13 Dead in Passenger Bus Accident in Seeryan (Haveli)

Locals and army personal at the accident site.

BAGH: At least 13 passengers were killed and six others severly injured when a passenger bus plunged into a deep ravine early on Monday in Seeryan, Forward Kahota, some 50 kilometres from here.

The bus was going from Rawalpindi to Forward Kahuta in Bagh district. It fell down a 150 metre slope, according to police official Riaz Abbasi, who added that that around 20 people were on board.

A senior government official said, “The accident occurred around 5:00 am.” We have moved the injured to hospitals and handed over the bodies of the deceased to their relatives,” local administration official Sardar Shahbaz Ali said.

The officials said the cause of the accident was not immediately known.

The dead were identified as Safeer Ahmed, Wazir Muhammad, Ikhlas Khan, Hafiz Shaban Malik, Muhammad Shafi, Mursleen, Fayaz, Tariq, Muhammad Bashir and Muhammad Latif, while the other three could not be identified till the filing of this report. Muhammad, Fayaz, Sipahi Dullah Khan, and Muhammad Yusaf Rafaqat sustained critical injuries and were shifted to the Military Surgical Training Institute (MST) Kahuta for treatment.

Havayli Deputy Commissioner (DC) Raja Irshad told The Express Tribune that initial reports indicated the driver lost control while negotiating the sharp bend.

Meanwhile, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Chaudhry has asked the district administrations of Havayli and Rawalakot to provide free treatment to the injured and issue compensation cheques to the deceased’s families on a priority basis.

23 vehicles looted on way to Bagh

BAGH (SANA): 23 vehicles coming from Rawalpindi to Bagh were looted at gunpoint in Kotli Satian on Wednesday.

The dacoits manged to escape from the site after robbing the vehicles where passengers were deprived of their 0.4 million besides that robbers took away one hundred mobiles as well.

According to the details, owing to the series of the robbing incidents, the masses demanded the Pakistani government as well as of AJK government to take immediate actions against the dacoits and brought them before the court so that no one could do dare to commit such heinous crime in the time to come.

Nation not let rulers to back out from Kashmir: Munawar

BAGH (SANA): Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Syed Munawar Hassan said on Monday that the freedom movement of Kashmir is the war for Pakistan’s completion and nation will not allow any ruler to deceit with Kashmir issue.

He assured Syed Ali Gilani and the whole Kashmiri nation that the whole nation is on the back of Mujahideen.

This Munawar Hassan said while addressing the “Right of Self-Determination Conference”, adding that peace in the region is only possible after accepting the right of self determination of Kashmiri’s.

He asked the rulers to stop the military operation and solve the problem through dialogue process with Taliban in Swat, Malakand and Dir.

He said India is hatching conspiracies against Pakistan to weaken it, adding that the need is to counter the Indian efforts to weaken Pakistan.

Munawar Hassan said that the unity among the political parties is the need of the hour for the success of Kashmiri’s freedom movement.

He said that all the people living in Pakistan support the freedom movement of Jammu Kashmir.

He said that the rulers are fighting American war and through a conspiracy Pakistan Army is fighting its own people.

Addressing the conference Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Abdul Rashid Turabi said that Azad Kashmir is not playing its role as the base camp for the freedom movement of Indian Occupied Kashmir.

He asked the people to pressurize the AJK rulers to restore the true role of AJK as the base camp of Kashmiri’s freedom struggle.

He said that India is hatching conspiracies against Pakistan and wants to weaken Pakistan within it.

He said that the weak Pakistan will certainly affect the Kashmiris freedom struggle.

Turabi said that the Kashmiris are fighting the war of Pakistan’s survival, adding that strong Pakistan will provide guarantee for the independence of Kashmir’s.

Addressing the conference United Jihad Council Chairman Syed Salahuddin said that the Kashmiris are fighting to achieve their inherent right which is the independence of Kashmir from the Indian tyrant rule.

He said that India is committing the human rights violations in Jammu Kashmir and rape of two women in Shopian is the worst example of Indian suppression in Kashmir.

Salahuddin hoped that the Pakistani government will continue its support for the Kashmiris freedom struggle.

Hurriyat leader Ghulam Muhammad Safi, Ghulam Nabi Nowsheri, JI Naib Amir AJK sheikh Aqeel-ur-Rehman, Amir Jamiat Ah-le-Hadis AJK Maulana Noor Ruknuddin, Maulana Syed Ataullah Shah, and others also addressed the conference.

Pak, China sign loan agreement for $300 million

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ISLAMABAD, Jun 18 (APP): The Government of Pakistan has signed an MoU, with the Government of China on Thursday to reconstruct and rehabilitate three major cities of AJK destroyed in the 2005 earthquake, under AJK Urban Development Programme. The umbrella contract for this project has already been signed between ERRA and the Two Chinese Construction Companies.

