Kamal Amjad Mian thought China&#39;s decision to invest $36 billion in the Pakistani power sector would benefit his electricity cable business, and, anticipating increased demand, his family spent nearly $30 million on a second plant to double output.

But Mian&#39;s Fast Cables and some other Pakistani manufacturers have yet to reap rewards from Beijing&#39;s huge &quot;One Belt, One Road&quot; (OBOR) project, a modern-day &quot;Silk Road&quot; network of trade routes across land and sea.

Power stations built as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $57 billion project involving energy, road and rail infrastructure, are being kitted out with Chinese cables exempt from import duty and sales tax.

Such exemptions, more generous for CPEC projects than others, threaten to undermine local industry, according to Mian, one of a growing number of executives now questioning an initiative long portrayed as the key to Pakistan&#39;s prosperity.

&quot;The government, instead of giving us a level playing field, gave them an advantage,&quot; Mian said in the eastern city of Lahore.

A Water and Power Ministry official, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said &quot;there were question marks about whether the local cable industry could fulfil the demands under CPEC and we worried it would slow down projects.&quot;

Beijing&#39;s CPEC splurge and a drop in Islamist militant violence have reinvigorated Pakistan&#39;s sluggish economy, driving growth to about 5 per cent for the first time since 2008.

The public and political parties broadly support Chinese investment, while cement and steel companies who bagged early CPEC contracts are embarking on aggressive expansion.

Executives also say Chinese investors are poised for an acquisitions spree in Pakistan.

&nbsp;

TROJAN HORSE OR SAVIOUR?

But not everyone is happy. Critics say CPEC projects are opaque and expensive, and question Pakistan&#39;s ability to repay the costs over time.

Some firms fear they will struggle to compete with Chinese companies with deeper pockets, economies of scale and vastly cheaper credit lines.

&quot;We have to make sure (CPEC) doesn&#39;t become a Trojan Horse and start hurting existing industry,&quot; said Ehsan Malik, chief executive of the Pakistan Business Council.

There is plenty still up for grabs for local players. The next phase of CPEC involves the creation of Special Economic Zones where Chinese state-run enterprises would open factories and help develop Pakistan&#39;s industrial base.

But Fast Cables&#39; Mian said that, while domestic producers have been benefiting from broad economic growth, he fears his business will end up &quot;dying a slow and painful death&quot; if Chinese rivals setting up in Pakistan receive preferential tax breaks.

Mian and other cables makers are reviving a defunct industry association in order to lobby Islamabad, amid concerns Beijing will use its leverage over Pakistan to obtain those sweeteners.

&quot;Very soon, if we are not nimble enough to recognise the issues, we could be in trouble,&quot; said Fahd Chinoy, whose family runs Pakistan Cables.

China, for which CPEC is a key part of its Silk Road ambitions, sought to assuage such fears. &quot;The dividend, the well-being delivered by the corridor will benefit the people of both China and Pakistan, as well as of the region,&quot; Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular briefing, when asked about concerns in Pakistan.

The government in Islamabad was also keen to reassure domestic producers.

&quot;We are not (so foolish) as to not protect our local industry,&quot; said Miftah Ismail, a state minister charged with setting up CPEC Special Economic Zones. &quot;I want to assure people we will never give greater protection to our Chinese investing friends,&quot; Ismail added. &quot;It will never be an uneven playing field.&quot;

The Pakistani government, citing local worries about being crowded out, said in January it would prioritise domestic companies over Chinese ones in the forthcoming sell-off of state-run companies.

&nbsp;

WINNERS AND LOSERS?

Pakistan&#39;s struggling textiles sector, which account for 60 per cent of the country&#39;s exports, is watching nervously. China is offering vast incentives and ploughing billions of dollars into the Western region of Xinjiang to build a textile industry, which will rely on CPEC road and rail links to export goods via Pakistan&#39;s Arabian sea port of Gwadar.

The Karachi Chamber of Commerce &amp; Industry and other organisations worry that Pakistan will become a dumping ground for Chinese goods once the Xinjiang-Gwadar transit route becomes operational and traffic volumes soar.

&quot;If those products end up on the domestic market without duties, it will devastate the local industry,&quot; said Aamir Fayyaz, chairman of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA).

Wang Zihai, president of the Pakistan-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, compared Pakistan to China three decades ago, when its nascent industries faced competition from more advanced Japanese and American companies.

&quot;Chinese companies did not die,&quot; Wang said. &quot;Chinese are not here to take over everything, they want partners. They need a local party to work together.&quot;

And for early CPEC winners, optimism abounds. Hussain Agha&#39;s family-run steel business has bagged several CPEC contracts and is planning an initial public offering (IPO) to raise cash to expand.

&quot;Those who are geared for the economic renaissance of Pakistan will thrive, and those who are not will miss the bus,&quot; said Agha, an executive director at Agha Steel Industries.

&quot;We are getting ready for the &#39;Roaring 20s&#39;.&quot;

(Reuters)

Generous tax and duty exemptions for Chinese cables may be undermining Pakistan's local industry, a growing number of executives are saying

Kamal Amjad Mian thought China's decision to invest $36 billion in the Pakistani power sector would benefit his electricity cable business, and, anticipating increased demand, his family spent nearly $30 million on a second plant to double output. But Mian's Fast Cables and some other Pakistani manufacturers have yet to reap rewards from Beijing's huge "One Belt, One Road" (OBOR) project, a modern-day "Silk Road" network of trade routes across land and sea. Power stations built as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a $57 billion project involving energy, road and rail infrastructure, are being kitted out with Chinese cables exempt from import duty and sales tax. Such exemptions, more generous for CPEC projects than others, threaten to undermine local industry, according to Mian, one of a growing number of executives now questioning an initiative long portrayed as the key to Pakistan's prosperity. "The government, instead of giving us a level playing field, gave them an advantage," Mian said in the eastern city of Lahore. A Water and Power Ministry official, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said "there were question marks about whether the local cable industry could fulfil the demands under CPEC and we worried it would slow down projects." Beijing's CPEC splurge and a drop in Islamist militant violence have reinvigorated Pakistan's sluggish economy, driving growth to about 5 per cent for the first time since 2008. The public and political parties broadly support Chinese investment, while cement and steel companies who bagged early CPEC contracts are embarking on aggressive expansion. Executives also say Chinese investors are poised for an acquisitions spree in Pakistan. TROJAN HORSE OR SAVIOUR? But not everyone is happy. Critics say CPEC projects are opaque and expensive, and question Pakistan's ability to repay the costs over time. Some firms fear they will struggle to compete with Chinese companies with deeper pockets, economies of scale and vastly cheaper credit lines. "We have to make sure (CPEC) doesn't become a Trojan Horse and start hurting existing industry," said Ehsan Malik, chief executive of the Pakistan Business Council. There is plenty still up for grabs for local players. The next phase of CPEC involves the creation of Special Economic Zones where Chinese state-run enterprises would open factories and help develop Pakistan's industrial base. But Fast Cables' Mian said that, while domestic producers have been benefiting from broad economic growth, he fears his business will end up "dying a slow and painful death" if Chinese rivals setting up in Pakistan receive preferential tax breaks. Mian and other cables makers are reviving a defunct industry association in order to lobby Islamabad, amid concerns Beijing will use its leverage over Pakistan to obtain those sweeteners. "Very soon, if we are not nimble enough to recognise the issues, we could be in trouble," said Fahd Chinoy, whose family runs Pakistan Cables. China, for which CPEC is a key part of its Silk Road ambitions, sought to assuage such fears. "The dividend, the well-being delivered by the corridor will benefit the people of both China and Pakistan, as well as of the region," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular briefing, when asked about concerns in Pakistan. The government in Islamabad was also keen to reassure domestic producers. "We are not (so foolish) as to not protect our local industry," said Miftah Ismail, a state minister charged with setting up CPEC Special Economic Zones. "I want to assure people we will never give greater protection to our Chinese investing friends," Ismail added. "It will never be an uneven playing field." The Pakistani government, citing local worries about being crowded out, said in January it would prioritise domestic companies over Chinese ones in the forthcoming sell-off of state-run companies. WINNERS AND LOSERS? Pakistan's struggling textiles sector, which account for 60 per cent of the country's exports, is watching nervously. China is offering vast incentives and ploughing billions of dollars into the Western region of Xinjiang to build a textile industry, which will rely on CPEC road and rail links to export goods via Pakistan's Arabian sea port of Gwadar. The Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry and other organisations worry that Pakistan will become a dumping ground for Chinese goods once the Xinjiang-Gwadar transit route becomes operational and traffic volumes soar. "If those products end up on the domestic market without duties, it will devastate the local industry," said Aamir Fayyaz, chairman of the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA). Wang Zihai, president of the Pakistan-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, compared Pakistan to China three decades ago, when its nascent industries faced competition from more advanced Japanese and American companies. "Chinese companies did not die," Wang said. "Chinese are not here to take over everything, they want partners. They need a local party to work together." And for early CPEC winners, optimism abounds. Hussain Agha's family-run steel business has bagged several CPEC contracts and is planning an initial public offering (IPO) to raise cash to expand. "Those who are geared for the economic renaissance of Pakistan will thrive, and those who are not will miss the bus," said Agha, an executive director at Agha Steel Industries. "We are getting ready for the 'Roaring 20s'." (Reuters)

Some Pakistani power firms stuck in slow lane on China's Silk Road

Pakistan will punish social media companies that fail to take action against online blasphemy, the interior minister said on Wednesday, adding that he had requested a meeting with Facebook.

Pakistan&#39;s government wants social media networks to remove material deemed insulting to Islam or the Prophet Mohammad, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last week warned those posting such content would be &quot;strictly punished&quot;.

&quot;(Blasphemy) is not only a problem for Pakistan. This is an issue about the honour of every Muslim,&quot; said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who is also seeking to meet ambassadors from other Muslim countries to tackle the problem.

&quot;If we do not get a response from social media, I do not care about anyone, there is nothing greater than our faith. If social media and especially international social media stays on this route then we will have to take strong action regarding social media.&quot;

He did not specify what action might be taken.

Those convicted of blasphemy can face the death penalty under Pakistani law. Right groups say the law is frequently abused in a country where Islam is a highly sensitive subject, and where even rumours of blasphemy have sparked deadly riots.

Facebook is the most popular social network in Pakistan. Khan said the company was &quot;ready to send a delegation to Pakistan&quot; and would do so once a date was agreed.

Facebook could not be immediately reached for comment. However, a report by the company on Pakistani government requests for data lists 25 pieces of content being restricted between January and June 2016.

&quot;Based on legal requests from the Pakistan Telecom Authority, we restricted access to content for allegedly violating local laws prohibiting blasphemy, desecration of the national flag, and condemnation of the country&#39;s independence,&quot; reads the Facebook page on Pakistan.

According to analytics data from Facebook&#39;s website, the social media app has about 25-30 million active users in Pakistan, where internet penetration remains poor. Facebook&#39;s Instagram unit and rival Twitter are also popular.

The ruling PML-N party&#39;s tough talk against blasphemy will appeal to its conservative voter base ahead of elections likely to take place next year.

At least 65 people, including lawyers, defendants and judges, have been murdered over blasphemy allegations since 1990, according to figures from a Center for Research and Security Studies report and local media.

(Reuters)

Pakistan's government wants social media networks to remove material deemed insulting to Islam or the Prophet Mohammad

Pakistan will punish social media companies that fail to take action against online blasphemy, the interior minister said on Wednesday, adding that he had requested a meeting with Facebook. Pakistan's government wants social media networks to remove material deemed insulting to Islam or the Prophet Mohammad, and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last week warned those posting such content would be "strictly punished". "(Blasphemy) is not only a problem for Pakistan. This is an issue about the honour of every Muslim," said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who is also seeking to meet ambassadors from other Muslim countries to tackle the problem. "If we do not get a response from social media, I do not care about anyone, there is nothing greater than our faith. If social media and especially international social media stays on this route then we will have to take strong action regarding social media." He did not specify what action might be taken. Those convicted of blasphemy can face the death penalty under Pakistani law. Right groups say the law is frequently abused in a country where Islam is a highly sensitive subject, and where even rumours of blasphemy have sparked deadly riots. Facebook is the most popular social network in Pakistan. Khan said the company was "ready to send a delegation to Pakistan" and would do so once a date was agreed. Facebook could not be immediately reached for comment. However, a report by the company on Pakistani government requests for data lists 25 pieces of content being restricted between January and June 2016. "Based on legal requests from the Pakistan Telecom Authority, we restricted access to content for allegedly violating local laws prohibiting blasphemy, desecration of the national flag, and condemnation of the country's independence," reads the Facebook page on Pakistan. According to analytics data from Facebook's website, the social media app has about 25-30 million active users in Pakistan, where internet penetration remains poor. Facebook's Instagram unit and rival Twitter are also popular. The ruling PML-N party's tough talk against blasphemy will appeal to its conservative voter base ahead of elections likely to take place next year. At least 65 people, including lawyers, defendants and judges, have been murdered over blasphemy allegations since 1990, according to figures from a Center for Research and Security Studies report and local media. (Reuters)

Pakistan to punish social media companies for blasphemous content

The two Indian clerics who had gone missing in Pakistan&nbsp;returned to India this morning.

Syed Asif Ali Nizami, 80, the head priest of Delhi&#39;s Nizamuddin Dargah, and his nephew Nazim Ali Nizami, 60, went missing last Friday.&nbsp;

Syed Nizami disappeared from Karachi airport. Nazim Nizami was not allowed to board the flight from Lahore to Karachi. &#39;

After that, their cellphones were switched off.&nbsp;

Back in Delhi, the duo met with foreign minister Sushma Swaraj.&nbsp;

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Delhi: EAM Sushma Swaraj met the two Sufi clerics, Syed Asif Nizami and Nazim Ali Nizami who had gone missing in Pakistan. <a href="https://t.co/LO6GD8ByEc">pic.twitter.com/LO6GD8ByEc</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/843772871428128768">March 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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And held a press conference after that at which Syed Nizami said there were people who did not wish for them to return to Pakistan but that they would continue to do so, with the &quot;message of peace&quot;. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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Two Indian clerics who went missing in Pakistan last week have landed in India (WION)
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There had been much speculation that Pakistan&#39;s intelligence&nbsp;agency <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/indian-sufi-clerics-may-have-been-detained-by-agencies-linked-with-pakistan-army-13501">the&nbsp;Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had been behind their disappearance</a>. The clerics themselves, when they were traced, said they had been in the interiors of Sindh where there had been no phone connection. Media reports quoted them as saying they had gone to Sindh to meet devotees.&nbsp;

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Delhi: The two Hazrat Nizamuddin clerics who had gone missing in Pakistan, return to India <a href="https://t.co/Yf4teR2k73">pic.twitter.com/Yf4teR2k73</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/843697056052989956">March 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj had been in touch with the Pakistani foreign office ever since news of disappearance (of the two clerics) surfaced.

