ROME: Italian police said on Friday they had dismantled a network of militants they suspect of having had ties to Osama bin Laden and being behind one of Pakistan's deadliest bomb attacks — October 2009 bombing in Peshawar’s Meena Bazaar, which left more than 100 dead and over 200 people injured.

A six-year investigation that began with a probe into illegal immigration, led to police on the island of Sardinia ordering the arrest of 18 people in coordinated raids across Italy — nine of these suspects have been arrested.

Prosecutor Mauro Mura told a press conference in Cagliari, Sardinia that the network may also have plotted to attack the Vatican in 2010, when a man suspected of being a potential suicide bomber was in Italy.

Mario Carta, an officer in the DIGOS anti-terrorism unit that carried out the investigation, acknowledged there was no firm evidence of such a conspiracy, only “strong suspicions” based on wiretapped conversations in which the suspects had spoken “in ironic terms about the pope”.

The alleged key figures in the network were Khan Sultan Wali, a shopkeeper and long-term resident of Olbia, Sardinia and an unidentified imam who carried out missionary work in Brescia and Bergamo in northern Italy, according to sketchy details provided by prosecutors at a press conference.

The arrest warrants accuse the suspects of belonging to “an organisation dedicated to transnational criminal activities inspired by Al-Qaeda and other radical organisations pursuing armed struggle against the West and insurrection against the current government of Pakistan.”

Interior Minister Angelino Alfano described the swoop as “an extraordinary operation” that demonstrated the efficiency of the security services.

Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi played down the significance of the incident. “This concerns a 2010 scenario that didn't materialise. It has no relevance today and there is no reason for particular concern,” he told reporters.

“With one sole investigation that started in 2009 we have succeeded in not only dismantling a network of people traffickers but also (detaining) several individuals accused of conspiring with terrorist aims and others of involvement in attacks,” Alfano said.

Wiretap recordings suggest two members of the network were part of bin Laden's security detail before his slaying by US special forces in Pakistan in May 2011, according to a police statement. Others remained in contact with the late Al-Qaeda leader's relatives after his death.

Some of the men arrested or being sought are suspected of involvement in the October 2009 bombing of the Meena Bazaar in Peshawar, which left more than 100 dead and over 200 people injured.

Carta said there was evidence that the attack was substantially planned and financed from Olbia and that Italy-based militants had taken part in it.

Reacting to the news in international media, Pakistan's Foreign Office officials said they have contacted embassy in Rome and asked them to confirm the nationality of those suspects being arrested by Italian government.

Many of the victims of the attack were women and children. At the time, the authorities blamed the Taliban for carrying out the attack in reprisal for anti-militant actions by government forces. The Taliban denied being involved. Khan Sultan Wali is one of the leaders of the small community on Sardinia, a sleepy island that is a holiday playground for celebrities and some of the world's richest people.

According to police, the alleged radical network was involved in smuggling Pakistani and Afghan nationals into Europe through Italy, either by securing temporary visas via contacts with corrupt businessmen or helping applicants fraudulently present themselves as victims of ethnic or religious persecution who should be granted asylum in Europe.

Funds raised from this activity as well as charity collections were allegedly sent back to radical groups in Pakistan, including Al-Qaeda offshoots and the local Taliban.

(With additional input by Mateen Haider.)

QUETTA: The government has decided to check national identity cards and local and domicile certificates issued since 2000 in Balochistan to find out how many Afghan refugees have been issued these national documents illegally.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held here on Friday.

The meeting was presided over by Provincial Home Secretary Akbar Hussain Durrani.

The meeting discussed repatriation of Afghan refugees to Afghanistan and pace and implementation on National Action Plan (NAP).

Officials sources said that the matter regarding scrutiny of NIC, local and domicile certificates was taken up after some reports said that large number of Afghan refugees had been issued these documents illegally by institutions concerned.

Read: Afghan refugees in Balochistan seeking asylum abroad: UNHCR

“All NICs and other documents issued since 2000 till now would be scrutinised by agencies concerned in Balochistan,” a senior official of the Balochistan government told Dawn.

He said that officials found involved in issuing NICs and other documents to Afghan refugees would face strict legal action.

It was also decided in the meeting that all illegal Afghan immigrants living in the refugee camps would be arrested and sent back to their country.

“Over 70 per cent of Afghans are illegal immigrants who are living in refugee camps of Balochistan with no legal documents and they are not registered with Nadra,” he said.

“Only 30 per cent of Afghans living in the refugee camps are legal refugees having refugee cards issued by Nadra,” the official further said. The deputy commissioner and other agencies concerned have been ordered to check documents of all Afghan refugees and all illegal refugees should be arrested and sent back to Afghanistan.

The meeting was also informed that around 74 per cent of Afghan refugees registered in Balochistan were living in cities and towns of the province and only 26 per cent living in refugee camps.

The meeting was attended by Commissioner for Afghan Refugee Organisation, Quetta Commissioner, officials of UNHCR, Frontier Corps, FIA, Police, Intelligence Bureau and other institutions concerned.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2015

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KARACHI: With the latest cybercrime bill passed by a National Assembly committee, freedom of expression has once again come under threat adding onto the gag on reporting and talking on certain issues within the borders of Pakistan.

One such issue is the struggle for an independent Balochistan that has been ongoing over decades and seen an entire generation succumb to the vagaries of the conflict. The T2F gave this cause and its spokespersons a platform on Friday evening to air their grievances against the state and the establishment.

Titled “Unsilencing Balochistan (Take 2)”, a panel discussion was held between Mama Qadeer, Farzana Baloch, Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur and Wusat Ullah Khan moderated by activist Moneeza Ahmed.

Earlier this month a seminar on the same topic ‘Unsilencing Balochistan’ scheduled to be held at the Lahore University of Management Sciences was cancelled owing to same reasons. The event was rescheduled and relocated to Islamabad with all the panellists, except one, changed.

With the peg of the evening at T2F, the enforced disappearances of the Balochi activist, the narrative was not new to the public. In 2013, Mama Qadeer, and 20 odd people began a long march from Quetta to Karachi to demand the release of their missing, and if not release, a stop to their torture and murder and production in court.

