Deadly Blast Strikes Near a Mosque in Southwestern Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — At least 10 people were killed Wednesday in Quetta, in southwestern Pakistan, when an explosion struck a crowd in a parking lot near a Shiite mosque, police officials said.
At least 20 people were wounded.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for what was believed to be a suicide car bombing, but sectarian attacks are frequent in the city, the capital of Baluchistan Province. A low-level insurgency by nationalists of the Baluch ethnic group has simmered in the province, and Taliban militants have found a haven there. Extremist Sunni groups like the Taliban have singled out Shiites and other religious minorities.

“The damage would have been more extensive had the terrorist managed to come closer to the mosque,” a police official said.

Local television news networks broadcast images of ambulances carrying the dead and wounded to hospitals, as distraught worshipers milled about. Plumes of smoke swirled in the debris-strewn street as vehicles burned. Remains of a badly mutilated body were found inside the wreckage of a car in the parking lot.

Soon after the blast, Shiite protesters staged a rally at the site and chanted slogans against the government for failing to take more stringent security measures.

In a statement released by the office of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, he condemned the bombing. “Those elements playing with lives of innocent people would not escape the wrath of Allah and law of the land,” he said.

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Pakistan Points to Help From U.S. in Qaeda Arrests

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — American and Pakistani officials celebrated their cooperation on Monday as Pakistan announced the arrests of three men they identified as senior operatives of Al Qaeda who had been planning attacks on American and other Western targets.
The shift in tone was particularly noticeable for Pakistan, which has been bitter toward the United States in the four months since its military was surprised, humiliated and infuriated by the Navy Seals raid in Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden.

“This operation was planned and conducted with technical assistance of United States intelligence agencies with whom Inter-Services Intelligence has a strong, historic intelligence relationship,” the Pakistan’s military said in a statement, referring to Pakistan’s top military spy agency. “Both Pakistan and United States intelligence agencies continue to work closely together to enhance security of their respective nations.”

One of the men arrested was identified as Younis al-Mauritani, who was captured in southwestern city of Quetta, which has long been thought of as a safe haven for Taliban and Qaeda leadership. American officials said Monday that he had a central role in planning attacks in Europe.

The Pakistan military said he was “responsible for planning and conduct of international operations” for Al Qaeda. “Al-Mauritani was tasked personally by Osama bin Laden to focus on hitting targets of economical importance in United States of America, Europe and Australia,” the military said. “He was planning to target United States economic interests including gas/oil pipelines, power generating dams and strike ships/oil tankers through explosive-laden speed boats in international waters.”

In Washington, the deputy White House press secretary, Joshua Earnest, praised his capture and the collaboration behind it. “We applaud the actions of Pakistan’s intelligence and security services that led to the capture of a senior Al Qaeda operative who was involved in planning attacks against the interests of the United States and many other countries,” he said.

The last time Pakistan announced the arrest of a Qaeda operative, in mid-May, the relationship between Pakistan and the United States risked spiraling out of control as the Pakistan Army and NATO helicopters exchanged fire on the Pakistan side of the border with Afghanistan. Two Pakistani soldiers were wounded in the firefight, which came as some in Washington questioned the $3 billion a year in aid to the country.

Tensions have run high since the May 2 raid on Bin Laden’s compound, which inflamed Pakistani sensitivities over sovereignty while at the same time heightening distrust of Pakistan in the United States.

Monday’s announcement sought to strike a note of respect for a relationship portrayed as longstanding. “The intimate cooperation between Pakistan and United States intelligence agencies has resulted into prevention of number of high-profile terrorist acts not only inside Pakistan/United States but elsewhere also in world,” the Pakistan Army statement said.

Eric Schmitt and Jackie Calmes contributed reporting from Washington.