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I just spoke to Syed Nazim Ali Nizami in Karachi. He told me that they are safe and will be back in Delhi tomorrow. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nizamuddin?src=hash">#Nizamuddin</a>
&mdash; Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/SushmaSwaraj/status/843317089997803520">March 19, 2017</a></blockquote>
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(WION)

Syed Asif Ali Nizami, head priest of Delhi's Nizamuddin Dargah, and his nephew Nazim Nizami went missing last Friday

The two Indian clerics who had gone missing in Pakistan returned to India this morning. Syed Asif Ali Nizami, 80, the head priest of Delhi's Nizamuddin Dargah, and his nephew Nazim Ali Nizami, 60, went missing last Friday. Syed Nizami disappeared from Karachi airport. Nazim Nizami was not allowed to board the flight from Lahore to Karachi. ' After that, their cellphones were switched off. Back in Delhi, the duo met with foreign minister Sushma Swaraj. Delhi: EAM Sushma Swaraj met the two Sufi clerics, Syed Asif Nizami and Nazim Ali Nizami who had gone missing in Pakistan. pic.twitter.com/LO6GD8ByEc — ANI (@ANI_news) March 20, 2017 × And held a press conference after that at which Syed Nizami said there were people who did not wish for them to return to Pakistan but that they would continue to do so, with the "message of peace". Two Indian clerics who went missing in Pakistan last week have landed in India (WION) × There had been much speculation that Pakistan's intelligence agency the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had been behind their disappearance. The clerics themselves, when they were traced, said they had been in the interiors of Sindh where there had been no phone connection. Media reports quoted them as saying they had gone to Sindh to meet devotees. Delhi: The two Hazrat Nizamuddin clerics who had gone missing in Pakistan, return to India pic.twitter.com/Yf4teR2k73 — ANI (@ANI_news) March 20, 2017 × Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj had been in touch with the Pakistani foreign office ever since news of disappearance (of the two clerics) surfaced. I just spoke to Syed Nazim Ali Nizami in Karachi. He told me that they are safe and will be back in Delhi tomorrow. #Nizamuddin — Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) March 19, 2017 × (WION)

Indian clerics who went missing in Pakistan return

The two Indian clerics who went missing in Pakistan said they would return to that country -- with the message of peace.&nbsp;

&quot;We went there to spread the message of Nizamuddin Dargah, of peace and love. There are people who disagree with this message of peace and love. They said they had gone to the interior province of Sindh. We did not. We don`t have the visa for that place. We are thankful to the Indian government because of whom we are here. Negative people in Pakistan don`t want us to go there again but we will go there again to spread the message of peace,&quot; Nazim Nizami told media here.

Earlier in the day, the two clerics -- Syed Asif Ali Nizami, who is the head priest of Delhi&#39;s Nizamuddin Dargah, and his nephew Nazim Ali Nizami, who is also with the dargah -- met with foreign minister Sushma Swaraj.

Both clerics&nbsp;returned to India today, where Nazim Nizami thanked the Indian government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Swaraj, and home minister Rajnath Singh.

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<h5>It is still not clear however where the two clerics were after they went missing.&nbsp; When they were found, media reports quoted them as saying they had gone to meet their devotees in interior Sindh, where there was no phone connectivity. But they are now saying that that is not where they were</h5>
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When they were found, media reports quoted them as saying they had gone to meet their devotees in interior Sindh, where there was no phone connectivity. But they are now saying that that is not where they were" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
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It is still not clear however where the two clerics were after they went missing.&nbsp;

When they were found, media reports quoted them as saying they had gone to meet their devotees in interior Sindh, where there was no phone connectivity.

But they are now saying that that is not where they were.&nbsp;

Strangely, the two clerics have been looked at with suspicion on both sides of the border.&nbsp;

Earlier today, Nizami had said a Pakistani newspaper -- Ummat -- had incorrectly called them RAW agents.

(WION)

'Negative people in Pakistan don`t want us to go there again but we will go there again to spread the message of peace,' Nazim Nizami said

The two Indian clerics who went missing in Pakistan said they would return to that country -- with the message of peace. "We went there to spread the message of Nizamuddin Dargah, of peace and love. There are people who disagree with this message of peace and love. They said they had gone to the interior province of Sindh. We did not. We don`t have the visa for that place. We are thankful to the Indian government because of whom we are here. Negative people in Pakistan don`t want us to go there again but we will go there again to spread the message of peace," Nazim Nizami told media here. Earlier in the day, the two clerics -- Syed Asif Ali Nizami, who is the head priest of Delhi's Nizamuddin Dargah, and his nephew Nazim Ali Nizami, who is also with the dargah -- met with foreign minister Sushma Swaraj. Both clerics returned to India today, where Nazim Nizami thanked the Indian government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Swaraj, and home minister Rajnath Singh. It is still not clear however where the two clerics were after they went missing. When they were found, media reports quoted them as saying they had gone to meet their devotees in interior Sindh, where there was no phone connectivity. But they are now saying that that is not where they were × It is still not clear however where the two clerics were after they went missing. When they were found, media reports quoted them as saying they had gone to meet their devotees in interior Sindh, where there was no phone connectivity. But they are now saying that that is not where they were. Strangely, the two clerics have been looked at with suspicion on both sides of the border. Earlier today, Nizami had said a Pakistani newspaper -- Ummat -- had incorrectly called them RAW agents. (WION)

Missing clerics say they'll return to Pak ? to 'spread message of peace'

India today asked Pakistan to rein in its &quot;compulsive hostility&quot; towards it and fulfil its obligation to vacate illegal occupation of PoK, which has become a &quot;hub&quot; for the global export of terror. 
 
Exercising its right to reply during a UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva, the Indian representative said Pakistan must rein in its &quot;compulsive hostility&quot; towards India.

Also Read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistans-violence-against-people-of-balochistan-unacceptable-eu-parliamentarian-13335">&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s violence against people of Balochistan unacceptable: EU parliamentarian</a>

&quot;We ask Pakistan to stop inciting and supporting violence and terrorism in any part of India and refrain from meddling in our internal affairs in any manner,&quot; the official said.

Once again Pakistan&#39;s delegation has chosen to misuse the Council to make fallacious references about internal matters pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir, the diplomat said.

Emphasising that terrorism is the violation of human rights and should be so acknowledged by any impartial and objective observer, the Indian side said a part of the territories of Jammu and Kashmir remain under the forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan.

&quot;We also demand that Pakistan must fulfil its obligation to vacate illegal occupation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK),&quot; the diplomat said.

&quot;It is unfortunate that in recent times the people of PoK have become victims of sectarian conflict, terrorism and extreme economic hardship because of Pakistan&#39;s occupation and discriminatory policies,&quot; the Indian side said.

&quot;The Indian state of J&amp;K is part of a pluralistic and secular democracy, where an independent judiciary, an active media and a vibrant civil society guarantee freedoms. In contrast, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is administered by a &#39;deep state&#39; and has become a hub for the global export of terror,&quot; the diplomat said.

The Indian side asserted that India does not accept attempts by Pakistan to denigrate the democratic choice that has been regularly exercised by the people of J&amp;K over the last six decades since our independence.

&quot;Pakistan&#39;s continued support for terror groups operating in J&amp;K is the main challenge to protecting the human rights of our citizens in the state,&quot; the diplomat added.

&quot;Pakistan&#39;s selective approach in tackling terror groups operating outside Pakistan and within, despite the numerous solemn promises made underscores the continuing unwillingness to acknowledge the truth,&quot; the Indian representative said.

The Indian side said apart from becoming &quot;world&#39;s terrorism factory&quot;, Pakistan has alienated its own people through continued mistreatment of Hindus, Christians, Shias, Ahmadiyas and other minorities.

&quot;In this Council, Pakistan has referred to the situation of minorities in India. Minorities in India have been prime ministers, presidents, vice-presidents, senior cabinet ministers, senior civil servants, cricket team captains, Bollywood superstars-can the minorities of Pakistan claim even a shadow of this? All they have are blasphemy laws and relentless abuse and violation of their human rights,&quot; the Indian side said.&nbsp;

(PTI)

An Indian diplomat at UNHRC session in Geneva said Pakistan must rein in its 'compulsive hostility' towards India

India today asked Pakistan to rein in its "compulsive hostility" towards it and fulfil its obligation to vacate illegal occupation of PoK, which has become a "hub" for the global export of terror. Exercising its right to reply during a UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva, the Indian representative said Pakistan must rein in its "compulsive hostility" towards India. Also Read: Pakistan's violence against people of Balochistan unacceptable: EU parliamentarian "We ask Pakistan to stop inciting and supporting violence and terrorism in any part of India and refrain from meddling in our internal affairs in any manner," the official said. Once again Pakistan's delegation has chosen to misuse the Council to make fallacious references about internal matters pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir, the diplomat said. Emphasising that terrorism is the violation of human rights and should be so acknowledged by any impartial and objective observer, the Indian side said a part of the territories of Jammu and Kashmir remain under the forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan. "We also demand that Pakistan must fulfil its obligation to vacate illegal occupation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK)," the diplomat said. "It is unfortunate that in recent times the people of PoK have become victims of sectarian conflict, terrorism and extreme economic hardship because of Pakistan's occupation and discriminatory policies," the Indian side said. "The Indian state of J&K is part of a pluralistic and secular democracy, where an independent judiciary, an active media and a vibrant civil society guarantee freedoms. In contrast, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is administered by a 'deep state' and has become a hub for the global export of terror," the diplomat said. The Indian side asserted that India does not accept attempts by Pakistan to denigrate the democratic choice that has been regularly exercised by the people of J&K over the last six decades since our independence. "Pakistan's continued support for terror groups operating in J&K is the main challenge to protecting the human rights of our citizens in the state," the diplomat added. "Pakistan's selective approach in tackling terror groups operating outside Pakistan and within, despite the numerous solemn promises made underscores the continuing unwillingness to acknowledge the truth," the Indian representative said. The Indian side said apart from becoming "world's terrorism factory", Pakistan has alienated its own people through continued mistreatment of Hindus, Christians, Shias, Ahmadiyas and other minorities. "In this Council, Pakistan has referred to the situation of minorities in India. Minorities in India have been prime ministers, presidents, vice-presidents, senior cabinet ministers, senior civil servants, cricket team captains, Bollywood superstars-can the minorities of Pakistan claim even a shadow of this? All they have are blasphemy laws and relentless abuse and violation of their human rights," the Indian side said. (PTI)

Stop meddling in our internal affairs: India tells Pak at UNHRC

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said that forcible conversion and destruction of worship places of other religions is a crime in Islam and in Pakistan as he greeted the Hindu community on the occasion of Holi.

Addressing a function to celebrate Holi with Hindus here, he insisted that it was not anyone&#39;s job to decide who will go to hell or heaven, but to make Pakistan a heaven on earth.

In his inclusive message to minorities in Pakistan, the prime minister said &quot;no one can force others to adopt a certain religion&quot;.

&quot;Islam gives importance to every human being regardless of his caste, creed or religion and I say it clearly that forcing anyone to convert his religion is a crime and it is our duty to protect the worship places of the minorities in Pakistan,&quot; Sharif told the gathering.

Leading members of the Hindu community and minority lawmakers attended the function where the prime minister insisted that in Pakistan the fight was between terrorists and those who wanted to see the country progress and develop into an Asian tiger.

&quot;There is no fight in Pakistan over religion. If there is any fight it is with these terrorists and miscreants who use religion to mislead people and kill innocent people and don?t want to see this country develop or prosper,&quot; he said.

Sharif admitted that in the past some miscreants had attempted to create divisions on the basis of religion but insisted that Pakistan was created where everyone was free to practice his religion and go to his worship place.

&quot;Pakistan didn&#39;t come into existence to be against any religion. It is wrong to consider any religion inferior. I want to see a Pakistan where there are equal opportunities for every person of any religion to progress and make a good life for himself and his family. And there is peace and protection for everyone,&quot; the prime minister said.

The Hindu community has constantly complained about their people in the rural areas being forced to convert to Islam and their women being kidnapped and forcibly converted.

The premier noted that since 2013 the law and order situation had improved in Karachi and other parts of Sindh and there had been a marked decrease in cases of Hindu traders and businessmen being kidnapped for ransom.

&quot;Pakistan has the best future in Asia but for that we need to ensure every citizen is given equal opportunities and equal rights&nbsp; 
no matter what is his religion or belief.&quot;

The Hindu community celebrated the Holi festival with fervor and enthusiasm in Karachi with functions held all over the city and Sharif said he was happy to see the celebrations in every nook and corner of Karachi without any hinderance.

Sharif greeted the gathering with &#39;Happy Holi&#39;. He also referred to L K Advani when someone mentioned his love for the famous Hindi song &#39;Baharo phool barsao&#39;, saying a decade ago he (Sharif) could sing this song as melodiously as Mohammad Rafi.

He also said that Health cards should be started in Sindh and announced 500 million rupees for the welfare of the Hindu community.

(PTI)

Greeting the Hindus on the eve of Holi, the prime minister said 'no one can force others to adopt a certain religion'

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said that forcible conversion and destruction of worship places of other religions is a crime in Islam and in Pakistan as he greeted the Hindu community on the occasion of Holi. Addressing a function to celebrate Holi with Hindus here, he insisted that it was not anyone's job to decide who will go to hell or heaven, but to make Pakistan a heaven on earth. In his inclusive message to minorities in Pakistan, the prime minister said "no one can force others to adopt a certain religion". "Islam gives importance to every human being regardless of his caste, creed or religion and I say it clearly that forcing anyone to convert his religion is a crime and it is our duty to protect the worship places of the minorities in Pakistan," Sharif told the gathering. Leading members of the Hindu community and minority lawmakers attended the function where the prime minister insisted that in Pakistan the fight was between terrorists and those who wanted to see the country progress and develop into an Asian tiger. "There is no fight in Pakistan over religion. If there is any fight it is with these terrorists and miscreants who use religion to mislead people and kill innocent people and don?t want to see this country develop or prosper," he said. Sharif admitted that in the past some miscreants had attempted to create divisions on the basis of religion but insisted that Pakistan was created where everyone was free to practice his religion and go to his worship place. "Pakistan didn't come into existence to be against any religion. It is wrong to consider any religion inferior. I want to see a Pakistan where there are equal opportunities for every person of any religion to progress and make a good life for himself and his family. And there is peace and protection for everyone," the prime minister said. The Hindu community has constantly complained about their people in the rural areas being forced to convert to Islam and their women being kidnapped and forcibly converted. The premier noted that since 2013 the law and order situation had improved in Karachi and other parts of Sindh and there had been a marked decrease in cases of Hindu traders and businessmen being kidnapped for ransom. "Pakistan has the best future in Asia but for that we need to ensure every citizen is given equal opportunities and equal rights no matter what is his religion or belief." The Hindu community celebrated the Holi festival with fervor and enthusiasm in Karachi with functions held all over the city and Sharif said he was happy to see the celebrations in every nook and corner of Karachi without any hinderance. Sharif greeted the gathering with 'Happy Holi'. He also referred to L K Advani when someone mentioned his love for the famous Hindi song 'Baharo phool barsao', saying a decade ago he (Sharif) could sing this song as melodiously as Mohammad Rafi. He also said that Health cards should be started in Sindh and announced 500 million rupees for the welfare of the Hindu community. (PTI)

Pakistan: Prime Minister Sharif calls forcible conversion a crime in Islam

Saudi Arabia denied on Tuesday claims by Pakistani activists that two transgender women from Pakistan were beaten to death in police custody after being arrested in Saudi Arabia along with more than 30 other members of the community.

