ISI Challenges GEO/Hamid Meer in Investigations 13 may 2014

ISI claims investigations reveal Hamid Meer’s personal guard did fire gunshots when their car was attacked. Lt. General Zaheer-Ul-Islam orders the department to develop a three member committee of expert officers to lead an investigation of the incident and unveil the parties involved and motives behind it. The conclusive report will be sent to the dg himself and also to the prime minister. Analysts claim geo/Jung group showing signs of defeat through contradictory remarks on the issue. 

Islamabad: Department of Defense, ISI, has begun investigating the attack on lead GEO anchor
Hamid Meer. As per officials, if required, ISI is also determined to clear its name of the allegations made upon it by GEO
 by recording an official statement in front of the legal commission in Court. It is also being speculated that the three member 
committee established by D.G ISI Zaheer ul Islam has already began investigations in this regard. As per the preliminary investigations 
conducted by this committee, private media groups are uncertain about their own views and are consistently deviating from their own 
opinions, which is worth noting. Evidence gathered under this investigation has also revealed proofs of Hamid Meer’s personal guard 
firing a couple of rounds while he was with him in the car. Two shells discharged as a result of such firing were found by the investigating
 team, which it presented to support its conclusions.


On the other hand, the Jung/GEO group is having a hard time deciding what to present to the people in its defense against the ISI’s 
investigation teams’ conclusions. Actually, according to some analysts, such attitude of the Jung/GEO group is the cause ofISI’s 
decision to take matters into its own hands and to prove itself a clean and truly patriotic institution as against its image thatGEO 
and the Jung group has presented to the world.


The team organized by ISI is following scientific methods in cracking down this case, with senior officers providing their best in this 
regard, to the department.


This team will not only submit its final report to Lt. Gen. Zaheer ul Islam, but will also send official copies to Chief of Army staff 
General Raheel Sharif and the Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, so that everyone gets a fair share of the truth.


Investigations are being conducted with the view of uncovering the truth behind the attack on the lead GEO anchor and to
 present in front of the nation those involved in organizing this criminal act, said officials.


ISI has also clarified through the ministry of defense that if felt necessary, it will also present the results of this investigation in front 
of the three member committee created by the government in form of official and authorized statements in order to clarify the issue.

DR Congo football fans killed in stampede 12 may 2014

At least 15 people reportedly killed in stampede after police fire tear gas in crowded football stadium in Kinshasa.

At least 15 people were killed after police fired tear gas in a crowded football stadium in Democratic Republic of Congo, provoking a stampede, according to a police source and a local official.

Fans in Kinshasa grew angry on Sunday evening after their local team was defeated 1-0 by a team from the eastern town of Lubumbashi in a heated final, according to Emmanuel Akweti, local minister for the capital's inner city.

"Four policemen were harassed by supporters. When they fired tear gas, the stampede began, causing the deaths," he told Reuters news agency on Sunday.

Images on a local television station showed plumes of smoke rising from the stadium's bleachers.

Supporters, blinded by the gas, ran in different directions, sometimes falling over, the footage showed.

Akweti said 15 people died of suffocation and 24 were injured. A police source who declined to be named put the death toll higher, at 18.

A Reuters witness counted 14 bodies lying on benches outside the main hospital in Kinshasa.

Stampedes are a frequent occurrence at crowded events in Congo. Last month at least 21 people were killed when a power cut caused a stampede at a crowded music festival.

Saudi Arabia warns of MERS risk from camels 12 may 2014

Saudi Arabia has warned its citizens to wear masks and gloves when dealing with camels as health experts said the animal was the likely source of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus.

The Saudi Agriculture Ministry urged people who come in contact with camels to "exercise caution and follow preventive measures," after scientific studies commissioned by the Health Ministry proved a connection between camels and the virus that causes MERS.

"It is advisable to wear protective gloves, especially when dealing with births or sick or dead [camels]," state news agency SPA reported on Sunday.

