PESHAWAR: At least six Pakistan Army soldiers were killed and three injured in a rocket attack on an army patrol on Kohat Road on Wednesday night, police and security officials said.

Around two dozen heavilyarmed militants opened fire on the army patrol, comprising three vehicles, in the Sara Khwara area in the precincts of Mattani police station, police said. Four troops were injured in one of the vehicles but the driver managed to drive through the hail of bullets to the nearby police post.

However, the militants fired rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) at the two remaining vehicles, killing five soldiers. In the meantime, a police contingent reached the site and engaged the militants in a gun battle which lasted for one hour.

A senior police official confirmed the death toll. He added that police found five bodies lying near the two burning vehicles. The injured troops were driven to the Combined Military Hospital where one of them succumbed to his injuries. An official of the security forces confirmed to The Express Tribune that six troops were killed and two injured in the attack. He claimed that five of the attackers were also killed in the gunfight.

According to police, a civilian vehicle was also caught up in the cross-fire. Two persons travelling in the vehicle were wounded and subsequently shifted to the Lady Reading Hospital. Following the gun battle, police and army launched a search operation in the area. However, no arrest was made.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2013.

PESHAWAR: Located just a few kilometres from the city cantonment, Khushal Bagh – named after the famous Pukthun poet-warrior – is well-known for its stream and swimming pool. More so in the summer, when teenagers come for a dip, eager to escape the scathing sun.

A signboard hangs near the pool, telling visitors a natural steam runs through it since 1675. For centuries, this stream was more than just a swimming hole to locals. It was among the four most sacred places for Hindus located in Peshawar – Panj Tirath (the five ponds), the centuries-old Guru Gorkhnath temple in Gorghatri, Aasamai temple and Khushal Bagh.

This is all that remains of a once sacred site in the city. In pre-partition days, the Panj Tirath complex included ponds, temples, residential complexes and sprawling lawns. PHOTO: RIAZ AHMED/EXPRESS

However, back then, Khushal Bagh was better known as Gorakh Degi or the pond of Gorakh. For generations, Hindus living in Peshawar and other parts of the province visited the stream to take a bath and wash away their sins in its holy water.

“It is associated with the Guru Gorkhnath temple in Gorghatri. It is said our guru used to jump into the well inside the temple and appear in Gorakh Degi on Warsak Road miles away. So both places are holy for us,” Haroon Sarbdyal, a local Hindu elder told The Express Tribune.

Gorakh Degi, along with most other religious sites in Peshawar, was abandoned after the partition of the sub-continent in 1947 as only the disadvantaged-caste adherents were left on this side of the border. Traditionally, they were only allowed to pray inside their own temples and were prohibited from worshipping at the holiest of sites of the higher-caste Hindus.

The 160-year-old Guru Gorkhnath temple was named after a Hindu spiritual leader Guru Goraknath. After the local Hindu community diminished post partition, the temple remained silent and sans rituals until the Peshawar High Court handed over its custody to the Hindu community early 2012.

The Panj Tirath on the Grand Trunk Road met with a far worse fate. It was razed down and the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chamber of Commerce and Industry was built in its place in the 1970s.

“I still remember the ponds of Panj Tirath. I was a student of Government High School City No 2 and was a scout. It was routine for us to cross the road and go to the ponds to practice there,” remarked Zahoor Durrani, who is considered an authority on tourism and the history of K-P.

In his days, the ponds had clean water and an old man would always be present, “who told children the water of Panj Tirath was holy and sacred.”

“I still remember that old man and a milk seller who lived nearby and whose milk was famous in the city. Very good memories of days bygone and a childhood are attached with the pond,” recalled Durrani.

Then suddenly in the 1970s, Durrani added, the ponds were razed and a building called Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry was constructed there. The Asamai temple near Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) remains closed and worshipers are not allowed to enter. Locals claim the temple is one of just two of its kind in the world; a temple of the same name could also be found at the foothills of the Koh-i-Asamai in Kabul.

“As far as my knowledge extends, there are only two historic temples of Asamai – a holy woman. One is located in Peshawar and other in Kabul. It is said the Kabul temple has a jute or flame which has been burning for centuries,” narrated Sarbdyal. “However, both are out of worshippers’ reach these days.”

“Our community was lucky enough. The centuries-old temple in Gorghatri was handed over to us a few years ago,” but, he added, the other two holy sites – Asamai temple and Gorakh Degi – remain under the government’s control.

“Yes, the Panj Tirath is lost forever, but the other two places still exist and should be handed over to the Hindu community,” urged Sarbdyal.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2013.

PESHAWAR: A police constable was killed and four others were injured in separate incidents of targetted attacks on Saturday night.

In the first incident, police constables Kiramatullah and Shahid were on routine patrol near Peshawar Bus Terminal when the assailants, armed with 9mm pistols, opened fire at them. The injured were rushed to the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) where Kiramat died. Shahid was in critical condition till this report was filed.

