Sunday 2 August 2015

Dunya TV

Dunya TV

Kamonke: 4 killed as car collides with railway engine

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KAMONKE (Dunya News) – According to details, a speeding car collided with a railway engine after running over a railway crossing guard in Kamonke near Gujranwala on early Monday morning.Two people were also critically injured in the accident. The car riders were going to Lahore Airport from Sialkot to see off their cousin who was scheduled to leave for Saudi Arabia.The deceased were identified as car driver Imran, Dastagir, Zaigham Jan and a railway crossing guard while Arsalan and Abid sustained critical injuries and were referred to District Headquarters Hospital Gujranwal.

Kerry arrives in Qatar to assure Gulf allies over Iran deal

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DOHA (AFP) - US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Qatar on Sunday for talks with his Gulf Arab counterparts on the next leg of a regional tour to ease allies concerns over the Iran nuclear deal.Kerry landed in the Qatari capital Doha on Sunday evening after a weekend visit to Egypt, where he sought to assure his counterpart Sameh Shoukry and President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi that the landmark deal would bring more security to the Middle East.There can be absolutely no question that if the Vienna plan is fully implemented, it will make Egypt and all the countries of this region safer than they otherwise would be or were, Kerry told a joint news conference with Shoukry of the landmark nuclear deal.Egypt and other regional states such as Saudi Arabia are suspicious of Iran, which they see as bent on destabilising them.Kerry said the US recognised that Iran is engaged in destabilising activities in the region -- and that is why it is so important to ensure that Irans nuclear programme remains wholly peaceful.If Iran is destabilising, it is far, far better to have an Iran that doesnt have a nuclear weapon than one that does, he said at the Cairo press conference.On Monday, Kerry will meet his six counterparts from the Sunni-dominated Gulf Cooperation Council to try to allay their fears about Shiite Iran after the nuclear deal.This is an opportunity, really, for the secretary to do a deep dive with the GCC foreign ministers to try to respond to any remaining questions that they might have and hopefully to satisfy them and ensure that theyre supporting our effort going forward, a State Department official said.The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.Many Gulf Arab states have said they are concerned about Irans regional ambitions following the accord with the United States and Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani meanwhile said in a live televised address Sunday that the July 14 nuclear agreement had created better prospects for faster solutions in Syria and Yemen, two of the Middle Easts worst conflict zones.The final solution in Yemen is political, in Syria the final solution is political, he said. The agreement will create a new atmosphere. The climate will be easier.On the sidelines of Mondays GCC gathering in Doha, Kerry will hold a three-way meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Saudi counterpart Adel bin Ahmed al-Jubeir.A key topic of discussion is expected to be the ongoing crisis in Syria, a senior State Department official said.While in Cairo, Kerry held the first strategic dialogue with his Egyptian counterpart since 2009.The United States has been working to patch up troubled ties with Egypt, long a key Middle East ally, as President Sisi battles an Islamic State insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula.An Egyptian foreign ministry statement said both sides would keep cooperating closely to improve their mutual security, to combat terrorism and extremism. Ties between the US and Egypt frayed after then army chief Sisi overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.More than 1,000 of Morsis supporters were killed in a sweeping crackdown, and militants have since killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen.Most of the attacks have been by the Egyptian affiliate of the jihadist Islamic State group, which a US-led coalition is battling in Syria and Iraq.Washington froze arms deliveries to Cairo following the crackdown on Morsis supporters, but resumed full aid in March and delivered a batch of F-16 jets last week.We have significantly increased military cooperation as seen from the delivery of the F-16s, other equipment and goods which are very essential in the fight against terrorism, Kerry said.But the top US diplomat also spoke of the need for a balance between fighting militants and respecting human rights in Egypt.Kerrys trip, which ends on August 8, will not include Israel, one of Washingtons closest allies, which has been a fierce critic of the nuclear deal.