Mama is vice chair of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons and has experienced the trauma of having lost a loved one. His son Jalil Reki, member of the Baloch Republican Party, was found shot dead in 2011 after being missing since 2009. “These are ways to cripple us mentally and physically so that we no longer are staunch on our cause. But they forget that the Baloch are a proud nation. We have fought and survived various invaders and our heritage and traditions have only further strengthened instead resolve,” he said.

Images of the Long March saw a few resilient faces on foot on eerily desolate roads and highways, amid dusty roads and broken shoes. What remained conspicuous in all these images was the cart with portraits of the missing men who are still not heard of despite years.

Farzana Baloch, whose brother Zakir is still missing, inquired from the audience and beyond as to why questions were raised about her seeking out the help of international agencies to help recover her brother. “I keep asking you for help. I ask the High Court of Balochistan and the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the police and the activist groups. But can you not hear us?”

She further raised reservations about the way the Balochis and their cause was treated. “If our brothers, sons and fathers are guilty of a crime, produce them in court and charge them officially. Punish them after charging them. But follow the law and the constitution.”

On recalling how Mama Qadeer heard of his son’s death and the discovery of his tortured body at a protest, she said, “There is a limit to our tolerance. Imagine how it must have felt when in the middle of the Long March, after reaching Dera Ghazi Khan, we saw the news of the discovery of a mass grave in Khuzdar.”

Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur went on to lament “how people in the country only hear the state’s narrative and no one is willing to hear ours. So what the state labels us that how people refer to us.”

The discussion then moved on to the role of the media in the reporting of this issue and how a more conducive space needs to be given to allow the various voices to be heard.

An edited version of the documentary, “Missing in Pakistan”, was also shown that highlighted the struggle of the families of the missing persons, and the closure their lives lack.

Shortly after the programme, T2F director Sabeen Mahmood was shot dead in a gun attack on her car near the Defence Central Library.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2015

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LAHORE: Polling for 10 seats of Lahore Cantonment and Walton boards each is going to be held here on Saturday (today) as around 200 candidates are in the run.

Local government elections in the Cantonments are being held after around two decades. Besides the candidates fielded by the ruling PML-N, PTI, PPP, JI and PAT, a large number of independent hopefuls are also in the race.

The interior ministry has announced a local holiday in the Cantonment areas to facilitate the voters.

Police authorities say they are deploying 5,000 personnel to ensure a peaceful day as 22 out of 300 polling stations have been declared sensitive. Polling will start at 8am and continue till 5pm without any break as the Election Commission has transported the election material to the designated places.

Unlike the by-polls for single seat of National Assembly in Karachi, canvassing here remained a low-profile affair as no main leader of the political parties in the race turned up to grace the election campaign of its respective party though the electoral exercise was much bigger than the Karachi by-polls. PTI leader Imran Khan’s plan for leading an election rally was postponed at the eleventh hour.

PTI: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Lahore chapter, has finalised preparations and constituted monitoring teams for all the 20 wards in Walton and Cantonment boards to monitor the local body elections on Saturday (today).

The PTI Lahore office has also established a central election cell to inform the institutions’ concerned as well as media in case of any irregularity committed during the polling day.

It also organised a briefing session for the polling agents to be deputed at all polling stations in the cantonment.

PTI’s Lahore president Abdul Aleem Khan said the party would utilise all its resources to check rigging in the election.

He welcomed the deployment of army to monitor elections in the cantonment.

He stressed that party’s women workers should perform their duties actively to ensure that the elections should be held in a transparent manner.

Meanwhile, PTI Punjab minority wing president and MPA Shunila Rooth said the Christian community would play a vital role for the party candidates in the cantonments polls on Saturday (today).

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2015

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KARACHI: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain on Saturday invited all political parties in the country, including the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), to work together for serving the country.

Addressing supporters in Karachi's Jinnah ground via telephone, the MQM supremo congratulated them for the victory of the party's candidate in the by elections held in NA-246 constituency on April 23.

Read: NA-246: Official results announced, MQM regains seat by huge margin

The MQM chief criticised the the slow voting process during the April 23 by-polls and said that voters' plights and concerns were ignored as a result of which 50 per cent people remained in lines at the time polling came to a close.

He said that the workers had exhibited courage despite of the hindrances in their way and that the 'people's court' had rejected all the allegations against the MQM. He claimed that the MQM would have managed to bag more than 250,000 votes had the poll timings been extended.

Also read: MQM candidate leads in NA-246 unofficial poll results

Altaf Hussain said he was ready to fight side by side with the army and asked "the establishment to end its 'unjustified war' and accept the MQM as a respectable party."

He once again reiterated his call for the creation of new provinces in the country, including Karachi as a separate province.

Explore more: Altaf reiterates call for more provinces

KARACHI: More than 149,000 voters in the Cantonment Board Faisal (CBF) will go to the polls on Saturday (today) to elect 10 councillors who will represent them on the military dominated board.

Local government election is being held in all cantonment areas across the country in pursuance of a Supreme Court decision.

There are a total of 149,346 registered voters — 80,990 men and 68,356 women — in the CBF area. After election of the 10 councillors, the Commander of the PAF Base Faisal who is the president of the CBF will nominate an equal number of members to the board.

Each councillor, whether elected or nominated, has one vote while the president has two which he could use in case of a tie among members on any decision to be taken by the board.

CBF’s chief executive officer Asif Amir will act as secretary to the board. Like almost all cantonments, the number of voters in its different wards is not equal.

As the number of voters is over 149,000 in 10 wards, each ward should have around 14,000 voters but it is not the case. Some wards have even less than half the number of voters in other wards.

The election commission’s voter population data of CBF shows that in ward-III the number of voters is 10,088 while in ward-IV there are 22,459 voters which means that a candidate in ward-IV will have to approach double the number of voters other hopefuls will have to meet in ward-III.

Despite stark differences in size of electorate, once elected, all councillors will have one vote each in the board meetings.

Talking to Dawn, a number of candidates said that the uneven number of voters in each ward was in violation of the principle of adult franchise, which was one of the requirements in the Canton­ment (Amendment) ordinance 2015 issued by Presi­dent Mamnoon Hussain on March 5.

