Posts published in June 2013

By Shabbir Mir in The Express Tribune, June 24 GILGIT: The deadly attack on tourists near Nanga Parbat’s base camp on Sunday drew strong condemnation from the public, with many urging the government to expose the “hidden hands” threatening the security of the region. In a pre-dawn attack, gunmen dressed as paramilitary forces killed nine foreign tourists in an unprecedented attack in Gilgit-Baltistan. At least three Chinese and five Ukrainian climbers were killed in the…

GILGIT, June 23:  ….. Jundullah, another militant group with a track record of attacks in Gilgit-Baltistan, was the first to say it was behind the incident “These foreigners are our enemies and we proudly claim responsibility for killing them, and will continue such attacks in the future,” Jundullah spokesman Ahmed Marwat told Reuters by telephone. The attackers beat up the Pakistanis who were accompanying the tourists, took their money and tied them up, a local…

By Tahir Khan in The Express Tribune, June 24 ISLAMABAD: The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility on Sunday for the killing of nine foreign tourists and their guide in Gilgit-Balitistan. Postmortem of the tourists confirmed that their deaths were caused by firing. The incident took place near a camp base, where the tourists were staying. TTP spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan called The Express Tribune and said the group’s faction named Junud-e-Hafsa carried out the brutal attack.…

By Shabbir Mir in The Express Tribune, June 24 GILGIT: Chief Minister Gilgit–Baltistan Mehdi Shah on Sunday applauded the performance of Chief Secretary G-B and regional police chief hours after Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan suspended them for failing to provide security to the foreign tourists in Nanga Parbat. “Removing both the officials before launching an inquiry in to the tourists’ incident is not in the interest of G-B,” said a press note issued…

GILGIT: A major road in Phandar valley, Ghizer District – submerged during recent floods in the area – has left some 20,000 people stranded in the remote valley since a week. The road sank on June 10 when flood water from Gilgit River inundated Sosat area, a few kilometres from Phandar valley, cutting off locals from the rest of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). “About half a kilometre of the road is under water and vehicles are unable…

LAHORE: The extent to which peace has long been elusive in the vulnerable and volatile Balochistan can be gauged from the fact that since 2003, at least 140 major terrorism incidents have rocked this province, killing thousands including security personnel on guard. Here follows the chronology of heinous incidents in the past decade, since 2003: Year 2003: June 8: Some 11 police trainees, hailing from the Hazara Shia sect, were shot dead in a sectarian…

MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Finance Minister Chaudhry Latif Akbar on Sunday said the government of Pakistan should open the doors of the National Finance Commission (NFC) award for the people of Azad Kashmir. “The state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir should get representation on the NFC Award,” Akbar said in a pre-budget press conference. According to him, a share in NFC award will make AJK economically stable, he said. The NFC award decides…

MUZAFFARABAD, June 15: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) chapter of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has demanded of its party’s government in Islamabad to conduct special audit of the AJK Council to bring into open “rampant corruption in this institution at the hands of its in-charge federal ministers and bureaucrats.” The demand came from PML-N AJK chapter president Raja Farooq Haider at a function held here on Saturday, to mark the joining of PML-N by…

GILGIT: Threatening to inundate low-lying areas, water levels have risen to alarming levels in rivers and lakes of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). In Gilgit, water entered houses in Chamogarh Colony and other residential areas downstream as Gilgit River’s embankments gave way on Thursday. “We constantly fear inundation,” said Itman, a resident of Chamogarh Colony, an area alongside the river. “We stay on duty at night so we can order evacuations if a flood comes.” Additionally, there have…

By Shabbir Mir in The Express Tribune GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) government employees boycotted their duties on Wednesday after their special allowances were declared null from 2011 onwards. On the directives of the Ministry of Finance in Islamabad, the G-B finance department issued a notification on June 4, 2013 stating the special allowances given to G-B government employees were declared seized from 2011 onwards.  The notification further asked concerned authorities to recover the amount paid after…