KARACHI: A key police officer, commonly known as ‘encounter specialist’, survived a suicide attack late on Tuesday night in Karachi.

“A suicide bomber hit his motorcycle with my armoured vehicle when my convoy reached Malir Cantt area via a link road. He blew himself up after he fell down on the road,” SSP Rao Anwar told reporters after the incident.

“His accomplices then opened fire on my convoy. My jawans retaliated from inside the APC [armoured personnel carrier] and killed the two attackers,” he added.
A few militants also reportedly managed to escape under the cover of fire while the police and Rangers were busy in conducting search operation in the area.

After the attack, extra contingent of police and Rangers reached the site, cordoned off the area and collected evidence. Experts from the bomb disposal squad also reached the site, where media was not allowed to enter.

Police said at least three militants ambushed the convoy. They said militants of different extremist outfits might be behind the attack. Later, Sindh Home Minister Sohail Anwar Siyal phoned Anwar and inquired after his health. He also sought a report on the incident from DIG East.

The SSP, who is posted in District Malir for around six years, has killed in various encounters over 150 militants of various banned outfits including Dai’sh, Taliban, al-Qaeda, Jamaatul Ahrar and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. The police officer has faced similar attempts on his life in the past as well.

In 2012, five people were killed and several others were injured when Anwar’s ACP came under attack in a bomb blast while he was making his way to the Malir court.

In 2015, his convoy came under attack outside his house in Malir Cantt. All policemen, travelling in the convoy, had remained unhurt but all the attackers were killed in retaliatory fire.

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has extended the special policing powers of the Rangers for another 90 days in Karachi.

The current validity of the powers conferred upon the Rangers in Karachi Division under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 expires on January 10 (today).

The chief minister, lauding the achievements of the targeted operation launched in the city in September 2013 against terrorists, target killers and extortionists, approved a summary to extend the Rangers’ special powers for another 90 days from January 10 to April 10, 2018.

Under the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997, Rangers can take independent actions against criminals and suspected terrorists within Karachi division for 90 days.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday stressed upon the need for the United States’ support to Pakistan in pleading its case for assistance and market access before the international community.

“We need preferential market access to support our economy from the dire impacts of ongoing struggle against militancy, on one hand, and to rehabilitate and reconstruct damaged infrastructure due to devastating floods, on the other,” he added.

The President expressed these views in a meeting with a US congressional delegation, which called on him here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Monday.

The delegation included Representatives Darell El Issa, Todd R. Platts, Jason Chaffetz, Stephen F. Lynch, Brian M. Higgins and Raul L. Labrador.

Stephen Engelken, Charge d’ Affairs, Thomas A. Alexander, Senior Counsel (Majority) Committee on Oversight, Adam Pl. Fromm, Counsel (Majority) Director of Member Services and Scott Lindsay, Counsel (Majority) Committee on Oversight were also present.

Pakistan side included Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Finance Minister, M. Salman Faruqui, Secretary General to the President, Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor, Chairman National Commission for Government Reforms, Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar, Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, Senator Syeda Sughra Imam, Ms. Farahnaz Ispahani and Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar besides Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and other senior officials.

Briefing media Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that matters relating to Pak-US bilateral relations, mutual cooperation, fight against militancy, Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs) and security situation in the region among other related issues were discussed during the meeting.

Babar said that the President highlighted economic situation of the country during the meeting and focused upon the need for US support to Pakistan in pleading its case for assistance and market access before the international community.

“Ours is a war ravaged and flood stricken economy, and our people need priority attention and assistance to overcome financial difficulties,” Farhatullah Babar quoted the President as saying.

“Our priority is trade not aid”, the President emphasized.
The President urged the visiting delegation to use their influence to secure market access and trade for the country.

Discussing Pakistan-US relations, the President said that a long-term and stable equation marked by close collaboration and multidimensional cooperation between the two countries guarantees not only development of the country but also peace and stability of the region.

He expressed satisfaction on the progress being made through the channel of Pak-US strategic dialogue on various sectoral levels.

The members of congressional delegation appreciated the country’s struggle against militancy and assured US continued support in this regard to the people and the Government of Pakistan.

The President reiterated his call for expediting passage of ROZs (Reconstruction Opportunity Zones) legislation to create economic opportunities for the people who are worst hit due to scourge of militancy.

Discussing regional situation, the President reiterated Pakistan’s principled stance that it has an abiding interest in a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan and it firmly believes in neutrality and non-interference in internal affairs of the country.

Pakistan, the President said, would continue to support all efforts for promoting sustainable peace, stability and development in Afghanistan.

He said “we firmly believe that political approach seconded by economic development was equally important for bringing stability to the war tarnished country”.

He said that Pakistan would support all efforts for the capacity building of the institutions in Afghanistan.

The Congressmen also raised the matter of Mr. Raymond Davis, involved in the killing of Pakistani nationals in Lahore, with the President.

The President said that he appreciated their concern but the matter was already before the courts. It would be prudent to wait for the legal course to be completed, he said.

The delegation assured the President said that US administration would continue to provide all possible help to the Government in overcoming its difficulties.

KARACHI: A powerful blast in CID building near PIDC has rocked the buildings in the surrounding area, Geo News reported Thursday.

The powerful blast brought down the whole building of Central Investigation Department (CID) located in the most sensitive area in the central area of the metropolis.

A powerful shock wave released by the blast also shattered windowpanes of a number of surrounding buildings.

Banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has claimed responsibility of the attack.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Saturday and deliberated on matters relating to the forthcoming Pak-US strategic dialogue.

Briefing the media, Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that the meeting was held to deliberate upon the forthcoming Pak-US strategic dialogue that is scheduled to be held in Washington soon.

Babar said the democratic government wanted to pursue multi-faceted comprehensive cooperation between the two countries while at the same time address issues like access to drone technology, reimbursement of coalition support fund arrears and RoZ legislation.

He said that the challenges being faced by the two countries vis-à-vis the security situation and promotion of intelligence sharing mechanism and the capacity enhancement of the security forces would also come under discussion during the strategic dialogue.

The president has all along maintained that Pakistan had suffered a colossal loss, both in human and material losses due to the ongoing fight against militancy and the recent devastating floods which further added to the economic woes.

The president said the situation calls for the help of the international community especially the US to support Pakistan and advocate its case for having greater access to its products in the international markets.

The president said that he had been urging US visitors to use their influence in expediting ROZs legislation and for helping Pakistan in creating new vistas of opportunities for the flood-affected people.

He expressed hope that discussions during the forthcoming dialogue would be productive and help carry forward the progress made so far in the mutually agreed areas of cooperation in which Pakistan needs more help from the United States.

It may be recalled that various areas of mutual cooperation that included: security, defence, socio-economic projects, enhancement of power generation capacity and infrastructure were thoroughly deliberated during the sectoral meetings in the last round of the dialogue.

Defence Minister Ch. Ahmed Mukhtar and Finance Minister Dr.Abdul Hafeez Sheikh were also present during the meeting besides Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and Finance Secretary Salman Siddique.