Monday, 19 December, 2022 I 25 Jamadi Awwal, 1444 I Rs 40.00 | Vol XIII No 170 I 44 Pages I Islamabad Edition
PM, Zardari vow not to let anybody create ‘Political instability’ g
shehbaz discusses ‘PossibLe’ dissoLutioN of PuNjab asseMbLy with ch shujaat
g
PML-N chief urges to exPedite coNsuLtatioNs with PdM Parties to PreveNt dissoLutioN
LAHORE
F
Saleem Jadoon
oLLowiNg Pti chairman imran Khan’s announcement regarding dissolution of Punjab and KP assembly on dec 23, “political wheeling and dealing” has intensified as the ruling Pakistan democratic Movement (PdM) leaderships have been busy weighing up fallout of any such action and options available to stop imran Khan from taking this [absolute action].
Four KP policemen martyred in TTP attack on Lakki police station
PESHAWAR Staff RepoRt
armed militants ambushed a police station in a remote town of Lakki Marwat city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, killing four policemen and critically injuring another four, officials said saturday. “at midnight, militants attacked the burgai police station in the southern outskirts of Lakki Marwat from two sides and tried to enter the building,” according to shahid hameed, a spokesperson for Lakki Marwat police, who told the press that more than 60 policemen were on duty at that time. the suspects used grenades and automatic weapons on the station before fleeing the scene overnight, said Nawaz Khan, an officer of the targeted police station. Khan said police on duty retaliated and called for reinforcement before the attackers, their ammunition apparently exhausted, fled the scene before help arrived. Police were searching for the attackers. hameed pointed out the police station was situated in a far-flung town and took almost one-and-a-half hours to reach from the city of Lakki Marwat. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but previous attacks on police in the district have been claimed by proscribed afghanistan-based tehreek-i-taliban Pakistan (ttP). Located 207 kilometres (128 miles) from the provincial capital Peshawar, Lakki Marwat has become a new hotbed of militancy with increasing terrorist attacks launched by the group on security forces in recent months. Last month, its militants ambushed a routine police patrol,
killing all six policemen in the vehicle in the dadewala town of the Lakki Marwat district. ATTACK CONDEMNED: condemning the attack, President arif alvi and chief Minister Mahmood Khan prayed for the elevation of the ranks of the dead police and for the speedy recovery of the wounded. he also asked the provincial police chief for a report on the incident and directed the injured police be provided with the best medical treatment. the president said the government’s efforts to combat militancy will continue until the complete elimination of the remnants of terrorism. asif ali zardari, former president and chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), expressed condolences to the dead policemen’s families. observing that the “increase in terrorism incidents in KP was concerning”, he demanded strict measures against terrorists.
the ttP, listed as a foreign terrorist organisation by the united states and the united Nations, routinely carries out attacks against security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and elsewhere in Pakistan. its central leaders and commanders are sheltering in neighbouring afghanistan. Pakistan has experienced a dramatic rise in ttP attacks originating from afghanistan since the taliban seized power there in august 2021 when the usbacked afghan government of President ashraf ghani collapsed and all international troops exited the war-torn country. the violence has killed close to 500 people, mostly security forces, in Pakistan this year alone. officials note that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has suffered the highest number of ttP attacks, claiming the lives of at least 100 soldiers and as many members of the police force. islamabad has been urging the taliban to live up to their commitments to rein in terrorist groups and not to allow them to use afghan soil as a launch pad for attacks. Noor wali Mehsud, the ttP leader, nonetheless claimed the militant network operates from within Pakistan and is not using afghan soil. in an interview with cNN on saturday, Mehsud, from an unknown location, told the tv station that the militant network is targeting the security forces inside Pakistan from “within its territory.”
Two officials martyred as arrested terrorists seize Bannu CTD building BANNU: Two officials of the KP Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) were martyred and many more injured when terrorists, who had been arrested previously and being interrogated at CTD police station inside Cantonment, snatched an AK-47 from police and opened fire in Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday afternoon. The police and rescuers informed that one of the miscreants snatched rifle from police during interrogation and neutralised the guards deployed at the building. District Police Officer (DPO) Bannu Dr Iqbal also confirmed that there was no attack from outside and one of the miscreants snatched rifle from police during interrogation and neutralised the guards deployed at the building. He then freed all the suspects being held at the building and who took control of the compound. They also made several policemen hostage. “They are in control of the building and we have cordoned off the entire Bannu cantonment. They have been kept busy by means of negotiations,” he added. Staff RepoRt
DETAILS STORY ON PAGE 03
though it was sunday – a holiday – both the PML-N and PPP leadership were on their toes, holding marathon of meetings…. to devise a comprehensive strategy for [dealing] with the situation. in this connection, former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman asif ali zardari visited Prime Minister (PM) shehbaz sharif at his residence in Lahore and discussed country’s political situation and ‘possible’ dissolution of Punjab assembly. according to details, the former president called on PM shehbaz sharif at his
residence in Model town and discussed ‘possible’ dissolution of Punjab assembly. during the meeting, the prime minister apprised asif zardari of the former’s meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President chaudhry shujaat hussain. Meanwhile, sources said that PM shehbaz sharif and asif zardari agreed to increase cooperation with chaudhry shujaat. both the leaders also agreed to task chaudhry shujaat for stopping dissolution of Punjab assembly, sources added.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03