Reports of the deaths had been carried in Pakistani media and decried in an activists&#39; media conference on Monday. However, a statement from the Saudi interior ministry early on Tuesday said the reports were &quot;totally wrong and nobody was tortured&quot;.

The ministry acknowledged that one Pakistani had died in custody after the arrests.

&quot;One 61-year-old person suffered a heart attack and died in the hospital after being treated,&quot; the interior ministry statement said. &quot;The Pakistani embassy looked into this case and another one. Procedures have started to send the body back to his country,&quot; it said.

Saudi media reported last week that police had arrested around 35 people after they raided a party where men were dressed as women and were wearing make-up. The Saudi outlets did not use the word transgender, nor say anyone had been killed.

In Pakistan, transgender activist Farzana Riaz told a news conference on Monday that sources in the transgender community in Saudi Arabia had told her the two Pakistanis were beaten to death with sticks.

&quot;We are deeply saddened by the deaths of these two innocent trans persons in Saudi Arabia,&quot; Riaz, a leader of the group Trans Action Pakistan, said in Peshawar.

Riaz showed journalists several photos of those still in custody that she said had been sent to her by contacts in Saudi Arabia, along with messages sent via cellphone.

Qamar Naseem, a rights activist from the Blue Veins group, told the same news conference he had shared available information about the incident with members of Pakistan&#39;s parliament.

The Pakistani Interior Ministry was not available for comment on Monday.

Saudi Arabia has no law against transgender people, but the kingdom has carried out arrests for cross-dressing and ordered the imprisonment and flogging of men accused of behaving like women, according to US-based Human Rights Watch.

In Pakistan, transgender people are often shunned by their families and forced into begging or prostitution to support themselves.

Recently, however, a nascent transgender activist movement has gained attention and legal rights.

In January, a Pakistani court ruled that transgender people would be counted in the national census for the first time. In 2012, the Supreme Court declared equal rights for transgender citizens. They were guaranteed the right to vote a year earlier.

(Reuters)

Sources in Saudi Arabia's transgender community told a Pakistani activist that police beat the two women to death with sticks

Saudi Arabia denied on Tuesday claims by Pakistani activists that two transgender women from Pakistan were beaten to death in police custody after being arrested in Saudi Arabia along with more than 30 other members of the community. Reports of the deaths had been carried in Pakistani media and decried in an activists' media conference on Monday. However, a statement from the Saudi interior ministry early on Tuesday said the reports were "totally wrong and nobody was tortured". The ministry acknowledged that one Pakistani had died in custody after the arrests. "One 61-year-old person suffered a heart attack and died in the hospital after being treated," the interior ministry statement said. "The Pakistani embassy looked into this case and another one. Procedures have started to send the body back to his country," it said. Saudi media reported last week that police had arrested around 35 people after they raided a party where men were dressed as women and were wearing make-up. The Saudi outlets did not use the word transgender, nor say anyone had been killed. In Pakistan, transgender activist Farzana Riaz told a news conference on Monday that sources in the transgender community in Saudi Arabia had told her the two Pakistanis were beaten to death with sticks. "We are deeply saddened by the deaths of these two innocent trans persons in Saudi Arabia," Riaz, a leader of the group Trans Action Pakistan, said in Peshawar. Riaz showed journalists several photos of those still in custody that she said had been sent to her by contacts in Saudi Arabia, along with messages sent via cellphone. Qamar Naseem, a rights activist from the Blue Veins group, told the same news conference he had shared available information about the incident with members of Pakistan's parliament. The Pakistani Interior Ministry was not available for comment on Monday. Saudi Arabia has no law against transgender people, but the kingdom has carried out arrests for cross-dressing and ordered the imprisonment and flogging of men accused of behaving like women, according to US-based Human Rights Watch. In Pakistan, transgender people are often shunned by their families and forced into begging or prostitution to support themselves. Recently, however, a nascent transgender activist movement has gained attention and legal rights. In January, a Pakistani court ruled that transgender people would be counted in the national census for the first time. In 2012, the Supreme Court declared equal rights for transgender citizens. They were guaranteed the right to vote a year earlier. (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia denies Pakistani reports police killed transgender women

Mahmud Ali Durrani, the former Pakistan National Security Advisor, speaking at a security conference in Delhi admitted that a terrorist group based in Pakistan carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

The Pakistan government has always maintained the attacks were carried out by &quot;non-state actors&quot; and it had no role in it.

India has accused Pakistan&#39;s LeT leader Hafiz Saeed of planning and carrying out the attacks and had lodged a case against him&nbsp;in 2008.

&quot;I hate to admit that the 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group in Pakistan is a classic trans-border terrorist event,&quot; Mahmud Ali Durrani said.

Mahmud Ali Durrani was the NSA when ten Pakistani terrorists sailed into Mumbai on November 26, 2008 and killed 166 people including Indians and foreigners.

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26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan is classic trans-border terrorist event: Mahmud Ali Durrani, Ex Pak NSA <a href="https://t.co/5Z2DyUH9Uk">pic.twitter.com/5Z2DyUH9Uk</a>
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Nine terrorists were killed by Indian commandos during the attacks, Indian police captured one of them - Ajmal Kasab, a Pakistani national who was found guilty of participating in the attacks by an Indian court and hanged in India in 2012.

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Mahmud Ali Durrani, the former Pakistan National Security Advisor, speaking at a security conference in Delhi admitted that a terrorist group based in Pakistan carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Here&#39;s more to this story (WION)
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(WION)&nbsp;

Pakistan government has always maintained the 26/11 Mumbai attacks were carried out by 'non-state actors'

Mahmud Ali Durrani, the former Pakistan National Security Advisor, speaking at a security conference in Delhi admitted that a terrorist group based in Pakistan carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. The Pakistan government has always maintained the attacks were carried out by "non-state actors" and it had no role in it. India has accused Pakistan's LeT leader Hafiz Saeed of planning and carrying out the attacks and had lodged a case against him in 2008. "I hate to admit that the 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group in Pakistan is a classic trans-border terrorist event," Mahmud Ali Durrani said. Mahmud Ali Durrani was the NSA when ten Pakistani terrorists sailed into Mumbai on November 26, 2008 and killed 166 people including Indians and foreigners. 26/11 Mumbai attack carried out by a terror group based in Pakistan is classic trans-border terrorist event: Mahmud Ali Durrani, Ex Pak NSA pic.twitter.com/5Z2DyUH9Uk — ANI (@ANI_news) March 6, 2017 × Nine terrorists were killed by Indian commandos during the attacks, Indian police captured one of them - Ajmal Kasab, a Pakistani national who was found guilty of participating in the attacks by an Indian court and hanged in India in 2012. Mahmud Ali Durrani, the former Pakistan National Security Advisor, speaking at a security conference in Delhi admitted that a terrorist group based in Pakistan carried out the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Here's more to this story (WION) × (WION)

26/11 Mumbai attacks carried out by terror group in Pakistan: Former Pakistan National Security Advisor

India is set to engage with Pakistan once again, starting with a meeting to resolve the dispute over the Indus Waters Treaty to be held in Lahore next month,&nbsp;news agencies reported.

India and Pakistan will sit across the table to address issues in their meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission -&nbsp;a bilateral commission of officials from India and Pakistan, created to implement and manage goals of the Indus Waters Treaty.

Pakistan has made it clear it will not accept any alterations or changes to the treaty after India had said that it is ready to engage in further consultations with Islamabad on the matter of resolving current differences over the Kishenganga and Ralte projects.&nbsp;

Pakistan has argued that India was buying time to complete its two disputed water projects and then insisting that since the project was already complete, it could not be modified.&nbsp;Pakistan has&nbsp;raised&nbsp;objections to building of the Kishanganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric plants by India saying that it violates the provisions of the treaty.

&nbsp;

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India has promised to participate in the Lahore meeting of the permanent Indus commission in an attempt to find a permanent solution for the treaty with Pakistan (WION)
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Tensions increased over the water dispute when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month threatened to block the flow of water into Pakistan. India had called off talks with Pakistan over the Indus Waters Treaty after the terrorist&nbsp;attack at Uri last year.

(WION with ANI inputs) 
&nbsp;

India and Pakistan will sit across the table to address issues in their meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission

India is set to engage with Pakistan once again, starting with a meeting to resolve the dispute over the Indus Waters Treaty to be held in Lahore next month, news agencies reported. India and Pakistan will sit across the table to address issues in their meeting of the Permanent Indus Commission - a bilateral commission of officials from India and Pakistan, created to implement and manage goals of the Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan has made it clear it will not accept any alterations or changes to the treaty after India had said that it is ready to engage in further consultations with Islamabad on the matter of resolving current differences over the Kishenganga and Ralte projects. Pakistan has argued that India was buying time to complete its two disputed water projects and then insisting that since the project was already complete, it could not be modified. Pakistan has raised objections to building of the Kishanganga (330 megawatts) and Ratle (850 megawatts) hydroelectric plants by India saying that it violates the provisions of the treaty. India has promised to participate in the Lahore meeting of the permanent Indus commission in an attempt to find a permanent solution for the treaty with Pakistan (WION) × Tensions increased over the water dispute when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month threatened to block the flow of water into Pakistan. India had called off talks with Pakistan over the Indus Waters Treaty after the terrorist attack at Uri last year. (WION with ANI inputs)

India to participate in Indus Waters Treaty meet in Lahore

Pakistan&#39;s former president General Pervez Musharraf has said his administration &#39;managed freedom fighters&#39; in Kashmir, but later realised a political process was needed to negotiate the issue with India, a Pakistan media report said.

Musharraf, who served as Pakistan&#39;s president from 2001 to 2008 after he dismissed the elected government of Nawaz Sharif in a coup in 1999, said his government was able to force India to discuss issues that New Delhi was unwilling to negotiate.

&quot;In my tenure as a military chief and president of the country, we were succeeding. We were able to bring India to the negotiating table and to sort out issues that India was not ready to discuss,&quot; he told Dunya News in an interview.

&quot;This all started after I stepped down, we had carved out an effective strategy vis-a-vis Kashmir, we were near resolving Kashmir issue with India on a four-point agenda, our policies were successful; America and China were aligning with us.&quot;

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In an interview to Pakistan&#39;s TV channel Duniya TV, the former dictator, Musharraf said that as president he continued with Pakistan&#39;s policy of controlling terror in India to force it on the negotiating table. (WION)
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&nbsp;

On the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed&#39;s &quot;house arrest&quot;, Musharraf said the &quot;Jamaat-ud-Dawa(JuD) chief is not a terrorist&quot;. He claimed India is after Saeed because his supporters go voluntarily to Kashmir to fight the Indian Army.&nbsp;

Musharraf left Pakistan for Dubai in March last year&nbsp;after his name was removed from the Exit Control List. The seventy-three-year-old said Afghanistan&#39;s intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security, was playing into India&#39;s hands and was being used as a tool to facilitate terror groups in Pakistan.

He claimed operation &#39;Zarb-e-Azb&#39; - during which the Pakistan Army claimed it killed thousands of militants - had no shortcomings as it was specifically for North Waziristan. &quot;This operation cleaned up all the camps and launching pads of terrorist, who were supported by the Indian spy agency with the collaboration of NDS, to destabilise the tribal areas.&quot;

Musharraf said a holistic approach and planning was crucial at the moment to curb terrorism in the country. His possible reference was to a series of deadly terrorist attack in Pakistan this year, particularly the suicide bombing at a famed Sufi shrine in Sindh in which at least 88 people died.

The former military chief questioned the steps being taken by Pakistan to eliminate the &quot;sleeper cells&quot; active in the country, including the previously peaceful Punjab province.

&quot;What steps are being taken to eliminate these sleeper cells? Punjab has become the stronghold of militancy,&quot; he said, refuting a question that terrorist attacks and terror outfits like the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi existed during his tenure.

Musharraf is widely believed to be the mastermind behind the Kargil conflict in 1999 between India and Pakistan which resulted in a near all-out war in the high-altitude Siachen region. The conflict disrupted relations between India and Pakistan which came just months after the historic Vajpayee government&#39;s Delhi-Lahore bus journey to Pakistan. Musharraf who was president for nearly seven years&nbsp;stepped down after threat of impeachment by the Pakistani legislators in August 2008.&nbsp;

(WION with PTI inputs)

&nbsp;

Incursion in India's Kargil sector in 1999 took place under Musharraf's watch, leading to a near all-out war between the two countries

Pakistan's former president General Pervez Musharraf has said his administration 'managed freedom fighters' in Kashmir, but later realised a political process was needed to negotiate the issue with India, a Pakistan media report said. Musharraf, who served as Pakistan's president from 2001 to 2008 after he dismissed the elected government of Nawaz Sharif in a coup in 1999, said his government was able to force India to discuss issues that New Delhi was unwilling to negotiate. "In my tenure as a military chief and president of the country, we were succeeding. We were able to bring India to the negotiating table and to sort out issues that India was not ready to discuss," he told Dunya News in an interview. "This all started after I stepped down, we had carved out an effective strategy vis-a-vis Kashmir, we were near resolving Kashmir issue with India on a four-point agenda, our policies were successful; America and China were aligning with us." In an interview to Pakistan's TV channel Duniya TV, the former dictator, Musharraf said that as president he continued with Pakistan's policy of controlling terror in India to force it on the negotiating table. (WION) × On the 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed's "house arrest", Musharraf said the "Jamaat-ud-Dawa(JuD) chief is not a terrorist". He claimed India is after Saeed because his supporters go voluntarily to Kashmir to fight the Indian Army. Musharraf left Pakistan for Dubai in March last year after his name was removed from the Exit Control List. The seventy-three-year-old said Afghanistan's intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security, was playing into India's hands and was being used as a tool to facilitate terror groups in Pakistan. He claimed operation 'Zarb-e-Azb' - during which the Pakistan Army claimed it killed thousands of militants - had no shortcomings as it was specifically for North Waziristan. "This operation cleaned up all the camps and launching pads of terrorist, who were supported by the Indian spy agency with the collaboration of NDS, to destabilise the tribal areas." Musharraf said a holistic approach and planning was crucial at the moment to curb terrorism in the country. His possible reference was to a series of deadly terrorist attack in Pakistan this year, particularly the suicide bombing at a famed Sufi shrine in Sindh in which at least 88 people died. The former military chief questioned the steps being taken by Pakistan to eliminate the "sleeper cells" active in the country, including the previously peaceful Punjab province. "What steps are being taken to eliminate these sleeper cells? Punjab has become the stronghold of militancy," he said, refuting a question that terrorist attacks and terror outfits like the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi existed during his tenure. Musharraf is widely believed to be the mastermind behind the Kargil conflict in 1999 between India and Pakistan which resulted in a near all-out war in the high-altitude Siachen region. The conflict disrupted relations between India and Pakistan which came just months after the historic Vajpayee government's Delhi-Lahore bus journey to Pakistan. Musharraf who was president for nearly seven years stepped down after threat of impeachment by the Pakistani legislators in August 2008. (WION with PTI inputs)

Pakistan's ex-president Pervez Musharraf admits to meddling in Kashmir, says he 'managed freedom fighters'

&nbsp;Suicide bombers attacked a court complex in Pakistan on Tuesday, killing five people and wounding 20, police officials said, the latest incident in a new surge of Islamist violence.

