Category Archives: General Press Releases
Rangers arrest 12 criminals in Karachi
In Sindh, Rangers arrested 12 criminals involved in street crimes, extortion, robbery and drug smuggling during raids in various areas of the Karachi.
According to Rangers spokesperson, illegal weapons, narcotics and looted items were also recovered from the arrested.
Source: Radio Pakistan
Rohingya Refugees in India Rattled After First-Ever Deportations
The Rohingya camps in India’s Haryana state, adjoining the capital, New Delhi, lie far from the country’s northeast from where Indian authorities deported seven Rohingya men to Myanmar earlier this month. But the first-ever deportations have caused deep worries here of more repatriations of the Muslim minority that fled persecution and violence in Myanmar.
As it takes a tougher stand on illegal immigrants, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government has said it plans to send back the estimated 40,000 Rohingyas living in the country.
They are scattered throughout India, living in dreary camps like the one lying off a dusty road in Haryana’s most underdeveloped district, Mewat.
No complaints in camp
At one such camp, 45 families living in cramped shelters share one water pipe, the children study in a makeshift school and the men sustain their families by working as laborers on construction sites whenever they can find work.
However, nobody complains. The residents say they are willing to cope with the squalor and lack of steady work in these camps that have provided a safe shelter for the last six years from the constant fear they faced in their homeland.
Nobody harasses us in India. If we do some work, we can fend for our food. There is no problem, said Fatima Hatu, who fled Myanmar with her husband in 2012.
Can they stay?
But the Rohingyas now worry about how long they can call this home. Ali Zohar, who is the informal head of the settlement, fears the deportation of the seven Rohingyas in India’s northeast has cleared the way for more to be sent back.
Zohar, who says he was once a relatively prosperous landowner, is alarmed.
My life has been ruined, he said. But what do I do about the future of my children? Will they have to return back? My mind is tired thinking.
Hopes pinned on UN card
Residents in these camps are hoping that refugee cards given by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will protect them from a second displacement; about half the Rohingyas in India are registered with the U.N.
The seven Rohingyas who were deported did not have U.N. cards and had been detained as illegal immigrants.
That is why at an adjoining camp, Sultan Amin, keeps his U.N. card, his most prized possession, locked away. Like many of the Rohingyas living in India, he came from Bangladesh in search of better opportunities and so far the card has given him the freedom to move around and work.
He says his two brothers and mother, who could not leave Myanmar, tell him that they still face harassment, and Amin believes that his life could be at risk if he is repatriated.
I escaped here to save myself, he said. How can I go back to be killed?
Called security threat
India has said, however, that it does not recognize the U.N. refugee cards. Officials say all those who have entered the country without valid permits are illegal immigrants and state authorities have been told to start collecting the biometrics of Rohingyas so that they can be sent back.
New Delhi calls them a security threat and has told the Supreme Court, where the planned repatriations have been challenged, that some Rohingyas could be linked with Pakistan-based terror organizations and similar organizations operating in other countries.
So far no member of the Rohingya community has been charged with militant links, according to security experts although they say there are apprehensions that they could be targets for radicalization.
Election plays a role
Political observers say Prime Minister Modi’s Hindu nationalist government’s plan to deport the Rohingya Muslims represents a U-turn on India’s traditionally tolerant policy towards refugees. For example, India is home to tens of thousands of Tibetan refugees.
An independent political analyst in New Delhi, Neerja Chowdhury, links the tougher posture to general elections scheduled in 2019. There have been loud calls from Hindu groups linked to the Bharatiya Janata Party to send back the Rohingyas.
Certainly if the discourse can be polarized on Hindu-Muslim lines, it is advantage BJP, Chowdhury said.
The refugees say all they want is a patch of land where they can have shelter and where they can eke out a living.
All my relatives and family there (in Myanmar) have been killed. When our country is safe like India and Bangladesh, we will go back, said 30-year-old Noor Begum at a camp in Mewat.
Such voices are supported by the United Nations refugee agency, which has criticized the deportation of the Rohingyas and said refugees should not be sent back to countries where they fear persecution.
Source: Voice of America
Illegal, Smuggled Mobile Phones to be blocked after October 20th: PTA
Islamabad, October 13, 2018 (PPI-OT): The final phase of Device Identification, Registration and Blocking System (DIRBS) shall begin on 20th October 2018, said Pakistan Telecommunication Authority in a statement issued today. Authority said that this unique system will curb illegal imports, facilitate legitimate device importers, and mobile device users, and improve overall security situation.
PTA said that mobile devices having SIM/IMEI functionality operating on Pakistani mobile networks will not face any service interruption nor will be blocked by DIRBS. Any mobile device reflecting non-compliant status after 20th October 2018 will be blocked as per Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)/DIRBS regulations.
Any mobile device obtained/purchased/imported after 20th October 2018 must obtain PTA Certificate of Compliance (COC) to technical standards. In order to create public awareness, PTA is sending informatory SMS to all mobile subscribers to know the status of their mobile devices in use.
Telecom consumers can verify status of mobile device’s IMEI(s) by sending IMEI number via SMS to 8484, on the website: www.dirbs.pta.gov.pk or by downloading DIRBS android mobile application from Google Play Store.
There are 4 categories of responses that can be received by a subscriber inquiring about status of its IMEI(s) as explained below:
Compliant Devices are PTA type approved and legally imported in Pakistan.
Valid Devices are such devices where the IMEI of mobile device is valid (GSMA approved), however it is not PTA compliant/approved.
To facilitate such users, PTA will auto register all such IMEIs which are observed on mobile network before 20th October 2018 and their status will be compliant after-this-date.