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Double Suicide Bombings Strike Southwest Pakistan

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — At least 21 people, including a senior army officer, were killed on Wednesday when two blasts were detonated by separate suicide bombers in southwest Pakistan, police officials said.
The attackers’ target was the Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force commanded by army officers and stationed in the restive province of Baluchistan, including the provincial capital, Quetta. At least 30 people were injured in the explosions there.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Suspicion immediately fell on militants from Al Qaeda and the Taliban. On Monday, Pakistani officials announced the arrest of a senior Qaeda leader, Younis al-Mauritani, who is from Quetta. The arrest operation was conducted by Inter-Services Intelligence, the country’s intelligence organization, and the Frontier Corps, according to an army spokesman.

The attack on Wednesday morning took place in a high-security neighborhood of Quetta where several government offices and homes of high-ranking government officials are located.

The attackers struck the house of Brig. Farrukh Shehzad, the deputy inspector general of the Frontier Corps. One bomber detonated his vehicle outside the house at 8:58 a.m., a witness told AAJ TV, a private news channel. Minutes later, another attacker entered the house on foot and started firing before detonating his explosives.

Brigadier Shehzad was wounded and his wife was killed, according to initial local news reports. A colonel, Khalid Masood, was also killed in the attack.

Local television networks broadcast images of charred vehicles as ambulances ferried the wounded to nearby hospitals. The house of the wounded brigadier was badly damaged.

Police officials said that at least 110 to 150 pounds of explosives were used in the car bombing and that the second attacker had least 22 pounds of explosives in his suicide vest.

An identification card found at the scene was thought to belong to one of the attackers. It was issued to a 21-year-old Afghan man, Ahmad Gul, in Peshawar in early 2010. Many Afghan refugees live in Baluchistan and in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province in the northwest.

Quetta has a history of sectarian and nationalist violence. Qaeda leaders and Taliban militants are also thought to have found a haven in the city and the surrounding province.

The United States Embassy in Islamabad issued a statement strongly condemning the attack, saying that “nothing can justify immoral and indiscriminate attacks against innocents, including Pakistan’s security forces.”

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Pak, Australia form groups to tackle issues

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Australia on Tuesday showed their commitment to further enhance joint measures to end human trafficking, terrorism as well as transnational crimes and two joint working groups would focus on these issues.
The decision was taken in a meeting held between Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Chief Operating Officer Customs and Border Protection Service Australia Michael Pezzullo.
Malik informed media after the meeting that Australia was providing Pakistan with a forensic laboratory as well as imparting training to Pakistani officers of police and law enforcement agencies in Australia for their capacity building. He termed Pak-Australian relations as of great importance and that would be further enhanced in times to come. Malik said both countries had formed two joint working groups to end human trafficking, terrorism and transnational crimes.

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New depth in Pak-Iran ties

PRIME Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani’s two-day visit to Iran has proved to be a highly productive one as it has brought the two brotherly countries still closer in different fields. Apart from greater understanding on political and regional issues, the leadership of the two countries had fruitful exchange of views on cementing ties in various sectors to the mutual advantage.

The outcome of the visit amply proved that the Prime Minister had done the necessary homework to get maximum benefit out of his interaction with the Iranian leadership. Right from the moment he talked to media before embarking on the plane for Iran, Mr Gilani conveyed a lot of optimism about the prospects of increasing cooperation with the neighbouring country especially in the field of commerce, industry and trade and his talks in Tehran demonstrated his sincerity of purpose. He categorically declared that under a policy revamp, Islamabad wants a very close relationship with Tehran and give fresh impetus to the existing bilateral ties in line with their proximity and potential in trade, security and other fields. It appeared that the two sides are determined to move swiftly towards this direction, as was visible from the understanding they reached during their talks. Their resolve to increase the bilateral trade from the existing just $1.2 billion to $10 billion and expedite completion of gas and power projects is manifestation of the desire of the two countries to take their relationship to new heights. We would, however, expect that while sorting out details of how to boost their trade, they would give due consideration to strike a balance as currently Pakistan’s exports to Iran constitute just 20% of the total volume of trade between them because of a number of barriers erected by Tehran on imports from Pakistan. Similarly, Iranian interest in expediting implementation of the gas pipeline project and power transmission lines is highly appreciable but Pakistan is still caught in bureaucratic rigmarole despite the fact that it needed completion of energy projects on fast track in view of the prevailing crisis. The world is today focusing on consolidating trade with neighbours and regional economic cooperation because of advantages of proximity and we too should focus on this strategy in letter and in spirit.