The ordinance clearly stated that the “population in the wards within a cantonment shall as far as possible be uniform”, they said.

The voter data also reveals that number of voters in ward-I is 13,690; in ward-II (14,258 voters); ward-III (10,088); ward-IV (22,459); ward-V (21,219); ward-VI (12,514); ward-VII (14,655); ward-VIII (19,040); ward-IX (13,359) and ward-X (13,095).

Even the number of voters assigned to polling stations is not equal and in certain cases one polling station has more than double the number of voters than another despite the fact that the number of polling booths is the same, according to data.

The data of ward-III shows that 980 voters will cast vote at a polling station at the Kids University in Gulshan-i-Jamal while 2,897 will cast their votes at the Smart School, C 18, Block B, Gulshan-i-Jamal though the number of polling booths is four (two each for males and females) at both the polling stations.

Out of the six cantonment boards in the metropolis, the CBF board which is in category-I has the largest number of voters living within its jurisdiction.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: The Minister for Water and Power, Khawaja Mohammad Asif, said on Friday that the government would overcome power loadshedding by the end of 2017 despite exclusion of Gadani-based 6,600MW coal power plants from its top priority.

Speaking at a hurriedly called press conference, Khawaja Asif said the government had shifted its priority from the Gadani power project due to lack of infrastructure and the need to prioritise the ‘early harvest projects’ that could be completed before 2018.

He said the Gadani-based projects were not expected to be completed before 2019 because there was no infrastructure, including roads and jetty, to support such a major initiative so quickly.

The minister clarified that the government had not shelved the Gadani projects, adding that they “are still open” and if the private sector came forward the government would facilitate it.

Khawaja Asif’s renewed confidence to end loadshedding by the end of 2017 emanated from recent signing of agreements with China. He said Pakistan and China had signed contracts for 8,320MW projects worth $20 billion investment which would be completed between 2018 and 2020.

He said these power projects would be set up across the country without any provincial consideration. He said the Chinese investment was “a good signal for foreign investors”.

Khawaja Asif says Chinese investment is ‘a good signal for foreign investors’

The minister did not agree with a reporter that there were allegations of kickbacks and corruption against key government officials working in energy sector departments or complaints of investors against them.

Apparently perturbed over repeated questions about alleged demands by officials of an organisation set up to promote renewable energy for the ‘speed money’ from some investors, the minister said the matter should be taken up with courts as he had done in the case of rental power projects during the PPP government.

He said he had documentary proofs of wrongdoings in three RPPs and went to the court. “You should do the same if you are so concerned and have concrete evidence,” he said.

He said the CASA-1000 power project was being signed in Istanbul and final tariff would be determined by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra). “The first flow of electricity will start in 2019,” he added.

The minister said the recovery of electricity bills had increased by 3.2 per cent in first nine months of the current year and power distribution and transmission losses had dropped by one per cent compared to the same period last year.

The circular debt, he claimed, had come down by Rs70 billion than last year. He said the electricity tariff had come down by Rs4.42 per unit due to decline in oil prices in international market and they could go up again in case of increase in oil prices.

He said the government wanted to bring tariff at the single digit level to end the issue of circular debt and subsidy. He conceded that the government was not operating power plants at optimum level despite decline in oil prices, saying that they would be run to full capacity in summer.

The minister said the government had ensured a peak supply of 16500MW last summer and that level would be maintained this year too. The shortfall at present is also because of the shutdown of Uch power plant due to an issue at the gas field which would be restored in a few days.

In reply to a question, Khawaja Asif said the issue of putting in place a payment mechanism to LNG suppliers was at an advanced stage and it would be resolved soon. “We take advantage in oil supply from Pakistan State Oil (PSO), but we do not want to take risk in LNG supply which requires immediate payment,” he said while referring to oil imports on up to three months of credit — a facility that was not available for LNG.

The minister said LNG would be supplied to Kapco and four Lahore-based power plants, adding that 3600MW electricity through LNG-based power plants would be injected to the national grid in two years.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2015

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KARACHI: Sabeen Mahmud, social media campaigner and human rights activist who founded the social forum T2F, was shot dead on Friday evening, minutes after the end of an interactive discussion ‘Unsilen­cing Balochistan’ organised by her and attended by journalists and rights activists, including the founder leader of the Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, Abdul Qadeer Baloch.

Karachi-South Deputy Inspector General of Police Dr Jamil Ahmed ruled out the killing as result of a mugging attempt and said she had been attacked deliberately but he could not share any possible motive.

Sabeen Mahmud

Read: Director T2F Sabeen Mahmud shot dead in Karachi

“She was returning home with her mother in a car after the seminar she had organised on Balochistan,” he said.

“It’s an incident of targeted killing, but we are not aware of any threats she had been receiving. The investigations are on and it would be too early to speculate about the motive behind the killing,” the official said.

Also read: T2F hosts the Balochistan discussion that others shy away from

Defence police SHO Kansan Dean said pillion riders on a motorcycle attacked Ms Mehmud and her mother on Sunset Boulevard in DHA Phase-II after they had left the T2F in a car. Both of them suffered bullet injuries and were taken to a nearby private hospital where doctors pronounced Sabeen dead.

Her mother was shifted to the Aga Khan University Hospital.

The body was taken to the Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre for post-mortem.

“She sustained four bullet injuries on her face, neck and chest,” police surgeon Dr Jalil Qadir said. Her autopsy, conducted by senior medico-legal officer Dr Nasreen Qamar, also showed injuries on her arm and shoulder that might be bullet exit wounds, added the police surgeon.

Sabeen Mahmud — a profile

Half an hour before her murder, Sabeen Mehmud’s Facebook status read: “Unsilencing Balochistan (Take 2) with Wusatullah Khan, Mama Qadeer, Farzana Baloch and Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur. Moderated by Moneeza Ahmed.”

“It appears that an attempt is being made to silence human rights defenders or those who take up the causes of the people,” the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s Chairperson Zohra Yusuf said after the incident.

“This is a shocking event for the city and citizens as T2F has been providing a space to the people to express their views,” the prominent rights activist said. On Thursday at 6.30pm, Sabeen Mehmud had also organised a seminar about the Balochistan situation, she said.

