Valima ceremony of Majid Mahmood held at Karachi Press Club

Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh/Minister for Mines & Mineral Development, Mr Imamuddin Shoqeen, attended the valima ceremony of Mr Syed Majid Mahmood held here at the Karachi Press Club the other day

Muharram processions: Karachi wrapped up in tight security foil

Sachal Rangers Commander, Brig.Waseem Ayub addressing
a press conference at Rangers Headquarters

By Atif Raza

KARACHI: The metropolis has been wrapped up in a tight security foil as crucial closing rituals of Muharram 9 and 10 await stricter shielding of the city.

The routes of the procession remained unchanged and mourners had to walk long to participate in the procession due to safety measures designed by the law enforcement agencies (LEAs).

Almost 6,000 law enforcers, 557 vehicles and 301 motorcycles have been deployed across Sindh to ensure that the primary mourning procession reaches its destination safely.

Brig Waseem Ayub along with Major Bilal stated this in a press conference organised by the Pakistan Rangers, Sindh at their headquarters in Jinnah Court.

Over a hundred mosques and imambargahs were declared sensitive, and Rangers and police have planned inflexible security arrangements to guard the processions of Muharram 8, 9 and 10.

The security at entry and exit points of the city have been strengthened to counter any possible terrorist activity, while security personnel have been deployed at bus stops and railway stations to protect these public places from being attacked.

The LEAs are carrying out rigid snap checking and ban on pillion riding is being strictly implemented. Measures are also being taken to check incidents of aerial firing.

Ayub said Karachi had been distributed in three zones and a large number of personnel were deployed to crush any kind of trouble, while closed-circuit television cameras were installed for round-the-clock surveillance to closely monitor the procession.

In addition to these, mobile command and control units were also set up to accompany the procession.

Measures have been designed to closely monitor all the routes of the procession and Majalis across the city, while snipers of Rangers and police would be deployed on rooftops of high-rises to keep an eye on troublemakers. All procession routes would be cleared with the help of the Bomb Disposable Squad and sniffer dogs.

While giving details of the pattern of likely attacks, Ayub said terrorists were likely to attack vehicles with bombs, open firing at participants, or throw hand grenades or acid at the mourners. Volunteers and scouts have been trained in this connection to foil any attempt to mix poisonous substances in Sabeels.

According to information received, militants and anti-State elements were planning to use chemical and petrol bombs for attacks. Terrorists might attempt to target Shia Ulema and other clerics; therefore, the mourners must keep a close eye on their surroundings and report to law enforcers in case they notice any suspicious man, beggar or vehicle.

Ayub appealed to the Ulema to educate people as to not destroying people’s properties and vehicles in case of any unpleasant happenings. He also said there was information that.(DT)

No headway in JPMC trainee-nurse rape case

“Neither do I know that I was raped by a doctor from Jinnah Hospital nor the doctor who allegedly raped me,” said the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) trainee nurse, while testifying before Karachi District and Sessions Judge South Abdul Razzaque on Tuesday. Talking to Daily Times after court proceedings, Deputy District Public Prosecutor Mohammad Kaleemullah said the judge has proceeded the case at his chamber on the request of the victim’s counsel. He informed that while replying to several queries, the nurse said she had gone to a flat located at Bazzarta Lines with a nurse named Sajjad Faima, where she was offered a soft drink. After consuming the drink, she fell unconscious and when she returned to her senses, she was in the hospital, he added. She has claimed that she was under police pressure when she gave the previous statement and refused to identify the alleged rapist Dr Jabar Memon, said Kaleemullah. She has also refused that she jumped from anywhere to save her life, he added. asghar azad (DT)

KESC restored power of Al-Karam square, Apsara apartment

The Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) on Saturday restored the electricity of Apsra and Al-Karam Square apartments after the residents held massive protest demonstrations.

The electricity of the said apartments was disconnected on Thursday due to non-payment of bills, which amounted to a huge sum of Rs 470 million. During the protest, the residents set ablaze KESC’s billing section and also damaged the complaint department, causing a traffic jam on Saturday.

Protesters torched old tyres near Liaquatabad Daak Khana and blocked the road, causing a massive traffic jam in Liaqatabad, Nazimabad, Golimar, Teenhatti and other surrounding areas.

They chanted slogans against the KESC officials and demanded early restoration of power supply.

KESC spokesman Amir Abbasi said while talking to Daily Times that after coordination with residents of the said apartments electricity has been restored.

DSP Taufeeq Ahmed said after the incident heavy contingents of police and Rangers were deployed in the affected area. The situation in the area returned to normalcy and the flow of traffic was smooth.