The link between human cases and camels has been the subject of extensive study among scientists abroad, but has been relatively absent from much of the official domestic debate.

Saudi Arabia also reported three deaths from MERS on Sunday, raising the death toll from the disease since it first appeared in the country in 2012 to 142.

The Health Ministry said in a statement on its website it had identified three new cases of the coronavirus, pushing the total number of infections to 483.

The rate of infection in Saudi Arabia has surged in recent weeks, with the total number nearly doubling in April and rising by a further 25 percent in May.

The recent increase has raised concerns over the influx of visitors expected to convene in thev holy cities of Mecca and Medina in July during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and again during the annual Hajj pilgrimage in October.

The disease has spread across the region, with MERS cases reported in the Lebanon, Egypt, Qatar, Malaysia, Italy, Britain and the United States.

MERS is considered a deadlier but less-transmissible cousin of the SARS virus that erupted in Asia in 2003 and infected 8,273 people, nine percent of whom died.

Iran unveils copied US RQ-170 stealth drone

Iran has unveiled a domestically produced version of a sophisticated US drone it captured back in 2011.

The stealth drone was unveiled in an exhibition at the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Forces' Central Command, attended by the Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on May 11, Iran's Press TV reported.

Other Iranian drones, including Shahed 129 and 125, were also on display at the exhibition.

The expo put on display the achievements of the IRGC Aerospace Forces in the design and development of drones, radars and defense systems as well as anti-ship, ballistic and anti-shield missile systems.

The US RQ-170 Sentinel was reverse-engineered by IRGC experts in about two years.

The RQ-170 is an unmanned stealth aircraft designed and developed by the Lockheed Martin Company.

The aircraft was downed with minimal damage by the Iranian Army's electronic warfare unit on December 4, 2011, while flying over the Iranian city of Kashmar, some 225 kilometers (140 miles) from the Afghan border, Iranian media outlets claimed.

Although US officials never confirmed it, Iran says it used its radio electronic warfare skills and vulnerabilities in the Sentinel's GPS receiver to trick it into landing on Iranian territory instead of its designated military base. The claims are considered plausible by many, since the drone did not sustain any visible damage during its alleged crash-landing.

Last year, Iranian officials announced progress on reverse-engineering the captured Sentinel drone, saying that they has completed decoding its software and extracting the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) surveillance data from it.

Iranian media outlets report that Iran has made great achievements in its defense sector and attained self-sufficiency in producing essential military equipment and systems in recent years. Tehran established an arms development program during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s to counter the weapons embargo imposed on it by the U.S. and its Western allies.

Since 1992, Iran has manufactured its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles, radars, boats, submarines and fighter planes. Iran also unveiled its first domestically-manufactured long-range Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in 2010.