An hour after the attack, police found and defused a powerful remote-controlled device in the same area. The bomb disposal squad (BDS) said the device had been planted to target police as they were expected to arrive at the scene after the attack on the police squad.

Separately, more than a dozen militants, armed with RPG-7s and heavy machine guns, attacked the Mashogagar police post of the Badhaber police station late Saturday night leaving three policemen and a woman seriously injured.

At 1am, militants surrounded the check post and blocked all routes to prevent any reinforcements from entering the place.

The militants receded after two hours when the police finally reached the area and forced the attackers to flee to Akka Khel, Khyber Agency.

The injured policemen have been identified as Naushad, Amjad and Haider.

Talking to The Express Tribune, the head of Masho Khel Peace Militia Israr Khan said it was the first massive attack against a well-defended police post inside the settled territory. He added the attacks have increased after the general elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2013.

PESHAWAR: Police officials on Friday successfully averted a threat by having a ten kilogram remote controlled explosive defused in Kishan Garh, Mattani.

The explosive device, planted by the roadside, was aimed at causing damage to the paramilitary forces who were also present in the area.

The device upon being spotted was defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) who reached the site immediately.

“It was a powerful device which was planted either to hurt the police or the paramilitary forces,” explained a police official, while talking to The Express Tribune.

PESHAWAR: While the response of industrialists to the federal budget was lukewarm at best, they did welcome steps to end circular debt and boost employment in the country.

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KPCCI) President Dr Yousaf Sarwar told The Express Tribune the chamber had demanded the federal government in a pre-budget meeting not to levy any new tax or increase any of the current taxes. However, sales tax was still upped from 16% to 17% which will overburden those who are already under the tax net, he complained.

“We recommended the government broaden its tax net rather than introduce new taxes,” Sarawar said, lamenting that that did not happen.

The KPCCI president admitted the government was already in a tough spot and people should understand this. The country was going through difficult times and some difficult  steps would have to be taken, he added.

According to Sarwar, the withdrawal of the Prime Minister Relief Package in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) would not impact the province and its industry as it was amended soon after its introduction, rendering it highly ineffective.

“The focus on the energy crisis and circular debt was a welcome development in every way,” shared Sarwar. “The end of the energy crisis in the country would benefit not just the industrial sector, but day-to-day life.”

Industrialists Association Peshawar President Malik Niaz Ahmad was less pleased, announcing there was nothing positive in the budget as far as K-P was concerned.

However, the decision to connect Gwadar Port to China and Afghanistan was a welcome move, which would create many employment opportunities, said Ahmad. The three-year period of the Prime Minister Relief Package for K-P and Fata (announced in 2010) was already over and its abolition would not impact industries based there, he said while echoing Sarwar’s views.

“They should have announced a special package for militancy-hit K-P, but I think it was the responsibility of the provincial government to convince the federal government, which obviously did not happen,” noted Ahmad.

On the other hand, Tribal Areas Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) President Rahatullah found the federal government’s decision to withdraw tax relief in Fata and K-P an unfortunate one.

“Let me tell you, we were expecting some encouragement as it’s a matter of survival for the industries in the tribal region; instead, they withdrew tax relief which is more than unfortunate.”

The TCCI president urged the government to solve the energy crisis on a priority basis, saying energy “is a lifeline for industries”.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2013.

Dr Shakir Hussain, an assistant professor at Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), had left his clinic along with his brother Dr Altaf Hussain. They were near Syed Anwar Medical Plaza when three assailants disguised in police uniforms intercepted them in a kidnapping bid.

A tussle ensued with the kidnappers when the guards refused to surrender their weapons, which led to the attackers opening fire, killing the doctor’s bodyguard Kamal Hussain on the spot. Dr Altaf was injured. One of the militants was also killed when another bodyguard opened fire.

Dr Altaf has been hospitalised and his condition is said to be critical.

Following the incident, two gunmen managed to escape but were soon arrested by Frontier Constabulary (FC) personnel after their car slammed into a boundary wall near FC Chowk.

SHO East Cantt Muhammad Wali said the militants were sectarian terrorists in police uniform and tried to kidnap Dr Shakir and his brother.

“The deceased [militant] has been identified as Rizwan, an Afghan national, while one of the two arrested suspects is a Tajik national identified as Samad. He cannot speak or understand Pastho, Urdu or even Persian,” said the SHO.

The second arrested individual has been identified as Shamus Rehman, a resident of Kurram Agency. “The arrest of these sectarian terrorists is a real success,” added Wali.

So far this year, several Shia doctors, including Dr Shahnawaz and Dr Riaz Hussain, have been killed in targeted attacks across the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2013.

PESHAWAR: A Shia doctor was seriously injured and his gunman was killed when terrorists in police uniform tried to kidnap him near Syed Anwar Medical Plaza, Dabgari Gardens in the jurisdiction of East Cantonment police station late Tuesday night.