Iran deal can speed solutions in Syria, Yemen: Rouhani

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TEHRAN (AFP) - Irans president said Sunday his countrys nuclear deal with the West would create better prospects for faster solutions in Syria and Yemen, two of the Middle Easts worst conflict zones.In a live appearance on state television, Hassan Rouhani said the July 14 agreement had shown diplomacy and engagement were the only way to solve serious political problems and end crises.The final solution in Yemen is political, in Syria the final solution is political, he said. The agreement will create a new atmosphere. The climate will be easier.The near two years of talks between Iran and six world powers -- Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany -- was a Herculean task but was worth it, Rouhani argued.I was never despondent, he said of the talks which seemed to be faltering at numerous stages, with negotiators at loggerheads over the terms of the deal.Not for a single second did I doubt our success, he said, noting that interaction had triumphed over possible confrontation and surrender, neither of which held much water as options. Under the agreement, Iran will curb some but not all aspects of its nuclear programme in exchange for a lifting of international sanctions that have pulverised its economy in recent years.But Iran remains at odds with the West over Syria and Yemen.Tehran backs Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has sent money and military advisers to aid his fight against Sunni rebels seeking to topple his regime.And in Yemen, a Saudi-led air campaign against Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels has been heavily opposed in Tehran, leading to a near collapse of its ties with Riyadh.The kingdom accuses Iran of meddling in Arab states, including Yemen which is majority Sunni, and Bahrain, a Sunni monarchy with a Shiite majority.US Secretary of State John Kerry, the chief American negotiator in the Iran nuclear talks, sought to assure Middle East allies Sunday that the deal would make them safer, as he began a regional tour in Egypt and later flew to Qatar.

Boko Haram fighters kill 13 villagers in attack in NE Nigeria: witnesses

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MAIDUGURI (AFP) - Boko Haram fighters killed 13 people in an attack on Malari village in northeast Nigerias restive Borno state early Sunday, witnesses said.Local farmer Moha Saleh said 27 people, including women and children, were also injured in the attack, which began when the Islamist militants stormed the village at around 1:00 am (0000 GMT).They also set many houses ablaze after accusing us of telling soldiers their whereabouts, he told AFP.Local resident Goni Musa, a vigilante who fights against Boko Haram alongside the Nigerian military, gave the same death toll.They burnt down houses and shops before they left, yelling Allahu Akbar (God is great). Our terrorised women and children fled into the bush and returned to Maiduguri this morning, he added.Maiduguri, the biggest town in northeast Nigeria, is some 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Malari.This morning 13 bodies were recovered, some had been shot in the back, which means they were fleeing when the terrorists killed them, Musa said.State police commissioner Aderemi Opadokun confirmed the attack but gave a lower toll.The attackers burnt down some houses and killed seven persons in the village situated along Konduga-Maiduguri road, Opadokun told reporters in Maiduguri.Malari has been the target of numerous attacks in recent months, including a suicide bombing by a youth in a mosque in the middle of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in July which left 12 people dead.The groups bloody insurgency in Nigeria alone has left more than 15,000 people dead since 2009. In recent months, the group has increasingly expanded its operations into neighbouring countries.Boko Haram was also accused of attacking the town of Gamboru on Saturday, near the border with Cameroon.Witnesses in nearby villages said the militants had set fire to houses, sending columns of black smoke into the sky.Umar Babakalli, a refugee from Gamboru who fled to the nearby Cameroonian town of Fotokol several months ago, said he saw fighter jets circling overhead but there was no sign of any bombardment.It was not immediately clear if the fires had caused any victims but Babakalli said Gamboru, a town which has faced repeated Boko Haram assaults, was deserted. There is nobody in Gamboru, he told AFP.Earlier on Sunday, the Nigerian army said it had carried out air strikes in the northeast to repel an attack by Boko Haram and had killed a large number of the extremists.The Nigerian Air Force said it had successfully repelled an attack on Bita village by the Boko Haram terrorist group in a combined operation with ground troops after spotting militants planning an assault.The air raids came as Nigeria and its neighbours prepare to launch a new multinational force to combat Boko Haram, in the face of the groups escalating violence in the region.The new 8,700-strong multinational force -- made up of troops from Nigeria as well as Cameroon, Chad and Niger -- is expected to go into action soon, officials say.Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who won an election in March on a promise to defeat the jihadists, said Friday the new force would lead to the speedy defeat and elimination of Boko Haram.

