Continued Public Support and Development of the Area is as Important as Military Operations in FATA

Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani visited South Waziristan. COAS interacted with commanding officers of formations and units deployed in the area. Speaking on the occasion, he emphasized the importance of sustaining the successes achieved in recent years against terrorism, until the menace is completely subdued. 

For this purpose, he said, continued support of the public and development of the area is as important as military operations against the miscreants. He lauded the sacrifices and efforts of Army in the fight against terror. Earlier, on arrival at Dera Ismail Khan, COAS was received by Commander Peshawar Corps, Lieutenant General Khalid Rabbani.

US Drone Strikes in Pakistan Miss Militant Targets And "Terrorize" Civilians

A new report on the secret U.S. drone war in Pakistan says the attacks have killed far more civilians than acknowledged, traumatized a nation and undermined international law. In "Living Under Drones," researchers conclude the drone strikes "terrorize men, women, and children, giving rise to anxiety and psychological trauma among civilian communities." 

The study concludes that most of the militants killed in the strikes have been low-level targets whose deaths have failed to make the United States any safer. Just 2 percent of drone attack victims are said to be top militant leaders. We’re joined by report authors James Cavallaro, director of the International Human Rights and Conflict Resolution Clinic at Stanford University, and Sarah Knuckey, professor at New York University School of Law and former adviser to the U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions.

Army Rescues Over 8,000 Stranded Affectees Sufferers Seek Accelerated Relief Steps

Quetta\Rawalpindi—A large number of people have been killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rains in Jaffarabad, Naseerabad and Jhal Magsi districts of Balochistan, which need more steps by relevant stakeholders to provide relief to the flood-stricken people.

This was said by Provincial Minister for Zakaat Saleem Khoso in the the Balochistan Assembly, which met here on Saturday with Deputy Speaker Syed Matiullah Agha in the chair.

Speaking on point of order, Saleem Khoso said that the flash floods caused by hill torrents of Dera Bugti and Sui after the heavy downpours lashed the region, had played havoc at a large scale in Naseerabad, Jaffarabad and Jhal Magsi districts. He said that less number of deaths was being reported which in fact were high.

Khoso said that the flash floods caused destruction in the whole Jaffarabad district as four feet deep water was still standing in Dera Allahyar, its headquarters.

He said that the most land area of Naseerabad district was also inundated by the flash flood that had caused widespread destruction.

He alleged that had the Irrigation Department seriously strengthened the embankments of canals flowing in eastern Balochistan after the 2010 floods, the losses caused by the recent floods would have been much lesser.

All the canals have developed several breaches and irrigation system of the region is badly damaged, he added.

During the ongoing rescue and relief operation in flood hit areas of Balochistan and Sindh, the Pakistan Army troops have rescued more than 8000 stranded people from Jampur, Rajanpur, Rojhan, Kandhkot, Jacobabad and Dera Murad Jamali.

According to ISPR, the Pakistan Army has employed 1200 troops, 72 boats and 54 de-watering pumps and heavy machinery in the flood affected areas.

Army troops are working along with local civil administration round the clock to provide relief to their brethren in distress and established relief camps at Jampur, Rajanpur and Rojhan. Over 150 ton dry ration have also been distributed through MI-17 and trucks among the affected people of Sindh and Balochistan.

The minister alleged that flash flood water from Jacobabad had been diverted to Jaffarabad district. He opined that the wrong designing of Jaffarabad Bypass was the main reason for devastation as the several feet high bypass stopped the flash floods from draining out to barren land from populated areas.

He said that tens of thousands of flood-hit people were deprived of food and potable drinking water and falling pray to epidemics.

Later, after completion of other proceedings, the session was adjourned till September 24.—APP

Pak Army Relief Operation In Flood-Hit Areas Continues

During ongoing rescue and relief operation in flood hit areas of Baluchistan and Sindh, Pakistan Army troops have rescued more than 8000 stranded people from Jampur, Rajanpur, Rojhan, Kandhkot, Jacobabad and Dera Murad Jamali.

Till now Pakistan Army has employed 1200 troops, 72 boats and 54 de-watering pumps and heavy machinery in flood affected areas. Army troops are working along with local civil administration round the clock to provide relief to their brethren in distress and established Relief Camps at Jampur, Rajanpur, Rojhan.

While over 150 ton of dry rations have also been distributed through MI-17 and trucks among distress people of Sindh and Baluchistan. Army Medical Corps have treated over 17000 patients in flood affected areas and set up Two Field Hospitals at Jacobabad.

