SC dismisses last petition against Musharraf’s eligibility
ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Thursday dismissed the last petition against President Musharraf's eligibility to contest the presidential elections. The verdict came after a brief hearing of Dr. Zahoor Mehdi’s petition by the full bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Mr. Justice Abdul Hameed Doggar.On Monday, the court had dismissed five petitions against President Musharraf’s nomination, including the challenges from the presidential candidate Justice (Rtd) Wajihuddin and Makhdoom Amin Fahim.Attorney General had earlier said that President Musharraf would quit his army post and take oath as civilian president as early as Saturday if the presidential re-election was approved by the apex court.
Lahore: People pouring in camp to show solidarity with Geo (Updated at 1410)
LAHORE: People from different walks of life continuously visiting the solidarity camp outside Geo office in Lahore to express solidarity with Geo Television Network against ban on transmissions of Geo News and Geo, Geo Super and Aag channels of the network. People in large number pouring in at the solidarity camp from Lahore and other cities and towns of Punjab and writing their views at the visitors’ book. The visitors in their views rejecting the ban on the channels of Geo Television Network expressed their opposition to curbs on Geo. They further said that the press and judiciary are two pillars of the country, which are being strangulated with curbs.
Pakistan 142-8 at tea in Delhi Test (Updated at 1340)
NEW DELHI: Pakistan, having elected to bat, were for 142 for eight wickets at tea on the opening day of the first test against India on Thursday. Electing to bat after skipper Shoaib Malik won the toss, Pakistan was jolted by good spells of Indian bowlers.Salman Butt scored 1, Yasir Hameed 29, Younis Khan 7, Muhammad Yousuf 27, Shoaib Malik 0, Kamran Akmal 30, Sohail Tanvir 4 and Shoaib Akhter 2. Misbahul Haq,32 and Mohammad Sami,0 were at the crease when the stumps drawn for tea.
Karachi: Hundreds receive nomination papers (Updated at 1310)
KARACHI: The candidates are receiving and submitting nomination papers on second day for the Sindh and National Assembly seats in Karachi.The Election Commission has established six centres in five districts of Karachi and hundreds candidates have received nominations from these centres. The intending candidates of district South Karachi can receive and submit nomination papers at the City Court, while district West candidates can receive and file nomination papers at former D.C. Office SITE, district Central candidates at former D.C. Office in Buffer Zone, district East candidates at former D.C. Office Civic Centre and district Malir candidates from the Assistant Commissioner’s office in Malir Courts. The candidates for reserved seats can receive and submit nominations at Provincial Election Commission office at Sharea Iraq in Saddar. The candidates need to apply on a plain paper along with a copy of national identity card and vote certificate and appear personally before the Assistant Election Commissioner for receiving the nomination paper. Several hundred persons had received nomination papers from various centres of Karachi till Thursday noon. Two former provincial ministers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Shoaib Bukhari and Adil Siddiqui had submitted their nominations at the office of ADC Central.
Four more killed in Parachinar clashes (Updated at 1250)
PARACHINAR: Four more people were killed and several injured last night during clashes between conflicting tribes in Parachinar area of Kurram Agency.According to sources, the injured were shifted to Agency Headquarter Hospital Parachinar, Kurram Malitia Hospital Parachinar and Tehsil Headquarter Hospital Saddah. Meanwhile, the remaining 245 people who were given refuge by the Tori Tribe were handed over to the Kurram Agency's political administration.On Wednesday, four bodies were found from various parts of Parachinar where curfew has been imposed.One hundred and twenty four people including 12 security officials were killed and 300 injured during six-day clashes in the area.
Four new caretaker federal ministers take oath (Updated at 1145)
ISLAMABAD: The caretaker federal cabinet has been extended with addition of four new ministers on Thursday.Ejaz Rahim, Tariq Hameed, Abdul Jameel Khan and Dr. Amjad sworn in as federal caretaker ministers. President Pervez Musharraf administered the oath in a ceremony, which was also attended by caretaker Prime Minister Muhammadmian Soomro. The number of federal caretaker ministers has reached to 28 with addition of new ministers.