20 feared dead in India landslide

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GUWAHATI (AFP) - Rescuers were searching Sunday for 20 villagers feared killed in a landslide in remote northeast India, as the death toll from recent floods elsewhere in the country topped 100, officials said.A side of a hill collapsed on Saturday onto a village in Manipur state close to the border with Myanmar where monsoon downpours there have also triggered landslides and flooding.Local magistrate Memi Mary said rescuers reached the crushed village after being flown by helicopter and then trekking as blocked roads hampered access to the site, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) from state capital Imphal. So far we have reports of 20 people killed when a hillock caved and trapped the villagers, the magistrate told AFP by telephone from the nearby town of Chandel.Photos showed a bridge washed away by floodwaters in Manipur after days of torrential rain, while TV stations showed footage of a house collapsing and families sleeping in make-shift evacuation centres.In West Bengal, some 42 people have been killed in the last week from floods, while some 250,000 homes have been destroyed, state disaster management minister Javed Ahmad Khan said.The situation is going to worsen. All rivers are flowing above their danger marks, Khan told AFP.Flooding in West Bengal has spiked in recent days after the remnants of Cyclone Komen swept across the state from the Bay of Bengal.The national government said late Sunday that rescue operations were underway in the northern state of Rajasthan where 28 people have died since the monsoon started in June, and about half of those in recent days.So far 630 peoples have been rescued from various districts in Rajasthan, the home ministry said in a statement.Another five people perished in Orissa state where the ministry said rescue operations were also underway.In the far western state of Gujarat, the death toll from floods has reached 53, after more drownings, electrocutions and other incidents. More than 10,000 people have been evacuated across Gujarat in the past week, an official in the states emergency control room told AFP.The death toll has reached 53 since July 26 with 23 deaths in the worst-affected Banaskantha district alone, the official said.But he said waters were now receding, allowing power and communications to be restored.The monsoon, vital for South Asia including for crop production, routinely brings flooding and destruction. India receives nearly 80 percent of its annual rainfall from June to September.

Wildfires rage across California

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CLEARLAKE (AFP) - Thousands of firefighters battled raging wildfires Sunday in drought-parched California, where officials evacuated entire neighborhoods and closed miles of highway in the path of the inferno, which has claimed at least one life.Some 6,000 homes were evacuated as 21 large fires burned in the bone-dry western US state, which is in the throes of a historic drought. A total of 121,000 acres (49,000 hectares of land have burned so far, according to figures provided by the state.Governor Jerry Browns office said that some 9,600 people were battling the fires early Sunday.Dry lightning strikes sparked most of the fires, while the causes of others remained unknown. But authorities said they did not suspect foul play. Thousands of lightning bolts since Thursday caused hundreds of smaller fires throughout the state, but most of the blazes were concentrated in the north, California fire chiefs said.Our firefighters have been working extensively throughout the last two weeks, working hard to contain these fires. The weather has not been so kind, CAL FIRE spokeswoman Lynnette Round told AFP.The dry, warm windy conditions then the dry lightning hitting, it just fuels those fires.Browns office said neighboring Nevada and Colorado had also committed resources to battle the blazes. A total of 24 homes and 26 outbuildings, which included barns and sheds, were destroyed in the community of Lower Lake, home to the picturesque Mendocino National Forest. CAL FIRE said the Rocky Fire had grown to 46,000 acres and was only five percent contained. Its cause was still under investigation, the agency said. Stretches of Highway 20 were closed in both directions, spelling weekend travel misery for motorists.With very hot, dry weather and erratic winds expected only to make matters worse, evacuations in the face of the Rocky Fire were expected to impact 12,190 people, CAL FIRE said.Mountain thunderstorms will continue through today with little rain which could spark fire starts from dry lightning strikes, the agency said in a statement. Evening thunderstorms will shift northward late in the night, putting northern California at risk for new lightning fire starts.Witnesses described dramatic scenes as thick smoke from the giant fire turned day into night and flames swallowed up large tracts of woodland and forest.Vehicles had been left to the flames, abandoned and burnt-out.On Friday, Brown declared a state of emergency and the California National Guard was called in, underlining the scale of the threat facing the state.Firefighter Dave Ruhl, 38, from South Dakota, was killed Thursday while fighting the Frog Fire in the Modoc National Forest outside Alturas.Californias severe drought and extreme weather have turned much of the state into a tinderbox, Brown said in a statement.Our courageous firefighters are on the front lines and well do everything we can to help them.Firefighter Ruhl will be remembered for his service and bravery and we extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues with the US Forest Service, Brown said in a separate statement.Wildfires are a fact of life in much of California, but were far worse than usual this year because of bone-dry conditions, with the state gripped by a fourth year of record drought.