For auto registration, users are advised to do any revenue generating activity i.e. make any call, send a SMS or use mobile internet before 20th October, 2018.
Non-Compliant devices are such devices where IMEI is either not allocated by GSMA or it is duplicated. To facilitate such users, PTA will auto pair all such IMEIs which are observed on mobile network with specific SIMs before 20th October 2018. After this date, those users will be able to use these IMEIs with paired-SIMs-only. In order to auto pair all the IMEIs related to this mobile device, users are advised to do any revenue generating activity from their SIM(s), i.e. make any call, send a SMS or use mobile internet from their SIM(s) before 20th October, 2018.
Blocked devices indicates that your IMEI is blocked as this IMEI has been reported stolen earlier.
It is reiterated that mobile device users should verify their IMEI by sending SMS to 8484 before buying/obtaining any handset.
It is advised to buy only PTA compliant/approved mobile devices.
For further details, mobile phone users can visit PTA website (https://www.pta.gov.pk).
For more information, contact:
Director (PR)
Commercial Affairs
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA)
Tel: +92-51-9225346
Fax: +92-51-2878133
Email: comaff@pta.gov.pk
Website: www.pta.gov.pk
Thousands attend funeral prayers of martyred youth in IOK
Srinagar, October 13, 2018 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, showing their love and affection for the youth who are sacrificing their lives for the Kashmir cause, tens of thousands of people participated in the funeral prayers of a martyr, Shabbir Ahmed Dar, in Samboora area of Pulwama district, today. Shabbir Ahmed Dar was killed by Indian troops during a cordon and search operation in Babagund area of the district, late last night.
The occupation authorities imposed curfew in Pulwama town to prevent demonstrations against the killing. The authorities also suspended internet services in the district. Defying restrictions, thousands of people thronged Samboora, the native area of Shabbir Ahmed Dar, and participated in his funeral prayers. Three rounds of funeral prayers were held for the martyr to accommodate the huge rush of people. The slain youth was laid to rest amid high-pitched pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. Spontaneous shutdown was observed in the district. A few mujahideen appeared in the funeral and offered gun salute to Shabbir Dar.
Meanwhile, complete strike was observed in Kupwara district on the third consecutive day, today, against the killing of PhD scholar, Dr Manan Wani, and his associate, Aashiq Husain Zargar, by Indian troops. People also held a demonstration in Potshai area of Lolab in the district against the killings. Banihal town of Jammu region had also observed strike, yesterday, against the killing of Dr Manan Wani.
Hurriyat leaders including Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Muhammad Yasin Malik and Agha Syed Hassan Al-Moosvi Al-Safvi in their statements paid glowing tributes to Dr Manan Wani and his associate. Syed Ali Gilani said that the Indian state terrorism during the past 71 years had forced the highly qualified scholars and intellectuals to take the extreme step and now they felt dignity in death while fighting Indian occupation than to live a life of slavery.
On the other hand, complete shutdown was observed in poll-bound areas of the Kashmir Valley on the call of Joint Resistance Leadership. As per reports summer capital Srinagar and Islamabad town witnessed a minimal turnout with around 2 per cent voting in the 3rd phase of the polling for the local bodies elections, today.
The personnel of Indian paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force beat up two local reporters in Islamabad town while they were discharging their professional duties during anti-India demonstrations, yesterday.
Indian police have charged suspended Kashmiri students of the Aligarh Muslim University, Wasim Ayub Malik and Abdul Mir, under sedition. Wasim and Mir were among the several students of the AMU who had tried to hold funeral prayers in absentia for martyred PhD scholar, Dr Manan Wani, on Thursday. Dr Manan Wani was a scholar in Applied Geology from the Aligarh Muslim University.
For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org
Shutdown in Kupwara on 3rd day against killing of Dr Wani
Srinagar, October 13, 2018 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, complete shutdown was observed in Kupwara district of north Kashmir on the third consecutive day, today, against the killing of PhD scholar, Dr Manan Wani, and his associate, Aashiq Husain Zargar, by Indian troops. The troops killed Dr Manan Wani and Aashiq Zargar during a cordon and search operation at Shatgund in Handwara area of the district on Thursday.
Kupwara town, Trehgam, Handwara, Langate and Lolab areas of the district remained shut on the 3rd successive day, today. People also held a demonstration in Potshai area of Lolab against the killings. The occupation authorities had ordered closure of all schools and colleges to prevent demonstrations against the killing of Dr Manan Wani and his associate.
For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org
Suspended AMU Kashmiri students charged under sedition
New Delhi, October 13, 2018 (PPI-OT): Indian police have charged suspended Kashmiri students of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Wasim Ayub Malik and Abdul Mir, under sedition. Wasim and Mir were among the students of the AMU who had tried to hold funeral prayers in absentia for PhD scholar, Manan Wani, martyred by Indian troops in Shatgund area of Kupwara district on Thursday. Manan Wani was a scholar in Applied Geology from the Aligarh Muslim University.
The AMU spokesman, Shafay Kidwai, in a statement said that show-cause notices have been issued to nine students for trying to hold a gathering on Thursday. A three-member inquiry committee has been set up to probe the incident. It will submit a report in the next 72 hours, he added.
The Kashmiri students studying in various educational institutions across India face harassment and attacks at the hands of the Indian students and the authorities of the educational institutions. Many of the Kashmiri students had to give up their studies due to the harassment. It is not a freak practice, but a well-thought-out plan aimed at intimidating the students from occupied Kashmir to make them leave their studies and return back to their homes.
For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
Phone: +92-51-4435548, +92-51-4435549
Fax: +92-51-4861736
Email: info@kmsnews.org
Website: www.kmsnews.org