Pakistan, Iran to give impetus to gas pipeline 12 may 2014

Nawaz meets with President Rouhani | Desires enhancing trade to $5 billion | Proposes joint border markets | Eight MoUs, agreements signed
TEHRAN - Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani have agreed to continue with the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project and they reiterated their commitment to enhance bilateral trade between the two countries.
Both the countries also signed eight MoUs/agreements to enhance their cooperation further in various fields.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Iranian First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri witnessed the signing ceremony.
The following MoUs/agreements were inked during the ceremony: 1. Agreement on Transfer of Offenders (Transfer of Sentenced Persons). 2. MoU on Anti-Money Laundering. 3. MoU on Statistical Cooperation. 4. Renewal of the Cultural Exchange Programme. 5. MoU on Sports Cooperation. 6. MoU on Cooperation in Preventing and Combating Pollution from Ships. 7. MoU on establishment of Joint Border Commission. 8. MoU between TDAP and IIEC.
PM Nawaz Sharif arrived in Tehran on Sunday to meet with senior Iranian officials and explore avenues for the further improvement of ties and cooperation with the country in all fields. His two-day visit, which takes place at the invitation of President Rouhani, is his first since he took office again last year.
“I am here to open a new chapter in Pakistan-Iran relationships... As prime minister, I visited Iran firstly in 1999 and have always found the Iranians more affectionate on every visit,” Pakistani prime minister told the Iranian president at a meeting held at Saadabad Palace.
Nawaz Sharif said that he was there with his team of finance, petroleum and interior to resolve all the matters which were creating hindrance in the project. He said there was lot of scope of increasing the trade volume and they wanted to enhance it to $5 billion.
President Rouhani said Iran-Pakistan relations had historical connections. Apart from being neighbouring countries, both Muslim countries have the common traditions and relations based on the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). PM Nawaz Sharif’s visit would further boost the brotherly relations, he added.
Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Balochistan Governor Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Adviser to PM on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatimi were also present during the meeting.
The prime minister told the president that some miscreant elements were trying to sabotage the bilateral relations. He said they would deal with all such elements firmly and would not let them sabotage these relations. “We want security for development and development for security”.
Both the leaders also discussed the border security matters between the two countries. They agreed that better border management and improved security measures would result in increased bilateral trade and strengthening relationship and cooperation between the two countries.
Prime Minister Nawaz extended invitation to President Rouhani to visit Pakistan which he accepted. Later, the Iranian president hosted a luncheon in honour of the prime minister and the visiting delegation.
The prime minister also held a meeting with First Vice President of Iran Eshaq Jehangiri in which matters of mutual and bilateral interest were discussed and Nawaz underscored that expansion of ties and cooperation with Iran was a top priority of his government.
He referred to the two countries’ lengthy common borders, and called for the establishment of joint border markets to facilitate trade and prevent smuggling of goods.
Nawaz also stressed the importance of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline for Islamabad, and said his country will provide Tehran with a new proposal in this regard, adding that Islamabad welcomes multilateral cooperation with Iran in the oil and gas sectors.

Gunmen storm Iraqi military barracks, killing 20

Deadly attacks on military facility in remote northern Iraq the latest in a series of assaults targeting security forces in the region.

Militants in Iraq launched an audacious attack on a military barracks in a remote area in the country's north and killed 20 troops, including some who had been bound and shot at close range, authorities said on Sunday, as other attacks killed 18.

The killings at the military barracks in the village of Ayn al-Jahish outside of Mosul mirrored two previous assaults earlier this year in the area targeting security forces. It also represents the latest blow to the government's efforts to achieve stability in restive Sunni-dominated areas.

Gunmen staged the assault late on Saturday night, two police officers said, shooting some at short range while others died fighting the insurgents when they stormed the barracks. A medical official, who confirmed the causality number, said 11 troops had their hands tied behind their backs and suffered close-range gunshots to the head.

The slain troops were in charge of protecting an oil pipeline that sends Iraqi crude oil to international markets and guarding a nearby highway. Attacks on the pipeline are common in the area near Mosul, located about 225 miles northwest of Baghdad.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, it mirrored a February attack in the area claimed by the al-Qaida-breakaway group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. On that occasion, fighters from the group killed 15 soldiers at the barracks, beheading some of them. In April, militants killed at least 10 soldiers at a base outside of Mosul.

Corrupt rulers to be kicked out soon: Qadri

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) leader Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri on Sunday said corrupt rulers would soon be kicked out of the country as a silent revolution was nearing. He claimed that there was neither democracy nor any system in the country.

Addressing a large gathering at the Liaquat Bagh, Qadri said there was nothing like democracy and an organised system in the country. “No parliament exists in this country. The present parliament came into existence through violating Article 63 and 62,” he alleged.

Qadri said hundreds of thousands of people were attending the rally. “I wanted to show people’s power by staging today’s rally.”“The time has come to rebuild Pakistan as some families are occupying the country,” Qadri added.

