Laws Made by Parliament

The Express Tribune > Business Pakistan Airways’ registration clouded in confusion By Shahbaz Rana Published: February 23, 2016 106 SHARES Share Tweet Email The company has been incorporated as a new entity under the Companies Ordinance of 1984. PHOTO: FILE The company has been incorporated as a new entity under the Companies Ordinance of 1984. PHOTO: FILE ISLAMABAD: In what appears to be a dubious move, the government last week registered Pakistan Airways Limited (PAL) as a new company with an authorised capital of Rs100 billion and without taking all key stakeholders on board. The situation is so uncertain that three divisions of the federal government are unaware of PAL’s purpose when the Senate is discussing the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC) Amendment Bill, insiders told The Express Tribune. Pakistan Airways registered as PIA subsidiary Interestingly, two of the divisions were involved in PAL’s registration while the third, which was supposed to be taken into confidence on the issue, was left out. “PIA’s premium service subsidiary was registered by the name of Pakistan Airways to improve the service standard and image of the national airline,” PIA spokesperson Danyal Gilani announced Saturday night. However, Gilani was contradicted by the spokesperson for the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), who said PAL was not a subsidiary of the PIAC. The company has been incorporated as a new entity under the Companies Ordinance of 1984. The financial adviser hired for PIA’s privatisation and the ministerial Law Review Committee are also of the opinion that without amending the PIA Act of 1956, neither a subsidiary could be formed nor could the airline be privatised, said the sources. The government has moved the bill in parliament to amend the law because of this reason. The administration’s latest move has raised more questions about its intentions regarding privatisation of the national flag-carrier, a commitment for which it has made with the International Monetary Fund. The Pakistan Peoples Party submitted on Monday a calling attention notice in the National Assembly, seeking the government’s explanation regarding the new company. “Launch of the new public airline is a source of grave concern,” reads the notice, “and this move is highly condemnable as parliament and the people have deliberately been kept in complete darkness about this action.” So far it is unclear if PAL will be the new national airline or if the PIAC’s international routes will be shared with the new company, said a finance ministry official. Aviation Division spokesperson Sher Ali said PAL was a PIA subject and no comment could be offered at this stage about the new company’s status. Under the privatisation ordinance, administrative and policy decisions about an entity that is on the privatisation list have to be taken by the Privatisation Commission. However, the government completely ignored the body in PAL’s case, claimed the insiders. Three days after forming the company, they added, the finance ministry contacted the Privatisation Commission on Monday, asking it how PAL could be used for selling the PIAC’s stakes. What is PAL? PAL was established on February 19 and is owned by the government through the finance ministry, according to the SECP. Its first subscribers are Finance Secretary Dr Waqar Masood, Aviation Division Secretary Muhammad Irfan Ilahi and Finance Ministry’s Additional Secretary (Corporate) Noor Ahmad. The objectives of setting up the company have been stated as “to carry on business as an airline and air transport undertaking and to provide air transport services and services allied thereto and to carry out all other forms of aerial work, whether on charter terms or otherwise”. Govt will bring PIA at par with Qatar Airways, says PM Nawaz The second objective is “to carry on and operate air transport service or any flight by aircraft for transport of passengers’ goods of all kinds and cargo for commercial or other purposes and to carry out all forms of aerial work”. Thirdly, “to buy, own, maintain, run, sell, exchange aircraft for the transportation of passengers and cargo” and, lastly, to establish, manage and operate airline, air transportation or such business for any other country, state or agency. Published in The Express Tribune, February 23rd, 2016.

Live updates: Lahore airport in lockdown as govt-Qadri stalemate continues

Anti-government cleric returns to Pakistan, supporters clash with police Mon, Jun 23 07:00 AM EDT image 1 of 2 By Katharine Houreld and Mubasher Bukhari LAHORE Pakistan (Reuters) - A prominent cleric returned to Pakistan on Monday to lead what he calls a peaceful revolution against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as his supporters fought pitched battles with police firing tear gas in the capital Islamabad. Tahirul Qadri, a Pakistani preacher turned political activist who lives in Canada, is a divisive figure in Pakistan, where he made headlines last year by leading mass rallies against the previous government. As a plane carrying Qadri approached Benazir Bhutto International Airport near Islamabad, violence broke out on the ground as police fired tear gas at 2,000 of his supporters in chaotic scenes rarely seen in the orderly capital. The authorities, fearing an escalation of unrest, diverted the commercial flight to the eastern city of Lahore. "We want no corruption, we want no terrorism in our country," Qadri told Reuters aboard the plane. "We want total transparency of institutions." Qadri's sudden ascent to prominence has prompted speculation that the army, which ruled Pakistan for decades, may be using him as a proxy in efforts to sideline the civilian government. His comeback comes at an uneasy time for Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, whose civilian government has failed to engage Taliban militants in peace talks, prompting the army to launch a major offensive against the militants. Even after the aircraft landed in Lahore, Qadri and his supporters refused to leave the plane for hours, demanding it fly back to Islamabad or for the army to send a representative to protect him. He eventually disembarked and was escorted to his residence in Lahore, his main base in the country. Outside Lahore airport, about 1,000 supporters held a peaceful rally shouting "Long live Qadri". Qadri's spokesman, Shahid Mursaleen, said he wanted to stage an Arab spring-style revolt and install a government that would enforce reform, tackle terrorism and improve accountability. "He wants to bring a peaceful democratic revolution," Mursaleen told Reuters. "He wants to topple the whole system." ARMY'S BACKING It is hard to estimate Qadri's popularity in a country with few reliable opinion polls, but his sympathy for the army could catapult him to the centre of a brewing protest movement. Discontent with the government is already high due to power shortages that have crippled the economy as well as a persistent Taliban insurgency which stages attacks around the country. Reflecting the government's anxiety, police had placed cargo containers along major roads to restrict access to Islamabad airport and blocked mobile phone services to disrupt communication between the demonstrators. At least eight people, including a policeman, were killed in Lahore last week when protesters clashed with police in a standoff over Qadri. "Long live the army!" and "Revolution will come!" chanted his supporters, who had gathered outside the airport in the military garrison city of Rawalpindi near Islamabad. "We just want to give a peaceful welcome to our leader, but they (government) pounded us with heavy tear gas," said one protester, Tajamul Hussain, in his early 20s. "Their days are numbered, God willing, Doctor Qadri will bring revolution to Pakistan. (Writing by Maria Golovnina; additional reporting by Syed Raza Hassan in Islamabad; Editing by Ron Popeski) ====================== Emirates Airlines has imposed a lifetime travel ban on Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri and is also considering initiating legal proceedings against him for keeping the aircraft ‘hostage’ for several hours at Lahore airport after the flight was diverted by the Pakistani government to Lahore from Islamabad over security concerns, a private news channel has reported. According to the channel, the airliner was forced to take the decision after Qadri refused to get off the aircraft in Lahore and also barred other passengers from disembarking until he negotiated a deal with the provincial authorities. The airliner believes that this act of Qadri was tantamount to hijacking therefore it was mulling legal options. =============================== LAHORE: The Emirates airline plans to file a suit over the damages caused to its reputation by the enforced diversion of its plane carrying Dr Tahirul Qadri on Monday. Official sources told Dawn that the airline had told the Civil Aviation Authority that it had been upset by the diversion of its flight EK-612 Dubai-Islamabad to Lahore, causing a great deal of inconvenience to passengers on the plane and those waiting at the airport to fly to Dubai. The plane was scheduled to reach Islamabad at 8am on Monday and return to Dubai at 9.30am after picking passengers. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Related: Plane diversion was Rafiq's idea -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But the government did not allow the aircraft to land at Islamabad to foil Dr Qadri’s plan to go to Lahore by road to demonstrate his political strength. “The Emirates pilots were shocked to receive the ‘order’ to take the plane to Lahore because there was no issue of weather or airport occupancy,” sources said. Because of the diversion of the plane, it missed its scheduled departure to Dubai from Islamabad. After it left for Islamabad in the evening, the Emirates administration informed the CAA that it intended to file for damages. The sources said the airline was also considering to “blacklist” Dr Qadri. “An airliner blacklists a person who puts the lives of other passengers in jeopardy or causes them inconvenience by his action,” a CAA official said. The PIA blacklisted some 10 people for their behaviour leading to diversion of its flight from Manchester to Stansted Airport last year. The official said he believed that the Emirates would not consider suspending its flight operation to Pakistan because it had good business here. However,

CAA spokesperson Abid Kaimkhani said he was not aware of any warning by the Emirates. “The airline might have contacted the local (Lahore-based) administration of the CAA. But I have no knowledge of it,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2014 =================================== Plane diversion was Rafiq’s idea By Mohammad Asghar Published about 4 hours ago The plan to divert Tahirul Qadri's plane to Lahore was suggested by Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Dawn has learnt.—File Photo RAWALPINDI: Initially the government had two options to get Dr Tahirul Qadri to Lahore once he had arrived at Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA) on Monday morning – either use a Fokker ATR27 aeroplane to airlift him to Lahore or a helicopter of the Punjab government. However, both these options were ignored when Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq suggested that the flight not be allowed to land at BBIA and be diverted to Lahore, sources said. However, before Rafiq’s suggestion was made and accepted, as many as 175 Elite Force commandoes along with 17 female commandos in plainclothes were brought to the airport at around 3am on Monday. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Related: Qadri threatens to topple govt, vows to lead 'revolution' -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Elite Force, which was formed in 1997-98 by then chief minister Punjab Mian Shahbaz Sharif, was led by DSP Rana Shahid and DSP Raja Taifoor. They took positions on the apron of the airport (where the Emirates flight was to land); the Fokker and the helicopter were also parked nearby. According to a security official, the Fokker ATR27 was to be used if Dr Qadri agreed to be transported to Lahore but if he resisted then the plan was to bundle him on to the helicopter. The Pakistan International Airlines Fokker, which was to be used for airlifting Dr Qadri to Lahore, was scheduled to fly to Skardu on Monday but the flight was cancelled to free the aircraft.

