US drone kills 6 militants in NWA

Allies of Hafiz Gul Bahadur targeted

Islamabad—A missile launched from a US drone struck a suspected militant hideout in a tribal region in northern Pakistan where allies of a powerful warlord were gathered Saturday, killing five of his supporters, Pakistani officials said. The strike in North Waziristan against allies of Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a militant commander whose forces frequently target US and other Nato troops in neighbouring Afghanistan, comes amid speculation over whether Pakistan will launch an operation against militants in the tribal region.

Shawwal moon not sighted; Eid-ul-Fitr tomorrow

Karachi/Peshawar—The Shawwal moon was not sighted anywhere in Pakistan on Saturday, therefore the Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated tomorrow (August 20) in the country. A meeting of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee (CRHC) was held at Pakistan Meteorological Department in Karachi for moon sighting and was assisted by Met, SUPARCO and naval experts. CRHC Chairman Mufti Munibur Rehman presiding over the meeting, announced that the committee received no evidence of Shawaal moon sighting anywhere in the country. It was decided with consensus that Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Monday.

Krishna to discuss Sarabjit’s release with Hina

New Delhi—Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will take up the issue of releasing Sarabjit Singh, Indian death row prisoner in Pakistan jail, with his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar, a senior External Affairs Ministry official said. According to reports, Sarabjit had written a letter to his sister, as well as UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, stating that he was being slow-poisoned and mentally tortured. MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said that in the light of the news reports, if required, the Indian High Commission in Islamabad has been asked to assist Sarabjit’s lawyer.

JI welcomes Kayani’s statement regarding NWA operation

Lahore—Ameer, Jamaat e Islami, Pakistan, Syed Munawar Hassan, has welcomed Army Chief’s s statement ruling out joint operation in North Waziristan and termed it in harmony with the nation’s aspirations. He expressed the hope that the armed forces would foil all conspiracies against the country’s geographical and ideological boundaries being hatched by anti state elements. He was addressing a ceremony marking the conclusion of the Holy Quran in Taraweeh at the Mansoora mosque. Maulana Abdul Malik, Maulana Syed Mehmud Ahmed Farooqi, and Ch. Aslam Saleemi were also present.

Kamra attack: Four arrested

Attock—Major progress has been made in connection with the terrorist attack on Kamra’s Minhas Air Base as four suspected people were arrested from Taxila.Meanwhile, a Pakistan Air Force probe committee led by Air Marshal Athar Bukhari is taking stock of various aspects of the attack. The committee recorded statements of several officers and soldiers present on the base at the time of the attack.

Mullah Omar’s statement is message of death: Isaf Chief

Kabul—Isaf’s top commander in Afghanistan, General John Allen, has called a statement issued by Taliban leader Mullah Omar in advance of Sunday’s Eid holiday “an unmistakable message of death.” “For normal members of the faithful, this should be a message of congratulations on the occasion of the ending of the holy period of Ramazan, but instead this message speaks to insurgent operations, revenge, death, lies and false unity among the killers,” General Allen said.

Musharraf caused damage to country : Dr AQ Khan

Islamabad—Eminent Nuclear Scientist and architect of Pakistan’s nuclear programme Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan said that former dictator General Pervez Musharraf had caused enormous damage to the country and could have pledged the country’s nuclear programme at the hands of his foreign master (USA). In an interview to a locally published magazine, Dr AQ Khan claimed that Musharraf handed over the top secret centrifuge of the country to the USA, therefore, Musharraf is considered as traitor.