A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban&#39;s Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction claimed responsibility for the attack in the northwestern town of Charsadda.

All three of the attackers were carrying hand grenades and AK-47 assault rifles, Ijaz Khan, police chief in the northwestern district of Charsadda, told Reuters.

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Pakistani Taliban&#39;s Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction claim responsibility for suicide attack in Pakistan&#39;s northwestern town of Charsadda, killing at least four. Here&#39;s more to this story. (WION)
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Besides lawyers and judges, hundreds of litigants visit the building every day.

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People transport an injured man in the Charsadda blast to a hospital in Peshawar. (Reuters)
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The district administration had earlier said at least four people were killed. A witness told Reuters he had seen &quot;many&quot; dead bodies at the scene.

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Charsadda blasts: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pakistan?src=hash">#Pakistan</a> media reports that three attackers have been killed
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Four killed and 17 injured in multiple explosions in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Charsadda?src=hash">#Charsadda</a>: Pakistan media.
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A string of bombings in Pakistan over the past 10 days has killed more than 100 people.&nbsp;Town resident Mohammad Shah Baz told Reuters he was inside the judicial complex when the suicide bombers stormed it.

&quot;I escaped towards the canteen and climbed the wall to save my life. But there were many people dead and injured,&quot; he said.

District police chief Sohail Khalid said at least one of the attackers blew himself up and another opened fire at the main entrance of the court compound before they were shot and killed.

Jamaat-ur-Ahrar spokesman Asad Mansoor claimed responsibility for the attack in a message to journalists.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban's Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction claimed responsibility for the attack in the northwestern town of Charsadda

Suicide bombers attacked a court complex in Pakistan on Tuesday, killing five people and wounding 20, police officials said, the latest incident in a new surge of Islamist violence. A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban's Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction claimed responsibility for the attack in the northwestern town of Charsadda. All three of the attackers were carrying hand grenades and AK-47 assault rifles, Ijaz Khan, police chief in the northwestern district of Charsadda, told Reuters. Pakistani Taliban's Jamaat-ur-Ahrar faction claim responsibility for suicide attack in Pakistan's northwestern town of Charsadda, killing at least four. Here's more to this story. (WION) × Besides lawyers and judges, hundreds of litigants visit the building every day. People transport an injured man in the Charsadda blast to a hospital in Peshawar. (Reuters) × The district administration had earlier said at least four people were killed. A witness told Reuters he had seen "many" dead bodies at the scene. Charsadda blasts: #Pakistan media reports that three attackers have been killed — ANI (@ANI_news) February 21, 2017 × Four killed and 17 injured in multiple explosions in #Charsadda: Pakistan media. — ANI (@ANI_news) February 21, 2017 × A string of bombings in Pakistan over the past 10 days has killed more than 100 people. Town resident Mohammad Shah Baz told Reuters he was inside the judicial complex when the suicide bombers stormed it. "I escaped towards the canteen and climbed the wall to save my life. But there were many people dead and injured," he said. District police chief Sohail Khalid said at least one of the attackers blew himself up and another opened fire at the main entrance of the court compound before they were shot and killed. Jamaat-ur-Ahrar spokesman Asad Mansoor claimed responsibility for the attack in a message to journalists. (Reuters)

Suicide bombers hit court complex in Pakistan, 5 dead

Farzana draws all eyes when she dances, with the twist of her hips and hair.&nbsp;But,&nbsp;today&nbsp;she is&nbsp;above all&nbsp;the voice of a Pakistani community with an ambiguous status: the khawajasiras.

The 30-year-old is a guru, a matriarch at the head of a &quot;family&quot; of several hundred khawajasiras, an umbrella term in Pakistan denoting a third sex that includes transsexuals, transvestites and eunuchs.&nbsp;

She is co-founder and president of TransAction, a rights organisation launched in 2015 in Peshawar, capital of deeply conservative Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.&nbsp;

Faced with brutal aggression and daily humiliation, this solid Pashtun, whose hoarse voice betrays her birth sex, &quot;filed complaints in almost every KP police station&quot; -- but in vain.&nbsp;

&quot;More than 50 khawajasiras were killed in 2015 and 2016 in KP alone,&quot; she says, recounting with fatalistic calm how she was repeatedly raped and blackmailed by police.&nbsp;

The status of khawajasiras -- also known as hijras -- is opaque in Pakistan to say the least.&nbsp;

Modern-day Pakistani transgender people claim to be cultural heirs of the eunuchs who thrived at the courts of the Mughal emperors that ruled the Indian subcontinent for two centuries until the British arrived in the 19th century and banned them.

Later, Pakistan became one of the first countries in the world to legally recognise a third sex. They number at least half a million people in the country, according to several studies -- up to two million, say TransAction.

Since 2009, they have been able to obtain an identity card as &quot;khawajasiras&quot;, and several have run in elections. A Lahore court has ruled they should be counted in the next census, set to be held this year.&nbsp;

Like Farzana, many earn their living by being called upon for rituals such as blessing newborns or to bring life to weddings and parties as dancers -- and, sometimes, in more clandestine ways.&nbsp;

But despite these signs of integration they live daily as pariahs, often reduced to begging and prostitution, subjected to extortion and discrimination. The catalyst for TransAction`s mobilisation in Peshawar was the exclusion of transgenders from aid to populations fleeing Talibanisation and fighting in the tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan.

Sohana, 24, fled in 2008 from Kurram tribal district, where the Taliban had banished dancing and music, and forced men to grow beards.&nbsp;

&quot;If I had stayed, I would be dead by now,&quot; she says.&nbsp;

But in Peshawar, the UN helped only displaced families.&nbsp;

&quot;We had no help from anyone... We started protesting,&quot; says the young woman, concealing beneath her shawl the curves she has created with silicone implants.

&quot;Many people spoke out, saying that people like us also need to have our rights respected,&quot; says Sohana, who nevertheless despairs of ever being tolerated by her family.&nbsp;

TransAction now has 40,000 followers on its Facebook page, and local newspapers have become sympathetic in their coverage of hijras, reviving the debate on their status in Pakistan.&nbsp;

&quot;A lot of NGOs have worked with the transgender community, but mostly focused on HIV, whereas (TransAction`s) priority was protection from violence, harassment, attacks and extortion,&quot; said Qamar Naseem, a women`s rights activist who helped TransAction to be heard.

Perhaps the most famous case to be highlighted was that of Alisha, who died after an assault in May last year because, her supporters said, she did not receive treatment at the gender-segregated hospital in Peshawar in time due to her identity. Against all odds, conservative and Islamist lawmakers are sensitive to their cause.&nbsp;

&quot;They are a creature of God. Allah&#39;s creation. They should have their rights, as we have,&quot; said conservative MP Amina Sardar, who spearheaded legislation supporting political franchise for khawajasiras.

&quot;This is what I preach. Hijras are Muslim, same human beings (as us), with the same rights,&quot; said Mullah Tayyab Qureshi, imam of the main Peshawar mosque.&nbsp;

Several support measures have already been voted in, and KP is working on a transgender protection program which, if passed, will become the second adopted by a province in South Asia, Nasim said.&nbsp;

But access to education and employment is a major challenge for these women.&nbsp;

Most khawajasiras say they have been abandoned or bullied to the point of fleeing their families, often as they approach adolescence, when their effeminate behavior becomes intolerable in a patriarchal society where homosexuality is illegal.&nbsp;

The community is also weakened by the practices of some so-called &quot;gurus&quot; who act as merciless pimps, exploiting disoriented young people instead of behaving as the protective adoptive mothers most pride themselves on being.

Paro, who left her parents and school aged 11, was prostituted, raped, and shot before joining TransAction.&nbsp;

&quot;I`ve liked dancing since I was a child, but nobody respects that,&quot; she sighs.

She cut down on her dance performances and launched a small embroidery business after the killing of her friend Alisha.

In her sweet pink room, she creates flamboyant outfits for other hijras.&nbsp;

On the wall, two screens: one broadcasts music clips, but the other is the video surveillance she installed in front of her door -- six TransAction leaders have been assaulted because of their activism.&nbsp;

(AFP)

The status of khawajasiras, an umbrella term in Pakistan denoting the third sex, is opaque in the country, to say the least

Farzana draws all eyes when she dances, with the twist of her hips and hair. But, today she is above all the voice of a Pakistani community with an ambiguous status: the khawajasiras. The 30-year-old is a guru, a matriarch at the head of a "family" of several hundred khawajasiras, an umbrella term in Pakistan denoting a third sex that includes transsexuals, transvestites and eunuchs. She is co-founder and president of TransAction, a rights organisation launched in 2015 in Peshawar, capital of deeply conservative Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province. Faced with brutal aggression and daily humiliation, this solid Pashtun, whose hoarse voice betrays her birth sex, "filed complaints in almost every KP police station" -- but in vain. "More than 50 khawajasiras were killed in 2015 and 2016 in KP alone," she says, recounting with fatalistic calm how she was repeatedly raped and blackmailed by police. The status of khawajasiras -- also known as hijras -- is opaque in Pakistan to say the least. Modern-day Pakistani transgender people claim to be cultural heirs of the eunuchs who thrived at the courts of the Mughal emperors that ruled the Indian subcontinent for two centuries until the British arrived in the 19th century and banned them. Later, Pakistan became one of the first countries in the world to legally recognise a third sex. They number at least half a million people in the country, according to several studies -- up to two million, say TransAction. Since 2009, they have been able to obtain an identity card as "khawajasiras", and several have run in elections. A Lahore court has ruled they should be counted in the next census, set to be held this year. Like Farzana, many earn their living by being called upon for rituals such as blessing newborns or to bring life to weddings and parties as dancers -- and, sometimes, in more clandestine ways. But despite these signs of integration they live daily as pariahs, often reduced to begging and prostitution, subjected to extortion and discrimination. The catalyst for TransAction`s mobilisation in Peshawar was the exclusion of transgenders from aid to populations fleeing Talibanisation and fighting in the tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan. Sohana, 24, fled in 2008 from Kurram tribal district, where the Taliban had banished dancing and music, and forced men to grow beards. "If I had stayed, I would be dead by now," she says. But in Peshawar, the UN helped only displaced families. "We had no help from anyone... We started protesting," says the young woman, concealing beneath her shawl the curves she has created with silicone implants. "Many people spoke out, saying that people like us also need to have our rights respected," says Sohana, who nevertheless despairs of ever being tolerated by her family. TransAction now has 40,000 followers on its Facebook page, and local newspapers have become sympathetic in their coverage of hijras, reviving the debate on their status in Pakistan. "A lot of NGOs have worked with the transgender community, but mostly focused on HIV, whereas (TransAction`s) priority was protection from violence, harassment, attacks and extortion," said Qamar Naseem, a women`s rights activist who helped TransAction to be heard. Perhaps the most famous case to be highlighted was that of Alisha, who died after an assault in May last year because, her supporters said, she did not receive treatment at the gender-segregated hospital in Peshawar in time due to her identity. Against all odds, conservative and Islamist lawmakers are sensitive to their cause. "They are a creature of God. Allah's creation. They should have their rights, as we have," said conservative MP Amina Sardar, who spearheaded legislation supporting political franchise for khawajasiras. "This is what I preach. Hijras are Muslim, same human beings (as us), with the same rights," said Mullah Tayyab Qureshi, imam of the main Peshawar mosque. Several support measures have already been voted in, and KP is working on a transgender protection program which, if passed, will become the second adopted by a province in South Asia, Nasim said. But access to education and employment is a major challenge for these women. Most khawajasiras say they have been abandoned or bullied to the point of fleeing their families, often as they approach adolescence, when their effeminate behavior becomes intolerable in a patriarchal society where homosexuality is illegal. The community is also weakened by the practices of some so-called "gurus" who act as merciless pimps, exploiting disoriented young people instead of behaving as the protective adoptive mothers most pride themselves on being. Paro, who left her parents and school aged 11, was prostituted, raped, and shot before joining TransAction. "I`ve liked dancing since I was a child, but nobody respects that," she sighs. She cut down on her dance performances and launched a small embroidery business after the killing of her friend Alisha. In her sweet pink room, she creates flamboyant outfits for other hijras. On the wall, two screens: one broadcasts music clips, but the other is the video surveillance she installed in front of her door -- six TransAction leaders have been assaulted because of their activism. (AFP)

Pakistan's third sex strives to break free from shackles of repression

Pakistan has always been known for producing aggressive and talented cricketers, and Shahid Afridi is perhaps the most popular and one of the best all-rounders in world cricket. Afridi - also known as &#39;Boom Boom&#39; for his instinctive&nbsp;big&nbsp;hitting - has been a nightmare for bowlers in the last two decades. &nbsp;

The Pakistani all-rounder has hit 476 sixes in all formats, most till now, leaving behind the likes of Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Yuvraj Singh.&nbsp;

And wait, it&#39;s not just&nbsp;the maximum number of sixes, Shahid Afridi also holds the record for the longest six in international cricket.&nbsp;

Here&#39;s how he did it: &nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-qt3XhL9x-Q" width="854"></iframe>

(WION)

One of the best all-rounders that Pakistan has ever produced, Shahid Afridi quit international cricket today

Pakistan has always been known for producing aggressive and talented cricketers, and Shahid Afridi is perhaps the most popular and one of the best all-rounders in world cricket. Afridi - also known as 'Boom Boom' for his instinctive big hitting - has been a nightmare for bowlers in the last two decades. The Pakistani all-rounder has hit 476 sixes in all formats, most till now, leaving behind the likes of Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Yuvraj Singh. And wait, it's not just the maximum number of sixes, Shahid Afridi also holds the record for the longest six in international cricket. Here's how he did it: (WION)

WATCH: 'Boom Boom' Afridi's longest SIXER

Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi on Sunday announced his retirement from international cricket, ending an illustrious and sometimes controversial 21-year career.