“It was the same seminar which was organised by LUMS (Lahore University of Management Sciences) where three speakers – Mama Qadeer, Farzana Majeed and Mohammed Ali Talpur – were the same, but it was cancelled under alleged pressure of ISI,” the HRCP chief said.

“It can’t be said categorically that her murder was linked with this event,” Ms Yusuf said.

“As Ms Sabeen has been consistently providing the space of T2F to discuss the issues of human rights, cultural diversity etc due to which she had received threats, prompting her to hire the services of a security guard,” she said.

“She was trying to promote liberal and rational thinking, which is lacking in society,” said Ms Yusuf.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, who is in charge of the home ministry, sought a report about the incident and ordered the city police chief to arrest the killers.

Karachi police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo formed a special team, headed by a DIG, to investigate the murder, according to a spokesman.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Turkmenistan agreed on Friday to expedite work on the Turkmenistan-Afghanis­tan-Pakistan-India (Tapi) gas pipeline project which is scheduled to be completed by 2018.

President Mamnoon Hus­sain and Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdi­muhamedov, during their meeting held on the sidelines of Canakkale battles centenary ceremonies in Istanbul, agreed to step up the project.

The spade work has begun but the two sides have reservations over Afghanistan’s security situation.

A spokesperson for the president said the project was cost-effective and would help enhance cooperation between Pakistan and Turkmenistan.

“The government attaches high priority to timely completion of the Tapi pipeline,” the president was quoted as saying.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has dismissed allegations levelled by its former additional secretary Mohammad Afzal Khan that the 2013 general elections were massively rigged and said that no proof exists to substantiate his claims.

Afzal Khan claimed in a television interview that people’s mandate was stolen in the 2013 elections and he accused former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry of being involved in the rigging. He alleged that the then chief election commissioner, retired Justice Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim, had “shut his eyes on the rigging”.

Read: Comment: Afzal Khan's allegations — when evidence goes out of style

His allegations were made part of a statement submitted by PML-Q through its counsel Dr Khalid Ranjha to the judicial commission constituted to investigate the alleged rigging in the 2013 general elections.

“The allegations are incorrect and false,” the ECP said in a report submitted before the commission headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk on Friday through its counsel Salman Akram Raja. It rebutted the assertions made by PML-Q in its statement.

This is the second such response by the ECP. Earlier, in a response to allegations levelled by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the ECP had denied that the 2013 elections were systematically manipulated or influenced by design.

Also read: Rebuttal: Afzal Khan interview was fixed match, says Justice Riaz Kiani

The three-member judicial commission was constituted through a presidential ordinance after the ruling PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf signed a memorandum of understanding. It has been tasked to find out whether or not the 2013 general elections were systematically rigged. The commission will resume its hearing on Monday.

The ECP asserted that no proof existed to establish the allegations levelled by Afzal Khan. It rejected his claim about printing of additional ballot papers in a private press in the Lahore’s Urdu Bazar.

It said anyone alleging that ballot papers were printed without the authority of the ECP and were used in the elections should provide evidence before the judicial commission

Also read: PML-Q decides to become party to poll inquiry

About the PML-Q’s allegations that returning officers did not associate candidates or their polling agents in the proceedings of consolidation of results at a large scale, the ECP report stated that the political party did not provide any evidence to prove it claims.

That was a matter which required evidence in individual cases and in cases where such grievances might have been raised would be determined through due adjudication, the ECP report added.

The ECP emphasised that it did not consider proceedings before the commission to be adversarial or even ‘quasi-adversarial’. However, it was the duty of the ECP to place facts before the commission, adding that apprehensions being expressed were without any factual basis.

The ECP said that it was its position that the 2013elections were organised and conducted impartially, honestly, fairly, justly and in accordance with the law. “It is also the position of ECP that the elections were not manipulated or influenced in general pursuant to a systematic effort by design by anyone.”

It said there might have been irregularities and malpractices in some constituencies and appeals against them were pending before election tribunals or the Supreme Court.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly again faced quorum problem on Friday, drawing criticism of opposition lawmakers. The treasury benches again failed on Friday, the second consecutive day, to ensure presence of the required number of lawmakers – 86 – to ensure continuity of the house proceedings. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq had to cut short the proceedings of house because of the problem.

Throughout this week opposition parties had remained up in arms against the government for its ‘total disregard for the business of the house’. On Thursday, the National Assembly session couldn’t complete its agenda because of the lack of quorum.

And the government was again left red-faced on Friday when it again failed to ensure presence of —86 lawmakers—in the house to legally continue the NA proceedings.

Read: Minister ‘helpless’ to ensure NA attendance

The worst part of the Friday’s proceedings was that it even couldn’t complete its first hour’s proceedings, the time meant for question-answer purpose. Under the rules, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure presence of required number of lawmakers in the house.

Absence of ministers from the front rows of the National Assembly has become a routine matter and those who were present in the house on Friday didn’t help calming frayed nerves of the opposition parties which collectively boycotted the session on Thursday on the same issue -- the government’s apathy towards parliamentary proceedings.

Power Minister Abid Sher Ali was quick to snap back at Dr Nafisa Shah of the PPP, who wasn’t happy with the answer to one of her questions, she had submitted. She had asked the rate of tariff at which Nepra had agreed to buy power from IPPs which will now use the LNG. In the written answer, Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif had said to Dr Shah that for this purpose she should approach Nepra. Dr Shah said snapped back and said “it is ridiculous telling me to approach Nepra and why didn’t the minister concerned could do this.”

Also read: Opposition, PkMAP boycott NA session over ‘disregard for house’

Irritated at Dr Shah’s protest, Mr Sher Ali said the PPP lawmaker should use better language, otherwise, “main in say sakht zaban istamal kar sakta hun”. This was when opposition benches protested and when Dr Shah wasn’t allowed to respond in person, PPP lawmakers staged a walkout, followed by PTI, MQM and JI.

After the walkout, National Assembly Speaker asked Federal Minister Riaz Pirzada to bring Opposition parties back to the house. Meanwhile, Munawar Ali Talpur of the PPP pointed out the quorum problem, which forced the speaker to ask for counting of members present in the house. Due to lack of quorum, proceedings of the house were suspended for 15 minutes. However, when the house commenced, it again lacked the required 86 lawmakers under the law. The speaker then adjourned the proceeding till Monday afternoon.