“In case he did not agree, Dr Qadri was to be picked up by the Elite Force commandos and put in the helicopter,” a security official revealed on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to talk to the media.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Also read: Qadri, 1,300 supporters booked on terror charges -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- But as is now well known, this plan was changed at the last moment. Commissioner Rawalpindi division and Regional Police Officer were both present at the airport to monitor the situation. Dawn has learnt that the railways minister suggested the diversion plan. As a result, the pilot was not given clearance for landing at BBIA; PML-Q leaders and the PAT workers waiting for Dr Qadri were not aware of what was happening till 8.50am when the flight’s diversion to Lahore was announced. In the meantime, the aircraft remained in the air. Once it was told to fly to Lahore, the airport authorities said that the plane was diverted for security concerns. Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2014 ============================================================ Live updates: Lahore airport in lockdown as govt-Qadri stalemate continues Averting a standoff: Volatile security situation forced diversion By Irfan Ghauri Published: June 24, 2014 “If the government had any plan to divert the plane to Lahore, we would have conveyed it to the pilot soon after the aircraft entered Pakistani airspace,” a top government official told The Express Tribune. PHOTO: EXPRESS ISLAMABAD: Authorities in the federal capital decided at the last minute to divert the Emirates flight carrying Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri from Islamabad to Lahore due to the fragile security situation on the ground, government sources have revealed. The initial plan, according to these sources, incorporated two or three different options, none of which called for diverting the plane to Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport. “If the government had any plan to divert the plane to Lahore, we would have conveyed it to the pilot soon after the aircraft entered Pakistani airspace,” a top government official told The Express Tribune. “The plane circled eight times around Islamabad airport before it was diverted to Lahore,” he said. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, who was supervising security, took the decision after assessing the situation and conveyed it to the aviation authorities, added the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The government’s initial plan called for airlifting Qadri to Lahore using a helicopter or small plane as soon as his flight landed at Benazir International Airport. Police was tasked with keeping protesters at least a few miles away from the airport area. They were instructed, however, to not use tear gas or batons on protesters. But the plans came unstuck when PAT activists broke through all security barriers, reaching just outside the airport building. This left no other barrier between protesters and the airport building in the event the situation worsened, save for a few dozen Rangers and Airport Security Force (ASF) officials guarding the other side of the steel fence that serves as the airport’s boundary wall. The retreating policemen were engaged in skirmishes with PAT activists on the other end of the road instead of serving as a barrier before the airport building. There was a possibility that the protesters would resort to violence once Qadri was airlifted from the airport, prompting security personnel to open fire, government sources said. The incident not only earned the country a bad name, but also caused financial loss to the Emirates Airline, whose flight schedule was disturbed. When Qadri refused to come out of the plane in Lahore, leaving the aircraft stranded, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif instructed aviation adviser Shujaat Azeem to contact the administration of Emirates Airline. Azeem offered to send the passengers stranded in Lahore and Islamabad to Dubai using a PIA plane, but Emirates declined it and informed Pakistani authorities that it was sending another aircraft to replace the crew of flight EK-612. According to international aviation rules, a pilot cannot fly for more than eight hours on a trip. As EK-612 was stuck at Lahore airport for almost 12 hours, that duration was already consumed. The flight took off from Lahore airport in the evening and reached Islamabad at 10:40pm. Some media reports suggested Emirates could blacklist Qadri and bar him from using the airline in the future. This could not be confirmed, though. Published in The Express Tribune, June 24th, 2014. By Web Desk / Anwar Sumra / Akbar Bajwa Published: June 23, 2014 Express News of Tahirul Qadri in his plane. PAT supporters hold up banners and chant slogans outside the airport. PHOTO: REUTERS Express News screengrab of Tahirul Qadri in his plane. Express News screengrab of PAT supporters at Lahore airport. Express News screengrab of the clashes. Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Tahirul Qadri. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE . ISLAMABAD / LAHORE / RAWALPINDI / KARACHI: A sense of anticipation hangs over the capital as cleric-cum-political leader Tahirul Qadri lands back in Pakistan to throw up one of the bigger political challenges to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) year-old government. As supporters of PAT chief Tahirul Qadri fervently wait for their leader to kickoff his movement against the ruling government, a sense of anxiety and uncertainty has enveloped the country. Major roads have been blocked off and security has been tightened in Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Earlier this week, at least ten people were killed and scores injured in Lahore when violent clashes erupted between the police and followers of Qadri – the deadliest political confrontation in Lahore since emergency rule was imposed by General Musharraf in 2007. As Qadri plans to go head-to-head with the government for a second time, get all the updates here. All stories relating to Qadri’s rally can also be found on this trend page as well. [Read: AFP version and Reuters version of the clashes that took place today] ============= government and will only let my personal guard come close to me.” Qadri also says media vans should also be allowed to go with him. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 1:00pm Jamaat-e-Islaami leader Sirajul Haq says “the world would have not ended if the plane was allowed to land in Islamabad.” “The government is making mistakes by mishandling the situation and only strengthening Qadri’s movement.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ===================================================== June 23, 12:55pm CAA spokesperson says they want to resolve the matter as soon as possible. “We are in talks with the government,” he says. CAA denies that Emirates had made any request to the aviation authority. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:51pm Punjab Law Minister Rana Mashood says Qadri should act responsibly. “PAT supporters attacking Islamabad police reflect the ideas they believe in,” adds Mashood. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:49pm Express News reports that Qadri is consulting PML-Q Punjab president Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and AML chief Sheikh Rasheed regarding the issue. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:46pm Express News reports that the government has tried to contact Qadri and offered to take him to his house. Government has offered to provide Qadri with a helicopter and bullet-proof vehicle. Qadri has refused all the offers made by the government. An MQM delegation has entered the plane to meet Qadri. Express News screengrab of Qadri’s plane. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:43pm PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, while speaking to Express News, says it is regrettable how government handled the situation. “On top of that, the government is not even admitting its mistakes,” Kaira adds. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:32pm PML-N leader Mian Javed Latif says Qadri is bent upon creating disturbance in the country. He questions why PAT supporters are present at the airport armed with sticks if they are peaceful. “If Qadri talks about changing the system, why was he part of this system in 2002,” adds Latif. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:24pm According to Express News, Emirates administration wants the plane to be evacuated immediately. The airline officials have contacted DG Civil Aviation Authority and state advisor for aviation. Administration of the airline says the plane has to proceed to the next destination. Emirates says the aircraft needs to fly back to Dubai and continue with its routine flights. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:23pm Express News reports that PAT supporters are present inside Lahore airport’s passenger lounge. Airport Security Force did not stop the supporter from entering the lounge because they were in large number. The security around the airport has been beefed up. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 12:12pm PPP senior leader Aitzaz Ahsan, while speaking to Express News, says Qadri might lose support because he is inside Emirates plane and that the government has no control over the international aircraft. Ahsan says Qadri should not be stubborn and make a compromise to resolve the deadlock. Express News anchorperson Javed Chaudhry says Emirates has contacted the government over this issue. The PPP leader says government has overplayed the situation and given advantage to Qadri. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:56am Express News correspondent Talib Faridi reports that Qadri has refused to listen to the government. PML-N leader Raja Zafarul Haq assures Qadri that he will provide security to him and make sure he reaches his home safely. However, Qadri refuses to accept his offer and says his plane should be taken back. “Even if I decide to get off the plane, I will leave via the main exit and not old or Hajj terminals.” Qadri expresses fear he will be detained as soon as he disembarks the plane. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:51am Our correspondent Akbar Bajwa reports more than 150 police officials in civvies have been deployed at the Lahore airport, a police official told The Express Tribune. Elite police commandos are also present at the airport. Acting CCPO Lahore Zulfiqar Hameed, along with DCO Lahore Capt (retd) Usman have arrived at the airport as well. The acting CCPO is directly monitoring the police deployment in the airport, as well as the city. Express News screengrab of Qadri supporters (L) and police (R) in Lahore. Cellular services have also been suspended in several parts of the city, including the airport. Two rescue vehicles have been placed at and kept on alert at the airport. Dozens of PAT activists have thronged the international terminal of the Lahore airport. SP Traffic Azhar Gujjer has also arrived at the airport, while extra traffic wardens have also been deployed. Hundreds of policemen have been deployed near the Pakistan Awami Tehreek secretariat, where arrangements for a makeshift helipad are underway. Reporters are not allowed to enter the airport premises while their vehicles have been forced out of the airport parking. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:50am The Lahore police had chalked out different security plans for Dr Qadri’s arrival. According to a source, if the PAT chief were to arrive in Lahore from Islamabad through the GT road, 12, 000 police personnel would have been deployed for Qadri’s security all the way from Imamia colony till his residence, while 500 traffic wardens would look after the route. However, the policemen have now been deployed along the route from the Lahore airport to the PAT secretariat in Model Town. According to the plan, containers will be placed near the Punjab assembly, outside the CCPO office and the Governor House on Monday. In a meeting on Sunday, IGP Mushtaq Sukhera directed senior police officials to ensure that policemen deployed at the PAT rally carry rubber bullets and not open fire under any circumstances and should wait for orders from senior officials. An SP in the city, who attended the meeting, said that the IGP also directed policemen to maintain a distance from the rally. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:47am Express News reports a four-member government negotiation team has entered the plane to talk to Qadri. Seven passengers have been escorted out of the plane and brought to the waiting lounge. Express News reports that PML-N leader Raja Zafarul Haq fails to convince Qadri. Qadri also refuses to hand his passport to immigration officials. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:27am Express News reports that PAT supporters have also gathered at Karachi’s Numaish Chowrangi. This is one of the busiest thoroughfares of the city. Express News screengrab of PAT supporters at Numaish Chowrangi in Karachi. Men, women and children are chanting slogans against the government. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:21am Speaking to Express News, Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed says the government is repeating its past mistake and will face consequences. He says “Qadri’s movement has caught momentum and will only grow further.” “According to my information, government is well aware of the threats faced by Qadri but they are only creating chaos instead of handling the situation sensibly.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:18am Express News anchor Shahzeb Khanzada said on twitter: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:07am Express News correspondent Mian Aslam reports that groups of PAT supporters have arrived at Lahore airport and are staging a sit-in at the airport’s departure area. Carrying party flags, the supporters say they are here to welcome their leader. The supporters have not faced any resistance so far by the police. Aslam reports that senior PAT leadership is also present with the supporters and are meeting airport officials and inquiring about the situation. Aslam reports the number of supporters continues to increase as more and more PAT workers arrive at the airport. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:06am Radio Pakistan tweeted: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 11:01am Railway Minister Rafique says “the government has never stopped its opposition from protesting or staging dharnas.” However, he adds, opponents should not provoke its supporters to violence. When asked whether the government will use force to bring Qadri out of the plane or not, Rafique says “that is what Qadri wants the government to do but it will not use force.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:58am Railway Minister Rafique says Qadri has hijacked the plane and not allowing passengers to get out. Calling him a conspirator, Rafique says Qadri just wants to create agitation. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:57am Railway Minister Saad Rafique says the army is busy fighting a war against terrorists and Qadri is trying to divert the nation’s attention away from the operation. “I wonder someone who has issued fatwas against terrorists is doing such a thing.” Rafique says he was not allowed to land in Islamabad only after hundreds of his supporters, armed with sticks, gathered outside the airport. “We feared the situation might get out of control.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:55am Our correspondent Anwer Sumra reports that police force has been deployed at the airport and surrounding areas. A contingent of the elite force has also been deployed on the road leading to the airport. CCPO Lahore Zulfikar Hamid is personally supervising police force at the airport. Special commandos have been deployed around the Emirates aircraft carrying Qadri. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:52am A spokesperson for Civil Aviation Authority tells AFP Qadri’s flight has been diverted to Lahore “to ensure the safety of the passengers and aircraft”. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:48am Pakistan Muslim League – Quaid (PML-Q) leader Pervaiz Elahi, while speaking to Express News, says the government is repeating the October 12, 1999 history. “PM Nawaz is again manipulating the landing of a plane.” PML-Q leader Elahi says army has been called to only resolve the current situation and nothing else. He says “Qadri doesn’t trust anyone and is concerned about the safety of his supporters.” The PML-Q leader adds there is no shame in calling army for assistance. He says the government calls Rangers when it thinks police need support and so it should request army to assist Qadri. He adds “the movement for revolution has started and that it cannot be stopped.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:44am Punjab Law Minister Rana Mashood has said that workers of Pakistan Awami Tehreek have not been arrested anywhere in Punjab, Radio Pakistan reports. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:42am Qadri accuses Sharif brothers of plotting against him. “There are hundreds of Gullu Butts in police force and we fear them,” says Qadri. Qadri tells Express News again that he has not been contacted by anyone so far for negotiation. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:40am Benazir Bhutto International Airport is live again after temporary suspension of flight operations. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:38am Qadri says the PML-N government has held the entire country hostage. “I will not board any plane provided by the government, I want a helicopter provided by the army,” he demands. “I’m requesting the army and I know they are listening,” he tells Express News. