Tally in Khyber blitz mounts to 55
PESHAWAR: The death toll from security force air strikes on militant hideouts in a northwestern tribal area Wednesday rose to 55, with reports of some civilian deaths, security officials said.
“Militants were using civilians and their families as human shields and there could be some civilian casualties but we do not know how many,” a senior security official told media, confirming the new toll in the Tirah valley.
Two military and an intelligence official also confirmed the incident and the death toll, while local government officials said about a dozen civilians died.
SBP To Launch Credit Guarantee Scheme For Small Enterprises
Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Syed Salim Raza will launch a Credit Guarantee Scheme for Small and Rural Enterprises, under the Financial Inclusion Programme (FIP) at a ceremony being held at SBP Learning Resource Centre Auditorium on March 19.
According to a statement of SBP, Raza will also announce a Refinance Scheme for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB).
These schemes are aimed at enhancing the flow of credit to the SME and agriculture sectors with greater emphasis on revitalisation of business activities in the troubled areas of NWFP and FATA, beside Gilgit-Baltistan.
Anti Terrorism Ordinance 2009 Extended to PATA of NWFP
Pakistan: Anti Terrorism Ordinance 2009 extended to PATA of NWFP, President Asif Ali Zardari on the advice of the Prime Minister has approved the extension of the Anti Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance 2009 to Provincial Administered Tribal Areas of NWFP in terms of Article 247 of the Constitution. Giving the background, Spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the Anti Terrorism Act 1997 was extended to PATA in 2002 as per the provision of Article 247 of the Constitution.
The Anti Terrorism Act 1997 has since been amended through Anti Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance 2009. The NWFP Provincial Government with the approval of the Governor NWFP recently decided to extend the Anti Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance 2009 to PATA as well. Under Article 247 of the Constitution, no Act of Parliament or Provincial Assembly shall apply to a Provincially Administered Tribal Area (PATA) or any part thereof unless the Governor of Province, in which the Tribal Area is situated, with the approval of the President, so directs.
Accordingly, the President approved the extension of the Anti Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance 2009 to PATA in the light of the decision of the provincial government of NWFP and the advice of the Prime Minister tendered under the Rules of Business 1973, he said.
Anti Terrorism Ordinance 2009 Extended to PATA of NWFP was first posted on November 17, 2009 at 10:26 pm.
