By Ali Hazrat Bacha in Dawn, Aug 11

PESHAWAR, Aug 10: The law enforcement agencies are likely to face a fresh challenge as militants are regrouping in and around the district, sources say.

Keeping in view the possible threat, the administration imposed ban on pillion riding in Peshawar on Tuesday. In the past ban on pillion riding used to be imposed in Peshawar only in Muharram.

The suicide bomb blast at the busy FC Chowk and killing of Frontier Constabulary Commandant Safwat Ghayyur is an eye opener for law enforcement agencies, which claim to have won the war against terrorists.

Attempt on the life of Dr Gulalai, sister of Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali Khan, at Khyber Bazaar is another blow to the law enforcers.

According to observers, these incidents prove presence of terrorists in the main population. The murder of Mian Rashid, son of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Information Mian Iftikhar Hussain, followed by a suicide blast near his house also show strength of anti-state elements in different areas.

At least four people have been kidnapped from suburban villages of the district. One of the kidnapped persons was slaughtered few days ago and his body was dumped near Adezai, but so far no accused has been arrested in this connection.

Sources said that Frontier Region Peshawar was becoming stronghold of militants, with no proper check from the law enforcers. They said that some of hardcore militants reappeared in Pastawana and Bora areas of FR Peshawar. “These militants belong to the settled areas of Peshawar but they disappeared more than two years ago when search operations were conducted in the border areas,” they added.

Reliable sources told Dawn that at least 60 militants had reached FR Peshawar to carry out sabotage activities in the district.

Peshawar SSP Mubarak Zeb Khan, when contacted, also admitted that incidents of target killing in Peshawar and Nowshera showed that militants had changed their modus operandi. He said that militants were moving in the garb of flood victims and internally displaced persons. He said that nobody could deny presence of militants. “However, there is no camp of militants in Peshawar,” he added. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/peshawar/fresh-terror-acts-an-eye-opener-for-law-enforcers-180

2. Two more gunned down in Karachi target killings

KARACHI: A Shia man and an owner of a plastic warehouse were gunned down in separate incidents of targeted killings in Karachi on Tuesday, bringing the death toll in target killings to 104. After a day’s-break, two more people, Mirza Abid Shirazi and Anwar Khan were shot dead in separate localities of Karachi. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010811story_11-8-2010_pg1_5

3. Three soldiers among six killed in Mohmand

GHALANAI, Aug 10: Six persons, including three soldiers and as many militants, were killed and seven injured in two separate incidents of violence in Sagi area of Mohmand Agency on Tuesday, sources said.

In the first incident, three soldiers were killed and six militants injured when they exchanged fire. Sources said that soldiers were patrolling the area when militants attacked them. Both sides exchanged heavy fire.

An official said that three paramilitary soldiers were killed in the attack while six militants received injuries in retaliatory action.

In another incident, volunteers of a peace committee killed three militants in the area while an activist of the committee received injuries, officials said.

They said that militants attacked a checkpoint of the local peace committee in Khwaizai tehsil. www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/local/peshawar/three-soldiers-among-six-killed-in-mohmand-180

4. BNP leader shot dead in Khuzdar

QUETTA: A former district president of Balochistan National Party (BNP-Mengal), Attaullah Baloch, was shot dead in Khuzdar on Tuesday night.In another attack four people were seriously injured in Panjgur town. Sources said that Mr Baloch was riddled with bullets at Munir Mengal Road by some gunmen riding a motorbike when he was on way home in his vehicle. On Monday night, Rawal Khan Mohammad Hasni, an elder of Mohammad Hasni tribe, was shot dead by unknown armed men near his house at Brewery road area. http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/bnp-leader-shot-dead-in-khuzdar-180