacuated to safety by the evening, he said adding evacuation of pilgrims from Badrinath is next on their agenda where 12000 persons are still stranded.

1200 persons have also been evacuated from Kedarnath, an official in Rudraprayag said.

The officials said evacuating people to safer places is their priority as recovery of bodies can be taken up later.

Rescue ops in full swing in Himachal Pradesh

 The Himachal Pradesh government Wednesday continued its operations to airlift tourists stranded for the past four days in Kinnaur district, which has been entirely cut off following landslides, an official said here.

Seventy-seven sick, old and women tourists were evacuated from Sangla, Pooh, Kaza and Rekong Peo, the district headquarters, by a state-run helicopter, Special Secretary (Revenue) Amandeep Garg told IANS.

He said in the past two days, 253 tourists were evacuated.

Official sources said over 1,100 tourists, mainly from West Bengal, are still stranded across the district, mainly in the Sangla Valley and Pooh.

"But we have got 360 requests from the stranded tourists and the locals. Out of these, 253 have been rescued," Garg, who is monitoring relief and rescue operations, said.

However, the Indian Air Force, which has deployed two choppers Tuesday, could not conduct sorties till Wednesday afternoon, owing to non-availability of aviation fuel in Shimla, an official said.

Incessant rainfall in the region over the past few days triggered massive landslides that blocked most of the roads in this remote district.

Superintendent of Police G. Shiva Kumar, based in Rekong Peo, said 14 people have been killed, including five members of a family, in landslide and rain-related incidents in the district since Sunday.

"The road clearing operation Wednesday speeded up, as the weather remained clear throughout the day. But still, it would take more than a week to reopen all major roads," he said.

The Hindustan-Tibet Road leading to the China border along Kinnaur is blocked at several locations, officials said.

Meanwhile, UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi Wednesday telephoned Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who was also stranded in Sangla for over 60 hours and airlifted Tuesday, and expressed grief at the loss of lives and property.

Besides, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in a telephonic conversation with Virbhadra Singh, assured him of all necessary help from the government of India over the loss of life and property in the state.

The chief minister requested Shinde for adequate central assistance to cope with the loss, an official statement said.

Champions Trophy: England beat 'chokers' SA by 7 wickets to enter finals

England achieved the modest target of 176 runs at the loss of three wickets with 75 balls to spare against South Africa. The chokers tag continues to haunt the Proteas. They managed to overcome D/L, West Indies and the rain during their encounter against West Indies. In this match, they have been completely overpowered by England. They were never going to put pressure on England after being bowled out for 175. Cook and Bell departed cheaply but a 105 run stand between Root and Trott killed the contest. Trott went past his 22nd ODI fifty to help England thump South Africa by seven wickets.