On Friday, the residents had also staged a protest demonstration in Liaqatabad, which caused an acute traffic jam for hours.(DT)

4 militants of TTP arrested by CID police

CID police have arrested four accused stated to be associated with banned Tehrrek-e-Taliban Pakistan and recovered three suicide jackets, foiling their plans of target law and enforcement offices and killings senior police officials.

 Police officials look seized suicide jackets and weapons which were recovered from the possession of arrested terrorists belonged to banned Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) in a raid at Sohrab Goth area, during a press conference at the CID office.

SP of CID police Umar Shahid while talking to media persons yesterday at Garden police headquarter said that CID police have arrested four militants of TTP, Mohammad Umar alias Sohrab, Barkatullah alias Zanjeer, Amanullah alias Munnu and Ahsanullah alias Taxi walla and recovered three suicide jackets of 12 kilograms explosive, two Kalashnikovs, 8MM rifle and one TT pistol while their others aides managed to escape.
Umar Shahid said that these accused was sent by Hakeemullah Mehsud and Waliur Rehman of TTP and given task to target senior officials of Police and law and enforcement agencies offices. He said CID police, by taking timely action, have foiled their plans. SSP Chaudhry Aslam was also present.(NC Report)

Cargo Plane Crash in Karachi: 11 People killed

At least eleven people were killed when a Russian-made cargo plane crashed in a fireball seconds after taking off from Karachi on Sunday, Geo News reported Sunday.

The death toll was expected to rise, with an unknown number of labourers feared killed when the Ilyushin IL-76, bound for the Sudanese capital Khartoum, slammed into buildings in the city.

"All eight people on board have died, we fear that some labourers on the ground have also been killed," CAA spokesman said. "We do not know the exact number of those killed on ground," he added.

Bodies of three labourers working on the construction site have also been recovered from the debris taking the toll to eleven, rescue authorities said.

Authorities said they had brought the fire under control but rescue workers were still searching for bodies.

"Recovered bodies are badly mutilated and beyond recognition," he said.

The plane slammed into buildings under construction in the Dalmia neighbourhood.

"Rescue workers are still searching whether there are any other bodies or injured people in the debris," a police official said.

It was the third plane accident in four months in Pakistan, a country of 170 million people where inter-city travel is most efficient by air, and the second aircraft to crash after take off from Karachi in just four weeks.

The CAA spokesman said that the jet took off from Karachi at 1:45 am (20:45 GMT Saturday) and crashed just one and a half minutes later.

Witnesses spoke of their horror at seeing a fireball racing through the night sky.

"I saw a fireball plummeting to ground," a milk seller said. He had been going home on his motorbike after closing his shop.

"It was so huge and quick. I was terrified."

"I couldn't see what it was. I sped up to save my life and after a few seconds I heard a deafening explosion, but thanks to Allah my life was saved and I was not injured."

The crash sparked fires in four or five construction sites, but officials said the number of casualties would have been far higher if the plane had struck nearby residential buildings.

Residents in nearby buildings spent the night with relatives, he added.

The US-manufactured Beech 1900C aircraft operated by local company was carrying staff from an Italian oil company to an oil field in the southern province of Sindh.

On July 28, an Airbus 321 passenger jet operated by Airblue crashed into hills near Islamabad while coming in to land after a flight from Karachi, killing 152 people on board. (TN)

CITY GOVT-TOWNS DISPOSE OF 760,000 OFFAL IN TWO DAYS. Administrator Karachi extend Eid-Operation for a day.

Administrator Karachi Fazlur Rehman has extended the Eid-ul-Azha operation for a day by declaring the fourth day of Eid as cleanliness day.

He has directed all concerned departments of City Government and town municipal administrations to carry on ongoing Eid-ul-Azha operation till fourth day of Eid and continue cleaning work on Saturday.

Administrator Fazlur Rehman paid detailed visit of 18 towns of city during three day of Eid to personally check and review the situation.

On this occasion he said that the city government and towns have disposed of over 7,60,000 offal in the first two days of Eid. The offal and waste were buried in the trenches dug up by towns in different areas of city.

He said that the city government and towns have put up joint efforts to ensure better arrangements for lifting and disposal of offal and waste of sacrificial animals on this Eid.

He said that the Eid operation has been extended for a day so that the solid waste management department could pay special attention on its work and improve the cleanliness condition in the city.

Administrator Fazlur Rehman said that the fumigation campaign was also initiated on Friday. The initial phase 30 major roads and corridors have been selected for insecticide and germicide spray. The spray work will be completed inside the city on Saturday and Sunday.

He said that the patronage and monitoring of Governor of Sindh Dr. Ishrat-ul-Ebad Khan played important role in the overall success of Eid operation.

Administrator Fazlur Rehman also thanked the cooperation and support of elected representatives of city specially MNAs, MPAs and citizens of Karachi.