The 36-year-old star had already quit Tests in 2010 and ODI cricket after the 2015 World Cup but still skippered the Pakistan Twenty20 team at the 2016 world championships in India.

He stepped down as captain after the tournament although he retained slender hopes of continuing his career in the sport&#39;s shortest format as a player.

&quot;I have said goodbye to international cricket,&quot; said Afridi after smashing a 28-ball 54 in a Pakistan Super League match for Peshawar Zalmi in Sharjah.

&quot;I am playing for my fans and will continue to play this league for another two years but it&#39;s goodbye from international cricket.

&quot;Now my foundation is important for me. I have played with seriousness and in a professional way for my country.&quot;

Nicknamed &#39;Boom Boom&#39;, Afridi had been a fan favourite since he burst onto the scene in 1996, striking a 37-ball one-day century against Sri Lanka in only his second match to set a world record that was unbeaten for 18 years.

He became known as a leg-spin bowling all-rounder in the second half of his career and was instrumental in Pakistan&#39;s early successes in Twenty20, including their 2009 victory.

After stopping short of retirement following Pakistan&#39;s first round exit at the 2016 World Twenty20, Afridi had wanted to play a farewell Twenty20 match against West Indies in United Arab Emirates in September.

But selectors, with one eye on the future, did not pick him in the squad.

His blistering breakthrough century in Nairobi in 1996 was only surpassed by New Zealand&#39;s Corey Anderson&#39;s 36-ball hundred against West Indies at Queenstown in 2014.

South African AB de Villiers then bettered the record further with a 31-ball century, also against the West Indies, at Johannesburg in 2015.

Afridi&#39;s rapid-fire century in Kenya made him an instant hit with the crowds who expected fireworks every time he strolled to the crease.

Sometimes he delivered but too often for some, his death or glory approach brought his downfall.

Afridi&#39;s maverick style also brought him a one-Test and two-match ODI ban after he was charged with using his foot to tamper with the pitch during a Test against England in Faisalabad in 2005.

He was also banned for two Twenty20 internationals after he was shown on television biting the ball during a one-day international against Australia at Perth in 2010.

Afridi finishes his international career having played just 27 Test matches which yielded 1,176 runs with a highest score of 156 and 48 wickets.

He played 398 one-day internationals with 8,064 runs, a highest score of 124 while taking 395 wickets with his leg spin.

His Twenty20 international CV saw him play 98 matches with 1,405 runs and a career-leading 97 wickets.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

The 36-year-old had already quit Tests in 2010 and ODI cricket after the 2015 World Cup but still skippered the Pakistan Twenty20 team

Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi on Sunday announced his retirement from international cricket, ending an illustrious and sometimes controversial 21-year career. The 36-year-old star had already quit Tests in 2010 and ODI cricket after the 2015 World Cup but still skippered the Pakistan Twenty20 team at the 2016 world championships in India. He stepped down as captain after the tournament although he retained slender hopes of continuing his career in the sport's shortest format as a player. "I have said goodbye to international cricket," said Afridi after smashing a 28-ball 54 in a Pakistan Super League match for Peshawar Zalmi in Sharjah. "I am playing for my fans and will continue to play this league for another two years but it's goodbye from international cricket. "Now my foundation is important for me. I have played with seriousness and in a professional way for my country." Nicknamed 'Boom Boom', Afridi had been a fan favourite since he burst onto the scene in 1996, striking a 37-ball one-day century against Sri Lanka in only his second match to set a world record that was unbeaten for 18 years. He became known as a leg-spin bowling all-rounder in the second half of his career and was instrumental in Pakistan's early successes in Twenty20, including their 2009 victory. After stopping short of retirement following Pakistan's first round exit at the 2016 World Twenty20, Afridi had wanted to play a farewell Twenty20 match against West Indies in United Arab Emirates in September. But selectors, with one eye on the future, did not pick him in the squad. His blistering breakthrough century in Nairobi in 1996 was only surpassed by New Zealand's Corey Anderson's 36-ball hundred against West Indies at Queenstown in 2014. South African AB de Villiers then bettered the record further with a 31-ball century, also against the West Indies, at Johannesburg in 2015. Afridi's rapid-fire century in Kenya made him an instant hit with the crowds who expected fireworks every time he strolled to the crease. Sometimes he delivered but too often for some, his death or glory approach brought his downfall. Afridi's maverick style also brought him a one-Test and two-match ODI ban after he was charged with using his foot to tamper with the pitch during a Test against England in Faisalabad in 2005. He was also banned for two Twenty20 internationals after he was shown on television biting the ball during a one-day international against Australia at Perth in 2010. Afridi finishes his international career having played just 27 Test matches which yielded 1,176 runs with a highest score of 156 and 48 wickets. He played 398 one-day internationals with 8,064 runs, a highest score of 124 while taking 395 wickets with his leg spin. His Twenty20 international CV saw him play 98 matches with 1,405 runs and a career-leading 97 wickets. (AFP)

Cricket: Pakistan's 'boom boom' Afridi bows out of international cricket

Pakistani forces said Friday they had killed more than 100 &quot;terrorists&quot; after 88 people died in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group on a Sufi shrine which stoked fears of a fresh surge in militancy.

The devastating blast came after a series of bloody extremist assaults this week, including a powerful Taliban suicide bomb in the eastern city of Lahore which killed 13 people and wounded dozens.

Prime minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief of staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa Friday visited the town of Sehwan in Sindh province where the latest attack took place.

Sharif vowed to eliminate militants &quot;with the full force of the state&quot;.

Pakistan&#39;s military later said operations were in progress across the country. &quot;Over 100 terrorists have been killed since last night&quot;, it said, adding others had been detained.&nbsp;

The emergence of Islamic State group (IS) and a Taliban resurgence would be a major blow to Pakistan, and the attacks have dented growing optimism over security after a decade-long war on militancy.

Police Friday cordoned off the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, a 13th century Muslim saint, in Sehwan, some 200 kilometres (124 miles) northeast of financial hub Karachi.

The centuries-old shrine&#39;s white floor was smeared with blood, scattered with shoes, shawls, and baby bottles.

At 3.30 am the shrine&#39;s caretaker stood among the carnage and defiantly rang its bell, a daily ritual that he vowed to continue, telling AFP he will &quot;not bow down to terrorists&quot;.

Health officials said the number of people killed in the shrine blast had jumped to 88, including at least 20 children, making it the deadliest attack in Pakistan since a 2014 assault on a Peshawar school.

Islamabad has denied the presence of IS, despite several high-profile attacks and the group&#39;s apparent affiliation with homegrown militants, such as the banned Sunni sectarian organisation Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).

&quot;I think they (IS) are capable of doing this&quot; with help from homegrown groups, security expert Amir Rana said of the shrine bombing, as analyst Imtiaz Gul warned the group would claim more such attacks.

Gul also warned there are &quot;visible signs&quot; that factions of the umbrella Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, or Pakistani Taliban), which is distinct from the Afghan Taliban, are regrouping after a military crackdown.

TTP faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed the Lahore attack on Monday, days after it announced a fresh offensive. Two members of a bomb disposal team in Quetta, capital of southwestern Balochistan province, were killed the same day defusing a device there.

On Wednesday four suicide bombers struck in one day in the tribal areas and on a van carrying judges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial capital Peshawar, killing six people in attacks also claimed by the TTP.

An IED attack in Balochistan which killed three soldiers Thursday unnerved Pakistanis further, while gunmen on motorcycles killed four policemen and a civilian in the northwest overnight Friday.

Rana predicted the &quot;intense&quot; wave of TTP attacks would continue, saying security forces had failed to crack the militants&#39; operational infrastructure, especially in cities.

But both the military and the foreign office said the recent attacks had been carried out from sanctuaries in Afghanistan, and that Kabul had been asked to take action. Neither referred specifically to the IS claim.

Pakistan&#39;s push against extremism was stepped up after the country`s deadliest ever attack, a TTP assault on a school in Peshawar in 2014 which left more than 150 people dead -- mostly children.

Critics have long argued the military and government crackdown does not address the root causes of extremism.

Security officials said at least 18 terrorists had been killed in Sindh province overnight, and 13 more in the country&#39;s northwest.

Pakistanis vented their grief and fury at the bombings on social media and with small protests in some cities.

&quot;The government should identify and punish these terrorists,&quot; Ghulam Shabbir Bhatti, a resident of Sehwan, said.

&quot;Sunnis, Shias, Hindus, ppl from all faiths visit Sehwan... This is an attack on our identity &amp; culture,&quot; wrote Twitter user Zahraa Saifullah.

Sufism, a mystic Islamic order that believes in living saints, worships through music and is viewed as heretical by some hardline groups.

IS has targeted Sufi shrines in Pakistan previously, killing 52 at a shrine in Balochistan last year.

(AFP)

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed to eliminate militants 'with the full force of the state'

Pakistani forces said Friday they had killed more than 100 "terrorists" after 88 people died in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group on a Sufi shrine which stoked fears of a fresh surge in militancy. The devastating blast came after a series of bloody extremist assaults this week, including a powerful Taliban suicide bomb in the eastern city of Lahore which killed 13 people and wounded dozens. Prime minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief of staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa Friday visited the town of Sehwan in Sindh province where the latest attack took place. Sharif vowed to eliminate militants "with the full force of the state". Pakistan's military later said operations were in progress across the country. "Over 100 terrorists have been killed since last night", it said, adding others had been detained. The emergence of Islamic State group (IS) and a Taliban resurgence would be a major blow to Pakistan, and the attacks have dented growing optimism over security after a decade-long war on militancy. Police Friday cordoned off the shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, a 13th century Muslim saint, in Sehwan, some 200 kilometres (124 miles) northeast of financial hub Karachi. The centuries-old shrine's white floor was smeared with blood, scattered with shoes, shawls, and baby bottles. At 3.30 am the shrine's caretaker stood among the carnage and defiantly rang its bell, a daily ritual that he vowed to continue, telling AFP he will "not bow down to terrorists". Health officials said the number of people killed in the shrine blast had jumped to 88, including at least 20 children, making it the deadliest attack in Pakistan since a 2014 assault on a Peshawar school. Islamabad has denied the presence of IS, despite several high-profile attacks and the group's apparent affiliation with homegrown militants, such as the banned Sunni sectarian organisation Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ). "I think they (IS) are capable of doing this" with help from homegrown groups, security expert Amir Rana said of the shrine bombing, as analyst Imtiaz Gul warned the group would claim more such attacks. Gul also warned there are "visible signs" that factions of the umbrella Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP, or Pakistani Taliban), which is distinct from the Afghan Taliban, are regrouping after a military crackdown. TTP faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed the Lahore attack on Monday, days after it announced a fresh offensive. Two members of a bomb disposal team in Quetta, capital of southwestern Balochistan province, were killed the same day defusing a device there. On Wednesday four suicide bombers struck in one day in the tribal areas and on a van carrying judges in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial capital Peshawar, killing six people in attacks also claimed by the TTP. An IED attack in Balochistan which killed three soldiers Thursday unnerved Pakistanis further, while gunmen on motorcycles killed four policemen and a civilian in the northwest overnight Friday. Rana predicted the "intense" wave of TTP attacks would continue, saying security forces had failed to crack the militants' operational infrastructure, especially in cities. But both the military and the foreign office said the recent attacks had been carried out from sanctuaries in Afghanistan, and that Kabul had been asked to take action. Neither referred specifically to the IS claim. Pakistan's push against extremism was stepped up after the country`s deadliest ever attack, a TTP assault on a school in Peshawar in 2014 which left more than 150 people dead -- mostly children. Critics have long argued the military and government crackdown does not address the root causes of extremism. Security officials said at least 18 terrorists had been killed in Sindh province overnight, and 13 more in the country's northwest. Pakistanis vented their grief and fury at the bombings on social media and with small protests in some cities. "The government should identify and punish these terrorists," Ghulam Shabbir Bhatti, a resident of Sehwan, said. "Sunnis, Shias, Hindus, ppl from all faiths visit Sehwan... This is an attack on our identity & culture," wrote Twitter user Zahraa Saifullah. Sufism, a mystic Islamic order that believes in living saints, worships through music and is viewed as heretical by some hardline groups. IS has targeted Sufi shrines in Pakistan previously, killing 52 at a shrine in Balochistan last year. (AFP)

After attack on shrine, Pak army says over 100 'terrorists' killed

Pakistan?also handed over a list of 76 'most wanted' terrorists, reportedly hiding in Afghanistan,?to officials at the Afghan embassy

By Taha Siddiqui ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has sealed the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan after an attack on a sufi shrine in Sindh Thursday that left at least 72 people dead. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the suicide bomb attack in the famous Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in the town of Sehwan Sharif on Thursday evening. As fresh wave of terror attacks grips Pakistan, the military in a late night decision on Thursday decided to seal the borders Pakistan shares with Afghanistan. Currently there are two such border crossings being used mostly by civilian population on both sides, one at Chaman and the other at Torkham. Experts see this move as a cosmetic measure which will only further deteriorate relations between the Afghan and Pakistani government. "Closing borders that is used for trade and travel of common people on both sides will result in creating further divisions. The need of the hour is to work closely with Afghan government to address concerns of both countries with regards to terrorist groups that reside on both sides of the border," says Ijaz Khan, a professor of International Relations at Peshawar University. Mr. Khan feels that there is already a negative sentiment in Afghanistan about Pakistan, given its support for the Afghan Taliban and with the closure of borders - such feelings will strengthen. "Scores of people from Afghanistan come to Pakistan to get medical treatment on a daily basis. Students from Afghanistan are also enrolled in schools and universities in Pakistan. This will affect them and not the militants as its being portrayed in Pakistan," Khan says, pointing out to the assertions by the Pakistani authorities that the terrorists are coming from across the border. Experts believe that given the fact that the 2400 kilometre-border that Pakistan and Afghanistan share is quite porous - closing formal borders will not stop infiltration, if there is any to begin with. "These attacks are not happening in border areas. They are happening in mainland Pakistan which means that there are networks within the country that are facilitating them. Blaming it all on Afghanistan is a deflection tactic, which is just going to create tensions between the two countries," the professor explains. Reports on Friday also suggest that the Pakistan Army has summoned Afghan diplomats to the military headquarters to further discuss the presence of terrorists on Afghan soil, and to seek assurances for action against them. "The only way forward is if Pakistan and Afghanistan both act mutually against these groups, otherwise the menace of terrorism will continue," Khan concludes. Pakistan-Afghanistan Border closed with immediate effects till further orders due to security reasons. — Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 16, 2017 × The Pakistan gate on the Torkham border was opened to traffic and pedestrians in August last year. The border crossing is reportedly used by 15,000 to 20,000 people and hundreds of vehicles daily. Pakistan on Friday also handed over a list of 76 "most wanted" terrorists, reportedly hiding in Afghanistan, to officials at the Afghan embassy and demanded immediate action, director general Inter-Services Public Relations said in a tweet. Afg Embassy officials called in GHQ. Given list of 76 Ts hiding in Afg. Asked to take immediate action / be handed over to Pakistan. — Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) February 17, 2017 × (WION)

Pakistan seals Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan after attack on Sufi shrine

A suicide bomber attacked a crowded Sufi shrine in southern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 72 people and wounding dozens more in the deadliest of a wave of bombings across the South Asian nation this week.