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:36am Qadri tells his supporters to stay where they are and remain peaceful. “I emphasise that there should be no violence; we will fight these political terrorists with peace.” “Nawaz has hijacked this plane and I will file a case against him and his brother Shahbaz Sharif,” the PAT cheif says while speaking to Express News. Qadri says “if corps commander comes and provides security, I won’t stay inside the plane even for a second.” Army has been called in multiple times in Karachi and Hyderabad, Qadri says. “The armed forces have intervened many times in the past and it should come to help us,” Qadri remarks. “We are not calling the army for martial law but our security,” the party chief further says. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:31am The PAT chief says, “the government has diverted so many passengers to a different city without their permission.” “Passengers who want to disembark are free to leave the plane, however, those refusing to get off are doing it according to their own will,” he states. On government’s claim that Qadri’s life is under threat in Islamabad, Qadri says his life is under a greater threat in Lahore than the federal capital. He says “the government is acting hysterically and stopping me from landing in Islamabad because they fear me.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:24am Qadri, from his plane, says “whoever comes to meet me will first have to negotiate with me.” “The Sharif government is a murderous state. They have killed many of our supporters. We have confirmed reports they have hired terrorists to carry out attacks on their opponents.” “How can we negotiate with those who support terrorists,” he adds. “I only trust the army; their high officials should come and escort us safely to our home.” “We will sit here until or unless army officials come here and assure us of our safety,” Qadri demands. He says he has not been contacted yet by government or army officials. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:16am Our reporter Abdul Manan who is at the Minhajul Quran Secretariat in Lahore, reports that mobile jammers have been installed and there is moderate security there. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:14am Rashid says the act of PAT supporters blocking the plane exits is technically hijacking the plane. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:12am According to Express News anchorperson Imran Khan, PAT supporters are standing at the exits of the plane and are insisting they want to go to Islamabad and not Lahore. Express News reports that 90 percent of the passengers in the plane are Qadri supporters. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:10am Minister of Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique in a text message to Express News anchorperson Javed Chaudhry says the government has not arrested Qadri and that he is free to go home. Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, while speaking to Express News, says Qadri is a free man and he is free to go his home. He, however, adds that the plane was diverted to Lahore because that is where his house and office are. He further states the plane was diverted to ensure Qadri’s safety. “The government has never stopped any politician from their work; we have never stopped Sheikh Rasheed or Imran Khan, so why will we stop Qadri,” he says. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:08am ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:06am Qadri has refused to talk to or negotiate with any government official, adding that he will only speak to a member of the armed forces. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 10:04am Our correspondent Anwar Sumra, who is at the Lahore airport, is reporting that passengers on board the plane have protested against the diversion and demanded the plane be taken to Islamabad. Qadri has asked why the armed forces are remaining silent on ‘state terrorism’ being carried out by the government. He claimed that the government has deployed terrorists in police uniforms at the airport. “I cannot negotiate with the government because I don’t trust them. I would like the armed forces, such as the Corps Commander to intervene to ensure my security and negotiate with me.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 9:48am According to Minjahul Quran spokesperson, Qadri has refused to get off from the plane. He wanted to come from Islamabad to Lahore peacefully, he added. Commandos have surrounded Qadri’s plane. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 9:36am Qadri’s plane has landed at Lahore airport, Express News reported. Around 150 to 200 policemen have been deployed in civilian clothes at the airport. PAT supporters have not reached Lahore airport as of yet. Two helipads were made on orders of the district coordination officer, one in the city’s Model Town and the other in Punjab University. A helicopter is also at the airport. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 9:32am ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 9:14am The official airport website had said that the plane has landed in Islamabad. However, it has transpired that Qadri’s plane has been diverted to Lahore, according to Emirates website. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 8:52am Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has categorically stated that no one will be allowed to march on Islamabad in the guise of holding demonstrations or sit-ins, Radio Pakistan reported. In a statement issued in Islamabad, Nisar said that it is responsibility of the government to facilitate Tahirul Qadri and his companions to reach Lahore safely. He said it is not understandable why Tahirul Qadri is landing in Islamabad when he wants to go to Lahore. The interior minister said all the security agencies are presently focusing on the war against terrorism, and it is beyond understanding why Tahirul Qadri wants to create a hurdle in it. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 8:44am Qadri is expected to announce his plan of action upon his arrival. MQM leader Haider Rizvi said on twitter that a delegation of the party has reached the airport to receive the PAT chief: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 8:25am Qadri’s plane has landed at Benazir International Airport, according to the official website of the airport. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 8:06am Chaudhry Shujaat and Kamil Ali Agha have been allowed to enter Islamabad airport’s Rawal Lounge, our correspondent Irfan Ghauri reports. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 8:06am Earlier, The Express Tribune reported that the government is likely to transport PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri to Lahore via a helicopter or a chartered aircraft as soon as he lands at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad. You can read the story here. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 7:51am There is big build-up at the main gate of Islamabad airport with even PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat among the crowd stuck outside, The Express Tribune correspondents Azam Khan and Fawad Ali report. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23 7:15am A helipad and two bulletproof land cruisers are reportedly on standby near the Minhajul Quran Secretariat in Lahore on orders of the District Coordination Officer, Express News reported. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 6:43am PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat has reached the airport, Express News reported. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 6:43am PAT supporters have managed to remove barricades and containers and occupy Islamabad airport’s Gate No.1, Express News reported. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 6:35am Aerial surveillance of Benazir International Airport is underway while Rangers have also been deployed at the airport. Section 144 has been imposed till tomorrow afternoon. A ban has been imposed on pillion riding and mobile services have been suspended, Express News reported. Express News screengrab. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 6:05am PAT supporters have crossed barriers after violent clashes with the police and reached the airport. The army has been put on high alert. Express News screengrab. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 23, 6:00am Violent clashes have ensued since 3am in the morning in Islamabad between Qadri supporters and police, including reported incidents of tear gassing by police. Thirty policemen and 10 protesters are reportedly injured. You can read the story here. Express News screengrab. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Qadri took the country by storm last year after returning from Canada, where he has lived for seven years. Qadri’s appeared at the forefront of Pakistan’s political landscape with a massive rally in Lahore on Dec. 23 in which he demanded that President Asif Ali Zardari’s government resign to make way for a caretaker administration led by technocrats.

