M A I N   N E W S

5 die in attack on Pak church
2 Americans among victims, 47 injured

A police officer stands inside a church in Islamabad after two attackers hurled grenades at worshippers on Sunday. — AP/PTI

Grenade attack victims are treated at a local hospital in Islamabad on Sunday. — AP/PTI

The Pakistani police stands guard outside a church in Karachi on Sunday. Security has been beefed up in the city following the grenade attack.  — Reuters photo

Islamabad, March 17
In the second major attack on Christians in five months, five persons, including two Americans, were killed and a Sri Lankan diplomat was among the 47 injured while an Indian High Commission staffer escaped unhurt in a grenade attack on a church in the high-security diplomatic enclave here during Sunday mass today.

The US Embassy here said among the dead were two Americans, but did not confirm reports that the wife and child of one of its diplomats also perished as the attackers stormed the Protestant church, setting off grenades when the sermon attended by 150 persons was on.

The police said 10 US nationals were among the injured along with a Sri Lankan diplomat, his wife and daughter, 12 Pakistanis, five Iranians, one Iraqi, one German and a Ethiopian.

The victims included three women, including a Pakistani, an Afghan-looking man and three foreigners, the police said. Some diplomats and their families were among those attending the service in the International Protestant Church.

Witnesses said the assailants entered the church from the back and hurled two to three grenades at the congregation in the church located in the heavily-guarded diplomatic enclave housing embassies of a number of countries, including India, United States, China and Russia.

Those who were present at the service included Tomy Mathew, a staffer of the Indian High Commission.

The attack came as Tommy Franks, chief of the US Army Central Command, was due in Islamabad to hold talks with President Pervez Musharraf and other military officials on the crackdown on Al-Qaida and other banned militant outfits.

Musharraf described the attack as an “outrageous act of terrorism” and said the “nefarious act” was aimed at sabotaging the interest of Pakistan at a time when it was actively engaged in eliminating terrorism. In the last major strike against Christians in the country, gunmen entered a church in Bahawalpur in Punjab province in October last, killing 18 persons. PTI

ISI-run spy ring busted
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 17
The Delhi Police today claimed to have busted yet another ISI-run spy ring by arresting a person from Nizamuddin Railway Station and recovered some classified defence documents and sensitive photographs from his possession.

The police was tipped-off about one Mohammed Aslam having contacts with Pakistan’s ISI and passing on sensitive information. After locating him at the railway station, the police party trailed him till he entered a PCO and started making a phone call to Lahore in Pakistan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Ashok Chand told reporters here today.

“At this time, police personnel moved in and apprehended Aslam and seized incriminating documents relating to defence, sensitive photographs, a diary, code list and a camera from his possession, Mr Chand said, adding that he had been booked under the Official Secrets Act.

The DCP said Aslam, during his sustained interrogation, disclosed that he had come to Delhi in 1996 and used to run an autorickshaw. However, after visiting Pakistan in 1998 for the first time, he started indulging in petty smuggling and became a frequent traveller by Samjhauta Express.

In June 2000, when he went to Pakistan High Commission here for obtaining a visa to visit Pakistan, he was contacted by a staffer Raffique Malik, who not only offered to help him in getting visa but also promised to give money if he worked for him, Mr Chand said, quoting the interrogation report.

Aslam worked for him till August 31 after which Malik was declared persona non grata. Later, he was handled by another official Mohammed Sharif till he was also declared PNG on December 28.

The accused visited Pakistan in 2001 where he was motivated by Mohammed Yunus to work for Pakistan’s ISI. Aslam also underwent a training for a week where he was taught to use coded language for communicating information, Mr Chand said, adding that he was given a code name of “Professor”.

According to Aslam, his handler in Pakistan was one Mohammed Hussain and so far he had received Rs 30,000 through hawala channels, Mr Chand said, adding that he used to pass information on fax and telephone.

Earlier this month, the Delhi Police had busted an espionage racket on March 2 involving two Pakistani High Commission staffers, who were caught red-handed receiving classified defence documents from an Indian contact.