Pakistan 74-3 at lunch in Delhi Test (Updated at 1115)
NEW DELHI: Pakistan, after electing to bat, were 74 for three at lunch on the opening day of the first test against India on Thursday. Mohammad Yousuf was not out 27 and Misbah-ul-Haq was on three.Electing to bat after skipper Shoaib Malik won the toss, Pakistan was jolted by an inswinger from Khan that shattered the stumps of left-handed Butt, who notched just one run in 21 minutes. Younis Khan sent a sweetly-timed shot off Zaheer Khan to the midwicket fence, but was soon tempted by a bouncer to play a hook that sailed straight into the hands of Munaf Patel on the fine-leg fence.India's new skipper Kumble introduced spin by coming on after 15overs and did not have to wait long to snare plucky opener Hameed. Kumble struck in his fourth over as Hameed, failing to read a googly, played outside the line and had his off-stump tilted.Yousuf broke the shackles by dispatching medium-pacer Sourav Ganguly to the cover fence and then square-driving seamer Patel for four. Yousuf struck five boundaries off 42 deliveries during his 64-minute knock.
Quetta: Detained journalists released (Updated at 1105)
QUETTA: Police released Quetta journalists last night who were detained after holding a protest rally against curbs on media yesterday.Police Wednesday detained 27 newsmen including bureau chief of Geo News Quetta after they started protest rally from Quetta Press Club. Bureau Chief of Geo News Quetta Muhammad Ejaz Khan, Salman Ashraf, Mushtaq Kamboh, President Quetta Press Club Shahzada Zulfiqar and others were arrested and shifted to the City Police Station. The detained journalists were released late night from detention.
Commonwealth decides suspension of Pakistan (Updated at 1100)
ISLAMABAD: Commonwealth has informally communicated to Pakistan authorities that the 53-member organization suspending Pakistan’s membership.The luncheon meeting of the Commonwealth’s Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) at Kampala in Uganda would recommend suspension of Pakistan due to proclamation of emergency in the country and suspension of human rights. The summit meeting tonight will endorse the decision. Pakistan has also been informed that after the general elections in January next year a meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group will be convened to consider the situation in Pakistan and to review the decision about suspension of Pakistan from the organization. It would be the third time that Pakistan being suspended from C’Wealth due to its internal situation.
Curfew lifted in Kolkata (Updated at 1050)
KOLKATAP: Shops reopened, children went back to school and a curfew was lifted in the east Indian city of Kolkata on Thursday hours after the army took to the streets to prevent further riots over the killing of villagers.
At least 50 people were injured and hundreds of children trapped in schools on Wednesday after violent protests against killings blamed on supporters of the communist-led West Bengal state government in a battle over the seizure of farm land for industry.
"We are not sure whether the curfew will be imposed again, but the situation is peaceful now," said police chief Gautam Mohan Chakraborty.
Geo’s concert honours released journalists (Updated at 1045)
KARACHI: Geo organised a musical concert Wednesday night to honour those journalists who were detained by law-enforcement agencies while protesting against curbs on media outside the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday.Junaid Jamshed performed his famous song “Dil Dil Pakistan” without musical accompaniment to show his solidarity with journalists. He said he had returned to stage after gap of 20 years for the cause of the media.Around 30 of the journalists, belonging to different print and electronic media, who faced executive high-handedness were called on stage one-by-one to share their experience in police captivity. They termed it the first stage of their struggle and vowed to continue their protest till the ban was lifted from TV channels, the end of the Pemra Ordinance, and an end to the assault on democratic freedoms.Ghulam Mustafa who was among four journalists separated and booked revealed that a senior police officer at Sher Shah police station told them that he had orders from higher authorities to torture them. He said the the policeman also requested them to level allegations of torture against him when they are released, otherwise, the higher authorities would take action against him for not doing so. He said that a TV reporter was detained outside the KPC and severely beaten by LEAs who dumped him near the National Stadium late Tuesday night.Tariq Moin said that the detained journalists observed the death anniversary of the great poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz at the police station by singing his poetry. Faisal Aziz said that this was the start of the sustained struggle against restrictions on the media.Fahim Siddiqi, Qazi Asif, Abdul Jabbar Nasir, Nasim Rajput, Liaquat Mughal, Raja Kamran, Abdul Jabbar, Shams Imran and others also spoke. Shazad Mughal, Ali Haider, Rog and other singers enthralled the audience.Geo has also installed projectors and plasmas at its building and wall so people on main I.I. Chundrigar Road could also enjoy it. Famous quotations of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah were also shown on the projector.Many participants wore T-shirts inscribed with slogans against the emergency and curbs on media.