Pakistan Blocks YouTube on Anti-Islam Film Available On The Internet

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan was forced to block the video sharing site YouTube completely on Monday after the authorities realised that the government has not installed a filtration system and does not have a treaty with Google that would block objectionable videos.

The prime minister ordered the blockage of YouTube after the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and other relevant agencies recommended that the government as well as the Supreme Court should completely block YouTube for a few days to prevent access from Pakistan of the latest anti-Islam film available on the internet.

While countries like India and Indonesia have successfully got such blasphemous sites blocked through the intervention of the Google/YouTube administration, Pakistan was helpless because of the incompetence of the IT authorities as it has neither any such treaty with Google nor has the filtration system installed to block the blasphemous and pornographic sites.

In an inter-ministerial meeting attended by officials of the Interior Ministry, Information Technology, PTA, FIA and other agencies here on Monday, it was unanimously recommended that as a short term measure YouTube should be blocked altogether with immediate effect. The long-term solution is to enter into a treaty with Google (which owns YouTube now) that will enable the signatory state to get any objectionable site blocked from Google.

In the absence of any such treaty with Pakistan, Google, despite earning a profit of almost Rs50 million from Pakistani internet users in just one year, is not there to cooperate with the local authorities. The Pakistani authorities had approached Google but to no avail.

The inter-ministerial meeting was told by the experts of the PTA that in the absence of the treaty, which Pakistan has never thought of signing in the past, and owing to the fact that Pakistan does not have any filtration system installed like China, Saudi Arab, Iran and several other countries have, it is not possible to block the anti-Islam film without completely blocking YouTube.

The PTA chairman, when approached, said the only immediate solution was the complete blockage of YouTube as chasing objectionable sites in ones and twos would not solve the problem. He said hundreds of sites, where the film was accessible, were blocked but the blasphemous material continues to appear on innumerable other sites.

The chairman told The News that he was writing to the apex court that there was no solution to this immediate challenge, but to completely block YouTube for a few days. The long-term solution, the PTA chairman confirmed, is a treaty to be signed between government of Pakistan and Google administration that would take some time.

According to sources, the issue badly exposes the Pakistani IT authorities as they had not even signed a treaty with the Google administration in line with the initiative taken by India four years ago. Unlike Pakistan, the sources said Indian has already blocked the blasphemous film by taking up the matter with Google in time under the terms of the treaty signed between them.

The sources said Malaysia also has the same treaty with the Google/YouTube administration. Pakistan is, however, so inefficient and indifferent to such issues that it does not even have a filtration system installed that can effectively help check blasphemous and pornographic sites. Interestingly, the incumbent prime minister during his tenure as the minister for IT in May this year had got a notification issued for the installation of the filtration system to check blasphemous and pornographic material, but nothing has been done as yet.

On Monday, the Supreme Court said the PTA is under legal obligation to control such material but it has failed to perform its statutory duties. Therefore, directions are issued to the PTA to block the anti-Islam film on YouTube and refrain in future as well from allowing such material to be displayed.

Pakistan Army Test Fires Nuclear-Capable Hatf-VII 'Babur' Cruise Missile

Pakistan today conducted a successful test fire of the indigenously developed multi tube Cruise Missile Hatf-VII (Babur), having a range of 700 kilometers. The Babur cruise missile is a low flying, terrain hugging missile, which can strike targets both at Land and Sea with pinpoint accuracy.

It carries stealth features. Equipped with modern cruise missile technology of Terrain Contour Matching (TERCOM) and Digital Scene Matching and Area Co-relation (DSMAC), it can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads. The missile was launched from a state of the art Multi Tube Missile Launch Vehicle (MLV), which significantly enhances the targeting and deployment options of Babur Weapon system.

The test was witnessed by Director General Strategic Plans Division Lieutunent General (R) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai, Chairman National Engineering and  Scientific Commission (NESCOM) Mr. Muhammad Irfan Burney, senior officers from the armed forces and strategic organizations. 

In today’s test, the National Command Authority’s fully automated Strategic Command and Control Support System (SCCSS) was once again employed. It enables robust Command and Control capability of all strategic assets with round the clock situational awareness in a digitized network centric environment to decision makers at National Command Centre (NCC). The system has the added capability of real-time remote monitoring of missile flight path. The test consolidates and strengthens Pakistan’s deterrence capability and National security.

The successful test has also been warmly appreciated by the President, Prime Minister of Pakistan and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, who have congratulated the scientists and engineers on their outstanding success.