Awaz Apni

CNews SWAT: A blast tore through a security forces vehicle in restive northwest Pakistan on Thursday, killing 30 people and wounding dozens more, a senior security official said. The attack in scenic Swat valley in the North West Frontier Province was the latest in a wave of violence targeting the military since government troops stormed the Al-Qaeda-linked Red Mosque in Islamabad in July. The blast comes just one day after Pakistan deployed more than 2,000 military troops to the area to bolster efforts to stem the rising violence, which is linked to pro-Taliban militants. The truck -- carrying paramilitary soldiers and packed with ammunition -- was travelling on a road outside the valley's main city of Mingora when the explosion occurred, the security official said. "Thirty people were killed in the explosion including 17 paramilitary soldiers. The damage was high because the truck was packed with ammunition," the official, who asked not to be named, said. Swat mayor Faz...

CNews ISLAMABAD: Eid-ul-Fitr was celebrated with religious enthusiasm and fervor across Pakistan yesterday (Sunday). Eid prayers offered at Eidgahs, mosques and open places all over the country. In their sermons, Ulema highlighted the philosophy of Eid and prayed for progress and solidarity of the country and Muslim Ummah.Security was tightened in Islamabad to ensure safety of the citizens. The city was divided in three zones. Major congregations of Eid in federal capital were held at Faisal Masjid and Lal Masjid. Stringent security measures were taken in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar, while special security was arranged around mosques, Eidgahs and Imambargahs in all major cities and towns. Additional security contingents were deployed and ambulances arranged at key places to meet any untoward incident. In Karachi about 1500 Eid congregations were held, the largest gathering was held under the city government at Bagh-e-Jinnah, where Maulana Muhammad Ahmed Salimi led the prayers....

The controversial Red Mosque in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, has re-opened following a Supreme Court ruling issued on Tuesday. The order came three months after the mosque was stormed by Pakistani troops to evict militants who had taken sanctuary within its complex. More than 100 people were killed in the fighting in July. The mosque's chief cleric was arrested. His wife has pledged that it will not be used for political activity. The Supreme Court issued its order after Umme Hassan made her promise. It also ordered the government to pay relatives compensation for all those killed in the military operation. Among those who died was deputy mosque head Abdul Rashid Ghazi, brother of chief cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz. The mosque temporarily reopened on 27 July but closed within hours after protesters reoccupied it at the same time as a suicide blast near the complex killed 14 people. The raid on the mosque triggered a series of revenge suicide bombings and other attacks by militan...