Earlier this week, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sheikh Aftab had expressed his inability to pursue ministers as well as lawmakers to attend the house. He even had expressed his willingness to resign, as he couldn’t face continued embarrassment at the hands of opposition parties.

Ovreall PML-N’s lack of interest in the sessions of the two houses had been the hallmark of the present government and had continuously attracted criticism from the opposition benches.

When asked, a senior government minister told Dawn that the only way to improve attendance of the ministers and other lawmakers in the house was that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should himself start attending the house.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2015

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Asrar’s obsession with the idea of ishq only seems to be increasing — the singer is back again with his new single ‘Mast Hua’ after ‘Ishq Hawa Main’.

With lines Mast hua barbaad hua/Ishq ka kalma yaad hua, the song is upbeat and cheery. But this is not the only thing which makes ‘Mast Hua’ unique.

With selfie-sticks becoming the new fad in town, Asrar has recorded the five minute long video on a phone via a selfie-stick. He has dubbed it the “One- take-selfie-video song (official) in Pakistan, or may be in the world as well”.

He shared on his Facebook that the idea behind this simple video was to prove that if any newcomer has a good song, a video could be easily made on a modest budget. He also dedicated his single to all Pakistani artists.

Shot in a mini-van, the video shows Asrar in a blue kurta singing away with two musicians playing the beat on the guitar and harmonium.

With simple lyrics, ‘Mast Hua’ is about the journey of a devotee against all odds in pursuit of true love.

ISLAMABAD: Finance Ministry on Friday notified 9th National Finance Commission (NFC) to work out a mechanism to distribute resources between federal government and the provinces for the next five years.

The nine-member commission is constituted just two months before the expiry of the existing award, which will end on June 30, 2015. The delay is attributed to nomination of technical members on the NFC by two provinces.

An official statement of the finance ministry said that the first meeting of the 9th NFC would be held on April 28 at Prime Minister Secretariat. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar would chair the meeting.

Dar will be the chairman of the new NFC, which will comprise of four provincial finance ministers and four technical members.

The technical members of the provinces notified include Dr Aisha Ghaus Pasha, MPA from Punjab; Saleem Mandviwala, former chairman Board of Investment from Sindh; Professor Mohammad Ibrahim Khan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Dr Qaisar Bangali from Balochistan. An official source in the finance ministry said no meaningful discussion is expected in the first meeting. “The focus will be on a proposal to extend the duration of the present award for one more year for distribution of resources,” the official added.

According to the source, it is not possible to work out a new agreed formula for distribution of resources in a period of two months. “The whole exercise will involve a lot of deliberation and discussion before reaching to an agreed formula,” the source added.

The NFC Secretariat, situated at the Ministry of Finance, has notified the constitution of the NFC with its terms of references (ToRs) under Article 160 (1).

The ToRs of the 9th NFC is about distribution between the federation and the provinces of the net proceeds of the identified taxes. The taxes to be considered for distribution include taxes on income, including corporate tax, but not including taxes on income consisting of remuneration paid out of the federal consolidated fund; taxes on the sales and purchases of goods imported, exported, produced, manufactured or consumed; export duties on cotton, and such other export duties as may be specified by the president; such duties of excise as may be specified by the president and such other taxes as may be specified by the president.

The NFC will also consider making of grants in aid by the federal government to the provincial governments; exercise by the federal government and the provincial governments of the borrowing powers conferred by the Constitution and assessment and allocation of resources to meet expenditures related to governments of the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan, FATA, Natural Disasters and terrorism etc.

The NFC may also consider any matter relating to finance referred to the commission by the President.

Through the SRO issued on Friday, the finance minister also dissolved earlier two notifications SRO676 of 2010 and SRO773 of 2011 which were issued for the constitution of 8th NFC.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2015

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KARACHI: A day after a decisive electoral triumph of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in the fiercely contested NA-246 by-poll, the Rangers chief on Friday sought to reject the widely held view that the Karachi operation is against a particular party.

The director-general of Rangers, Major General Bilal Akbar, also clarified the statement issued some four days ago by the paramilitary force asking people to keep their original computerised national identity cards with them, otherwise they could be arrested.

He said the Rangers only appealed to the people of Karachi to keep their CNICs and that the copies of CNICs would also be acceptable.

Read: Rangers tell Karachiites to carry original CNICs

On April 20, a Rangers spokesman in a brief announcement had asked the people “to keep with them their original ID cards” and that “copies of ID cards will not be acceptable and the individual in question will be taken into custody till his or her identity is positively proven”.

Besides, the Rangers DG said that the ban on pillion riding before the by-poll had not been placed by the paramilitary force.

Maj-Gen Akbar chose a luncheon hosted in his honour by the Federal B Area Association of Trade & Industry to speak to reporters in what appeared to be an attempt to explain his position on many issues.

A senior office-bearer of the trade body, Rashid Hamidani, told Dawn that the Rangers chief came for a lunch at the association’s office, where he also held an ‘informal press conference’.

While Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had categorically said he was not consulted before the imposition of the pillion-riding ban for the April 23 by-election, the Rangers chief said that the Sindh home department had imposed the ban and not the Rangers.

It is worth noting that the overall security for the NA-246 by-poll was the responsibility of the Rangers and they did not object to the pillion-riding ban or clarified then that they had nothing to do with it.

The Rangers DG said the provincial government should investigate the matter, as the Rangers did not propose the ban on pillion riding. He said that the holding of a peaceful election in Azizabad proved that the Rangers were not a threat to anyone’s politics and the Karachi operation was not against any particular group.

He said that the Rangers and police should be given the credit for the successful holding of the by-election. All the 213 polling stations were sensitive and there was a threat of a terrorist attack, he said. However, no such incident took place due to the security measures, he added.

About the last month killing of an MQM activist protesting against a raid by the Rangers, Maj-Gen Akbar disclosed that a probe had been completed into the killing of Syed Waqas Ali Shah. He said the Rangers had not killed the worker of any party.

Referring to the Karachi operation, the Rangers DG said that scores of criminals had been arrested in Lyari, but the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party never objected to any arrest.

