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Hezbollah breach resumes Israeli action
MMA, ARD agree to launch drive against Pervez |
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Pak army’s operational ‘preparedness’ at high level
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Hezbollah breach resumes Israeli action Qana, July 31 Before the fighting resumed, pickup trucks and cars loaded with people streamed north as thousands of civilians trapped in south Lebanon's war zone for three weeks took advantage of the brief lull to escape. Israel had said, in announcing the halt to air strikes earlier today, that it would suspend that pledge to end air strikes for 48-hours depending on "operational developments" in Lebanon. After Hezbollah guerrillas hit an Israeli tank near Taibeh with an anti-tank missile, Israel said it carried out the air strikes to protect its ground troops. AP Television footage showed two Israeli tanks side by side in southern Lebanon, with flames suddenly covering one of them. Soldiers soon emerged from one tank and did not appear to be badly hurt. In a second air strike around the port city of Tyre, Israel accidentally killed a Lebanese soldier when it hit a car that it believed was carrying a senior Hezbollah official, the Israeli army said. "They were, of course, not the targets and we regret the incident," the army said. Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz said Israel plans to "expand and strengthen" its attack on Hezbollah, diminishing hopes that the 48-hour halt in air srikes could be turned into a longer term ceasefire. Still, the suspension of the air campaign brought relative quiet to much of southern Lebanon. The pause meant the first relative relief for thousands of Lebanese who had been hiding in their homes, in schools or hospitals in the dozens of villages that dot the mountainous south. While huge numbers had fled already, those who remained were mostly the old, the sick and those too afraid of intense Israeli bombardment on the roads to risk the drive. Early today, hours after Israel called the pause, few southerners took to the roads, likely wary over whether the news was true. But by early afternoon, the roads from villages into the port city of Tyre, then from Tyre heading north along the coast were packed. Amid mounting international pressure, Israel had earlier today agreed to halt its deadly aerial operations in southern Lebanon for 48 hours to investigate the bombing in Lebanese village of Qana that left 54 persons, most of them children and women, dead. “No targets will be hit, unless they threaten to strike Israel, until the full IDF investigation concludes and after all lessons have been drawn,” a statement from the PMO had said. “Israel will allow, in coordination with the UN, safe passage for the residents of south Lebanon wishing to evacuate the area within 24 hours, and will also operate ground and sea corridors for humanitarian aid to go through,” it had said.—AP
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MMA, ARD agree to launch drive against Pervez Karachi, July 31 Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Qazi Hussain Ahmed represented MMA at the meeting while ARD was represented by Mr Fahim and Leader of Opposition in the Senate Raza Rabbani. According to sources, there was no difference at the meeting on launching the movement or on the vote of no-confidence. However, participants emphasised the need for bringing other opposition parties and alliances on board. It was therefore felt that the Tehrik-i-Insaf and PONM should be approached. The meeting dismissed the MQM resignations as an internal matter of the ruling coalition. Addressing a press conference, Mr Fahim, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Qazi Hussain Ahmad talked about ‘complete unanimity’ in both the alliances on bringing a vote of no-confidence against the prime minister in the coming session. Maulana Fazl said the MMA supported the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz because the government had failed and the people had no confidence in it.
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Pak army’s operational ‘preparedness’ at high level Islamabad, July 31 “The operational preparedness of our armed forces was at a higher level than any time over the last many years,” the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen Ehsan Ul Haq, said. “Pakistan armed forces are implementing a multi-year development plan to modernise and consolidate the credibility of our deterrence,” he said, addressing a convocation ceremony of Air War Course of the Pakistan air force at Air War College in Karachi yesterday. Pakistan is committed to peace and resolution of all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, with India but peace should not construed it as weakness, he was quoted as saying by the official APP news agency. “Our yearning for peace should not be misconstrued as a sign of weakness, rather, it is confidence that comes with our capabilities to resist hegemony and defeat any aggressive designs against us,” he said. Commenting on the strategic environment, General Haq said, “Today our nation faces extreme challenges with nuclear threats at highest end of the spectrum and extremists, non-state actors at lowest end. These dangers require responses based on knowledge and foresight.” — PTI
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