Hearing of petitions challenging emergency, PCO (Updated at 1010)
ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court’s seven-member bench headed by Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar continued hearing of petitions against emergency and PCO on Thursday.Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum in his arguments said if people are running a state within a state than extra-constitutional measures have to be taken.Defending the action of the Army chief he said the judiciary had grabbed the powers of the executive through judicial activism, which had stopped functioning of the executive. Counsel for President General Pervez Musharraf Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada pleaded before the larger bench of the Supreme Court to validate the emergency imposed on November 3, saying in the present circumstances extra-constitutional measures could be taken for the welfare of the state and its people.Presenting his arguments the counsel submitted that the court in the past cases had validated the extra constitutional steps, adding that at that time the Constitution was not effective and even held in abeyance.Giving grounds for the imposition of emergency in the country, Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada contended that there was no harmony between the three pillars of the state while the distribution of powers had greatly affected. He said it is "the responsibility of the Army to save the country and protect the Constitution". He said it was inevitable to impose emergency in the country.Earlier, Barrister Zafrullah Khan while concluding his arguments submitted before the court that the emergency imposed by the chief of the Army staff is totally unconstitutional. He stated that even General Musharraf had admitted himself that for the first time he had taken unconstitutional step.
Commonwealth ministers discuss Pakistan suspension (Updated at 0900)
KAMPALA: Commonwealth foreign ministers meeting has kicked off here to decide whether or not to suspend Pakistan from the organisation of mostly former British colonies.Britain's Queen Elizabeth II also arrived in Uganda to attend the summit conference, which starts in earnest on Friday, on her first visit to the East African country in more than half a century.A decision on Pakistan's membership in the 53-state organisation is expected today (Thursday) even as Islamabad appeared to be rolling back on some of the measures that have garnered international condemnation.
Pakistan elect to bat in Delhi Test (Updated at 0850)
NEW DELHI: Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik elected to bat after winning the toss against India in the opening Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground here on Thursday.Pakistan suffered a setback when fast bowler Umar Gul was ruled out of the match due to a back injury. He was replaced with left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir, who made his debut. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh returned to the Indian side after more than a year. Skipper Anil Kumble is the second spinner in the side.India: Anil Kumble (capt), Wasim Jaffer, Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Venkatsai Laxman, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel.Pakistan: Shoaib Malik (capt), Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Sohail Tanvir, Danish Kaneria.
Geo TV website under another DDoS attack (Updated at 450)
KARACHI: Geo TV website came under DDoS attack for the second time at around 8pm on Wednesday, after which a very significant source of information is temporarily disconnected. It has been rectified by the timely action.It should be mentioned that it is the second time after the imposition of emergency that the website of Geo TV came under an attack.The DDoS attack is one in which a multitude of compromised systems attack a single target, thereby causing denial of service for users of the targeted system. The flood of incoming packets to the target system essentially forces it to shut down, thereby denying service to the system to legitimate users.The Geo News website was turned ‘light’ after the very first DDoS attack to be available to the maximum number of visitors.
Fighting continues in Swat, Shangla (Updated at 345)
SWAT: Some 52 persons including 30 militants and 10 civilians have been killed in fresh violence in Swat and Shangla districts as the troops and the Taliban fighters continue to exchange fire and more villages were emptied of their fleeing population.Curfew has been enforced in Kabal tehsil, though the area was already presenting a deserted look with families leaving for safer places in droves. The roads in the area were blocked as households struggled to find vehicles to transport them to different places in Swat or to down country to Malakand Agency, Mardan and beyond. As for the casualties suffered by the security forces, military spokesman Maj Gen Waheed Arshad said three soldiers were killed and five or six sustained injuries in attacks by militants in Kabal area of Swat. He expressed ignorance about military casualties in the adjoining Shangla district. Unconfirmed reports from Shangla said 10 troops were killed in fighting there. JUI-F and MMA Senator Rahat Hussain, who belongs to Shangla, and certain other sources said seven troops and another seven civilians and 30 Taliban were killed in the latest round of fighting in the district.
ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court Thursday dismissed the last petition against President Musharraf's eligibility to contest the presidential elections. The verdict came after a brief hearing of Dr. Zahoor Mehdi’s petition by the full bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Mr. Justice Abdul Hameed Doggar.On Monday, the court had dismissed five petitions against President Musharraf’s nomination, including the challenges from the presidential candidate Justice (Rtd) Wajihuddin and Makhdoom Amin Fahim.Attorney General had earlier said that President Musharraf would quit his army post and take oath as civilian president as early as Saturday if the presidential re-election was approved by the apex court.
Lahore: People pouring in camp to show solidarity with Geo (Updated at 1410)
LAHORE: People from different walks of life continuously visiting the solidarity camp outside Geo office in Lahore to express solidarity with Geo Television Network against ban on transmissions of Geo News and Geo, Geo Super and Aag channels of the network. People in large number pouring in at the solidarity camp from Lahore and other cities and towns of Punjab and writing their views at the visitors’ book. The visitors in their views rejecting the ban on the channels of Geo Television Network expressed their opposition to curbs on Geo. They further said that the press and judiciary are two pillars of the country, which are being strangulated with curbs.
Pakistan 142-8 at tea in Delhi Test (Updated at 1340)
NEW DELHI: Pakistan, having elected to bat, were for 142 for eight wickets at tea on the opening day of the first test against India on Thursday. Electing to bat after skipper Shoaib Malik won the toss, Pakistan was jolted by good spells of Indian bowlers.Salman Butt scored 1, Yasir Hameed 29, Younis Khan 7, Muhammad Yousuf 27, Shoaib Malik 0, Kamran Akmal 30, Sohail Tanvir 4 and Shoaib Akhter 2. Misbahul Haq,32 and Mohammad Sami,0 were at the crease when the stumps drawn for tea.
Karachi: Hundreds receive nomination papers (Updated at 1310)
KARACHI: The candidates are receiving and submitting nomination papers on second day for the Sindh and National Assembly seats in Karachi.The Election Commission has established six centres in five districts of Karachi and hundreds candidates have received nominations from these centres. The intending candidates of district South Karachi can receive and submit nomination papers at the City Court, while district West candidates can receive and file nomination papers at former D.C. Office SITE, district Central candidates at former D.C. Office in Buffer Zone, district East candidates at former D.C. Office Civic Centre and district Malir candidates from the Assistant Commissioner’s office in Malir Courts. The candidates for reserved seats can receive and submit nominations at Provincial Election Commission office at Sharea Iraq in Saddar. The candidates need to apply on a plain paper along with a copy of national identity card and vote certificate and appear personally before the Assistant Election Commissioner for receiving the nomination paper. Several hundred persons had received nomination papers from various centres of Karachi till Thursday noon. Two former provincial ministers of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Shoaib Bukhari and Adil Siddiqui had submitted their nominations at the office of ADC Central.
Four more killed in Parachinar clashes (Updated at 1250)
PARACHINAR: Four more people were killed and several injured last night during clashes between conflicting tribes in Parachinar area of Kurram Agency.According to sources, the injured were shifted to Agency Headquarter Hospital Parachinar, Kurram Malitia Hospital Parachinar and Tehsil Headquarter Hospital Saddah. Meanwhile, the remaining 245 people who were given refuge by the Tori Tribe were handed over to the Kurram Agency's political administration.On Wednesday, four bodies were found from various parts of Parachinar where curfew has been imposed.One hundred and twenty four people including 12 security officials were killed and 300 injured during six-day clashes in the area.
Four new caretaker federal ministers take oath (Updated at 1145)
ISLAMABAD: The caretaker federal cabinet has been extended with addition of four new ministers on Thursday.Ejaz Rahim, Tariq Hameed, Abdul Jameel Khan and Dr. Amjad sworn in as federal caretaker ministers. President Pervez Musharraf administered the oath in a ceremony, which was also attended by caretaker Prime Minister Muhammadmian Soomro. The number of federal caretaker ministers has reached to 28 with addition of new ministers.