In order to assist the Government of Pakistan to complete the development work in the earthquake affected areas of Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Rawalakot, the Government of China offered credit worth US$ 300 million, whereas the Government of Pakistan contributed additional US$ 53 million to complete various reconstruction projects under AJK Urban Development Project.

For smooth and effective implementation of MCDP, a Steering Committee” has been constituted under the Deputy Chairman ERRA Lt. Gen Sajjad Akram, which has the mandate to give policy direction for Project Implementation and ensure timely and effective coordination of all inputs.

The contract signing is in line with ERRA’s Mission of “Build Back Better”.

The AJK Urban Development Programme aimed at providing safe housing, improved city environment, modern physical and social infrastructures with the target to boost economic and social growth in the Earthquake affected areas.

For Muzaffarabad City, an amount of US$ 190.62 million has been allocated for completion of 90 projects.

In Bagh 50 projects worth $ 123.55 million and in Rawalakot city, 30 projects with a cost of US$ 38.83 million will be completed in the next 4 and half years.

These projects will provide all modern day facilities including construction of Government buildings, roads bridges, shopping centers, Satellite towns, play grounds, parks, education and health facilities, wholesale markets, slaughterhouses, transport terminals, neighborhood centers, designing and Laying of infrastructure facilities like water supply, sewerage, underground electricity and telecom cables. These facilities will be developed by Chinese Companies.

PPP still offering Sharif Brothers for reconciliation: Khurshid Shah

BAGH: Federal Minister for Labour and Manpower Syed Khurshid Shah has said that PPP has still invited Mian Brothers for reconciliation for the larger interest of country. He expressed these views while addressing a public gathering. He said, the impact that government was involved behind the SC verdict against Mian Brothers was wrong because if they look in the past history PPP leadership was also being targeted. He said that Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto was exiled while President Asif Ali Zardari was put into jail. He said they did not wanted to practice the politics of confrontation and their leadership was being targeted but PPP didn’t give up hope.

He stated further that they wanted reconciliation with PML-N for the integrity of the country and providing relief to the people. He said that people still considered Asif Ali Zardari their leader and were agreed on their policies. President PPP (AJK) Chaudhary Majeed while addressing the public gathering said that the electoral process has been started in AJK while the policies of Sardar Ateeq’s government were continued. He said that merit was being neglected and institutions were ruining. PPP’s other leader Sardar Qamaruz Zaman, Latif Akbar, Mian Waheed, Hanif Awan, Ali Raza Bukhari, Dr Mirza Akhtiar Baig, Amjad Yousuf, Khurshid Kashmiri and Zia ul Qamar were also present in the public gathering.

Courtesy: onlinenews.com.pk

Chinese firms to undertake urban development project

ISLAMABAD - Two leading Chinese firms would undertake the urban development projects in three quake affected cities Muzaffarabad, Bagh and Rawlakot. An umbrella contract for the AJK urban development project was signed here at Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) in presence of the President AJK Raja Zulqarnain, PM AJK Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob, Federal Minister for Kashmir and Northern Affairs (KANA) Qamar-uz-Zaman Kaira and Chinese ambassador H.E. Luo Zhaohui. The Contract was signed by representatives of two Chinese construction companies and ERRA deputy chairman Lt Gen Sajjad Akram.

In order to assist Pakistan to complete the development work in earthquake affected areas, China offered credit worth $300 million whereas Pakistan government contributed additional $53 Million to complete the reconstruction projects, said ERRA deputy chairman in his address to the ceremony. Meanwhile, for smooth and effective implementation of Muzaffarabad city development project, a steering committee has been constituted under deputy chairman of ERRA Lt Gen Sajjad Akram which has the mandate to give policy direction to project implementation. ERRA's Urban Development Programme aims at providing safe housing, improved city environment, modern physical and social infrastructures with a target to boost economic and social growth in the earthquake affected areas, said Akram.

He said for Muzaffarabad a fund of $190.62 million was allocated for completion of 90 projects. In Bagh 50 projects with the cost of $123.55 million whereas 30 projects in Rawlakot city with a cost of $38.83 million will be completed in next four and half years. These projects will provide all modern days facilities including construction of govt buildings, roads, bridges, shopping centers, satellite towns, play grounds, besides education and health facilities. Addressing the ceremony, ambassador of China; Luo Zhaohui said that 2005 earthquake was a great disaster in Pakistan's national history and Chinese government and people were always prepared to cooperate with people of Pakistan to mitigate the sufferings caused due to this great catastrophe.

Federal Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, hailed the ERRA and SERRA role for recovery and reconstruction efforts after devastating catastrophe. He acknowledged role of China in construction and development of various projects in Pakistan and AJK. "I assure you of full security and other support to complete targets and hope that this urban development project will bring positive change in the lives of the people of AJK," the Minister remarked.

Courtesy: Khalid Amin - The Daily Mail

Pictures of Ashura Procession in Bagh