Top Story

  Editorial

  Metro

  Kashmir

  Business

  Sports

  Scoop

  Societal

  Health

    Cartoon

WANA (South Waziristan): At least twelve persons were killed and three other injured when law enforcement agencies opened fire on two suspected transport vehicles Saturday.

According to the local witnesses, the security forces signaled the vehicles to stop near the cantonment area of Ghari Noor, however, yet amid no heed to the signal, the forces were left with no option but to open fire on the suspected people.

Twelve people including six aliens and five members of Wazir Ahmad Zai tribe died on the spot and three were injured.

The five deceased belonging to Wazir Ahmad Zai tribe are Maidan Jan, Rashim Khan, Hazrat Unmar, Mohammad Sharif and Dunger Khan while the names of aliens could not be ascertained.

ISPR Communiqué

Meanwhile in Islamabad, a spokesman of ISPR said that in the wee hours on Saturday, some miscreants fired mortar rounds on Frontier Corps (FC) check post and Army camp in general area Wana in South Waziristan Agency.

In the early hours, outside Wana, 2-3 vehicles came towards Frontier Corps check post and fired on on it. The FC retaliated and in the cross fire there have been few civilian casualties who may possibly be terrorists. The chances of some civilian having been killed cannot be ruled out. Reportedly 11 persons have died and six are injured.

16 Arrested

About sixteen people have been arrested and they are in the custody of Political Agent. The Political Administration is carrying out further investigations.

Speculators Warned

Director General Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan has, meanwhile cautioned the speculators to avoid spreading rumors about incident of cross firing between the security forces and terrorists in Wana.

The firing was first started by the terrorists from a vehicle and Frontier Corps at first showed utmost restraint, Sultan said. It was retaliated by Frontier Corps men only when terrorists accelerated the pace of their firing, he said.

Consequently 11 people were killed and 6 injured in cross firing who are most probably the civilians, he added.

Terrorists

There may be some terrorists among the dead but the killing of civilians cannot be ruled out, Maj Gen Sultan said.

All people killed in the incident are men, he said, adding their is no child or women among them.

However he said the nationality of the dead cannot be determined at present. Investigation is continuing and if there are some terrorists among the killed, they would come to light, he said.

Sultan Denies Reports

Sultan categorically refuted the reports that incident occurred when the Frontier Corps personnel at the post opened fire on a vehicle which tried to escape the checking.

He said spreading of speculations and rumors would have adverse affects on the people in area as well as on the security forces. He informed that small arms were used in cross firing.

US lauds Pak Role against Terrorism

Meanwhile, United States Saturday lauded Pakistan’s key role in war against terrorism.

Addressing a news conference, US Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Ambassador Coffer Black said that Pakistan was the front ally in eliminating terrorism from the globe.

He said Pakistani forces were searching for the Al-Qaeda forces along the Afghanistan border to eliminate terrorism. He also lauded Pakistan’s role in the war against terror. He maintained that Pakistan and US will continue to work closely and coordinate in the global campaign against terrorism.

Red alert at Karachi Airport

A report, beamed by a national news agency INP says: a red alert was declared at the Quaid-e-Azam International Airport in Karachi on Saturday and all visitor passes, except for duty passes have been cancelled, said well informed sources.

There was no official pronouncement in this regard but sources said the 72- hour alert has been ordered to prevent any likelihood of terrorist attacks, in the context of developments in Waziristan operations.

The crisis control centre which was closed after the Coalition forces had taken over Afghanistan, has once again been activated which was indicative of major operations in the region.

Qazi condemns Wana Episode

Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) acting President Qazi Hussain Ahmed Saturday condemned the killing of 12 people in Wana town of South Waziristan Agency during, what he phrased as 'the search operation for terror master-mind Osama Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda lieutenants.'

Speaking at press conference in Islamabad, Qazi who is also the head of moderate rightist group Jamaat-e-Islami, viewed; “All this is being carried out on the directives of United States’ administration.”

Call to Muslims

Airing a signal of warning, Qazi said in an emphatic tone that 'nation would not let this kind of thing to be happen in future.'

Qazi Hussain Ahmed, whose party is thought to be the main supporter of the Islamization of politics, observed that the lake of unity was the sole reason behind the miseries being faced by the entire Muslim world.

He urged the leaders of the Islamic countries to bring discipline in their ranks and adopt the policy of accommodation in politics for the revival of the bygones days’ glory of them.

Future Strategy

Qazi Hussain Ahmed said that the leadership of the MMA would meet on March 05 to chalk out future strategy of the party especially after the operation in Wana, an area of South Wazirstan Agency of FATA.

Censures Western Media

Criticizing the role of Western Media, he said it has launched a well planned campaign against Muslim Ummah especially against Pakistan and its nuclear programme by involving Pakistani scientists in nuclear proliferation.

He said that Pakistan played a key role in operation against Taliban and al-Qaeda as a front line state and ally of USA. Unfortunately, he said, the American administration has launched campaign against Pakistan.