Senior police officer Shabbir Sethar told Reuters from a local hospital that the death toll was likely to rise.

&quot;At least 72 are dead and over 150 have been injured,&quot; Sethar said by telephone.

Islamic State, the West-Asia based militant group which has a small but increasingly prominent presence in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack, the group&#39;s affiliated news agency AMAQ reported.

The attack on the famous Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in the town of Sehwan Sharif comes as the Pakistani Taliban and other rival Islamist militant groups carry out their threat of a new offensive.

The violence has shattered a period of improving security, underscoring how militants still pose a threat to stability in the nuclear-armed country of 190 million people.

The high death toll at the shrine makes it one of the worst attacks in Pakistan in recent years.

In August last year, at least 74 people, mostly lawyers, were killed in a suicide bombing of a hospital in the southwestern city of Quetta.

Both a faction of the Pakistani Taliban - Jamaat-ur-Ahrar - and Islamic State claimed responsibility for that atrocity.

Jamaat also said it was responsible for a bombing in the eastern city of Lahore earlier this week that killed 13 people.

(Reuters)

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Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack, the group's affiliated news agency AMAQ reported

A suicide bomber attacked a crowded Sufi shrine in southern Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least 72 people and wounding dozens more in the deadliest of a wave of bombings across the South Asian nation this week. Senior police officer Shabbir Sethar told Reuters from a local hospital that the death toll was likely to rise. "At least 72 are dead and over 150 have been injured," Sethar said by telephone. Islamic State, the West-Asia based militant group which has a small but increasingly prominent presence in Pakistan, claimed responsibility for the attack, the group's affiliated news agency AMAQ reported. The attack on the famous Lal Shahbaz Qalandar shrine in the town of Sehwan Sharif comes as the Pakistani Taliban and other rival Islamist militant groups carry out their threat of a new offensive. The violence has shattered a period of improving security, underscoring how militants still pose a threat to stability in the nuclear-armed country of 190 million people. The high death toll at the shrine makes it one of the worst attacks in Pakistan in recent years. In August last year, at least 74 people, mostly lawyers, were killed in a suicide bombing of a hospital in the southwestern city of Quetta. Both a faction of the Pakistani Taliban - Jamaat-ur-Ahrar - and Islamic State claimed responsibility for that atrocity. Jamaat also said it was responsible for a bombing in the eastern city of Lahore earlier this week that killed 13 people. (Reuters)

At least 72 killed in blast at Sufi shrine in Pakistan

A powerful explosion killing 14 and injuring 83&nbsp;rocked the mall road area of&nbsp;Lahore, the capital&nbsp;of Pakistan&#39;s&nbsp;Punjab province.

The blast took place close to the provincial assembly at a time when protests by Pakistan&#39;s chemists and pharmaceutical manufacturers was underway.

Mushtaq Sukhera, inspector-general of police in Punjab province, said five police officers were among the dead, Reuters reported.

&quot;It was a suicide attack. The bomber exploded himself when successful negotiations were underway between police officials and the protesters,&quot; Sukhera told reporters.

A spokesman for Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, called Reuters and claimed responsibility for the attack.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a statement said, &quot;We have fought this fight against the terrorists among us, and will continue to fight it until we liberate our people of this cancer, and avenge those who have laid down their lives for us.&quot;&nbsp;

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Pakistani policemen move an injured blast victim into a vehicle after a powerful explosion in Lahore. (AFP)
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(WION with agency inputs)
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The blast is reported to have occurred outside the Punjab Assembly

A powerful explosion killing 14 and injuring 83 rocked the mall road area of Lahore, the capital of Pakistan's Punjab province. The blast took place close to the provincial assembly at a time when protests by Pakistan's chemists and pharmaceutical manufacturers was underway. Mushtaq Sukhera, inspector-general of police in Punjab province, said five police officers were among the dead, Reuters reported. "It was a suicide attack. The bomber exploded himself when successful negotiations were underway between police officials and the protesters," Sukhera told reporters. A spokesman for Jamaat-ur-Ahrar, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, called Reuters and claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in a statement said, "We have fought this fight against the terrorists among us, and will continue to fight it until we liberate our people of this cancer, and avenge those who have laid down their lives for us." Pakistani policemen move an injured blast victim into a vehicle after a powerful explosion in Lahore. (AFP) × (WION with agency inputs)

Pakistan: 14 killed, several injured as powerful blast rips through Lahore's mall road

Two people were killed in the northwestern&nbsp;Pakistani city of Peshawar on Wednesday when a bomb exploded near a hospital, local media reported, the latest attack in a new surge in militant violence.

Local Geo and Express TV channels cited police sources saying the bomb went off near the Hayatabad medical complex in Peshawar.

Pakistan&#39;s main opposition leader Imran Khan was due to visit the hospital, but he was unharmed in the explosion, TV channels reported.

(WION)

Media reports citing police sources said the bomb went off near the Hayatabad medical complex in Peshawar

Two people were killed in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Wednesday when a bomb exploded near a hospital, local media reported, the latest attack in a new surge in militant violence. Local Geo and Express TV channels cited police sources saying the bomb went off near the Hayatabad medical complex in Peshawar. Pakistan's main opposition leader Imran Khan was due to visit the hospital, but he was unharmed in the explosion, TV channels reported. (WION)

Blast in Pakistan's Peshawar city, 2 killed: Report

Pakistan&#39;s top diplomat Sartaj Aziz has said India&#39;s evolving &quot;expansionist&quot; maritime security strategy and unmarked border of Sir Creek pose a &quot;threat&quot; to the security of the Indian Ocean.

&quot;The un-demarcated borders in Sir Creek have the potential to cast a shadow on maritime security. India&#39;s evolving expansionist maritime security strategy is a cause for concern for peace in Indian Ocean,&quot; said Aziz, the PM&#39;s adviser on foreign affairs.

He made the remarks at a conference on &quot;Strategic outlook in Indian Ocean Region 2030 and Beyond Evolving Challenges and Strategies&quot; organised by the Pakistan Navy as part of a multi-nation five-day naval exercise in the Arabian Sea. &quot;Nuclearisation of the Indian Ocean has also led to further instability in the region,&quot; he added.

He said that with 95 per cent&nbsp;of Pakistan&#39;s trade taking place through sea, Pakistan was heavily dependent on a tension-free Indian Ocean.

Aziz said Pakistan is the&nbsp;third largest Indian Ocean littoral country and as a matter of policy it continues to pursue the goal&nbsp;of realising the region&#39;s economic potential.

&quot;We are aware of our national interests and every effort would be made to strengthen our capacity to ensure that we remain ready to meet the emerging maritime security challenges. For us, to remain oblivious of the developments taking place in the Indian Ocean Region is not an option. These developments have a direct impact on our security and prosperity,&quot; he said.

Aziz said that the Indian Ocean Region contains several conflict zones and the region&#39;s maritime security challenges have grown and are affected by key variables such as militarisation, the involvement of major and extra-regional powers, and non-traditional security threats.

&quot;On the other hand, the militarisation of the Indian Ocean region, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, increased missile capabilities and power projection by foreign militaries are a threat to peace in the Indian Ocean Region. And this trend is likely to intensify in the coming years,&quot; he said.

&quot;And to add to this complex scenario, today, the Indian Ocean faces many non-traditional security challenges and threats including piracy, illegal fishing, human trafficking, drug smuggling, trafficking of weapons, maritime pollution and climate change,&quot; he added.

Aziz said Pakistan has a strategic stake in peaceful navigation and security of Indian Ocean region.

&quot;Our interests emanate from our coastline that is over 1000 kilometres long, an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of around 300,000 square kilometres, the Karachi port and the newly built deep sea port of Gwadar,&quot; he said.

He said that due to presence of several powers in the Indian Ocean, the changing power balance and relentless pursuit of national interest prompted analysts to suggest that many global struggles will play out here in the 21st century.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

Sartaj Aziz said with 95% of Pakistan's trade taking place via the sea, it was heavily dependent on a tension-free Indian Ocean

Pakistan's top diplomat Sartaj Aziz has said India's evolving "expansionist" maritime security strategy and unmarked border of Sir Creek pose a "threat" to the security of the Indian Ocean. "The un-demarcated borders in Sir Creek have the potential to cast a shadow on maritime security. India's evolving expansionist maritime security strategy is a cause for concern for peace in Indian Ocean," said Aziz, the PM's adviser on foreign affairs. He made the remarks at a conference on "Strategic outlook in Indian Ocean Region 2030 and Beyond Evolving Challenges and Strategies" organised by the Pakistan Navy as part of a multi-nation five-day naval exercise in the Arabian Sea. "Nuclearisation of the Indian Ocean has also led to further instability in the region," he added. He said that with 95 per cent of Pakistan's trade taking place through sea, Pakistan was heavily dependent on a tension-free Indian Ocean. Aziz said Pakistan is the third largest Indian Ocean littoral country and as a matter of policy it continues to pursue the goal of realising the region's economic potential. "We are aware of our national interests and every effort would be made to strengthen our capacity to ensure that we remain ready to meet the emerging maritime security challenges. For us, to remain oblivious of the developments taking place in the Indian Ocean Region is not an option. These developments have a direct impact on our security and prosperity," he said. Aziz said that the Indian Ocean Region contains several conflict zones and the region's maritime security challenges have grown and are affected by key variables such as militarisation, the involvement of major and extra-regional powers, and non-traditional security threats. "On the other hand, the militarisation of the Indian Ocean region, the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, increased missile capabilities and power projection by foreign militaries are a threat to peace in the Indian Ocean Region. And this trend is likely to intensify in the coming years," he said. "And to add to this complex scenario, today, the Indian Ocean faces many non-traditional security challenges and threats including piracy, illegal fishing, human trafficking, drug smuggling, trafficking of weapons, maritime pollution and climate change," he added. Aziz said Pakistan has a strategic stake in peaceful navigation and security of Indian Ocean region. "Our interests emanate from our coastline that is over 1000 kilometres long, an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of around 300,000 square kilometres, the Karachi port and the newly built deep sea port of Gwadar," he said. He said that due to presence of several powers in the Indian Ocean, the changing power balance and relentless pursuit of national interest prompted analysts to suggest that many global struggles will play out here in the 21st century. (This report first appeared in DNA)

India's expansionist maritime strategy a 'concern': Pak's Aziz

The Indian Express reported Monday that the Border Security Force had caught fake Rs 2,000 notes at the India-Bangladesh border.

The report said the notes had been printed in Pakistan.

The report said the BSF caught at least 40 fake Rs 2,000 notes.&nbsp;

The notes were seized in Murshidabad on February 8 from Azizur Rahman (26), who hails from Malda in West Bengal.

Rahman told investigators that the notes were printed in Pakistan, allegedly with the help of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and had been smuggled across the border from Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the BSF is in talks with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for imparting of training to its troopers for identifying fake notes smuggled through the&nbsp;Indo-Bangla border.

The paramilitary force and intelligence agencies are having sleepless nights over consignments of counterfeit Rs 2,000 notes being seized from the border in past one month.

&quot;The amount of counterfeit notes that has been recovered by security agencies is a matter of concern. The security features have been expertly replicated, half of the security features of the new Rs 2,000 notes is there in the fake notes. We are in talks with RBI for a training program for our soldiers,&quot; said a senior BSF official.

Smugglers were reportedly required to pay Rs 400-600 in genuine currency for each fake Rs 2,000 note, sources said citing&nbsp; interrogation records.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

The Border Security Force seized at least 40 notes in Murshidabad on February 8

The Indian Express reported Monday that the Border Security Force had caught fake Rs 2,000 notes at the India-Bangladesh border. The report said the notes had been printed in Pakistan. The report said the BSF caught at least 40 fake Rs 2,000 notes. The notes were seized in Murshidabad on February 8 from Azizur Rahman (26), who hails from Malda in West Bengal. Rahman told investigators that the notes were printed in Pakistan, allegedly with the help of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), and had been smuggled across the border from Bangladesh. Meanwhile, the BSF is in talks with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for imparting of training to its troopers for identifying fake notes smuggled through the Indo-Bangla border. The paramilitary force and intelligence agencies are having sleepless nights over consignments of counterfeit Rs 2,000 notes being seized from the border in past one month. "The amount of counterfeit notes that has been recovered by security agencies is a matter of concern. The security features have been expertly replicated, half of the security features of the new Rs 2,000 notes is there in the fake notes. We are in talks with RBI for a training program for our soldiers," said a senior BSF official. Smugglers were reportedly required to pay Rs 400-600 in genuine currency for each fake Rs 2,000 note, sources said citing interrogation records. (This report first appeared in DNA)

Fake Rs 2,000 notes printed in Pak seized at Bangla border: Report

&nbsp;

Pakistan is committed to countering &quot;all militant groups&quot; operating within its territory, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has assured US Defence Secretary James Mattis during their first telephonic conversation. 
Gen (retd) Mattis reaffirmed the importance of bilateral military relationship during his conversation with Pakistan&#39;s Chief of Army Staff, the Pentagon said.

 
&quot;Gen Bajwa reiterated Pakistan&#39;s commitment to counter all militant groups operating in its territory,&quot; Pentagon Spokesman Capt Jeff Davis said.

 
&quot;Mattis recognised the significant sacrifices the Pakistan military has made in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and expressed appreciation for the Pakistan military&#39;s recent support for efforts to defeat ISIS-Khorasan Province,&quot; he said.

 
&quot;Both leaders reaffirmed the importance of the bilateral military-to-military relationship, and highlighted the importance of continuing to work together on counter-terrorism and regional stability,&quot; Davis said. 
Pakistan Army spokesman Major Gen Asif Ghafoor said in a statement that General Bajwa and Secretary Mattis &quot;had a twenty minutes telephone conversation&quot;.

 
He said they reaffirmed the commitment towards the common goal of peace and stability in the region and discussed measures towards that end. Bajwa and Mattis also agreed on continued engagement at multiple levels. 
&quot;Secretary Mattis commended the sacrifices and resilience of the people and armed forces of Pakistan and appreciated the role Pakistan Army has played in battling the scourge of terrorism,&quot; Ghafoor said.

 
The army chief also congratulated the Secretary on his assumption of new responsibility and expressed the hope that his vast experience in the field will be of great value to the region, Ghafoor said. 
Pakistan has been trying to establish a rapport with the new administration but so far without much success.

 
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif&#39;s close foreign policy aide Tariq Fatemi had visited Washington in December but could not meet any top official of then president-designate.

 
The only high-level contact so far between the two sides was a brief telephonic talk between Trump and Sharif, who had called the former to congratulate him after his electoral triumph.

