Pakistan

JIT formed to probe Islamabad suicide attack

Published

11 months ago

Farwa

Four-member team to investigate attack.
JIT to have representatives from ISI, IB.
Attack martyred one cop, injured multiple people.

ISLAMABAD: A joint investigation team (JIT) has been formed to probe the suicide bombing in the federal capital’s Sector I-10, a notification from Islamabad’s Chief Commissioner’s Office said Saturday.

At least one cop was martyred, while multiple were injured on Friday in the suicide attack, Deputy Inspector General Operations Sohail Zafar Chattha said, as the country battles terrorism.

The notification mentioned that the team was formed on the recommendation of the Islamabad Inspector-General’s Office.

The team comprises four officers — Senior Superintendent of Police (CTD) Islamabad, one representative each from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB), and any member that the inspector-general nominates.

CTD Police Station’s SHO and the investigating officers in the case will assist the team in the probe, the notification mentioned.

Following the attack, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the terrorists had plans to attack a “high-value target” and had the police officers not stopped them, it would have “been a shame for the country”.

The incident comes as the security situation in the country seems to be deteriorating, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, after the Tehreek-e-Taliban (Pakistan) ended a ceasefire with Pakistan.

An increase has been noticed in threats and attacks on security forces and high-profile political personalities in KP since then, but the government has stressed that terrorists would be dealt with “iron hands”.

The suicide attack

A suicide attacker, riding a cab with a woman, blew himself up when four bike-riding cops of Eagle Squad intercepted them at Sector I-10/4 Friday morning.

As a result of the blast a police official was martyred, while seven — including a policeman and civilians were injured — police told the media.

CTD of the Islamabad police registered an FIR and initiated an investigation to make headway toward the terrorist outfit involved in the attack.

The Islamabad police were on high alert after getting information from intelligence agencies that a gang of terrorists have entered the capital to target sensitive installations, prime political personalities, top government figures, religious places, and churches on the occasion of Christmas, the officer said.

Four bike-riding Eagle Squad cops led by Head Constable Adeel Hussain, with Constables Muhammad Hanif, Muhammad Yousaf and Muhammad Bilal, were on duty at East Service Road of I-10 when they noticed a suspicious cab bearing registration number LEI-7793, a man and a woman on board, police sources told The News.

The cops flagged the cab to stop but the driver sped away towards I-10, the police sources said and added that the Eagle Squad started chasing the cab and got them in front of Street No 31 of I-10/4 and rushed towards the vehicle. However, the terrorists blew themselves up.

Head constable Hussain was martyred in the suicide blast averting a major attack and massive casualties by his timely action against the suicide attackers, top operational officers said.

Pakistan

Sindh schools winter vacations from Dec 22

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

KARACHI: The Sindh government on Thursday announced the winter vacation schedule for public and private educational institutions across the province.

According to a notification issued by the Sindh School, Education, and Literacy Department, the educational institutions in the province will observe winter vacation from December 22 to 31.

“In pursuance of decisions taken in the steering committee meeting, all public and private educational institutions under the administrative control of School Education and Literacy Department Government of Sindh shall remain closed w.e.f 22-12,023 to 31-12,023 for Winter Vacation.”

Sindh schools winter vacations from Dec 22

After the winter break, the educational institutions will reopen on Friday (January 1, 2024).

Meanwhile, the new academic year in the public and private schools across Sindh will commence on April 15, 2024, and August 1, 2024, in the colleges.

The matriculation and intermediate exams will be started from the last week of May 2024, while the results will be announced on July 31 and the second week of August, respectively.

Pakistan

COAS Gen Asim Munir meets Kuwaiti crown prince

Published

3 days ago

Farwa

PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar to meet Kuwaiti crown prince today.
Both army chief and PM are in Kuwait on official visit.
PM Office says multiple MoUs expected to be signed during visit.

Army chief General Asim Munir on Tuesday met Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah as part of his official visit to the gulf country, reported Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).

The meeting was also attended by Caretaker Law Minister Ahmed Irfan Aslam, Pakistan Ambassador to Kuwait Malik Mohammad Farooq and other members of the delegation.

Meanwhile, PM Kakar has also arrived in Kuwait City after concluding the UAE visit and is expected to meet the crown prince today, the PM Office said on Wednesday.

The premier will also meet his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmed Al-Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

The PM office said that a number of memorandum of understanding (MoUs) will be signed for mutual cooperation in various sectors including manpower, information technology, minerals and mining, food security, energy and defence.

In UAE, Pakistan signed several MoUs worth multi-billion dollars in a range of areas on Monday to boost economic and strategic cooperation between the two countries, PM Kakar said.

The prime minister said with the signing of the MoUs, the bilateral economic and strategic relations had entered into a new era of bilateral cooperation.

Congratulating the people of Pakistan and the UAE, he said the foundation of friendship with Pakistan which was laid by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in the 1970s, had been taken forward by his son Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to a new era.

PM Kakar expressed the hope that the MoUs that were signed by the two countries would turn into tangible projects very soon.

Pakistan

Haj 2024: Pakistanis to get ‘free SIMs with internet’

Published

4 days ago

Farwa

Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed said Tuesday that the government would provide free-of-cost mobile SIMs with roaming internet packages to Pakistanis performing Haj in 2024.

In conversation with a private news channel, the caretaker minister said abayas would also be given to female pilgrims, having a Pakistani flag on the backside, and 13kg suitcases would be given to all.

The minister called the reduction of around Rs100,000 in the Haj cost a “historic step” taken by the caretaker government, noting that a further Rs50,000 would be slashed and the amount would be refunded to the people in their accounts.

He said a new mobile application has been designed to assist pilgrims, which will provide navigation support and enable constant communication between pilgrims and relevant officials.

Initially available in English and Urdu, the application will later incorporate various regional languages, he said, adding, that the app would also provide digital training programmes to every pilgrim.

The minister also disclosed a project that Haj ministry, with the collaboration of the education ministry, has planned to convert city mosques into schools to enroll out-of-school children where the mosques’ imams would play a leading role.

The minister said that mosques will play their role as community centers in every city areas, adding that imams will resolve community issues as well after offering prayers.

He said that haj ministry is taking all four provinces on board and enhancing the connectivity of mosques.

While describing another project, the minister said that his ministry with the collaboration of the health ministry has another project in the works, in which medical clinics will also be part of mosques.