LIVE: Firing, blasts heard at Karachi airport once again: Karachi airport attack signals tactical shift by Taliban

Thu, Jun 12 06:39 AM EDT By Syed Raza Hassan KARACHI (Reuters) - It was the shoes that betrayed Corporal Faiz Mohammad's would-be killers. When 10 Taliban militants attacked Pakistan's busiest airport on Sunday night, sparking a five-hour gun battle that killed at least 34 people, Mohammad and his fellow officers from the Airports Security Force (ASF) were the first line of defense. "There was a moment of confusion because the militants had the same ASF uniforms as us," said Mohammad, 30. "But then we saw their shoes." ASF officers wear black leather shoes, but the men who stormed Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan's chaotic commercial capital, wore white-soled sneakers. All 10 militants were dead by dawn, shot down by the security forces or blown up by their own suicide vests. That the Taliban failed in its main objective - to hijack an aircraft and hold its passengers hostage - should bring no comfort to embattled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, since the attack signals an alarming shift in tactics by an increasingly formidable foe. The strike at the airport in Karachi, home to 18 million people, deals a blow to Sharif's bid to attract foreign investors to revive the economy. It has also destroyed prospects for peace talks with the Taliban and made an all-out military offensive against militant strongholds along the Afghan border a near-certainty. Government air strikes on the strongholds in the North Waziristan region triggered the tactical shift, said sources at Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), as the Pakistani Taliban is formally known. Angered by the raids and anticipating a ground assault, the militants are targeting Pakistan's heartland. A top Taliban commander confirmed to Reuters that attacks involving aircraft were part of a new strategy to counter the government's preparations for a full-scale operation against them in North Waziristan. "We decided to change our strategy and hit their main economic centers," he said. "They will kill innocent people by their bombs and we will hit their nerve-centers in major cities." Tariq Azeem, a senior official in Sharif’s administration, said a full-scale military operation was imminent in North Waziristan, and seemed resigned to it sparking terror attacks elsewhere in Pakistan. "Everybody knows there is going to be blowback," he said. PATTERN OF MUMBAI, WESTGATE MALL The Taliban is most likely to rely on small militant teams, emulating the protracted, high-impact operations like those in Mumbai in 2008 and Nairobi's Westgate mall last year. "In Mumbai, and in Kenya, you will find a lot of similarities," said Muhammad Amir Rana, director of the Islamabad-based think tank Pak Institute for Peace Studies. "They (the Taliban) are adopting this as their prime strategy." The similarities between the Karachi and Mumbai incidents are startling and instructive. The attack on Mumbai, India's largest city, was carried out by a Pakistan-based anti-India group called Lashkar-e-Taiba, or Army of the Pure. It lasted three days, killed 166 people and transfixed the world. As with Karachi, it was meticulously planned and involved well-trained and heavily armed militants. In both cases, a 10-man team quickly split into pairs and carried provision-stuffed knapsacks in preparation for a long siege. In Mumbai, militants used mobile phones to coordinate with handlers in Pakistan and with each other in the heat of battle. Their Karachi counterparts were also seen using mobile phones during the assault. Lashkar-e-Taiba has said it has no connection with any attacks on Pakistani soil and there is no evidence that it works with the Taliban. India accuses elements in Pakistan's large army and its pervasive Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency of shielding or working with the group. But neither the military nor the ISI could forestall the havoc caused by 10 men who got out of a minivan near Karachi's cargo terminal on Sunday night. The attack began at 11.05 p.m., with five of the militants breaching the Fokker Gate with assault rifles and grenades. Minutes later, as the ASF fought back, a second five-strong squad attacked the nearby Cargo Gate. Both gates granted access to the cargo area in the airport's west. Azeem, the administration official, praised the ASF while admitting how hard it was to protect the sprawling airport. "You need almost two brigades to cover . . . every inch of it," he said. "Any entrance will have two, three, four people who are fully armed, but one burst of machinegun (fire) will kill all four of them and you can enter." When Faiz Mohammed ran across the tarmac, shouldering his AK-47, to reinforce his fellow ASF officers, four were already dead. "Our men were fighting relentlessly," he said. Mohammad was shot in the thigh and, like other wounded ASF, waited hours until it was safe for ambulances to evacuate him. "The ASF put up very stiff resistance and that apparently sowed panic among the attackers, who then split up and were eventually taken out by security forces," said a senior Pakistani security official, speaking on condition of anonymity. The militants' dispersal added to the mayhem and drew in more security forces. By 11.30 p.m., a contingent of police and paramilitary Rangers had arrived at the airport, followed 30 minutes later by an army unit. They formed what Azeem called "the second or the third layer" of airport security which stopped the militant advance on the main passenger terminal further east. "I WAS TERRIFIED" The gunfire was now punctuated by the boom of militants firing rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). They had come prepared for a long fight. Their knapsacks contained water, medicine and food. Some were spotted using cellphones during the attack, said a security official involved in the investigation, although it was unclear who they were talking to - each other, or distant commanders. Phimraphat Wisetsoem could see and hear explosions from her seat on a Thai International Airways aircraft. It was trapped near the runway along with an Emirates jet and contained hundreds of passengers. Phimraphat suspected that hijackers in disguise had already boarded her plane. "I was terrified," she told reporters as she arrived back in Bangkok. "I sat still and didn’t dare move around." Passengers on both planes were later safely evacuated. Just after midnight, as all outbound flights were suspended and inbound flights diverted to other airports, there was a large explosion near Fokker Gate: the first militant had detonated his suicide vest. By now, dead and wounded were being ferried to the nearby Jinnah Hospital. Their numbers rose steadily through the night - by morning, the hospital would report 16 dead and dozens injured - as security forces intensified their counter-attack. As the fighting raged outside, seven employees from a cargo company took refuge in a warehouse - as it turned out, a fateful decision. They burned to death. Elsewhere, Hamid Khan, 22, a junior technician, hid with eight other men in the washroom of an aircraft maintenance company. A hand-grenade blew off part of the roof and bullets peppered a nearby container. "If anyone is inside, come out now!" shouted someone - friend or foe, Hamid couldn't tell. He and his colleagues kept silent and stayed put. "I was so afraid that I started reading my last prayers," he said, his voice still shaking with emotion days later. Two more militants would blow themselves up. By 4 a.m., all 10 were dead, their shattered bodies sprawled in pairs across the tarmac. It had taken 150 security personnel to counter them. The Rangers identified them as ethnic Uzbeks. Pakistani officials often accuse foreign militants of staging attacks alongside the Pakistani Taliban. "We admit we carried out ‎this attack with the help of our other brotherly mujahideen groups," the senior member of the Pakistani Taliban told Reuters. A SECOND ATTACK In daylight, Pakistan's busiest airport resembled a war zone. Smoke billowed from gutted buildings. Rescue workers retrieved the seven cargo company employees, their corpses charred beyond recognition, and raised the death toll to 34. Junior technician Hamid Khan and the other eight emerged unscathed from their washroom refuge. "I felt as if God had heard our prayers," he said. At least three passenger aircraft, all unoccupied, were damaged during the battle, a senior Pakistani security official told Reuters. A satellite photo on Google Earth showed a fourth aircraft in the cargo area completely destroyed, its broken wings lying amid the blackened remains of its fuselage. However, officials have not confirmed the destruction of any aircraft. Even as flights resumed and the clean-up began, the Taliban struck the airport again. On Tuesday evening, gunmen on motorbikes opened fire on an ASF academy, although there were no casualties. There would be "many more such attacks" in future, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Shahidullah Shahid told Reuters. Adil Najam, dean of Boston University's Pardee School of Global Studies, agreed. Karachi was "not just another terrorist attack," he said. "It is among the latest skirmishes in what is now an actual war between the Pakistan Army and the Taliban. The war is on - and expect escalation." (Writing by Andrew R.C. Marshall; Additional reporting by Maria Golovnina in Islamabad, Jibran Ahmed in Peshawar and Kaweewit Kaewjinda in Bangkok; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) =============================================================== KARACHI: Around three to four gunmen have mounted a fresh attack on a security check post outside the airport a day after 37 people were killed after an all-night battle on Monday with militants who besieged Karachi airport’s old terminal, Express News reported. At present, gunmen are exchanging fire with Airport Security Force (ASF) personnel at the check post guarding the airport. A faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has already claimed responsibility for the attack. At least 37 people, including 10 terrorists, were reported dead in what is the first large-scale terrorist attack at the country’s largest airport in years. According to reports, 12 ASF personnel, one each of the police, Rangers and Shaheen Air International are among the deceased. The dead also include eight people who were trapped inside a private company’s cargo office and found dead 28 hours after rescue operations had started. Twenty-six others were also injured in the first assault. June 10, 2:17pm It was not a major incident, terrorists only opened aerial fire: Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 2:05pm According to ASF spokesperson Colonel Tahir Ali, the attackers that managed to flee were on motorcycles. He adds that they started firing at an ASF ladies hostel first, after which they proceeded to the ASF camp. The spokesperson also says that police and Rangers reached the site soon after they were informed. Ali also reveals that the attackers were carrying small weapons but the exact kind could not be ascertained as yet. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 1:57pm There have been contradictory reports coming in about the number of attackers. According to ASF spokesperson Colonel Tahir Ali, there were two attackers who managed to get away. Earlier reports had suggested that the total number of attackers is nine. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 1:55pm No casualties were reported in the attack, CAA spokesperson says. Security has been beefed up at Islamabad and Peshawar airport. and a shoot-on-sight order has been issued at Islamabad airport against suspicious individuals. Chaudhry Nisar contacts DG Rangers to inquire about the situation. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 1:50pm According to Express News, DG Rangers says the terrorists have managed to flee. The area has been surrounded by security forces and a search operation is underway. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 1:46pm DG Rangers says situation is under control and the operation is complete. ASF personnel take position on runway, say CAA sources. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 1:41pm Express News now reports that flight operations have resumed. Because of the security situation, routes to the airport have also been sealed. June 10, 1:32pm According to ISPR, security forces have surrounded the attackers. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 1:30pm The Rawalpindi airport has been put on red alert following the attack on the ASF camp. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 1:28pm Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) faction claim they have launched another attack on the Airport Security Force Academy in Karachi. “We again came to the Karachi ASF’s academy. God is Great. God is Great. God is Great.” spokeperson for a TTP faction, Omar Khorasani writes on his Twitter page. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 1:24pm CAA has asked people to remain calm, assuring that the airport is not under attack. Flight operations at #Jinnah International Airport are SUSPENDED. — CAA Pakistan (@AirportPakistan) June 10, 2014 #Jinnah Airport is safe, #ASF academy is under attack. Please remain calm and patient, will be updating you accordingly. — CAA Pakistan (@AirportPakistan) June 10, 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 1:23pm Paramilitary vehicles and ambulances racing to the scene of the latest attack @BBCUrdu http://t.co/3FkjzLJH5f — Haroon Rashid (@TheHaroonRashid) June 10, 2014 I am in the plane to fly to dub for meeting with my co chairman.our plane has been stopped to fly b/o the attack on ASF camp /next Ap — Rehman Malik (@SenRehmanMalik) June 10, 2014 Army troops moved to reinforce security forces to counter terrorists attack on ASF — Haroon Rashid (@TheHaroonRashid) June 10, 2014 Lets appreciate courage of ASF boys as what seem from tv footage,they are confident2fight back terrorists.They are not cowards like RULERS — Rauf Klasra (@KlasraRauf) June 10, 2014 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 1:18pm Three police officers have been injured, Express News reports. A search operation has started as police officers and Rangers personnel enter Pehlwan Goth. A helicopters is also being used for surveillance. Flights to Karachi have been diverted to Nawabshah according to Express News. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 1:15pm Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is being constantly updated about the situation in Karachi and the fresh attack near the airport. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 1:10pm Express News now reports that the attackers have fled the scene. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered that they be eliminated. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 1:08pm Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar was informed about the incident while he was briefing the National Assembly about the previous attack. The security forces are trying to find the place where the militants are hiding, they are reportedly hiding in the houses near the camp. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 1:01pm There were earlier reports that ASF personnel brought the situation under control, however, firing is still going on. The security forces are trying to find the place where the militants are hiding. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 12:56pm ASF personnel have brought the situation under control. The attackers reportedly tried to destroy planes and flee towards Gulistan-e-Johar. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 12:54pm An exchange of fire is going on between the assailants and the ASF personnel. Gunshots could be heard as Express News correspondent reported the encounter between the attackers and the security forces. There are at least five militants, according to ASF sources. Security has been enhanced at the airport as well as nearby areas and flights were diverted to other cities, according to sources in the CAA. A high contingent of Rangers personnel has also reached the site of the attack. IG Sindh Iqbal Mehmood says that 1000 police officers have been sent to the site. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 12:52pm An exchange of fire is going on between the assailants and the ASF personnel Security has been enhanced at the airport as well as nearby areas. The number of militants is five, according to ASF sources. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 12:44pm The militants attacked the camp from the Pehlwan Goth side. An exchange of fire is going on between the assailants and the ASF personnel. Express News screengrab of the side from where the militants mounted a fresh attack near Karachi airport. According to sources, the flight schedule has been suspended. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 12:41pm Rangers and the police have been summoned to the location. ASF sources say the attackers arrived at the scene in a car. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 12:36pm Express News is now reporting that militants have attacked the ASF camp, which is located half a kilometer away from the first attack site. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 10, 12:24pm Director General of Civil Aviation Authority tells Express News that eight bodies were found from the cargo office of a private company. He confirms that they were not found from the cold storage. He also states that seven of them were workers of the company while one of them was an ASF official. ========================================== UPDATE 8-Pakistani Taliban attack airport in Karachi, 27 dead Mon, Jun 09 06:43 AM EDT (Adds sectarian attack, paragraph 14) By Syed Raza Hassan ISLAMABAD, June 9 (Reuters) - Taliban militants disguised as security forces stormed Pakistan's busiest airport on Sunday and at least 27 people were killed in a night-long battle at one of the country's most high-profile targets. The assault on Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Pakistan's sprawling commercial hub of 18 million people, all but destroys prospects for peace talks between the Pakistani Taliban and the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. It also deals a heavy blow to Sharif's efforts to attract foreign investors to revive economic growth and raises questions about security at the country's main installations. The attack began just before midnight when 10 gunmen wearing military uniforms and armed with automatic rifles and rocket-propelled grenades shot their way into the airport's old terminal, which is used mainly for charter and executive flights. Gun battles raged through the night until security forces regained control of the airport at dawn. Passengers were evacuated and all flights were diverted. Director general of the military's media wing, Asim Bajwa, said the airport had been cleared and would soon resume operations. The government said security was being stepped up at all airports. "We need to keep extremely vigilant," Shujaat Azeem, special assistant to Sharif on aviation, said in a statement. The Pakistani Taliban, an alliance of insurgent groups fighting to topple the government and set up a sharia state, said they carried out the attack in response to air strikes on their strongholds near the Afghan border and suggested their mission was to hijack a passenger plane. "It is a message to the Pakistan government that we are still alive to react over the killings of innocent people in bomb attacks on their villages," said Shahidullah Shahid, a Taliban spokesman.

"The main goal of this attack was to damage the government, including by hijacking planes and destroying state installations."

Pakistan's paramilitary force said that the attackers were ethnic Uzbeks. Pakistani officials often blame foreign militants holed up in lawless areas on the Afghan border for staging attacks alongside the Pakistani Taliban around the country. "Three militants blew themselves up and seven were killed by security forces," Rizwan Akhtar, the regional head of the paramilitary Rangers, said in televised remarks. "The militants appear to be Uzbek." The death toll included airport security guards and workers with Pakistan International Airlines. In a separate unrelated attack, at least 22 Shi'ite pilgrims were killed in a suicide attack near Pakistan's border with Iran, a local official said. A radical Sunni group claimed responsibility for the attack. GUN BATTLE Sharif came to power last year promising to find a negotiated solution to years of violence but after the latest attack on the airport the resumption of the peace process looked unlikely. Karachi is Pakistan's biggest city and commercial hub, home to a vibrant stock exchange, the central bank and the country's main port. But it is also a violent and chaotic place where Taliban militants and criminal gangs operate freely underground. At the airport, gun battles went on for five hours and television pictures showed fire raging as ambulances ferried casualties away. At least three loud explosions were heard as militants wearing suicide vests blew themselves up. By dawn on Monday, the army said the airport had been secured but heavy smoke rose above the building. "Ten militants aged between 20 and 25 have been killed by security forces," said a spokesman for the Rangers. "A large cache of arms and ammunition has been recovered from the militants. "A sweep operation is being carried out at the airport which is expected to be completed by midday (0700 GMT)." Officials said no aircraft had been damaged. Peace talks between the government and the Pakistani Taliban had failed in recent months, already dampening hopes of reaching a negotiated settlement with the insurgents, who continue attacks against government and security targets. Pakistan's Taliban are allied with but separate from the Afghan Taliban. (Writing by Maria Golovnina; Additional reporting by Gul Yousufzai; Editing by Robert Birsel)

https://m.facebook.com/syedzaidzamanhamid?refid=52&_ft_=qid.6022917075275413295%3Amf_story_key.-6257478416966407880&__tn__=C Why do I say that MQM is also heavily involved in the attack ?? We must keep this in mind that both MQM and TTP are controlled by RAW. Both orgs may appear to be enemies of each other in words etc, but in reality are collaborators, allies and assets of each other. MQM has NEVER really harmed TTP. TTP has NEVER ever attacked MQM rallies. When it comes to battle against Pakistan, MQM would provide logistics, support, weapons and protection to the TTP/RAW assets to wage urban war. Indian weapons have been found from MQM offices and from the airport as well. MQM senior members are known to be Indian citizens. MQM offered the British MI6 to act as their local spies for espionage if British govt can dismantle ISI !! These are documented facts. Given the scenario, I am sure that MQM is heavily involved in the attack, even if there is an involvement of TTP factions. TTP’s claim of the attack remains meaningless as they remain bloody liars all the way, claiming and disowning as they please. They had even claimed times square bombing in 2010 Watch the pics of dead terrorists. Compare them with Gorkhas. An ordinary Pakistani cannot tell the difference between Uzbeks or Gorkhas. My take is that these are Indian Gurkhas or Uzbeks from Dostum who were protected by MQM in Karachi and then launched. In Karachi, in the last 10 years, nearly 100,000 Pakistanis have been killed or wounded and TTP has not done that. MQM has !! Now both MQM and TTP would work together to wage the urban 5th GW. Denying this will not change the facts.