The PAT leader announced that he would soon return to Pakistan and give a call for the final phase of his peaceful revolution to transfer power back to people.He rejected criticism about leading the campaign from Canada. “It is the right of people to reject or accept my call from Canada. If they respond to my call, nobody else has the right to object,” he said.

“There is no hope from the parliament which was formed through rigged elections,” he said, adding that under the Constitution of Pakistan, elimination of the present government system had become mandatory.

About 5000 to 6000 party workers participated in the rally. It started from Chandni Chowk and culminated at Committee Chowk. PML-Q Senior Vice President Bashrat Raja, J Salik, Ahmed Raza Kasuri, Baba Haider Zaman of Hazara Tehreek and others also participated in the rally.Qadri said drastic changes in the present system would be introduced with setting up of 30 new provinces, including an administrative unit for Hazara.He said under the new structural setup of the country, homeless people would be provided houses besides job opportunities for unemployed.

Asim Hussain adds from Lahore: The rally, which was meant to judge ‘the preparedness of 20 million ‘Namazis’ for Qadri’s much-awaited prayer call’, proved to be an unimpressive show despite mobilising huge resources for bringing people from adjoining districts and towns to the provincial metropolis.

What should have been most perturbing for the organisers was the disinterest shown by Lahorites as an estimated 70 per cent participants were from outside the city with their numbers estimated around 5,000 to 6,000.

The PML-Q joined the rally led by some former and sitting women MPAs, including Amna Ulfat, Majida Zaidi, Samina Khawar Hayat, Kanwal Naseem and others.The rally which started from Nasir Bagh amidst tight security measures proved to be a slow and sluggish affair as it began its march 90 minutes behind the schedule.

Apparently, the organisers kept waiting for the participants since only a few hundred workers could reach the venue till 3 pm, the scheduled time. Majority of those who reached Nasir Bagh were women and children, and the bulk of them were the students of the TMQ-run educational institutions and colleges who had come along with their family members.

To engage the participants in the absence of PAT and TMQ central leaders, the organisers kept playing party songs on loudspeakers. Many boys and girls kept dancing to the tunes.The bigger chunk of the participants had come from nearby districts and towns like Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Kasur, Okara, Muridke, Pattoki and Nankana. A number of rural women in the rally looked overtly indifferent as they kept sitting on pavements, holding and paying attention to their children. Same was the case with many men and youth coming from other areas as they looked more interested in lying or sitting on footpaths then joining the rally to raise slogans. Before the rally began, the organisers spent quite a time requesting them to get up and join the rally.

The rally led by TMQ Lahore Ameer Irshad Tahir, Lahore Nazim Ghulam Farid and PAT President Chaudhry Afzal Gujjar began marching at a slow pace and not as part of single rally, but in shape of small clusters of workers walking as separate groups. PAT Secretary Khurram Nawaz Gandapur joined the rally later, when it had almost reached Faisal Chowk. Qadri’s son Hasan Mohiuddin Qadri, who was scheduled to lead the rally, reached Faisal Chowk after 7pm. They participants kept shouting slogans against the ruling PML-N leadership and holding banners and placards demanding revoking of existing electoral laws and implementation of Article 38 of the Constitution.

Strangely, the central and local leadership refrained from addressing the participants after the rally had reached Faisal Chowk, and suspended the proceedings for over an hour (from 5.45pm to 7 pm) apparently waiting for Qadri’s signal from Canada.

However, several hundreds of participants coming especially from Kot Abdul Malik, Muridke, Shahdara and Gujranwala also reached the venue, enlarging the size of the rally. After much delay, the PAT leadership began addressing the rally after 7.30 pm and the speech of Gandapur was cut short after a few minutes when Qadri began his televised address from Canada.

Our correspondent adds from Bahawalpur: The PAT workers took out rallies amid strict security measures.At Chowk Fawara, they listened to Qadri through a video link. The rally started from Chowk Fawara to Rafique Shah Chowk. In Rahim Yar Khan, another rally started from Jinnah Hall to Railway Chowk amid security measures.