He also disclosed that 75 criminals allegedly associated with the Awami National Party had also been arrested.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2015

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ISLAMABAD: The PPP has decided to work with mainstream political parties and pressure the government into introducing the local government system and extending jurisdiction of the Supreme Court (SC) and high courts to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) for providing area people ownership and fundamental rights.

PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari revealed this during a meeting with a 40-member delegation of Bajaur Political Alliance (BPA) at Zardari House on Friday.

He assured the BPA, which is a representative body of all political parties of Fata, that he would take up the issue at all forums.

Zardari says he plans to launch massive campaign

The former president will write to the prime minister to implement its manifesto wherein the PML-N had, like all other parties, promised ownership rights to the people of Fata. All parties should support a proposed amendment in the parliament, PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar told Dawn.

Mr Zardari was quoted as saying: “Local governments are being set up this year throughout the country, including in more than 40 cantonments, and there is no reason why people of tribal areas should remain deprived of their right to self-governance.”

The former president will also ask Nawaz Sharif to amend sub section (7) of Article 247 through parliament.

Under sub section (7) of Article 247, Fata does not come under the purview of the SC and high courts. The proposed amendment was meant to repeal sub section (7).

The Senate committee on law and justice had already approved a Constitutional Amendment Bill seeking amendment to Article 247 of the Constitution to extend the jurisdiction of the SC to tribal areas, besides unanimously adopting a resolution by the Senate on the same subject.

“As a first step, the PPP co-chairman will take up with the prime minister and other political parties, the Senate initiative and seek to develop consensus on extending jurisdiction of superior courts to tribal areas to protect fundamental rights of people,” the spokesman said.

He said Mr Zardari will tell Mr Sharif that the government alone could not make proposed amendment in parliament unless it had the support of other parliamentary parties.

“Mr Zardari will suggest Mr Nawaz to convene a meeting of all political parties for discussion of key national issues, including Fata reforms,” Mr Babar said.

Mr Zardari had held a meeting of all political parties on Wednesday, suggesting the government to allay concerns of political parties on mega development projects and other important issues like judicial reforms, NFC award, Council of Common Interests and Karachi operation.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar assured the meeting that Prime Minister Sharif would soon convene a meeting of all political parties and take them into confidence over the government’s stance on important matters.

Mr Zardari told the delegation that the PPP would seek help from other parties in order to launch a massive campaign for setting up local governments in tribal areas.

He said: “The door for reforms has been opened for the first time in a century by making changes in the Frontier Crimes Regulation, lifting ban on political activities in Fata and introducing judicial reforms by setting up Fata tribunals.” He also called for an early return of the internally-displaced persons to their homes.

He said the PPP initiative was opposed by some people under various pretexts. However, the party believes political reforms help strengthen security.

The multi-party Bajaur Political Alliance, led by its President Rahat Yousuf of PML-N, included former MNA Haroon Rashid of JI, Syed Badshah of PML-Q, Malik Ataullah of ANP, Guldad Khan of PTI and former MNA Akhunzada Chattan of PPP, besides presidents and general secretaries of the chapters of PPP in various tribal agencies.

Later Mr Zardari left for Karachi.

Published in Dawn, April 25th, 2015

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KARACHI: The director of The Second Floor (T2F), Sabeen Mahmud, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Karachi on Friday.

Sabeen, accompanied by her mother, left T2F after 9pm on Friday evening and was on her way home when she was shot by unidentified gunmen in Defence Phase-II, sources confirmed. She died on her way to the hospital. Doctors said they retrieved five bullets from her body, which has now been shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

Her mother also sustained bullet wounds and is currently being treated at a hospital; she is said to be in critical condition.

T2F had on Friday organised a talk on Balochistan: 'Unsilencing Balochistan Take 2: In Conversation with Mama Qadeer, Farzana Baloch & Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur.'

Read: T2F hosts the Balochistan discussion that others shy away from

Sabeen had left T2F after attending the session, when she was targeted.

T2F, described as a community space for open dialogue, was Sabeen's brainchild. In an interview with Aurora, she referred to it as “an inclusive space where different kinds of people can be comfortable.”

Sabeen Mahmud — a profile

Conceived as a bookstore and café patterned after the old coffeehouse culture of Lahore and Karachi, The Second Floor — or T2F, as everyone calls it — says on its website that it was born out of a desire to enact transformational change in urban Pakistani society.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement leader Nasreen Jalil, while talking to DawnNews, condemned Sabeen Mahmud's killing and demanded the government to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah, taking notice of the incident, has asked the Additional Inspector-General Karachi Police to submit a report on the brutal murder, DawnNews reported.

Condolences pour in

The reluctant non-conformist

Extracts from a profile published in Aurora Magazine

T2F Director Sabeen Mahmud never wanted to walk the off-beaten path; she simply walked, or actually ran full speed in the direction she wanted to. Never mind that everyone else seemed to be going in the opposite direction. She barely noticed. She was too busy running.

A rebel’s daughter who gave up a life of Tetris, Mac doodling and professional cricket (after three knee injuries) to start a NGO that promotes the arts, culture, science, technology, activism and advocacy… and she did it all just to make some new friends, and maybe start some interesting conversations. Six years and nearly 600 events later, T2F has to its credit national and international press coverage, countless donations and the kind of cult following typically reserved for rock bands. Mahmud doesn’t see that though.

“I didn’t think this is a big deal, this is just a small little community space.”

But that word ‘community’ still hits home.

“When people say… we really feel at home here… that has been like balloons and ice-cream, I have been living on that for the past six years.”

KARACHI: The funeral procession of prominent rights activist Sabeen Mahmud, who was shot dead a day earlier in Karachi, was held at The Second Floor (T2F) on Saturday at 3:30pm.

Read: Rights activist shot dead after seminar on Baloch issue

Sabeen was gunned down by unknown assailants in Karachi on Friday as she made her way home after hosting a seminar about human rights abuses in Balochistan, police had said.

Mahmud, who ran 'The Second Floor', a cafe that organises debates and art events, had just left the venue with her mother when her car was attacked by gunmen in Karachi's Defence neighbourhood.