Pakistan 74-3 at lunch in Delhi Test (Updated at 1115)
NEW DELHI: Pakistan, after electing to bat, were 74 for three at lunch on the opening day of the first test against India on Thursday. Mohammad Yousuf was not out 27 and Misbah-ul-Haq was on three.Electing to bat after skipper Shoaib Malik won the toss, Pakistan was jolted by an inswinger from Khan that shattered the stumps of left-handed Butt, who notched just one run in 21 minutes. Younis Khan sent a sweetly-timed shot off Zaheer Khan to the midwicket fence, but was soon tempted by a bouncer to play a hook that sailed straight into the hands of Munaf Patel on the fine-leg fence.India's new skipper Kumble introduced spin by coming on after 15overs and did not have to wait long to snare plucky opener Hameed. Kumble struck in his fourth over as Hameed, failing to read a googly, played outside the line and had his off-stump tilted.Yousuf broke the shackles by dispatching medium-pacer Sourav Ganguly to the cover fence and then square-driving seamer Patel for four. Yousuf struck five boundaries off 42 deliveries during his 64-minute knock.
Quetta: Detained journalists released (Updated at 1105)
QUETTA: Police released Quetta journalists last night who were detained after holding a protest rally against curbs on media yesterday.Police Wednesday detained 27 newsmen including bureau chief of Geo News Quetta after they started protest rally from Quetta Press Club. Bureau Chief of Geo News Quetta Muhammad Ejaz Khan, Salman Ashraf, Mushtaq Kamboh, President Quetta Press Club Shahzada Zulfiqar and others were arrested and shifted to the City Police Station. The detained journalists were released late night from detention.
Commonwealth decides suspension of Pakistan (Updated at 1100)
ISLAMABAD: Commonwealth has informally communicated to Pakistan authorities that the 53-member organization suspending Pakistan’s membership.The luncheon meeting of the Commonwealth’s Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) at Kampala in Uganda would recommend suspension of Pakistan due to proclamation of emergency in the country and suspension of human rights. The summit meeting tonight will endorse the decision. Pakistan has also been informed that after the general elections in January next year a meeting of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group will be convened to consider the situation in Pakistan and to review the decision about suspension of Pakistan from the organization. It would be the third time that Pakistan being suspended from C’Wealth due to its internal situation.
Curfew lifted in Kolkata (Updated at 1050)
KOLKATAP: Shops reopened, children went back to school and a curfew was lifted in the east Indian city of Kolkata on Thursday hours after the army took to the streets to prevent further riots over the killing of villagers.
At least 50 people were injured and hundreds of children trapped in schools on Wednesday after violent protests against killings blamed on supporters of the communist-led West Bengal state government in a battle over the seizure of farm land for industry.
"We are not sure whether the curfew will be imposed again, but the situation is peaceful now," said police chief Gautam Mohan Chakraborty.
Geo’s concert honours released journalists (Updated at 1045)
KARACHI: Geo organised a musical concert Wednesday night to honour those journalists who were detained by law-enforcement agencies while protesting against curbs on media outside the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday.Junaid Jamshed performed his famous song “Dil Dil Pakistan” without musical accompaniment to show his solidarity with journalists. He said he had returned to stage after gap of 20 years for the cause of the media.Around 30 of the journalists, belonging to different print and electronic media, who faced executive high-handedness were called on stage one-by-one to share their experience in police captivity. They termed it the first stage of their struggle and vowed to continue their protest till the ban was lifted from TV channels, the end of the Pemra Ordinance, and an end to the assault on democratic freedoms.Ghulam Mustafa who was among four journalists separated and booked revealed that a senior police officer at Sher Shah police station told them that he had orders from higher authorities to torture them. He said the the policeman also requested them to level allegations of torture against him when they are released, otherwise, the higher authorities would take action against him for not doing so. He said that a TV reporter was detained outside the KPC and severely beaten by LEAs who dumped him near the National Stadium late Tuesday night.Tariq Moin said that the detained journalists observed the death anniversary of the great poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz at the police station by singing his poetry. Faisal Aziz said that this was the start of the sustained struggle against restrictions on the media.Fahim Siddiqi, Qazi Asif, Abdul Jabbar Nasir, Nasim Rajput, Liaquat Mughal, Raja Kamran, Abdul Jabbar, Shams Imran and others also spoke. Shazad Mughal, Ali Haider, Rog and other singers enthralled the audience.Geo has also installed projectors and plasmas at its building and wall so people on main I.I. Chundrigar Road could also enjoy it. Famous quotations of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah were also shown on the projector.Many participants wore T-shirts inscribed with slogans against the emergency and curbs on media.
