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Terror alert sees Heathrow airport under police blanket
Taseer’s Murder |
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Breather for PPP as MQM rejoins govt
2 Pakistani MPs accuse Gilani’s son of corruption
‘Big fat Indian wedding’ halts NZ traffic
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Terror alert sees Heathrow airport under police blanket
London, January 7
Extra police was deployed at various transport hubs in the city and all police leave cancelled after intelligence was received that terrorists could be planning fresh attacks, British media reports today said quoting security officials. Security was beefed up at London's Heathrow airport and the Luton airport and at all major railway stations as reports said that terrorists could be preparing to target transport hubs in the city, The Daily Telegraph reported. The British police have kept the overall threat at the second highest level "severe", which means that an attack is highly likely. Sky news quoting Scotland Yard officials said members of the emergency service have been briefed about how to respond to Mumbai-style attack. A security source said there was no "imminent" threat and the overall threat level had not changed but there was activity from one of a "handful" of extremist cells that cause concern at any time, leading to an adjustment in policing levels. He said intelligence intercepts were not clear whether the terrorists were planning suicide bomb attacks or Mumbai-style shootings or a combination of both. "We will use a range of covert and overt tactics to deal with the threat," he said. The British police has been on high alert since September after intelligence agencies received information about simultaneous Mumbai-style attacks on cities in France, Germany and the UK. The plan was in advance stage and the plotters had been tracked by spy agencies. There have been two serious terrorist plots in the last few weeks that have been linked to Britain. Security agencies recently arrested 10 persons of Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin who have been charged with plotting terror acts. On December 11, a suicide bomber blew himself up in Stockholm, Sweden, while heading towards the central train station. In Denmark last week, police arrested three men with a submachine gun, silencer and ammunition who were allegedly planning a Mumbai-style shooting spree. Both plots had links to Britain — the Stockholm bomber, Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, had been living in Luton, while the alleged Danish terrorist cell had links to a network in Derby, the Daily Telegraph reported. — PTI
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Taseer’s Murder
Lahore, January 7 Jamaat-ud-Dawa leader Maulana Amir Hamza, who is convener of Tehrik-e-Hurmat-e-Rasool that has been opposing any move to amend the controversial blasphemy law, also hailed the clerics who refused to lead the funeral prayer of Taseer. Taseer, the Governor of Pakistan's most populous province of Punjab and senior PPP leader, was gunned down by his extremist bodyguard Mumtaz Qadri at a posh market in the heart of Islamabad on Tuesday for opposing the blasphemy law. — PTI Assassin’s video A video showing Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer's assassin singing a hymn while in police custody has appeared on several websites, prompting Pakistani intelligence agencies to launch a probe. The video, shot with a mobile phone, shows Mumtaz Qadri, who gunned down Taseer, singing a hymn after his arrest.
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Breather for PPP as MQM rejoins govt
Karachi, January 7 “In the larger interest of the nation and keeping in mind the critical economic and security challenges our country is facing, the central committee of the MQM has decided to again sit on the government benches," senior MQM leader Reza Haroon told reporters at the party’s headquarters 'Nine Zero'. The announcement came after Gilani, accompanied by Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, visited the MQM headquarters for the first time. He was showered with rose petals and was accorded a warm welcome on his arrival. The premier held a long meeting with the MQM central committee members and also spoke to party's London-based chief Altaf Hussain on telephone before he came out flanked by Sindh Governor, Sindh CM, Malik and senior MQM members. The return of the 25 MQM members to the government benches restores the Pakistan People's Party-led government's majority in the Parliament at 183 seats out of 342. After the MQM announced it would be sitting on the opposition benches, the PPP-led government and the Prime Minister were in acute danger of facing a vote of no-confidence in the Parliament. “We have always valued the MQM’s support as we want to work with all progressive forces for the betterment and progress of this country,” Gilani said. “The MQM was understandably upset with us over issues of principles... I have assured we will look into all their grievances,” he said. — PTI
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2 Pakistani MPs accuse Gilani’s son of corruption
One of the sons of Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is being investigated on charges of involvement in Haj accommodation scam, Federal Investigation Agency director general Waseem Ahmed informed the Supreme Court here.
The FIA has recorded statements of two MPs, Bilal Yasin and Pirzada Syed Ahmed Imran, who have accused Abdul Qadir Gilani, elder son of the Prime Minister, of complicity in the scam, Ahmed told the seven-member Bench of the SC led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. “Parliamentarians Pirzada Syed Ahmed Imran and Bilal Yasin have not only accused Abdul Qadir Gilani but also his close friend Zain Mohammad Sukhaira, who went to Jeddah thrice even before the start of the Haj season,” the FIA chief told the court. The SC looked suo motu into the alleged financial fraud in acquiring accommodation for Pakistani Haj pilgrims in Mecca on a letter it received from a Saudi prince. He said Sukhaira had gone out of the country before the start of investigation into the scandal. Chief Justice Chaudhry reprimanded the FIA chief for being slow in conducting inquiry.
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‘Big fat Indian wedding’ halts NZ traffic
Wellington, January 7 Two white horses and five chestnut horses were assembled for the groom and his best men, along with men carrying Indian spears flying the flags of India and the US. The traditionally dressed Kumar had his face covered by chains of flowers and his best men then led the procession onto busy Balmoral Road, which was mostly closed off. With loud Punjabi music playing, the procession, which was some 200 strong, headed to the Bharatiya Mandir temple where priests blessed Kumar. Once at the Mandir, the groom rode his horse into the compound and was greeted by Pandit Shri Kamlesh Vyas, who led the blessings. Following the temple blessings, the groom and party returned to the hotel and in the evening they were flown in a fleet of helicopters to the Formosa Golf Resort in east Auckland where he will marry Auckland doctor Pooja Chitgopeker. — ANI
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London, January 7
One of the sons of Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is being investigated on charges of involvement in Haj accommodation scam, Federal Investigation Agency director general Waseem Ahmed informed the Supreme Court here.
Wellington, January 7