Broad eager to lead England attack in Anderson's absence

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BIRMINGHAM (AFP) - Stuart Broad has said hes ready to lead Englands attack as they bid for an Ashes-clinching win against Australia at his Trent Bridge home ground in the absence of James Anderson.Broad is set to be Englands senior bowler in Nottingham after longtime new-ball partner Anderson was ruled out of the fourth Test with a side injury suffered during an eight-wicket win at Edgbaston on Friday that put the hosts 2-1 up in the five-match series.Not only is Anderson Englands most successful Test bowler of all-time, with 413 wickets -- including an Ashes-best six for 47 at Edgbaston -- he also has a brilliant record at Trent Bridge. The 33-year-old swing and seam bowler has taken 53 wickets in eight Tests there at an average of 19.24 with Englands victory in the 2013 Ashes Test at Trent Bridge yielding a 10-wicket haul for the Lancastrian.But 29-year-old Nottinghamshire paceman Broad, a veteran of 82 Tests, is an experienced campaigner in his own right.In Jimmys absence its going to be up to all the other bowlers to step up, Broad told the Mail on Sunday.Ive probably not got as many wickets as Id have liked during this series (12 in three matches at 27.41 apiece) but I feel as if Ive bowled the best Ive bowled for a long time.You dont know whats going to happen but hopefully Ill take on that extra responsibility to ensure were not crying out for Jimmy over the next couple of days, he added.Broad heads into the Trent Bridge clash, which starts on Thursday, just one wicket away from becoming only the fifth England bowler to take 300 Test wickets after Anderson, Ian Botham, Bob Willis and the late Fred Trueman.And having already scored more than 2,000 Test runs, including a best of 169 against Pakistan at Lords in 2010, Broad, the son of former England Ashes-winning opening batsman Chris Broad, is also in sight of a notable double. It would have been nice to have got there at Edgbaston but the chance to achieve it at Trent Bridge is incredibly exciting, he said.Im told only 11 players have scored 2,000 runs and taken 300 wickets in the history of the (Test) game so its quite illustrious company.One of those players is Australia left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson, taunted mercilessly by the crowd as England surged to victory at Edgbaston on Friday.But Broad insisted the mocking chants, which appeared to get to Johnson, were in fact a compliment. He gets masses of stick from the crowd but its a sign of how much respect there is for him...He gets stick out of respect. Hes a top cricketer, Broad said.You dont boo someone youre not interested in do you?Victory at Trent Bridge would give England a fourth successive home Ashes series win, something they havent achieved since Australias first away series win back in 1899.But if they are to triumph in Nottingham, England will have to win two Tests in a row -- something that has so far proved beyond them this year.Since drawing their series opener against the West Indies at Antigua in April, Englands next seven Tests have seen them alternate between winning and losing.Trevor Bayliss, Englands Australian coach, has urged his side to be ruthless in Nottingham.Some of the Australians will be under pressure, as we were in this game, and we hope we will be able to build on that pressure in the next match and not let them up off the floor, he said.