Mahmud was hit by five bullets and died at the scene, police said. Her mother was critically injured and was shifted to a hospital where her condition is now reported to be out of danger.

In accordance with her mother's wishes, her funeral was held at T2F, a place which was her labour of love.

The funeral prayers took place at 5.15pm at Masjid-e-Mustafa, next to Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Office, Phase 1.

Shortly before her brutal killing, Mahmud had hosted a seminar about rights abuses in restive Balochistan titled “Un-silencing Balochistan Take 2”, featuring two prominent Baloch rights activists, Mama Abdul Qadeer and Farzana Baloch, among other speakers.

Qadeer and Baloch were meant to speak at another seminar, called “Un-silencing Baluchistan”, at the prestigious Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) about two weeks ago, but it was later "cancelled on the orders of the government".

Take a look: Outcry on social media as LUMS cancels talk featuring Mama Qadeer

ILF to pay tribute to Mahmud

The Islamabad Literary Festival is expected to pay a tribute to Mahmud at 3:45pm today in Sangam Hall, Hotel Margala, ‪‎Islamabad, said a post on the official Facebook page. ‬

US condemns Sabeen's murder

The United States has condemned the murder of human rights activist Sabeen Mahmud.

"We strongly condemn the murder of Sabeen Mahmud and the wounding of her mother," a US embassy spokesperson said in Islamabad.

"We extend our deepest condolences to her loved ones and our wishes for her mother's full and speedy recovery," the spokesperson said.

She said Sabeen was a courageous voice of the Pakistani people and her death represents a great loss. ‏

With additional reporting from Mateen Haider in Islamabad

LAHORE: Two students were injured when student groups clashed near Chauburji on Saturday.

Lytton Road SHO Asif Zulfiqar told Dawn that two student groups from Government Quarters High school Chauburji had a brawl over admission issues.

He added that after the clash, shots were fired by outsiders, which resulted in two students being injured.

The wounded were shifted to Mayo Hospital where their condition was said to be out of danger.

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Local government (LG) elections in 42 of the 43 cantonments across the country took place on Saturday after a long interval of 17 years.

Police, assisted by paramilitary forces, had made foolproof security arrangements across the country for holding Cantonment boards' elections and polling was conducted in peaceful environment.

In Lahore, about 5,000 policemen were deployed in all polling stations in the provincial metropolis to maintain law and order.

CCPO Capt (R) Amin Vains himself supervised security arrangements. He along with senior officers visited various polling stations to check arrangements.

Over 1,800,000 voters were expected to exercise their voting rights in the cantonments from 9 am to 5 pm.

Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique said that the PML-N would clean sweep the LG election in all the cantonment boards of the country.

Talking to the media after casting his vote at a polling station in DHA Lahore, he said this time also, people would endorse the mandate given to the N-League in the general election 2013.

According to reports, a low voter turnout was witnessed during the first four hours of polling process which started at 9 am. However, the turnout considerably increased in the later part of the day.

Some 12,400 personnel of the paramilitary force Rangers and Army had been deployed at the polling stations for security. Voters were not allowed to carry cellphones inside polling stations.

Several candidates belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) have been declared winners unopposed.

According to data released by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), 1,151 candidates are in the run – with 541 affiliated with political parties and 610 independents.

Eighteen parties have fielded their candidates, but only nine of them have fielded more than five candidates. Only three parties have fielded their candidates in all four provinces.

The PTI had fielded 137 candidates — 93 in Punjab, 22 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 18 in Sindh and four in Balochistan. The PML-N has 128 candidates – 99 in Punjab, 13 in KP, 12 in Sindh and four in Balochistan.

The PPP had fielded 89 candidates — 58 in Punjab, 22 in Sindh, eight in KP and one in Balochistan. The number of candidates fielded by Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) is 74 — 41 in Punjab, 28 in Sindh and seven in KP.

Twenty-seven candidates have contested on Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) tickets — 23 in Punjab, three in Sindh and one in KP. The MQM had fielded 27 candidates, all in Sindh. The Awami National Party has contested on 13 seats in KP and Awami Muslim League fought for seven seats in Punjab.

The 42 cantonments were divided into 199 wards and 1,225 polling stations were set up, of them 310 declared as sensitive and 130 highly sensitive. Of the 924 polling stations in Punjab, 193 were declared sensitive and 102 highly sensitive.

The Election Commission had already issued code of conduct for the candidates and their supporters for ensuring free and fair elections. It had prohibited the setting up of parties' election camps or affixing their flags, posters and banners within 100 metrrs of the polling stations.

Military personnel and policemen were patrolling the cantonment areas as part of security arrangement to avert any untoward incident on the polling day.

In Dec 2013, a bill had been introduced in the National Assembly to make representation of the elected members in cantonment areas more meaningful, but it could not be adopted and was finally withdrawn on March 6 this year – the day when a diluted version was made to become law through promulgation of an ordinance.

The ordinance empowered the ECP to hold elections in cantonments, but did not change the composition of the boards where military authorities dominate the elected civilian members.

The elections are now taking place under a slightly amended version of the Cantonment Ordinance 2002, introduced by former military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf.

The dilly-dallying of the government in holding LG polls despite a gap of several years earlier evoked Supreme Court's ire.

The court deplored that the local government elections in the cantonment areas had not been held since 1998 when the holding of polls had been mandated by the Constitution in terms of Article 140A as required by the Principles of Policy enshrined in the Constitution in Article 32.

Read: SC dismayed over attempts to prolong holding of LG polls in cantonment areas

On March 19 last year, the apex court had issued a judgment empowering the ECP to complete the legislative process within five months and then hold the elections by Nov 15, 2014.

Balochistan was the only province which conducted the elections within the deadline.

After rejecting the schedule for holding LG polls in Punjab and Sindh in three phases, the Supreme Court had approved April 25 (today) as the day for holding LG elections.

Sindh

A total of 82 candidates are contesting for Karachi's Clifton Cantonment Board. Of those, 40 belong to political parties while 42 are independent candidates.

29 polling stations across the city have been declares sensitive.

Out of the 10 wards in Hyderabad, MQM candidates have been declared winners unopposed in two.

Punjab

Over 200 candidates are in the run for the Lahore Cantonment Board elections.

