Pakistan’s ‘Mother Teresa’ on floods frontline

KARACHI: Every morning Ruth Pfau stands short and frail before a tall crucifix in Karachi’s St Patrick’s Cathedral. She bows her head, shuts her eyes, places her right hand on her heart and prays.

It is the beginning of another long day for the 81-year-old nun known locally as Pakistan’s Mother Teresa, who has spent half a century caring for some of the country’s poorest and most ostracised people.

Pakistan is one of the most dangerous countries in the world, where Washington says Al-Qaeda is based. Its northwest mountains border Afghanistan and are subject to US drone strikes and Pakistani military operations.

Bombings have killed 4,000 people in three years, kidnappings are common, Islamist groups violently opposed to all but their extremist interpretation of Islam control significant territory.

Pakistan rejects US drone campaign growth

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said Saturday it would never allow any expansion in the campaign of drone strikes by the United States on its territory.

The Washington Post reported Friday that the US was seeking to expand the areas inside Pakistan where Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) unmanned aircraft — used for surveillance and to launch missile strikes — could operate.

“As for the reported suggestion by the US to carry out drone attacks beyond our tribal areas, Pakistan’s position is very clear — we would never allow this to happen,” foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Basit told AFP.

“The Americans should rather revisit their drone attack policy and stop carrying out strikes in our tribal areas.”

Washington has massively ramped up its drone campaign against militants in areas near the Afghan border over the past two months, and argues they are highly

8 killed in US drone attacks in North Waziristan

At least 8 people were killed in US drone strikes launched Wednesday evening in North Waziristan.
According to sources, two US drones fired four missiles at two vehicles in the Qutab Khel area and Mir Ali in North Waziristan.
Details about the identity of the killed in the strike are not immediately available. Todays strike is the third of its kind since November. On Nov. 1, the US drones fired four missiles in North Waziristan, killing at least six people.

CIA chief due to hold talks with Pakistan leadership

ISLAMABAD: CIA chief Leon Panetta is due to hold talks with Pakistani leaders following a report that Western intelligence uncovered a major European terror plot hatched in Pakistan, an official said Wednesday.

“Panetta will call on President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, army chief General Ashfaq Kayani and ISI chief Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha,” according to sources.

Talks will focus on “bilateral counter-terrorism cooperation, the Afghan situation and other regional issues,” the official said.

There was no comment from the US embassy.

The spy chief’s visit comes as a covert American drone war steps up missile strikes on Al-Qaeda-linked commanders in North Waziristan.

Officials have reported at least 21 drone strikes in the country’s tribal belt along the Afghan border so far in September — the highest ever

US warns Pakistan of unilateral action in NW

Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan General David H Petraeus has issued implied caveats to Pakistan Army that the US could launch ground operations in the tribal areas, if Islamabad refused to dismantle the militant network in North Waziristan.
The warning by Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan General David H Petraeus, the New York Times said, was evidence of growing frustration of US officials who believe that Pakistanis are unlikely to launch a military operation in the area, suspected by Western intelligence to be a haven for Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives. Petraeus wants to turn up the heat on the safe havens, a senior official was quoted as saying, and this was the reason that US forces had sharply stepped up drone strikes in the area. He has pointed out to the Pakistanis that they could do more. The official said that the drone operations had also been intensified to pre-empt a possible terrorist attack in several European countries. US and European intelligence agencies are evaluating the intelligence data of a possible Al Qaeda or Taliban attack on the European mainland. As part of its covert war in the region, the CIA has launched 20 drone attacks in the last 24 days, killing more than 100 Taliban and foreign militants. The strikes have been mainly targeted to hit the Haqqani network, which the Americans believed is based in the area. There are some pretty notable threat streams, one US military official, was quoted as saying by The Wall Street Journal.Beyond the CIA drone strikes, the war in the region is escalating in other ways. American military gunships have launched three strikes into Pakistan that military officials estimate killed more than 50 people suspected of being members of the Haqqani network, which is responsible for the spate of deadly attacks against American troops.

US drone strikes kill 7 militants in Miranshah

PESHAWAR:Two US drone strikes targeting vehicles killed seven militants on Sunday in Pakistan’s rugged tribal region near the Afghan border, officials said.

Both attacks took place in Asar village of Datta Khel town, some 50km (31 miles) west of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan tribal district known as a hub for Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants.