Australia's batsmen told to toughen up

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BIRMINGHAM (AFP) - Australias top order must be that little bit tougher if the team are to win the fourth Test against England according to batting coach Michael di Venuto.The tourists suffered two significant collapses as England won the third Test at Edgbaston by eight wickets inside three days on Friday to go 2-1 up in the five-match Ashes series.In their first innings in Birmingham, Australia lost five wickets for 60 runs and the second saw four fall for 30.Australia have not won an Ashes series in Britain since 2001 and the suspicion remains that, for all their recent success, they are flat-track bullies whose batsmen struggle on pitches offering sideways movement -- as was the case at Edgbaston.Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, has scored 28 Test hundreds and has a career average touching fifty.But the star batsman has yet to get going this Ashes after scores of 10 and three at Edgbaston left him with a series aggregate of 94 runs in six innings at an average of under 19.But while Clarke is set to keep his place, fellow batsman Adam Voges could be replaced by Shaun Marsh for the fourth Test, which starts at Nottinghams Trent Bridge on Thursday, given his series average of 14.60.Both sides have made much of their desire to play aggressive cricket but di Venuto, a former Australia one-day international but not capped at Test level, suggested smarter cricket was the order of the day.Its decision making at this level .. whether youre going to play or leave the ball, or attack the ball, he told travelling Australian media. We saw some indecision in a couple of our dismissals, a couple of bad shots. Its hard work, nobodys saying its easy especially with the way they (England) bowled. Weve got to be a little bit tougher, insisted di Venuto, who added that Australia were slow off the mark in adjusting to the seaming conditions at Edgbaston.Its disappointing when that happens and its something we have to work on over the next few days, he said. England will be without James Anderson at Trent Bridge after their all-time leading wicket-taker suffered a side injury at Edgbaston.But they will make the short journey across the Midlands with fast bowler Steven Finn buoyed by a Test-best return of six for 79 in Australias second innings in Birmingham.Meanwhile Stuart Broad, now the senior paceman in Andersons absence, heads into the match on his Nottinghamshire home ground just one wicket away from taking 300 in Tests.Di Venuto accepted that no amount of practice could ever fully prepare a batsman for an inspired bowling spell or the sound of a raucous and partisan sell-out crowd.But he said batsmen simply had to get through when conditions were against them. Its obviously hard at training to do that sort of thing, but weve all been in those situations before out in the middle, di Venuto explained.Thats where the two guys in the middle have to take responsibility and get through. Meanwhile Trevor Bayliss, Englands Australian coach, had no intention of writing off Clarke.Michael has had a long career and had a few runs of form like this in the past, and hes come back from them, said Bayliss, who prior to taking the England job was coaching at New South Wales -- Clarkes home state.The last thing I want to do or England want to do is forecast his demise -- because thats just giving him ammunition to come out and score a heap of runs.

Australia to tour Bangladesh this year

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DHAKA (AFP) - Australia will head to Bangladesh to play two Tests in October, the first such series between the nations since 2006, the Bangladesh Cricket Board announced on Sunday.The Aussies will arrive on September 28 to play a three-day warm-up match against the Bangladesh Cricket Boards XI at Fatullah outside the capital.Bangladesh will host Australia in the coastal city of Chittagong for the first Test from October 9 to 13 before playing the second in Dhaka from October 17 to 21.The series will be the first between the nations since Australias 2-0 victory during their tour in 2006.Australia will be the fourth team to visit the cricketing minnows this year after Pakistan, India and South Africa.World champions Australia visited Bangladesh in 2011 to play three one-day internationals, although none were scheduled for this tour.