 
The call became controversial after its transcript was issued by Pakistan.&nbsp;It is believed that Mattis knows Pakistan well as he served as head of the US Central Command and has been to the country many times. 
In his confirmation hearing before the Senate, Mattis had emphasised on remaining engaged with Pakistan.

&nbsp; 
General John Nicholson, who leads the US and international forces in Afghanistan, has called for a &quot;holistic review&quot; of the relationship with Islamabad.&nbsp;

(PTI)

Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has assured US Defence Secretary James Mattis of all help to countering "all militant groups"

Pakistan is committed to countering "all militant groups" operating within its territory, army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has assured US Defence Secretary James Mattis during their first telephonic conversation. Gen (retd) Mattis reaffirmed the importance of bilateral military relationship during his conversation with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, the Pentagon said. "Gen Bajwa reiterated Pakistan's commitment to counter all militant groups operating in its territory," Pentagon Spokesman Capt Jeff Davis said. "Mattis recognised the significant sacrifices the Pakistan military has made in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and expressed appreciation for the Pakistan military's recent support for efforts to defeat ISIS-Khorasan Province," he said. "Both leaders reaffirmed the importance of the bilateral military-to-military relationship, and highlighted the importance of continuing to work together on counter-terrorism and regional stability," Davis said. Pakistan Army spokesman Major Gen Asif Ghafoor said in a statement that General Bajwa and Secretary Mattis "had a twenty minutes telephone conversation". He said they reaffirmed the commitment towards the common goal of peace and stability in the region and discussed measures towards that end. Bajwa and Mattis also agreed on continued engagement at multiple levels. "Secretary Mattis commended the sacrifices and resilience of the people and armed forces of Pakistan and appreciated the role Pakistan Army has played in battling the scourge of terrorism," Ghafoor said. The army chief also congratulated the Secretary on his assumption of new responsibility and expressed the hope that his vast experience in the field will be of great value to the region, Ghafoor said. Pakistan has been trying to establish a rapport with the new administration but so far without much success. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's close foreign policy aide Tariq Fatemi had visited Washington in December but could not meet any top official of then president-designate. The only high-level contact so far between the two sides was a brief telephonic talk between Trump and Sharif, who had called the former to congratulate him after his electoral triumph. The call became controversial after its transcript was issued by Pakistan. It is believed that Mattis knows Pakistan well as he served as head of the US Central Command and has been to the country many times. In his confirmation hearing before the Senate, Mattis had emphasised on remaining engaged with Pakistan. General John Nicholson, who leads the US and international forces in Afghanistan, has called for a "holistic review" of the relationship with Islamabad. (PTI)

Terror talk on agenda: Pakistan army chief calls up US Defence Secretary

The government, today, has said that 74 missing defence personnel (MDP) are believed to be in Pakistan&#39;s custody but their presence hasn&#39;t been acknowledged by the country. &nbsp;

In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, the minister of state for external affairs said, &quot;As per available information, there are 74 MDP that are believed to be in Pakistan&#39;s custody but whose presence has not been acknowledged so far by Pakistan.&quot;

&quot;A committee of kin of MDP visited jails in Pakistan in 2007 but could not find evidence of their presence. However, the government continues to raise this matter with the government there,&quot; the minister added.

He said that the government has raised the matter with the Pakistan government on numerous occasions, including at high levels.

He also said there are &quot;at present 208 individuals -- 61 civil prisoners and 147 fishermen -- who are Indian or believed to be Indian are in Pakistani jails&quot;.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

The government has raised the matter with the Pakistan government on numerous occasions, including at high levels

The government, today, has said that 74 missing defence personnel (MDP) are believed to be in Pakistan's custody but their presence hasn't been acknowledged by the country. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, the minister of state for external affairs said, "As per available information, there are 74 MDP that are believed to be in Pakistan's custody but whose presence has not been acknowledged so far by Pakistan." "A committee of kin of MDP visited jails in Pakistan in 2007 but could not find evidence of their presence. However, the government continues to raise this matter with the government there," the minister added. He said that the government has raised the matter with the Pakistan government on numerous occasions, including at high levels. He also said there are "at present 208 individuals -- 61 civil prisoners and 147 fishermen -- who are Indian or believed to be Indian are in Pakistani jails". (WION with inputs from PTI)

74 missing defence personnel in Pakistan's custody: Indian govt

The External Affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, has said that the government of India was in touch with Pakistan through diplomatic channels.

In a written reply to Lok Sabha, the minister said that &quot;the governments of India and Pakistan remained in touch through bilateral diplomatic channels, including for addressing all urgent humanitarian and other matters concerning people-to- people ties&quot;.&nbsp;

The minister said that the talks between the foreign secretaries of the two countries to decide the modalities of the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue, agreed during her visit to Islamabad in December 2015, could not take place due to the terrorist attack on Pathankot airbase in January last year.

&quot;The government was also able to effectively neutralise Pakistan&#39;s efforts to internationalise Kashmir issue, and conveyed to India&#39;s interlocutors that normalisation of India-Pakistan relations through a peaceful bilateral dialogue can take place only in a conducive environment free from violence and terrorism,&quot; Swaraj said.

The Indian foreign secretary, S. Jaishankar, in exchange of letters with his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry last year, made it clear that the talks could go ahead only if Pakistan is willing to take action on terrorists responsible for the Pathankot airbase attack and the 2008 Mumbai attack. He also said that Pakistan will have to vacate from the illegally occupied parts of Jammu and Kashmir. &nbsp;

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Swaraj said that the two governments were in touch through bilateral diplomatic channels addressing humanitarian, people-to-people concerns

The External Affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, has said that the government of India was in touch with Pakistan through diplomatic channels. In a written reply to Lok Sabha, the minister said that "the governments of India and Pakistan remained in touch through bilateral diplomatic channels, including for addressing all urgent humanitarian and other matters concerning people-to- people ties". The minister said that the talks between the foreign secretaries of the two countries to decide the modalities of the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue, agreed during her visit to Islamabad in December 2015, could not take place due to the terrorist attack on Pathankot airbase in January last year. "The government was also able to effectively neutralise Pakistan's efforts to internationalise Kashmir issue, and conveyed to India's interlocutors that normalisation of India-Pakistan relations through a peaceful bilateral dialogue can take place only in a conducive environment free from violence and terrorism," Swaraj said. The Indian foreign secretary, S. Jaishankar, in exchange of letters with his Pakistani counterpart Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry last year, made it clear that the talks could go ahead only if Pakistan is willing to take action on terrorists responsible for the Pathankot airbase attack and the 2008 Mumbai attack. He also said that Pakistan will have to vacate from the illegally occupied parts of Jammu and Kashmir. (WION with inputs from PTI)

India, Pakistan remained in touch through diplomatic channel: India's foreign minister

A security guard has shot dead a diplomat in the Afghan consulate in Pakistan&#39;s southern city of Karachi, officials say.

The consulate&#39;s third secretary was killed by a private guard, who had been arrested, police official Saqib Ismail said, adding that the guard was an Afghan national and using his automatic weapon.

Another police official, deputy Inspector general Azad Khan, told reporters off camera that the shooting appeared to be the result of a personal dispute.

Afghan ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal confirmed the shooting on his official Facebook account.

&nbsp;

 
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(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The diplomat was a third secretary in the consulate who was killed by a private guard with an automatic weapon

A security guard has shot dead a diplomat in the Afghan consulate in Pakistan's southern city of Karachi, officials say. The consulate's third secretary was killed by a private guard, who had been arrested, police official Saqib Ismail said, adding that the guard was an Afghan national and using his automatic weapon. Another police official, deputy Inspector general Azad Khan, told reporters off camera that the shooting appeared to be the result of a personal dispute. Afghan ambassador to Pakistan Omar Zakhilwal confirmed the shooting on his official Facebook account. (Reuters)

Afghan diplomat shot in Pakistan

Britain scrambled fighter jets on Tuesday to escort a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft to Stansted airport.

&quot;Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon aircraft were launched this afternoon from RAF Coningsby to intercept a civilian aircraft,&quot; the Ministry of Defence official told Reuters.

&quot;The aircraft was intercepted and safely escorted to Stansted airport,&quot; the ministry said. Reports said there was a bomb on board the flight.&nbsp;

Media reports said officials are scanning passengers, their luggage and sweeping the plane for any suspicious objects.

Flight tracking websites said PIA flight PK757 from Lahore to Heathrow had been diverted to Stansted in south-east England. PIA did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Reports said.

(WION with agency inputs)

Media reports said officials are scanning passengers, their luggage and sweeping the plane for any suspicious objects.

Britain scrambled fighter jets on Tuesday to escort a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) aircraft to Stansted airport. "Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon aircraft were launched this afternoon from RAF Coningsby to intercept a civilian aircraft," the Ministry of Defence official told Reuters. "The aircraft was intercepted and safely escorted to Stansted airport," the ministry said. Reports said there was a bomb on board the flight. Media reports said officials are scanning passengers, their luggage and sweeping the plane for any suspicious objects. Flight tracking websites said PIA flight PK757 from Lahore to Heathrow had been diverted to Stansted in south-east England. PIA did not immediately respond to requests for comment, Reports said. (WION with agency inputs)

?UK fighter jets escort Pakistan Airlines flight to Stansted airport over bomb threat

The US has moved the United Nations to ban Jaish-e-Mohammed&nbsp;chief Masood Azhar but China has opposed the move, PTI reports.

India&#39;s repeated attempts to get him declared a UN-designated terrorist have been blocked by China.

Masood Azhar, who heads the terrorist organistaion Jaish-e-Mohammed, is allegedly the mastermind of the&nbsp;attack on the Pathankot airbase in India last year.&nbsp;Masood&#39;s Jaish-e-Mohammed is also linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks.&nbsp;

In October 2016, China had blocked India&#39;s appeal to the United Nations to label Masood a terrorist. This time,&nbsp;in a first, the US administration headed by President Trump has moved the United Nations to declare Masood a terrorist.

Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency&#39;s(NIA) special court in India today&nbsp;issued proclamation order against JeM&#39;s chief Maulana Masood Azhar and three others, news agencies reported.&nbsp;

PTI quoting senior government sources said, the US, supported by two other permanent members of UN Security Council - the UK and France - moved a proposal at the UN&#39;s Sanctions Committee 1267 in the second-half of the last month to proscribe Azhar, adding India had no role in the proposal.

The proposal, which was finalised after &quot;consultations&quot; between Washington and New Delhi, said JeM is a designated terror outfit and so its leaders cannot go scot-free, sources told PTI. It was submitted just a day before the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, according to officials.

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We&#39;ve been informed of this development.Taken up matter with Chinese Govt-V Swarup on China blocking US&#39; move at UN for banning Masood Azhar <a href="https://t.co/QSbta679ZR">pic.twitter.com/QSbta679ZR</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/828956016859451393">February 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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(WION with inputs from PTI)

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India's repeated attempts to get Masood Azhar declared a UN-designated terrorist have been blocked by China

The US has moved the United Nations to ban Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar but China has opposed the move, PTI reports. India's repeated attempts to get him declared a UN-designated terrorist have been blocked by China. Masood Azhar, who heads the terrorist organistaion Jaish-e-Mohammed, is allegedly the mastermind of the attack on the Pathankot airbase in India last year. Masood's Jaish-e-Mohammed is also linked to the 2008 Mumbai attacks. In October 2016, China had blocked India's appeal to the United Nations to label Masood a terrorist. This time, in a first, the US administration headed by President Trump has moved the United Nations to declare Masood a terrorist. Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency's(NIA) special court in India today issued proclamation order against JeM's chief Maulana Masood Azhar and three others, news agencies reported. PTI quoting senior government sources said, the US, supported by two other permanent members of UN Security Council - the UK and France - moved a proposal at the UN's Sanctions Committee 1267 in the second-half of the last month to proscribe Azhar, adding India had no role in the proposal. The proposal, which was finalised after "consultations" between Washington and New Delhi, said JeM is a designated terror outfit and so its leaders cannot go scot-free, sources told PTI. It was submitted just a day before the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, according to officials. We've been informed of this development.Taken up matter with Chinese Govt-V Swarup on China blocking US' move at UN for banning Masood Azhar pic.twitter.com/QSbta679ZR — ANI (@ANI_news) February 7, 2017 × (WION with inputs from PTI)

US moves UN to ban JeM chief Masood Azhar, China opposes

Jamaat-ud-Dawa has rebranded under the new name of &#39;Tehreek Azadi Jammu and Kashmir&#39;, just days after its chief Hafiz Saeed was put under house arrest and a crackdown launched on the organisation&#39;s activities.

The Mumbai attack mastermind had indicated about a week before his arrest that he might launch Tehreek Azadi Jammu and Kashmir (TAJK) to &quot;expedite the freedom of Kashmir&quot;.

It shows that Saeed had got a wind of the official plans and already had worked out how to resurface and survive after the clampdown on his ostensible network of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).

Official sources confirmed that the two organisations have started activities under the name new of TAJK and were planning to organise events on February 5, which is observed a &#39;Kashmir Day&#39; in Pakistan. The TAJK banners have been displayed in Lahore and other cities and towns.

The group is also planning to hold a big Kashmir conference tomorrow in Lahore after evening prayers.

The TAJK has reactivated its donations centres and ambulance services in different districts of Punjab, including Lahore, which is the hub of its activities.

Local media reported that even after the crackdown on their activities, the volunteers of Saeed&#39;s network yesterday actively participated in the rescue operation after a boat carrying about 100 passengers capsized in the Ravi river near Nankana Sahib town in Punjab.

A police official said law enforcement agencies were keeping a close eye on the activities of Saeed&#39;s network and appropriate action would be taken.

&quot;It is a sensitive issue and a measured response is needed to fulfil the international obligations of the country and deal with any possible fallout due to protest by followers of Saeed,&quot; he said.

Various offices of both JuD and FIF were closed on Monday following the house arrest of Saeed. Both organisations were also put on observation under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

The Pakistani government on Monday had placed Saeed and his four accomplices -- Abdullah Ubaid, Zafar Iqbal, Abdur Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Niaz -- under house arrest in Lahore.

The country&#39;s Interior Ministry had also placed Saeed and 37 other JuD and FIF members on the Exit Control List (ECL), barring them from leaving the country.

