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India-Pakistan
Sindh, Punjab Police search for 'explosive' trucks
2008-03-27
The Sindh and Punjab police are searching for four trucks, which have been reportedly sent to different areas of the country from the Pakistan-Iran border, loaded with weapons and explosives. The Sindh interior ministry has also issued a security alert.

Confirming the news, Karachi Police Chief Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui said, “We have received reports like this from intelligence and the interior ministry before as well.

We were informed that these trucks were in a compound situated on Sedhe Village Road, Lyari. But we didn’t find anything there.” Security has, however, been beefed up at the entrance and exit points of the city.
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India-Pakistan
Strike against blasphemous cartoons: Nine vehicles torched, over six injured in Karachi
2008-03-15
Nine vehicles were torched and over half-a-dozen people reportedly sustained bullet wounds during the strike called by the Sunni Tehreek (ST) for Friday. Meanwhile, the police have reportedly taken over a dozen ST workers in custody since Thursday night and the ST has claimed that the arrests were because its workers were just trying to create awareness among people by distributing leaflets, etc.

Nearly 15 people, including two ST workers, sustained bullet injuries because of aerial firing in separate parts of the city. The injured include Saleem, 30, (New Karachi), Shahrukh Khan, 18, (Shafiq Mor), Yawer, 42, (Korangi), Sajjad, 10, (Soldier Bazaar), Kauser Khan (Gulistan-e-Johar), Ghulam Hussain (Risala), Manzur (Saeedabad), Sakina and Mateen (Orangi Town), Atiq (Ranchore Lane), Ali Gohar, Yousuf, an unidentified person (North Karachi) and two ST workers, Saqib and Muslim Qadri, from Shah Faisal Colony and Taimoria respectively.

Meanwhile, nine vehicles and one café were reportedly burnt in different parts of the city.

“We have taken 11 ST workers in custody since Thursday night,” said Karachi Police Chief Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui. “Seven of them were taken into custody as they fled after setting fire to two vehicles in Landhi Town, while four others were taken into custody from Saddar Town as they forcefully closed shops early Friday morning. Cases will be registered against them for taking the law into their own hands.”

Siddiqui said that strict security measures were taken by law enforcers because of which the whole day passed relatively peacefully and without any major incidents. “Just four vehicles were burnt Friday, two of them at Yousuf Plaza and two at Sukhan,” said Siddiqui.

He further said that nearly seven people were reported hurt and it is difficult to judge in which incidents they had sustained bullet injuries.

However, ST central leader Shahid Ghouri, while taking to Daily Times, denied the police chief’s accusations and said that the ST did not cause any disturbance in the city as it was a strike against those who are hurting the Muslims. He added that it was the responsibility of all Muslims to make the strike successful.

“Nearly 20 ST workers were taken into custody from different parts of the city,” claimed Ghouri.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamat Ahl-e-Sunnat, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP), Tanzeem-ul-Madaaris Ahl-e-Sunnat Pakistan (TMASP), traders, transporters and others groups supported the strike.

Major markets including Jamma Cloth, Bolton, Motan Das, Electronic, Empress, Ranchor Line, Garden, Automobile, Mobile Phone Market on Abdullah Haroon Road, Rainbow Centre, Zaib-un-Nissa Street and others remained closed. The majority of the petrol pumps and CNG stations were also closed while their administration set-up tents around the property to ensure safekeeping.

Public transport also worked at a short frequency because of which attendance at public and private schools, colleges and offices remained low. Police and rangers mobiles patrolled the streets to keep the law and order situation under control.

To protest the blasphemous publications, rallies and demonstrations were organized in different parts of the city after the Friday prayers. JI Karachi organized a demonstration outside Masjid Nauman at Lasbela Chawk. JI Karachi Ameer Muhammad Hussain Mehanti demanded the Pakistani government protest Denmark on a governmental level, oust the Dutch and Danish ambassadors from Pakistan and announce a break-up of diplomatic and trade relations with both Denmark and Holland.

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India-Pakistan
'Bombers' take families hostage to drive into police
2008-02-04
Men claiming to be terrorists with suicide jackets are taking families in cars hostage, and asking them to drive towards clusters of police or Rangers, according to two reports received by Daily Times.

According to one authenticated report, a couple with their one-year-old baby were going shopping when a man got into the backseat. He was wearing a shawl that he pulled away to reveal a “suicide jacket”.

“Drive to wherever you see five to six policemen standing around,” he said. “Then I’m going to blow us all up and even you will be Shaheed [martyred] like me.” They drove around for three hours after which the man had the couple drop him off at Native Jetty Bridge.
"Never mind."
In the second case, on Friday, a couple with two children were driving past the Saudi Arabian Embassy when a man got in at a traffic signal. “Astaghfir Allah! I don’t want your watch or money; I just want you to hit the first Rangers mobile unit you see,” the man said when the husband offered his watch and money. The man later disembarked at the same area. Police chief Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui said that no one had registered an FIR yet. “We have received reports that this is happening,” he said.
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India-Pakistan
Five suspected militants arrested
2008-01-23
Law-enforcement agencies rounded up five suspected militants in several raids on Tuesday. A well-placed source told Daily Times that law-enforcement personnel took Jahangir Bhatti, a suspected militant who had just arrived from Saudi Arabia, into custody at the Karachi International Airport and moved him to an undisclosed location.

The source said that Yousuf Mehsud, a close aide of Baitullah Mehsud — arrested on Monday in Sohrab Goth Police Station precincts — provided the information about Bhattiti’s arrival, on which law enforcers arrested him from the airport. The personnel also raided the house of Aitzaz Shah in the Pirabad area and arrested his father Zahir Shah and uncle Zohaib Shah, the source added.

They later raided a madrassa at Old Golimar, Pak Colony area where Aitzaz Shah used to study before leaving for Afghanistan, and arrested two suspected militants. However, when contacted, Capital City Police Chief Niaz Ahmed Siddiqui said he did not know about the raids and arrests, saying it was possible that some “other agencies” might have conducted the operation. When contacted, Senior Superintendent of Police (Crime Investigation Department) Raja Ummar Khattab refused to comment.
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