=========================================== Emirates passengers were guided to safety by military during airport siege Nadeem Hanif June 9, 2014 Updated: June 9, 2014 14:52:00 DUBAI // Flights between the UAE and Karachi were grounded on Sunday night after the airport in Pakistan was closed in the aftermath of an attack by gunmen. ■ Flydubai Karachi flights on hold, staff safe after terrorist attack Video Video: Karachi airport under attack Photos In pictures: Karachi airport siege Topic Emirates Airline, Airports, Etihad Airways At least 28 people are reported to have died when heavily armed militants attacked the Jinnah International Airport. An Emirates Airline spokesman said passengers on flight EK603 were helped to safety by the Pakistan Military during the siege. “Due to the closure of Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on Sunday 8th June, EK603, the Karachi to Dubai service, was cancelled,” the spokesman said. “Under the guidance of the Pakistan Military the passengers and crew disembarked the aircraft and were taken to a secure area of the terminal. “When the airport reopens all passengers will be rebooked on to alternate Emirates flights to continue their journey.” The Pakistani Army regained control following a five-hour battle, but flight operations remained suspended. Other flights affecting UAE carriers were diverted or grounded. “Due to the closure of Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Etihad Airways has delayed its flight EY221 from Abu Dhabi to Karachi on Sunday 8 June, and flight EY222 from Karachi to Abu Dhabi on Monday 9 June,” said a spokesman for Etihad Airways. Flight EY221 from Abu Dhabi to Karachi will now depart on Monday at 5.05pm. Flight EY222 from Karachi to Abu Dhabi scheduled for Monday, will depart at 8.30pm. “We will continue to monitor the security situation in Karachi. All affected Etihad Airways’ passengers are being kept fully informed about the situation,” the spokesman said. Passengers in transit at Abu Dhabi are being provided hotel accommodation and lounge access. “We apologise for the delay, however, the safety of passengers and airline staff is of paramount importance to Etihad Airways.” Both airlines are urging passengers to regularly check their flight status at www.emirates.com or www.etihad.com nhanif@thenational.ae Read more: http://www.thenational.ae/uae/emirates-passengers-were-guided-to-safety-by-military-during-airport-siege#ixzz348nurnGW Follow us: @TheNationalUAE on Twitter | thenational.ae on Facebook ================================== June 9, 3:54pm Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah has announced that each of the injured will receive Rs0.1 million. The families of the Rangers personal who were killed in the attack will be given Rs2 million and the families of the deceased ASF personnel will receive Rs1 million. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 3:46pm Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif directs Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan to reach Karachi. The premier tells the interior minister to meet the high ups of Rangers, police, ASF as well as CAA. Nawaz also asked Nisar to submit a report on how to stop terrorist attacks. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 3:27pm Quoting DG ASF Azam Tiwana Express News reports that the attackers were foreign nationals. He adds that security has been enhanced at airports. Funeral of the martyred ASF personnel has been held. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 2:35pm Flights to Lahore and Dubai are ready for departure. Flights from other cities can land in Karachi Airport. ==================================== #KarachiAirport LIVE: Firing, blasts heard at Karachi airport once again By Faraz Khan / Web Desk / Sohail Khattak / Saad Hassan Published: June 8, 2014 Share this article Print this page Email. Security forces have cordoned off the area. PHOTO: EXPRESS NEWS SCREENGRAB Smoke rises after militants launched an early morning assault at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on June 9, 2014. PHOTO: AFP PHOTO: AFP PHOTO: EXPRESS SCREENGRAB Fire and smoke can be seen rising from a part of the airport. PHOTO: Express Screengrab PHOTO: EXPRESS/MOHAMMAD NOMAN Smoke can be seen rising form the Airport in the background. PHOTO: EXPRESS/MOHAMMAD NOMAN A view of the airport. Smoke can be seen rising from the airport. PHOTO: EXPRESS SCREENGRAB Security forces have cordoned off the area. PHOTO: EXPRESS NEWS SCREENGRAB . KARACHI: A brazen terrorist assault on Karachi airport’s old terminal came to an end early Monday morning, five hours after militants took siege of the airport, the military announced. However, firing was heard from inside the airport hours after the announcement. At least 28 people, including 10 terrorists, were reported dead in what is the first large-scale terrorist attack at the country’s largest airport in years. According to reports, eight ASF personnel, two Rangers officials, one police officer and three PIA officials are among the deceased. Large plumes of smoke were seen rising from the runway area of the old airport (also known as the Hajj Terminal), as the airport shut down, passengers were evacuated and the flight schedule was suspended. Pakistan Army troops have been called in to take control of the situation. “A precautionary search operation will take place after daylight and the airport will be cleared for operations, handed back to the Civil Aviation Authority/ Airport Security by mid day,” said DG ISPR Asim Bajwa. ====================== LIVE: TTP claims responsibility for Karachi airport attack By Faraz Khan / Web Desk / Sohail Khattak / Saad Hassan / Tahir Khan Published: June 8, 2014 Share this article Print this page Email. Smoke rises after militants launched an early morning assault at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on June 9, 2014. PHOTO: AFP Smoke rises after militants launched an early morning assault at Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on June 9, 2014. PHOTO: AFP PHOTO: AFP PHOTO: EXPRESS SCREENGRAB Fire and smoke can be seen rising from a part of the airport. PHOTO: Express Screengrab PHOTO: EXPRESS/MOHAMMAD NOMAN Smoke can be seen rising form the Airport in the background. PHOTO: EXPRESS/MOHAMMAD NOMAN A view of the airport. Smoke can be seen rising from the airport. PHOTO: EXPRESS SCREENGRAB Security forces have cordoned off the area. PHOTO: EXPRESS NEWS SCREENGRAB . KARACHI: Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for a brazen terrorist assault on Karachi airport’s old terminal. At least 28 people, including 12 terrorists, were reported dead in what is the first large-scale terrorist attack at the country’s largest airport in years. According to reports, eight ASF personnel, two Rangers officials, one police officer and three PIA officials are among the deceased. Twenty-four people have been injured in the attack so far as well. The military had announced that the attack had come to an end early Monday morning, five hours after militants took siege of the airport. However, firing and blasts were heard from inside the airport hours after the announcement. Large plumes of smoke were seen rising from the runway area of the old airport (also known as the Hajj Terminal), as the airport shut down, passengers were evacuated and the flight schedule was suspended. Pakistan Army troops have been called in to take control of the situation. “A precautionary search operation will take place after daylight and the airport will be cleared for operations, handed back to the Civil Aviation Authority/ Airport Security by mid day,” said DG ISPR Asim Bajwa. June 9, 12:30pm The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced that the airport will be made operational at 4pm. CAA advises passengers to contact the relevant airlines two hours prior to their flight time. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 12:17pm Rangers spokesperson says that the search operation is complete. The airport has been cleared and declared as safe. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 12:07pm Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif says the Karachi airport will be made operational soon. Necessary arrangements will be made to facilitate the passengers, he adds. No flight has arrived at the airport for the last 13 hours. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 12:03pm Express News reports that the terrorists entered the airport in two groups wearing ASF uniforms. ================================ 11:38am The attackers used factor VIII injections, which aid blood clotting and reduce bleeding, Express News reports. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11: 29am TTP spokesperson evades comments when asked about Sindh Rangers DG Major General Rizwan Akhtar claim that the attackers looked like Uzbek militants. “We do not make a distinction in Muslims whether they are Pakistanis, Uzbeks, Arabs or Chechans. They all are Mujahideen,” Shahidullah Shahid told The Express Tribune by phone. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11:21am Umar Media, the official media wing of the TTP, claims on their Facebook page that just six militants had attacked the airport. “The biggest reason for attacking Karachi airport is because it serves as the biggest air logistics centre supplying goods for the Crusaders’ war in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” a statement on their Facebook page claims. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11:18am Security forces continue to sweep the airport as a security measure while sources say that all attackers have been killed. The airport is expected to be cleared and handed back to the Civil Aviation Authority by 12pm today. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 11:07am TTP spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid promises more attacks in the future. “It’s just the beginning, we have taken revenge for one (Hakimullah Mehsud), we have to take revenge for hundreds,” he says. “We have yet to take revenge for the deaths of hundreds of innocent tribal women and children in Pakistani air strikes,” the spokesperson states. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 10:56am Rangers spokesperson says Karachi airport has been cleared of militants. ===== June 9, 10:49am Exchange of fire comes to a stop at the airport, Express News reports. Meanwhile, aerial firing from security forces still continues. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 10:44am TTP spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid says “this attack was the revenge of martyrdom our leader Shaheed Hakimullah Mehsud and brutal killings of the TTP’s prisoners in jails.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 10:35am Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad, while speaking to Express News, says attacks like the one at Karachi airport are carried out to destroy the image of the country. “This country is facing an internal threat and we need to save this country,” he adds. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 10:18am Politicians on twitter express their viewpoints on the airport attack: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 10:14am TTP claims responsibility for the Karachi airport attack, reports AFP. “We carried out the attack on Karachi airport to avenge the death of Hakimullah Mehsud,” TTP spokesperson Shahidullah Shahid tells AFP, while dismissing the government’s recent offer of peace talks as a “tool of war”. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 10:10am Sources say that the militants who blew themselves up this morning were between 18 and 19 years of age. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 10:07am Search operation by security forces continues. The two militants that blew themselves up earlier this morning detonated the explosives when they were cornered by the security officials at the Isphani Hanger. Sources tell Express News that more suicide jackets, petrol bombs and other ammunition were recovered from the airport this morning. Policemen show seized weapons after militants attacked Jinnah International Airport in Karachi on June 9, 2014. PHOTO: AFP ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 10:03am People including journalists said on twitter: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 9:45am Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has asked for a report on the attack. Employees leave the Jinnah International Airport after militants attack in Karachi on June 9, 2014. PHOTO: AFP An airport official tells Express News that militants had entered the airport from the ICG gate and killed four ASF officials at the spot. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 9:36am Three blasts heard at Karachi airport at the old terminal. According to sources, two of the militants blew themselves up. Politician Ijazul Haq tweeted: Express News screengrab of the explosions. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 9:25am Blasts also heard at the airport, Express News reports. Express News screengrab. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 9:16am At least 28 people have been killed so far in the attack. Ten militants, eight ASF personnel, two Rangers officials, one police officer and three PIA officials are among the deceased. It is reported that 24 people have been injured in the attack so far. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 9:13am 6 to 7 tanks have proceeded to Isphani Hangar after the firing. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 8:49am Sources say three militants are present at Karachi airport. A high contingent of the Pak Army has reached the site of the firing. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 8:40am Express News reports that some militants are still present at the airport. The number of militants is not known as of yet. Express News screengrab of security officials at Karachi airport. Emergency has been declared once again. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 8:28am Firing heard at Karachi airport near Isphani Hangar, which is the aircraft overhaul facility of the airport, Express News reports. One person injured in the firing. The injured, identified as a technician, is taken to a local hospital for medical treatment. Express News screengrab of Karachi airport. “We have relaunched the operation and called in additional troops,” says Sibtain Rizvi, spokesperson for the Rangers paramilitary force. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 8:20am Islamabad and Lahore airports have been put on high alert. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 4:35am ISPR claims that all terrorist have been killed. DG ISPR claimed that remaining 4 terrorists have also been killed, bringing the total number of terrorists killed to 10. He further claimed that terrorists were confined to two areas. Weapons including rockets and RPGs were recovered from the terrorists. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 4:20am SSG commandos have reached Karachi to take part in the ongoing operation. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 3:55am Six terrorists have been killed so far during the army operation at the airport, said ISPR. The death toll has now risen to 18. Nine ASF men, one Rangers official and two PIA officials were also killed in the incident. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 3:30am Security forces have cleared the cargo terminal, Express News is reporting. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 3:25am According to Express News the bomb disposal squad has defused two suicide vests and 20 bombs recovered from slain terrorists thus far. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 3:10am Express News is reporting that two more loud blasts were heard. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 2:52am There’s another update on the death toll – which has gone up drastically. Now being reported: Some 7 ASF, 2 Rangers personnel as well as 1 policeman and one airline employee have lost their lives. Three terrorists are reported dead. Four hours have lapsed since the attack, and about half a dozen terrorists remain active, but contained. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 2:42am Express News is reporting that the death toll has increased to nine now. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 2:33am ISPR says that all passengers in the airport have been successfully evacuated. Says that the operation is in its “final stages” and Jinnah Terminal has been completely secured. The terrorists are still active, but contained to a specific area. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 2:20am Firing erupts once again following more loud explosions around the Airport. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 2:15am Express News is reporting that terrorists are holed up in one place. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 2:10am The flames inside the airport premises have increased in magnitude. People are also still stuck inside Jinnah Terminal. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 2:06am Express News is now reporting that three terrorists have been killed. Seven terrorists are still alive and at the airport and surrounded by security forces. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 1:28am More shots heard. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 1:21am Rangers’ officials are claiming that four terrorists have been surrounded. Two have already been killed. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 1:10am Express News is reporting that DG Rangers has arrived at the site to monitor the operation. The chief minister of Sindh is also reported to be in the vicinity. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 12:54am The spokesperson of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) has confirmed that the Army has taken over the operation. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 12:52am The chief minister of Sindh is in touch with the Karachi Corps Commander and the Director-General of Sindh Rangers over the operation to clear the airport. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 12:50am Express News is reporting that two terrorists have been reported killed along with five security officials. Some of the injured and dead have been taken to Jinnah Hospital. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 12:45am Officials are telling The Express Tribune that the terrorists entered the airport from the Isphani Hangar, the aircraft overhaul facility of the airport. The hangar is located right in front of the PIA head office. It is improbable that there were too many employees there when attack occurred. The intensity of the gunfight and bomb explosions shook the entire neighbourhood around the old terminal. The terminal is considered as high security zone as VIPs including the prime minister and president frequently use it. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 12:35am CAA spokesperson Abid Qaimkhani has said he is not able to confirm the extent of the damage to the airport facilities or how many people have been injured or killed in the attack. “All I can say is that a few ASF and CAA officials have been injured.” ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 12:25am The Sindh government has declared red alert in the city and emergency has also been imposed in the hospitals of the city. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 12:20am Flights to Karachi have been diverted to other airports of the country. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 9, 12:10am The Army has been called in to back up security officials. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… June 8, 11:45pm According to details at least four ASF personnel were killed when terrorist hurled crackers and opened firing near Haj Terminal of Karachi Airport. Terrorist were trying to enter the runway area. Back-up contingents of security forces have been called in. Police and Rangers have cordoned off the area and flight schedule have also been put on hold. =========================================