The cantonment board has been divided into 20 wards which includes Walton, Defence, Cantt Saddar, Mian Mir Colony, Qainchi and other areas.

Out of the 10 wards in Multan, PTI candidates have been declared winners in two and a PML-N candidate in one.

An independent candidate has been declared winner unopposed in Mangla Cantonment.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

153 candidates are contesting for LG polls in 31 wards across KP.

All polling stations in Peshawar have been declared sensitive.

Balochistan

41 candidates are in the run for seven positions in cantonment boards in Balochistan.

33 candidates are contesting for five seats in Quetta while eight candidates are in the run for two seats in Loralai.

Candidates contesting for the two seats in Zhob cantonment boards have both been declared winners unopposed.

KATHMANDU: The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck Nepal on Saturday has risen to 688, a senior home ministry official told Reuters, with 181 people killed in the capital Kathmandu.

The quake measuring 7.9 is the strongest to hit the country in 81 years.

Officials said an avalanche had buried parts of Mount Everest's base camp in Nepal where hundreds of mountaineers have gathered at the start of the annual climbing season.

“An avalanche from Mt. Pumori has hit the base camp, burying a part of it, “Gyanendra Kumar Shrestha, an official in Nepal's tourism department, told AFP.

“We are trying to assess how many are injured. There might be over 1,000 people there right now, including foreign climbers and Nepalese supporting staff."

AFP Nepal bureau chief Ammu Kannampilly, on an assignment to Everest, was among those caught up in the chaos and reported that snowfall meant it was impossible for helicopters to reach the area.

Two experienced mountaineers said that panic erupted at base camp which was full of climbing teams and had been “severely damaged”, while one said the quake triggered a “huge avalanche”.

Historic tower collapses

The worst damage was reported in Kathmandu, where the historic nine-storey Dharahara tower, a major tourist attraction, was among the buildings to have been brought down.

At least a dozen bodies were taken away from the ruins of the 19th century tower, according to an AFP photographer who saw similar scenes of multiple casualties in other parts of the city.

While contact with Nepal was sporadic, a senior Nepalese diplomat warned that the final toll could run into many hundreds.

“We have received reports that there is a big loss of property and life in Nepal,” Krishna Prasad Dhakal, the deputy chief of mission at Nepal's Embassy in New Delhi, told AFP.

“Possibly hundreds of people have died in various parts of the country, particularly in Kathmandu and Pokhara."

At least 26 people were known to have died in India, including 17 in the eastern state of Bihar, while buildings in the capital New Delhi had to be evacuated.

The United States Geological Survey and India's meteorological service said the shallow quake struck 77 kilometres (48 miles) northwest of Kathmandu at 0611 GMT, with walls crumbling and families racing outside their homes.

“The walls of houses have collapsed around me onto the road. All the families are outside in their yards huddled together,” an AFP reporter said in Kathmandu.

Another resident recounted scenes of panic and mayhem.

“Everything started shaking. Everything fell down. The walls around the main road have collapsed. The national stadium's gates have collapsed,” Anupa Shrestha said.

The quake tore through the middle of highways in the capital and also caused damage to the country's only international airport which was briefly closed.

Kari Cuelenaere, an official at the Dutch embassy, said the impact had swept the water out of a swimming pool at a Kathmandu hotel where Dutch national day was being celebrated.

“It was horrible, all of a sudden all the water came up out of the pool and drenched everyone, the children started screaming,” Cuelenaere told AFP. “Some parts of the city fell down, there was dust rising... There were many (rescue) helicopters.

Aftershock tremors could be felt more than two hours after the initial quake.

Initially measured at 7.5 magnitude, the quake was later adjusted to 7.8, with a depth of 15 kilometres, the USGS said. It hit 73 kilometres east of the tourist town of Pokhara.

US sending disaster response team

The United States is sending a disaster response team to earthquake-hit Nepal and has authorised an initial $1 million to address immediate needs, the US Agency for International Development said Saturday.

The agency “is launching a DART team to respond to the #NepalQuake and has authorised an initial $1m to address immediate needs,” the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance chief Jeremy Konyndyk said on Twitter.

Quake triggers Everest avalanche

An Indian army mountaineering team found 18 bodies on Mount Everest on Saturday, an army spokesman said, after a huge earthquake in Nepal unleashed an avalanche on the mountain at the start of the main climbing season.

Nepal's Tourism Ministry could only confirm 10 deaths, but spokesman Gyanendra Shrestha said that the death toll could rise, and that the avalanche had buried part of the base camp. He said two tents at the camp had been filled with the injured.

Ministry officials estimated that at least 1,000 climbers, including about 400 foreigners, had been at base camp or on Everest when the earthquake struck.

Tremors felt across region

Witnesses and media reports said the tremors lasted between 30 seconds and two minutes.

“We are in the process of finding more information and are working to reach out to those affected, both at home and in Nepal,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet.

The AFP office in Delhi was evacuated twice following the quake.

China's official Xinhua news agency said that two people, including an 83-year-old woman, were killed in the Tibet region as a result of the quake.

The earthquake was also felt across large areas of Bangladesh, triggering panic in the capital Dhaka as people rushed out onto the streets.

In the garment manufacturing hub of Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, at least 50 workers were injured after the quake set off a stampede in a garment factory, according to the private Jamuna television.

The area has a history of earthquakes, with a 6.8 magnitude quake that hit eastern Nepal in August 1988 killing 721 people.

A magnitude 8.1 quake killed 10,700 people in Nepal and eastern India in 1934.

Pakistan offers assistance to Nepal and India

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who is in London on an official visit, has expressed his "deep shock on the reports of a massive earthquake that has caused devastation in Nepal and Northern India this morning", said a statement issued by the foreign office.

The statement also said, "the Government of Pakistan and its people extend their heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the governments and the peoples of Nepal and India on the tragedy that has caused loss of precious lives and properties".

According to the statement, the government of Pakistan has instructed its missions in the two countries to approach their respective host governments to ascertain the damages caused and the requirement of relief assistance.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) of Pakistan has been readied to take the relief assistance at a short notice, the statement said.

— With additional reporting from Irfan Haider in Islamabad.