“The US drone fired three missiles at the militants’ vehicle, killing four rebels,” a senior security official in the area said of the first strike, adding that the nationalities of those killed were not immediately known.

Another senior security official in the area confirmed the strike and toll.

The second strike, also targeting a vehicle, killed three rebels in the same village.

“Four missiles fired from a US drone on another vehicle which was going to the site of the first attack

US lawmakers want American troops out of Pakistan

WASHINGTON: Two US lawmakers — a Republican and a Democrat — proposed a bill this week demanding the withdrawal of all US troops in Pakistan, where they are conducting covert operations against militants.

“We have known that US forces have been operating in secret inside the territories of Pakistan without congressional approval,” Democratic Representative Dennis Kucinich said Friday, pointing to reports the United States was stepping up its presence there.

He said the House of Representatives was expected to take up the resolution next week. The measure was introduced late Thursday.

Kucinich said the covert operations were a “violation of the 1973 War Powers Resolution introduced after the Vietnam War that only allows the president to send US armed forces into military operations abroad if Congress approves the decision or if the United States is under a serious threat or attack.”

“It is our constitutional responsibility as members of Congress to act,” Kucinich added.

Washington is working to deepen engagement with the nuclear power across the border from war-wracked Afghanistan and overcome rife anti-Americanism after years of perceived neglect of bilateral relations.

Joining Kucinich on the bill was Ron Paul, a Texas Republican who espoused libertarian views during his failed 2008 bid for the presidency.

Paul said the US military has “significantly increased” its operations in Pakistan, without providing figures.

He also noted the increased use of unmanned drone attacks in Pakistan since President Barack Obama came to office a year and a half ago.

“This increasing US military activity in Pakistan has little to do with protecting the United States and in fact is creating more enemies than it is defeating,” Paul said.

“The administration, like its predecessor, is misusing language in the original post-9/11 resolution to prosecute a wider regional war and Congress is sitting quietly on the sidelines. This must stop.”

Sindh urged to develop infrastructure in Thar coalfield

KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari has asked Sindh government to begin and expedite work on infrastructure development in Thar coalfield to facilitate the upcoming coal-based power projects.

He was chairing a high level meeting, which reviewed the progress on Thar coalfield and upcoming power projects at Chief Minister House here Friday.

He also assured his full support to the development of coalfield and sponsors of coal-based power projects.

Earlier, the President was informed that the bankable feasibility of Thar coal project will be ready by the end of August this year.

The meeting was told that the quality of coal has been much better than expected because it contains lower moisture than lignite used in other parts of the world.

He was told that the infrastructure development would need more funds than the allocations in PSDP. The total estimated cost of infrastructure development is more than Rs 148 billion.

MD TCEB Ejaz Ali Khan along with SECMC Khalid Mansoor gave a detailed presentation with regard to ongoing progress on Sindh-Engro JV Project and said it has entered a critical phase where availability of infrastructure has to match the project time-lines.

They said that in the first phase 1200 megawatts of power will be generated from coal and this will be further enhanced to 4000 MW in next phase.

US drone strikes kill 16 in SWaziristan

WANNA: At least 16 people were killed while scores others injured in suspected US drone strikes in Angora Adda locality in South Waziristan district on early Saturday, Geo news reported.

According to sources, US drone fired five missiles on a compound, reportedly a hideout of the defunct Tehreek-e-Taliban outfit, resulting in killing of as many as 16 persons and injuring scores others.

The identification and association with banned TTP outfit of those killed in missile attacks could not be determined due to unavailability of officials, sources said.

Local people have kick started rescue activities following the barbaric drone attacks and are engaged to clear off rubble for hurrying wounded men to hospital.

16 people are confirmed dead whose bodies are being shifted to hospital for autopsy, witnesses said.

The death toll has been feared to rise as some, among injured persons, are reportedly in critical condition, rescue workers said.

US metes out injustice to Pakistan, alleges Musharraf

Former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf has said that US meted out injustice to Pakistan during the war against terror, and added that the incumbent government is toeing the same policies.
During an interview to a US TV channel, Musharraf said that the public in Pakistan is annoyed with the US over the unjust attitude it suffered on the latters hands. Referring to drone attacks, he said that drone strikes are perceived as negative move on part of the US in Pakistan.He said that US always gave priority to its interests, and added that the $10billion he got from the US during his regime is very low against the demands.

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