Hearing of petitions challenging emergency, PCO (Updated at 1010)
ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court’s seven-member bench headed by Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar continued hearing of petitions against emergency and PCO on Thursday.Attorney General Malik Muhammad Qayyum in his arguments said if people are running a state within a state than extra-constitutional measures have to be taken.Defending the action of the Army chief he said the judiciary had grabbed the powers of the executive through judicial activism, which had stopped functioning of the executive. Counsel for President General Pervez Musharraf Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada pleaded before the larger bench of the Supreme Court to validate the emergency imposed on November 3, saying in the present circumstances extra-constitutional measures could be taken for the welfare of the state and its people.Presenting his arguments the counsel submitted that the court in the past cases had validated the extra constitutional steps, adding that at that time the Constitution was not effective and even held in abeyance.Giving grounds for the imposition of emergency in the country, Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada contended that there was no harmony between the three pillars of the state while the distribution of powers had greatly affected. He said it is "the responsibility of the Army to save the country and protect the Constitution". He said it was inevitable to impose emergency in the country.Earlier, Barrister Zafrullah Khan while concluding his arguments submitted before the court that the emergency imposed by the chief of the Army staff is totally unconstitutional. He stated that even General Musharraf had admitted himself that for the first time he had taken unconstitutional step.
Commonwealth ministers discuss Pakistan suspension (Updated at 0900)
KAMPALA: Commonwealth foreign ministers meeting has kicked off here to decide whether or not to suspend Pakistan from the organisation of mostly former British colonies.Britain's Queen Elizabeth II also arrived in Uganda to attend the summit conference, which starts in earnest on Friday, on her first visit to the East African country in more than half a century.A decision on Pakistan's membership in the 53-state organisation is expected today (Thursday) even as Islamabad appeared to be rolling back on some of the measures that have garnered international condemnation.
Pakistan elect to bat in Delhi Test (Updated at 0850)
NEW DELHI: Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik elected to bat after winning the toss against India in the opening Test at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground here on Thursday.Pakistan suffered a setback when fast bowler Umar Gul was ruled out of the match due to a back injury. He was replaced with left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir, who made his debut. Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh returned to the Indian side after more than a year. Skipper Anil Kumble is the second spinner in the side.India: Anil Kumble (capt), Wasim Jaffer, Dinesh Karthik, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Venkatsai Laxman, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel.Pakistan: Shoaib Malik (capt), Salman Butt, Yasir Hameed, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Misbah-ul-Haq, Kamran Akmal, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami, Sohail Tanvir, Danish Kaneria.
Geo TV website under another DDoS attack (Updated at 450)
KARACHI: Geo TV website came under DDoS attack for the second time at around 8pm on Wednesday, after which a very significant source of information is temporarily disconnected. It has been rectified by the timely action.It should be mentioned that it is the second time after the imposition of emergency that the website of Geo TV came under an attack.The DDoS attack is one in which a multitude of compromised systems attack a single target, thereby causing denial of service for users of the targeted system. The flood of incoming packets to the target system essentially forces it to shut down, thereby denying service to the system to legitimate users.The Geo News website was turned ‘light’ after the very first DDoS attack to be available to the maximum number of visitors.
Fighting continues in Swat, Shangla (Updated at 345)
SWAT: Some 52 persons including 30 militants and 10 civilians have been killed in fresh violence in Swat and Shangla districts as the troops and the Taliban fighters continue to exchange fire and more villages were emptied of their fleeing population.Curfew has been enforced in Kabal tehsil, though the area was already presenting a deserted look with families leaving for safer places in droves. The roads in the area were blocked as households struggled to find vehicles to transport them to different places in Swat or to down country to Malakand Agency, Mardan and beyond. As for the casualties suffered by the security forces, military spokesman Maj Gen Waheed Arshad said three soldiers were killed and five or six sustained injuries in attacks by militants in Kabal area of Swat. He expressed ignorance about military casualties in the adjoining Shangla district. Unconfirmed reports from Shangla said 10 troops were killed in fighting there. JUI-F and MMA Senator Rahat Hussain, who belongs to Shangla, and certain other sources said seven troops and another seven civilians and 30 Taliban were killed in the latest round of fighting in the district.
