Hostage girl freed by CPLC - Police

Police and Citizen-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) have recovered a kidnapped girl with joint efforts, SAMAA reported Sunday.

The Deputy Chief of CPLC Attiq-ur Rehman said that accused Faisal kidnapped Madiha, 18, from New Karachi last Wednesday. The FIR of the kidnapping was lodged at New Karachi police station.

Police and investigation team held a raid in Khamiso Goth and held Faisal and recovered Madiha.

Sources told that Faisal made hostage Madiha with cheating.

SYED MUSTAFA KAMAL HELD FAREWELL MEETING WITH HIS STAFF.

Syed Mustafa Kamal held farewell meeting with city government officers and his personal staff at the secretariat prior to relinquishing charge as City Nazim. During the meeting with his secretary, drivers, peons, telephone operators, officers, clerks and other staff he thanked all of them for extending full support and cooperation during his tenure as city nazim.

Meanwhile while relinquishing the charge as Nazim Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal said that he is thankful of Almighty Allah who gave him the courage to serve 20 million people of Karachi. He also thanked Quaid-e-Tehreek Mr. Altaf Hussain for helping and guiding him all through his tenure and for trusting and patronizing him.

Syed Mustafa Kamal also thanked each and every citizen of Karachi of every religion, and every community for extending full support to him during his tenure as city nazim.

He also thanked all town nazmeen, naib town nazmeen, union council nazmeen, naib nazmeen, Naib City Nazim Ms. Nasreen Jalil, members of city council, officers of city government and water board for providing him all support. He said that with this support and cooperation we could have performed all this as a team work. He also thanked the trade and commercial unions, business community in Karachi, members of electronic and print media and everyone for guiding him all through 52 months of his tenure. He also thanked all NGOs and other organizations working in Karachi.

Fire broke out at SAMAA TV head office

The SAMAA TV's head office situated in Karachi caught fire today (Thursday). The channel's transmission went off-air due to the fire in its transmission and power units. The last transmission on-air was around 7:00 am. The transmission of the channel will be resumed within a few hours, as soon as the fire is under control.

It is important to mention here that the channel has been receiving threats from the extremist elements for its aggressive reporting and initiatives against extremism in the country. SAMAA also ran a special report last night on the Mumbai Blast and the internal involvement of the Indian security forces in it.

The details and cause of the fire are under investigation and both the federal and provincial security agencies have been asked to investigate the matter.

Top Taliban commander captured in Karachi

In a significant development in the offensive against Taliban, a top military commander of Taliban, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, was held in Karachi, Pakistan in a secret joint raid conducted by Pakistani and US intelligence forces, The New York Times reported.


According to the report, Mullah Baradar, one of the key Taliban leaders to be captured so far, was being interrogated by Pakistani and US intelligence.


Though the White House and CIA and even Pentagon remained tight-lipped about the entire operation, some officials were quoted by the newspaper as saying that the Pakistan's military spy agency, the Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence, or ISI, were instrumental in capturing Mullah Baradar, with assistance from CIA operatives.

The captured Taliban commander is said to be second in command to Mullah Muhammad Omar and is believed to be a close associate of al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden prior to the Sep 11 attacks.

However, it is not clear whether the Taliban commander, who has been in Pakistani custody for several days has revealed anything so far, the report said.

Meanwhile, the CIA officials are expressing hope that his arrest would lead them to Mullah Omar, along with other top Taliban commanders.

The newspaper said that despite knowing about the arrest on Thursday, Feb 11, it broke the news on Monday, Feb 15 as per the request of the White House officials, who said that the early reporting of the news would hamper the very successful intelligence push.

Besides military operations, Mullah Baradur was also involved in running the group's leadership council, known as the Quetta Shura.

Pakistan's wholehearted participation in the capture of the Mullah Baradur has brought the country in a positive light.

Former CIA official Bruce Riedel, who cited ignorance of the capture until it was reported by the newspaper said that the operation showed a 'sea change in Pakistani behavior.'