Lahore: Homeless woman gives birth in parking space, awaits help

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LAHORE (Dunya News) – A homeless woman has given birth to a baby boy in a parking lot near Qila Gujjar Singh police station at Abbott Road area in Lahore, Dunya News reported.According to details, the woman appears to be suffering from psychological condition and anguish. She kept mentioning Chichawatni and Sargodha repeatedly upon asking where she belonged.Currently the woman is sitting along with her child under the open sky and does not have food and other facilities to take care of herself and the child.This woman and her child are awaiting help from relevant authorities who could not be reached despite repeated calls.

Britain must stop Altaf Hussain from using its territory for incitement: Imran Khan

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Sunday said that Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain’s statement is akin to calling for foreign invasion, adding that MQM chief is inciting violence using British territory, Dunya News reported.Imran Khan urged Britain to stop Altaf Hussain from using its territory and the government to take notice for attacking state institutions.Earlier, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has on Sunday claimed that Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) had offered 50% seats before the election. “We didn’t compromise on our ideology for 19 years. How can we compromise now?” question Imran Khan.Addressing Workers Convention in Islamabad, Imran Khan said that he was offered 50% seats by PML-N but he didn’t compromise. He said that PTI is getting weakened due to internal differences.Jehangir Tareen has been criticized by the party leaders recently and the most vocal among them has been senior PTI leader Hamid Khan. Putting his weight in Jehangir Tareen’s favor on this occasion, Imran Khan said that he first came to know of Jehangir Tareen as an agriculturist who had developed model farms and was a good tax payer. He said that he inducted Asad Umar and Jehangir Tareen into the party because they knew governance.“I knew Jehangir Tareen’s governance and that is why I made him the Secretary General”, said Imran. He added that he consulted with everyone including Vice Chairman PTI Shah Mehmood Qureshi before making Jehangir Tareen the Secretary General.“I know who came to the sit-in”, Imran Khan said. He said that all parties are worried because of PTI and entire Pakistan is looking towards the party. “We supported Pervez Musharraf only because he had promised across the board accountability.“We didn’t stage the sit-in on anyone’s directions. We never compromised on our ideology”, Imran Khan said.

Political leaders slam Altaf Hussain for controversial address

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ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The political leadership of Pakistan reacted strongly against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain’s controversial address to party workers in American city Dallas, Dunya News reported.Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said that Pakistan is not a helpless country, adding that he condemns Altaf Hussain’s statements.Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed said that MQM chief should not raise difficulties for himself and that he should review his policies.Awami National Party (ANP) leader Haji Adeel said that MQM’s formation took place during dictatorship, adding that the government is only restricted to talks.Jamaat Islami chief Sirajul Haq said that Pakistan Muslim League and Pakistan People’s Party nourished MQM in Karachi after forming it and that Altaf Hussain is now conspiring while sitting in London.

It was not attempt at PM's life: Spokesperson Interior Ministry

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ISLAMABAD: (Dunya News) - Spokesperson of Interior Ministry has on Sunday said that the reports of attack on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs convoy are incorrect. Spokesperson said that the person arrested had no intentions to attack the PMs convoy and the investigations are still going on, reported Dunya News.According to the Spokesperson of the Interior Ministry, the person arrested had no intentions of attacking PMs convoy. He said that the investigations of the incident are still underway and the complete details will soon be brought forward.It had also been reported that the arrested person had initially claimed to be a retired officer of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) but changed his statement afterwards. He was allowed to leave after investigations.Earlier, it had been reported that PMs convoy had been attacked as an unidentified car infiltrated into PMs convoy.Earlier, it had been reported that PMs convoy had been attacked as an unidentified car infiltrated into PMs convoy and that the number plate of the car had also been found as fake.According to details, PM was coming back to Islamabad along with his family when an unidentified car entered his convoy. However, the attempt failed and the PM has reached the PM House along with family. Security agencies have arrested the driver of the car and the car has been taken into custody. Sources told that the number-plate of the car was also fake.Earlier, it was reported that the car had only infiltrated into the convoy but it is now being reported that it was actually an attempt on PM s life. The initial report of the incident has been presented to the PM according to sources.