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Sindh flooded again!

Around ten million people are directly and severely affected in the twenty-one districts of Sindh province due to never-stopping heavy rains and floods caused by the breaches in the drains and canals. Similarly, more than ten million other population of the province has become indirectly affected or that would become even more affected due to food insecurity, paucity of milk, butter, cereals, vegetables and fruits because the affected twenty districts are considered as the “ supply storage” of the province. Nothing is left in the affected districts. Near and dear ones are gone/departed/ dead. Millions of houses destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of livestock are killed. Crops standing on millions of acres of land are destroyed. Roads are inundated. Bridges are broken and there is no electricity.

Much more is said in the press releases of the relevant provincial and federal government organizations but regrettably nothing is being done practically to save the lives of the victims. All the victims have contracted skin disease. So far more than 350 people are reported dead. Officials deputed in the affected districts are wasting their times in fun and frolic and giving relief packages to their own un-affected relatives. Doctors and paramedical staff is not visible anywhere. Sindh is flooded. Sindhi is sinking. Sindh is drowned. I can make no explanation but Corruption ( of our past and present rulers) Corruption ( of our callous bureaucrats of revenue, irrigation etc.) corruption (of irrigation, WAPDA engineers and technocrats) have ruined Sindh and the rural life and economy. All those corrupt, callous and incompetent officers and technocrats who made corruption worth millions of rupees but did not utilize even ten percent of the allocated funds for the construction of roads, canals, water channels, water courses and drains. All those who are involved in the defective and disastrous schemes such as Left Bank Outfall drain ( LBOD) and Right Bank Outfall Drain ( RBOD) may be put on trial and and hanged to for their heinous offense against the ten million people in the worst affected districts of the province.

Where are the so-called national NGOs who hold seminars and workshops about caring and saving humanity in the air-conditioned rooms of five stars hotels in the mega cities? Where is the vibrant Civil Society? Where is the National Rural Support Program (NRSP) and Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund ( PPAF)? People are virtually dying of hunger. People have no water to drink and perform religious rituals of their near and dear ones and to bury them. The incompetent and corrupt revenue and other provincial and federal government officials are enjoying the ruthless death of the victims. From the prevalent doom and destruction it appears, perhaps, that all concerned have decided to drown and decimate the Sindhis.

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Middle child has the hardest time

ARE you thinking of starting a family? Stick to two children even four – but think twice about having three, an expert says.
Family psychologist Sally-Anne McCormack says having three children means it is almost inevitable the middle child will be left out and doted on less, characteristics commonly associated with those born between the eldest and youngest.
“It’s really hard with three,” she said. “It’s often best to have two or four, or even more, to avoid having the others gang up on just the one in the middle, and to make sure you spend equal time with each.
“Your birth order definitely plays an impact on the type of person you are. First-borns have more pressure, the youngest do tend to be a little spoilt, and the middle child left without the attention.
But a new book The Secret Power of Middle Children, says “middles” are characterised by neglect and resentment, but in fact the overall picture is “tremendously positive” and they are likely to have a more holistic approach to life.
Adolescent psychologist Dr Darryl Cross said the eldest tended to end up in a “helping” profession, a result of the responsibilities often placed on them by parents.
“But I think with middle kids, they’re a bit harder to characterise,” he said.
“It’s definitely tricky with three.
“But the benefit of being a middle child is you haven’t got the pressure of the first and the ‘my poor baby’ attitude of the youngest.

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