Dr Shakir Hussain is an assistant professor at the Lady Reading Hospital. In the same incident, one of the kidnappers was killed by the doctor’s gunmen.

SHO East Cantt Muhammad Wali told The Express Tribune that Dr Shakir Hussain left his clinic in Dabgari Gardens along with two gunmen and brother Dr Altaf Hussain in a motorcar. They were intercepted by the terrorists in police uniform who tried to disarm them and kidnap them near Syed Anwar Medical Plaza.

“One terrorist has been gunned down by the guards of Dr Shakir Hussain while terrorists were able to kill Kamal Hussain, a guard accompanying the doctors. The terrorists also seriously injured Dr Altaf Hussain, a brother of the Shakir Hussain,” he explained.

He said that initially the attackers were mistaken as policemen as Dr Shakir Hussain and his guards were also heavily armed but latter the deceased man was identified as Rizwan, an Afghan refugee who was in police uniform.

Police officials said that the attackers were sectarian terrorists and they were investigating the matter.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN / PESHAWAR: At least one person died and eight others were brought to the District Headquarters Teaching Hospital, DI Khan after falling ill in the blistering heat on Monday.

Muhammad Siraj, a tailor by profession, was brought to the hospital after being found unconscious inside his shop on Circular Road, DI Khan city. Zubair Khan, who found Siraj, said the latter fainted due to the heat and absence of electricity.

Residents of the district complained of low voltage, tripping and long hours of load-shedding which, they said, has made life miserable for them.

Meanwhile, a main cable from Chashma Barrage was rendered dysfunctional due to some fault and supply of electricity to Balut Sharif and other villages of DI Khan remained suspended for over 12 hours.

Looming storm

The ongoing heat wave is expected to continue for the next two days, following which a low to medium-intensity dust and thunderstorm is said to hit Peshawar valley and other parts of the province.

Meteorological Office Peshawar Director Mushtaq Ali Shah told The Express Tribune the hot weather is expected to continue on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, on Wednesday evening a dust storm will hit Peshawar, making the weather pleasant for a while, according to him.

“The temperature in the city was recorded at 42 degrees Celsius on Monday which is quite normal for the month of June, but coupled with the heat wave, the weather has become unbearable,” he said.

“Due to the snow on mountain ranges melting before the monsoon, there are very little chances of flooding this year,” said Shah. “A meeting of various weather experts in the country was recently held, in which reports from Chinese and Indian Met offices were examined thoroughly. All the experts came to the conclusion that monsoon was expected to be normal this year and it would also start on time towards the end of June and start of July.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 11^th, 2013.

Coal mining began in the area in 2003 but was shut down soon after by tribal elders due to differences over the payment of royalties to local clans. Mining was reopened for a brief period in 2006 but once again fell victim to tribal differences.

Talking to The Express Tribune general secretary of the Akhorwal Coal Mine Owners Association, Muhammad Yousaf, said the decision to reopen coal mining in the area was taken by the political administration, security forces as well as tribal elders.

“A committee of tribal elders has been formed and tasked to solve the royalty issue among residents,” he said, adding work was started on June 5 but the resumption of mining activities could take another one or two months as most of the mines were in urgent need of repairs.

“There are four leases in the area and 21 mines in total but most of the mines need to be repaired before mining activities are restarted,” Yousaf said. The sector will be capable of providing hundreds of jobs to locals as well as mine workers who come for jobs from other areas.

Coal Mine Owners Association President Malik Haji Wali Khan said the reopening is a welcome development, especially on part of the political administration and security forces because it will result in better employment opportunities.

“As per the local tradition, royalty will be paid to the Akhorwal clan of Adam Khel Afridis and every family will be able to get its share which was Rs8,000 a month in 2003,” he said. He added that even the average quality coal mined in the area is in great demand across the country.

“It is easily sold at Rs10,000 per ton these days and there is a large market for the Akhorwal coal,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2013.

PESHAWAR: Police on Friday recovered as much as 15000 kilogram of explosives in a raid in Peshawar.

When the police raided the warehouse on Ring Road, Chamkani they caught two people who were moving 50 bags full of explosives in two pickup trucks.

Questioning the men revealed that many more such bags were present at a nearby warehouse. A successive raid yielded over 500 bags containing over 15,000 kilograms of  explosives.

“There are 580 bags of explosives containing at least 25 kilogram of the substance and we have arrested two accused,” SHO Hameed Khan told The Express Tribune. He added that two guards posted at the warehouse managed to escape before the raid, however, police were searching for the men.

“These explosives had been stored in the warehouse and there is around 15000 kilogram of explosives in total.”

Khan claimed the accused were planning to transport the explosives to different localities.

The officer suggested that the explosives were meant for terrorism related activities; however they were still interrogating the two suspects.