&nbsp;

(PTI)

The group is also planning to hold a Kashmir conference tomorrow in Lahore after evening prayers

Jamaat-ud-Dawa has rebranded under the new name of 'Tehreek Azadi Jammu and Kashmir', just days after its chief Hafiz Saeed was put under house arrest and a crackdown launched on the organisation's activities. The Mumbai attack mastermind had indicated about a week before his arrest that he might launch Tehreek Azadi Jammu and Kashmir (TAJK) to "expedite the freedom of Kashmir". It shows that Saeed had got a wind of the official plans and already had worked out how to resurface and survive after the clampdown on his ostensible network of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF). Official sources confirmed that the two organisations have started activities under the name new of TAJK and were planning to organise events on February 5, which is observed a 'Kashmir Day' in Pakistan. The TAJK banners have been displayed in Lahore and other cities and towns. The group is also planning to hold a big Kashmir conference tomorrow in Lahore after evening prayers. The TAJK has reactivated its donations centres and ambulance services in different districts of Punjab, including Lahore, which is the hub of its activities. Local media reported that even after the crackdown on their activities, the volunteers of Saeed's network yesterday actively participated in the rescue operation after a boat carrying about 100 passengers capsized in the Ravi river near Nankana Sahib town in Punjab. A police official said law enforcement agencies were keeping a close eye on the activities of Saeed's network and appropriate action would be taken. "It is a sensitive issue and a measured response is needed to fulfil the international obligations of the country and deal with any possible fallout due to protest by followers of Saeed," he said. Various offices of both JuD and FIF were closed on Monday following the house arrest of Saeed. Both organisations were also put on observation under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997. The Pakistani government on Monday had placed Saeed and his four accomplices -- Abdullah Ubaid, Zafar Iqbal, Abdur Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Niaz -- under house arrest in Lahore. The country's Interior Ministry had also placed Saeed and 37 other JuD and FIF members on the Exit Control List (ECL), barring them from leaving the country. (PTI)

Pakistan: Jamaat-ud-Dawa rebrands as 'Tehreek Azadi Jammu & Kashmir' days after chief Hafiz Saeed's house arrest

Pakistan on Wednesday asked India to come up with &quot;concrete evidence&quot; against Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed if it was serious about its allegations against him, a day after New Delhi said that only a credible crackdown on the Mumbai attack mastermind would be proof of Islamabad&#39;s sincerity.

&quot;Pakistan does not need any certification or endorsement from India over the recent actions it has taken in relation to Hafiz Saeed,&quot; an interior ministry Spokesperson said here, referring to Saeed&#39;s detention on Monday.

Saeed and four other JuD leaders , Abdullah Ubaid, Zafar Iqbal, Abdur Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Niaz.were put under house arrest after an order was issued by Punjab province&#39;s interior ministry on Monday in pursuance to a directive from the federal interior ,ministry on January 27.

He said the actions taken by Pakistan have been carried out as per obligations vis-a-vis listing of JuD under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. &quot;India has constantly been using Saeed&#39;s political activities as a tool to malign Pakistan. The international community should take note and understand that Pakistan is a democratic society where judiciary takes free, independent and transparent decisions,&quot; the official said in a statement.

&quot;If indeed India is serious about its allegations, it should come up with concrete evidence against Hafiz Saeed which is sustainable in court of law in Pakistan or for that matter anywhere in the world,&quot; he said, adding mere casting aspersions and leveling allegations without any corroborating evidence would not help the cause of peace in the region.

He said that various actions that needed to be taken under the relevant resolution i.e arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze were not carried out for some reasons by the previous governments.

India yesterday said that it was not impressed by Saeed&#39;s detention and only a &quot;credible crackdown&quot; on terror outfits, including Saeed&#39;s, will prove Pakistan&#39;s sincerity as such actions had been taken against him in the past too.

Meanwhile, the ministry placed Saeed&#39;s name among 38 others on the Exit Control List, two days after his detention.

The ministry has forwarded a letter to all provincial governments and the Federal Investigation Agency, which included names of all 38 individuals placed on the ECL.

All of them were said to be affiliated with JuD or Lashkar-e-Taiba.

&quot;Saeed, Ubaid, Iqbal, Abid and Niaz are reportedly active members of the aforementioned organizations within the meaning of Section 11EEE(1) of the ATA 1997 (as amended),&quot; read a notification issued by the Interior Ministry. &quot;As such, they must be placed under preventive detention.&quot;

The interior ministry&nbsp;had &quot;placed Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) and Jamaat-Ud-Dawa (JUD) on the Watch List as per UNSC 1267 Sanctions and have listed these organizations in the Second Schedule of the ATA 1997 (as amended).&quot; The spokesperson further said that &quot;Pakistan is still looking for justification and explanation from India as to how all the accused involved in Samjhauta Express bombing where 68 Pakistani nationals lost their lives have gone scot-free.&quot;

&nbsp;

(PTI)

This comes after India said that only a 'credible crackdown' on the Mumbai attack mastermind would be proof of Islamabad's sincerity

Pakistan on Wednesday asked India to come up with "concrete evidence" against Jamaat-ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed if it was serious about its allegations against him, a day after New Delhi said that only a credible crackdown on the Mumbai attack mastermind would be proof of Islamabad's sincerity. "Pakistan does not need any certification or endorsement from India over the recent actions it has taken in relation to Hafiz Saeed," an interior ministry Spokesperson said here, referring to Saeed's detention on Monday. Saeed and four other JuD leaders , Abdullah Ubaid, Zafar Iqbal, Abdur Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Niaz.were put under house arrest after an order was issued by Punjab province's interior ministry on Monday in pursuance to a directive from the federal interior ,ministry on January 27. He said the actions taken by Pakistan have been carried out as per obligations vis-a-vis listing of JuD under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. "India has constantly been using Saeed's political activities as a tool to malign Pakistan. The international community should take note and understand that Pakistan is a democratic society where judiciary takes free, independent and transparent decisions," the official said in a statement. "If indeed India is serious about its allegations, it should come up with concrete evidence against Hafiz Saeed which is sustainable in court of law in Pakistan or for that matter anywhere in the world," he said, adding mere casting aspersions and leveling allegations without any corroborating evidence would not help the cause of peace in the region. He said that various actions that needed to be taken under the relevant resolution i.e arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze were not carried out for some reasons by the previous governments. India yesterday said that it was not impressed by Saeed's detention and only a "credible crackdown" on terror outfits, including Saeed's, will prove Pakistan's sincerity as such actions had been taken against him in the past too. Meanwhile, the ministry placed Saeed's name among 38 others on the Exit Control List, two days after his detention. The ministry has forwarded a letter to all provincial governments and the Federal Investigation Agency, which included names of all 38 individuals placed on the ECL. All of them were said to be affiliated with JuD or Lashkar-e-Taiba. "Saeed, Ubaid, Iqbal, Abid and Niaz are reportedly active members of the aforementioned organizations within the meaning of Section 11EEE(1) of the ATA 1997 (as amended)," read a notification issued by the Interior Ministry. "As such, they must be placed under preventive detention." The interior ministry had "placed Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) and Jamaat-Ud-Dawa (JUD) on the Watch List as per UNSC 1267 Sanctions and have listed these organizations in the Second Schedule of the ATA 1997 (as amended)." The spokesperson further said that "Pakistan is still looking for justification and explanation from India as to how all the accused involved in Samjhauta Express bombing where 68 Pakistani nationals lost their lives have gone scot-free." (PTI)

Pakistan: Hafiz Saeed placed on exit control list, India asked to come up with 'concrete evidence'

Two Pakistani bloggers freed after vanishing earlier this month have now left the country because of safety fears following a virulent media campaign painting them as blasphemers, relatives said Monday.&nbsp;

They were among five men who went missing from various cities in Pakistan.&nbsp;

Four of the five,who had taken a stance against religious intolerance and criticised the military,&nbsp;have been freed, their families said.&nbsp;

They would not comment on where the men had been held.&nbsp;

Their disappearance triggered nationwide protests and raised concerns of government involvement, claims denied by officials.

Allegations on social media networks Facebook and Twitter and by right-wing TV hosts that the missing men were blasphemers have triggered a flood of threats despite denials from their worried families.

Such allegations can be fatal in deeply conservative Muslim Pakistan, where 17 people remain on death row for blasphemy.

Liaqat Ali Goraya, the father of blogger Waqas Goraya, confirmed to AFP that his son had left the country.&nbsp;

&quot;Waqas has gone, we`ve sent him abroad,&quot; said his father, declining to comment on who had held him. Before he went missing, Goraya was based in the Netherlands but had returned to Pakistan for a family wedding.

A source close to the family of blogger Asim Saeed confirmed he too had left the country.&nbsp;

His father Ghulam Haider Akbar declined to specify his son`s whereabouts but said the family had received death threats purporting to come from the anti-Shiite Laskhar-e-Jhangvi group.

&quot;You who have blasphemed deserve death. You are out of Islam and should be ready for a painful punishment, which will be remembered by your generations to come,&quot; a text message said, according to Akbar.

A relative of a third blogger, who asked to remain anonymous, said both he and his family had left their home town and were in hiding.&nbsp;

&quot;We are going to think about it for a few days and assess the situation. If it seems OK, we`ll return, else we`ll try to go abroad,&quot; the relative said.

Zeeshan Haider said his brother, poet and activist Salman Haider, was &quot;fine and safe&quot;.

The whereabouts of the fifth man remains unknown. Rights groups have long criticised the colonial-era blasphemy legislation as a vehicle for personal vendettas as even unproven allegations can result in mob lynchings.

Several NGOs and observers say the online campaigns are intended to silence progressive voices and are carefully coordinated.

Pakistan has had a history of enforced disappearances over the past decade, but this has mainly been confined to conflict zones near the Afghanistan border or Balochistan province, where separatists are battling for independence.

The country is among the world&#39;s most dangerous countries for journalists. Reporting which is critical of security policies controlled by the powerful military is considered a major red flag, with reporters at times detained, beaten and even killed.

On Monday satirical news site Khabaristan Times announced it had been blocked by Pakistan&#39;s Internet regulatory authority. (The <a href="https://khabaristantimes.com/">website</a>, however, can be accessed from WION&#39;s headquarters in New Delhi.)

The site &quot;has been blocked on complaints of objectionable content&quot;, a government source confirmed to AFP, requesting anonymity.

The site often poked fun at the military and politicians.

(AFP)

They were among five men who went missing from various cities in Pakistan

Two Pakistani bloggers freed after vanishing earlier this month have now left the country because of safety fears following a virulent media campaign painting them as blasphemers, relatives said Monday. They were among five men who went missing from various cities in Pakistan. Four of the five,who had taken a stance against religious intolerance and criticised the military, have been freed, their families said. They would not comment on where the men had been held. Their disappearance triggered nationwide protests and raised concerns of government involvement, claims denied by officials. Allegations on social media networks Facebook and Twitter and by right-wing TV hosts that the missing men were blasphemers have triggered a flood of threats despite denials from their worried families. Such allegations can be fatal in deeply conservative Muslim Pakistan, where 17 people remain on death row for blasphemy. Liaqat Ali Goraya, the father of blogger Waqas Goraya, confirmed to AFP that his son had left the country. "Waqas has gone, we`ve sent him abroad," said his father, declining to comment on who had held him. Before he went missing, Goraya was based in the Netherlands but had returned to Pakistan for a family wedding. A source close to the family of blogger Asim Saeed confirmed he too had left the country. His father Ghulam Haider Akbar declined to specify his son`s whereabouts but said the family had received death threats purporting to come from the anti-Shiite Laskhar-e-Jhangvi group. "You who have blasphemed deserve death. You are out of Islam and should be ready for a painful punishment, which will be remembered by your generations to come," a text message said, according to Akbar. A relative of a third blogger, who asked to remain anonymous, said both he and his family had left their home town and were in hiding. "We are going to think about it for a few days and assess the situation. If it seems OK, we`ll return, else we`ll try to go abroad," the relative said. Zeeshan Haider said his brother, poet and activist Salman Haider, was "fine and safe". The whereabouts of the fifth man remains unknown. Rights groups have long criticised the colonial-era blasphemy legislation as a vehicle for personal vendettas as even unproven allegations can result in mob lynchings. Several NGOs and observers say the online campaigns are intended to silence progressive voices and are carefully coordinated. Pakistan has had a history of enforced disappearances over the past decade, but this has mainly been confined to conflict zones near the Afghanistan border or Balochistan province, where separatists are battling for independence. The country is among the world's most dangerous countries for journalists. Reporting which is critical of security policies controlled by the powerful military is considered a major red flag, with reporters at times detained, beaten and even killed. On Monday satirical news site Khabaristan Times announced it had been blocked by Pakistan's Internet regulatory authority. (The website, however, can be accessed from WION's headquarters in New Delhi.) The site "has been blocked on complaints of objectionable content", a government source confirmed to AFP, requesting anonymity. The site often poked fun at the military and politicians. (AFP)

Freed Pakistani bloggers leave country over safety concerns, say relatives

A special committee will begin the process of issuing no objection certificates (NOCs) to allow screening of Indian movies in Pakistan, minister of state for information Marriyum Aurangzeb said.

The clearance to foreign content will be given pertaining to commerce ministry&#39;s new import order. The committee was formed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

&quot;Importing the foreign content will be planned and the content will be shared with the censor board and passed through other procedure,&quot; the Dawn quoted Marriyum as saying.

Marriyum said that the process is expected to take some time. The certificates cannot be issued without the consent and endorsement of the commerce ministry, she added.

Meanwhile, the commerce minister in an official statement said that the government has decided to maintain the present policy regarding the import of Indian films after reviewing the benefits Pakistani cinema trade can derive from their exhibition, ANI reported.

&quot;The close examination of historical and empirical data including the trends of the industry since 1965 till date, it is evident that, the inclusion of all foreign content, including Indian film content in local cinemas, has a multiplier impact on the commerce and development of the Pakistani film trade and industry as a whole,&quot; she said, adding the panel also reviewed investment plans of the local film industry.

Film Exhibitors Association of Pakistan imposed the ban on&nbsp;screenings last October after tensions escalated between the two countries&nbsp;following ceasefire violations across the Line of Control.

(With inputs from ANI)

The process will take time as the no objection certificate cannot be issued without the consent and endorsement of commerce ministry

A special committee will begin the process of issuing no objection certificates (NOCs) to allow screening of Indian movies in Pakistan, minister of state for information Marriyum Aurangzeb said. The clearance to foreign content will be given pertaining to commerce ministry's new import order. The committee was formed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. "Importing the foreign content will be planned and the content will be shared with the censor board and passed through other procedure," the Dawn quoted Marriyum as saying. Marriyum said that the process is expected to take some time. The certificates cannot be issued without the consent and endorsement of the commerce ministry, she added. Meanwhile, the commerce minister in an official statement said that the government has decided to maintain the present policy regarding the import of Indian films after reviewing the benefits Pakistani cinema trade can derive from their exhibition, ANI reported. "The close examination of historical and empirical data including the trends of the industry since 1965 till date, it is evident that, the inclusion of all foreign content, including Indian film content in local cinemas, has a multiplier impact on the commerce and development of the Pakistani film trade and industry as a whole," she said, adding the panel also reviewed investment plans of the local film industry. Film Exhibitors Association of Pakistan imposed the ban on screenings last October after tensions escalated between the two countries following ceasefire violations across the Line of Control. (With inputs from ANI)

Pakistan: Panel to take call on screening of Indian movies

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