Al-Qaeda commander Umar Lateef killed in Chaghi operation

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QUETTA (AFP/Dunya News) - Pakistani security forces have killed a senior Al-Qaeda commander and detained his wife in an overnight raid on his hideout in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, a provincial minister said Sunday.The security forces also took the couple s two young daughters into custody during the raid in the Chaghi district.An important Al-Qaeda commander -- namely Umar Lateef -- was killed in an encounter with local security agencies, provincial home minister Sarfraz Bugti told reporters.The minister said Umar Lateef, his wife Tayyaba alias Fareeha Baji, one brother and two daughters both aged under five had lived in Chaghi for the last 8-10 months after moving from the Afghan border province of Nimruz.Lateef was a senior commander of Al-Qaeda for Pakistan s Baluchistan and south Punjab regions, Bugti said.His brother Bilal succeeded in escaping during the raid, probably to neighbouring Afghanistan.Bugti said Punjab province had offered a reward of two million rupees ($20,000) for Lateef and half a million rupees for his wife, who was head of Al-Qaeda s women s wing in south Punjab and Baluchistan.The minister said Lateef had established an Al-Qaeda network and was supervising its terrorist activities and providing travel and logistical facilities to terrorists in both Baluchistan and south Punjab as well as in Afghanistan.His wife is being interrogated by security officials.Al-Qaeda announced last September it was setting up a chapter in the sub-continent to counter the spread of the rival Islamic State group, which controls a broad swathe of territory in Iraq and Syria.Pakistan launched a major military operation against Taliban and Al-Qaeda-led militants in the northwestern tribal regions in June last year.The operation intensified in December after Taliban militants attacked a school in Peshawar and killed more than 150 people, mostly children.Mailk Ishaq, the leader of an anti-Shiite group behind some of Pakistan s worst sectarian atrocities, was killed in a shootout with police last week along with 13 other militants, authorities said.

Al-Qaeda commander Umar Lateef killed in Chaghi operation

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QUETTA (AFP/Dunya News) - Pakistani security forces have killed a senior Al-Qaeda commander and detained his wife in an overnight raid on his hideout in the southwestern province of Baluchistan, a provincial minister said Sunday.The security forces also took the couples two young daughters into custody during the raid in the Chaghi district.An important Al-Qaeda commander -- namely Umar Lateef -- was killed in an encounter with local security agencies, provincial home minister Sarfraz Bugti told reporters.The minister said Umar Lateef, his wife Tayyaba alias Fareeha Baji, one brother and two daughters both aged under five had lived in Chaghi for the last 8-10 months after moving from the Afghan border province of Nimruz.Lateef was a senior commander of Al-Qaeda for Pakistans Baluchistan and south Punjab regions, Bugti said.His brother Bilal succeeded in escaping during the raid, probably to neighbouring Afghanistan.Bugti said Punjab province had offered a reward of two million rupees ($20,000) for Lateef and half a million rupees for his wife, who was head of Al-Qaedas womens wing in south Punjab and Baluchistan.The minister said Lateef had established an Al-Qaeda network and was supervising its terrorist activities and providing travel and logistical facilities to terrorists in both Baluchistan and south Punjab as well as in Afghanistan.His wife is being interrogated by security officials.Al-Qaeda announced last September it was setting up a chapter in the sub-continent to counter the spread of the rival Islamic State group, which controls a broad swathe of territory in Iraq and Syria.Pakistan launched a major military operation against Taliban and Al-Qaeda-led militants in the northwestern tribal regions in June last year.The operation intensified in December after Taliban militants attacked a school in Peshawar and killed more than 150 people, mostly children.Mailk Ishaq, the leader of an anti-Shiite group behind some of Pakistans worst sectarian atrocities, was killed in a shootout with police last week along with 13 other militants, authorities said.
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