Amid blasts, campaigning continues in Karachi
Violence-ridden Pakistan’s financial hub Karachi on Saturday observed the third day of mourning in four days for the 11 persons killed on Friday night in a bomb blast at an election rally of the Awami National Party (ANP).

• The ringside view

Islamabad, April 27
A group of Pakistani military officers protested against the "humiliating treatment" meted out to ex-army chief Pervez Musharraf who has been arrested over the 2007 emergency and the assassination of former Premier Benazir Bhutto.

A delegation of 75 officers from the Command and Staff College in Quetta expressed their concern over the treatment of Musharraf and the perceived humiliation of the military during a meeting with members of a committee of the Senate or upper house of parliament.

The delegation led by Col Saqib Ali Cheema met Mushahid Hussain Sayed, chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence, at Parliament House yesterday.

"The military officers were of the opinion that under the Constitution, the armed forces could not be criticised," a source was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

The military officers expressed concern at what they described as the "ridiculing of the army as an institution", The News daily reported.

Musharraf, 69, was arrested last week after the Islamabad High Court revoked his bail over the detention of more than 60 judges during the 2007 emergency.

He was subsequently arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency over the assassination of Bhutto.

He is also facing charges over the killing of Baloch leader Akbar Bugti in a 2006 military operation and several lawyers have petitioned the Supreme Court to put him on trial for treason for imposing emergency rule.

Over the past few days, several retired generals, including former army chief Mirza Aslam Beg, have expressed concern at the treatment of Musharraf, who was also been barred from running for next month's general election. — PTI

Kabul, April 27
Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan today announced the start of their annual "spring offensive" against the US-backed government, vowing a nationwide series of attacks as foreign troops withdraw.

The Islamist extremists said that multiple suicide bombings, "insider attacks" by Afghan soldiers and "special military tactics" would target international airbases and diplomatic buildings to inflict maximum casualties.

They warned Afghans working for President Hamid Karzai's "stooge" regime to distance themselves from the government to avoid being caught up in the promised violence, and called for young people not to join the police or army.

This year's "fighting season" is seen as crucial to Afghanistan's future as its much-criticised security forces pit themselves against the insurgents who have fought against the Kabul government since 2001.

NATO combat operations in Afghanistan are due to end next year, and coalition commanders say that the local army and police have made enough progress to provide security and keep the Taliban at bay.

Afghanistan's fighting season traditionally begins in April or May as snow recedes from the mountains, and in recent years, the Taliban have marked the occasion with a public declaration of their intent to bring down Karzai.

It added that this year's offensive, named after 7th-century general Khalid bin Waleed, would start tomorrow "in unison throughout the country...against the transgressing invaders and their degenerate backers". — AFP

Violence-ridden Pakistan’s financial hub Karachi on Saturday observed the third day of mourning in four days for the 11 persons killed on Friday night in a bomb blast at an election rally of the Awami National Party (ANP).

The liberal nationalist party had arranged a late evening street corner meeting in Orangi Town of the city. It was struck by an powerful explosion that left over 50 persons injured. The explosive device was fitted in a car and was operated through a remote control.

This was the third militant attack in four days and the ultras appeared determined to keep secular parties, including the MQM, ANP and PPP, out of the electoral process.

In two other attacks on camp offices of the Muttahida Qaumi Party (MQM), eleven persons were killed and dozens injured.

The banned terrorist outfit, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) accepted responsibility for all these attacks and reiterated its resolve to disrupt the May 11 poll.

It has particularly targeted the ANP in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhawa province where the party has ruled for five years.

Earlier in the day, Abdul Rehman Khan, the ANP candidate contesting the NA-255 seat, survived an attack when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Landhi area.

Bashir Jan, ANP general secretary for Sindh, survived the attack as he was inside his car at that time.

ANP chief Asfandyar Wali, President Asif Ali Zardari and top leaders of other parties, including Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan, condemned the attack.

Seoul, April 27
North Korea said today that it would put a US citizen on trial for trying to overthrow the communist regime, in the face of tensions between Pyongyang and the West.

The North’s official Korean Central News Agency said US citizen Pae Jun-Ho had admitted to the charges and would soon face "judgment".

Pae was arrested in November as he entered the northeastern port city of Rason, which lies inside a special economic zone near North Korea's border with Russia and China.

The announcement follows a months-long standoff on the Korean peninsula stoked by the North’s nuclear test in February. — AFP