Secretary of Sports and Youth Affairs Department to Inaugurate First iLEAD Volleyball Tournament

Mr. Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Secretary of Sports and Youth Affairs, Government of Sindh will be inaugurating iLEAD’s first volleyball tournament on 15 February, 2010.

iLEAD – Inspiring Leadership, Empowerment and Development in Youth is a public- private partnership program between the Youth Affairs Department, Government of Sindh and Habib University Foundation (H.U.F.), with technical support provided by the British Council, Pakistan. Mr. Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Secretary of Sports and Youth Affairs Department, Government of Sindh will inaugurate the ceremony.

The volleyball tournament will be held at the Institute for Advancing Careers and Talents, one of iLEAD’s partner institutes. Eight colleges are participating in the tournament: Two pools consisting of four institutes each will contest in the tournament. Volleyball matches begin on February 15, 2010 and will last to February 19, 2010, when the final will be played.

CITY NAZIM REVIEW PACE OF WORK ON CORRIDOR-IV

City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that work on three more flyovers on Sharae Faisal will begin in few days while already four flyovers were under construction on this corridor to make it signal free all the way from Jinnah Bridge to Quaidabad. Completion of this corridor would provide signal free journey from Steel Town to Jinnah Bridge Kemari.

He expressed these views during a meeting to review the pace of work on development projects of signal free corridor –IV. It was also decided to continue work on these projects on 24 hours basis and without any break.
Addressing the meeting City Nazim said that despite of financial constraints and other odds signal free corridor-IV will be opened for traffic after completion of its projects in least possible time. He said that all these projects hold much importance with regard to traffic problems in the city. Citizens were facing problems due to heavy load of traffic on Sharae Faisal besides this corridor also connects both sea ports, airport and steel mills with each other. Completion of this project would provide great boost to business and commercial activities in Karachi and that would be beneficial for citizens.

City Nazim observed that regular traffic jam at various points of this corridor especially near Hotel Reagent Plaza was causing much inconvenience to people in their access to five important hospitals including Jinnah Hospital and NICVD. He said that the construction of flyover at this junction would ensure hurdle free route for ambulances.

He also directed that work on all the projects of this corridor must continue round the clock, adding that he will himself pay surprise visit to the site of work in night hours and all those officers and representative of contractor firm will have to face strict action if they found guilty of delay in work or negligence. He also instructed Finance and Planning Department to ensure timely provision of required resources for these projects so that the work could be carried on smoothly.

13 confirmed dead in Karachi mourners attack

Karachi law enforcement officials have confirmed 13 casualties in an apparent suicide attack on a minibus here on Friday noon. Dr Semi Jamali, incharge emergency ward of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, told the newsmen that at least 11 dead bodies and nearly 40 wounded have so far been brought to the medical facility.

According to preliminary reports, a bus of route 52-A was bringing mourners from Jaffar Taeyyar society of Malir area to main Muharram procession presently being underway at M A Jinnah road. When the ill-fated bus reached Shahrah-e-Quaideen from Nursery flyover a motorcycle, apparently-laden with explosives, rammed into the bus with a loud bang, CCPO Karachi Waseem Ahmed informed news channel on telephone. Emergency has been declared at nearby Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center where at least 12 wounded have so far been rushed by the emergency relief staffers. Police and Rangers have reached the scene and the blast site has been cordoned off for general public.

CITY GOVT. DECLARE KBCA APPROVED PLANS ILLEGAL

All building plans approved by Karachi Building Control Authority during last six months have been declared illegal by City District Government Karachi.

City Government has said that the KBCA had in violation of the rules specified in the Sindh Local Government Ordinance did not transfer the amount that has been received for approval of building plans to City Government under the head of betterment charges and the reason given for that by KBCA was displeasure of minister for local government due to which the chief controller KBCA refrained to transfer the money to city government.

This action has put acute financial pressure on City District Government Karachi and it was unable to pay the salaries of its employees. Therefore City Government Karachi has decided to declare all building plans approved by Karachi Building Control Authority during last six months illegal and void and it was also giving its action legal status through city district council.