1. Militants kill 16 passengers in northwest Pakistan: AP report, July 17

PARACHINAR: Militants armed with assault rifles ambushed a convoy of civilian vehicles killing 16 people Saturday in northwestern Pakistan, the scene of extensive military operations targeting Islamist insurgents.

Several people were also wounded in Saturday’s attack in Char Khel village in the troubled tribal region of Kurram. The travelers were heading to the main northwestern city of Peshawar in vehicles when they were ambushed.

Kurram has witnessed scores of such attacks, robberies and kidnappings for ransom in the past three years.

Military offensives have left Pakistan’s army tied up in most of the tribal belt, as well as in the Swat Valley, also in the country’s northwest. Even after major operations have ended in some of these areas, militant activity has continued.

The army has moved primarily against the Pakistani Taliban network, which is distinct from the Afghan Taliban factions, though it shares many of the same Islamist and anti-Western goals.

The US has praised Pakistan for pursuing army operations against militant groups on its territory. In part, that’s because it does not want Pakistan to be a sanctuary for militants battling U.S. and NATO forces in neighboring Afghanistan. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6179795.cms?prtpage=1

2. Christians flee violence by Islamic extremists in Faisalabad

Faisalabad (AsiaNews) – A large number of Christians has fled Waris Pura, on the outskirts of Faisalabad, fearing violence, after Muslims launched a protest action that started at a local mosque after Friday prayers. The risk of attacks against Christians and their property is very high, a source in Faisalabad told AsiaNews, choosing anonymity for security reasons. Yesterday, hundreds of Islamic militants joined a protest march, calling for the death of two Christian brothers accused of blasphemy. During the procession, the mob stoned a Catholic church. An alleged booklet with offensive words about Prophet Muhammad is the reason for the rising tensions.

Contacted by AsiaNews, Fr Pascal Paulus, parish priest at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, said that “today’s demonstration was peaceful” and “went off without any incident.” This was made possible by “the government’s intervention” which “helped the dialogue with Muslim leaders”. The “massive presence of police” was also key in preventing acts of violence.

Fr Pascal noted that both Christians and Muslims want “Pakistan to prosper”. He insisted that all men of faith must “work for peace and dialogue;” nevertheless, he did confirm that “a climate of fear” prevails among Christians. Still, there is hope in lasting and peaceful coexistence.

Earlier, local Muslim leaders had called on Muslims to join en masse in today’s demonstration. Local sources told AsiaNews that “flyers were handed out at the mosque and door to door” with threats against Christians.

In Waris Pura, a suburb of Faisalabad (Punjab) and a former Christian ghetto with some 100,000 residents, tensions are in fact still running high. For this reason, “a large number of Christians fled”.

Tensions went further up yesterday when a similar protest march of hundreds of Islamic militants demanded the death of the two Christian brothers accused of blasphemy. As they went by Holy Rosary Catholic Church, they threw rocks and stones at the building. In previous days, additional attacks were recorded in the predominantly Christian neighbourhood.

At the root of the crisis is a blasphemy accusation levelled at Rev Rashid Emmanuel and his brother Sajid. The two were arrested on 2 July for allegedly writing insulting words against the prophet Muhammad. They have rejected the accusation but are now facing the death penalty.

Christians living in the area have fled because of past experiences. Mobs of Muslims, whipped up by their religious and tribal leaders, invoking the so-called blasphemy law, attacked and torched Korian and Gojra, two Christian villages in Punjab.

The brutal attack, which occurred between the end of July and 1 August 2009, left seven Christian dead, including women and children, as well as hundreds of homes and a few churches destroyed.http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Christians-flee-violence-by-Islamic-extremists-in-Faisalabad-18958.html

3. 10 killed in Khyber market blast

JAMRUD/HANGU: Ten people, including children, were killed and 14 others injured when a bomb planted inside a shop went off in a market in Tirah Valley of Khyber Agency on Friday, administration officials and residents said.

“Ten people have been killed, including three children. Fourteen people were wounded in the blast,” senior district official Shafeerullah Khan said. Intelligence officials also confirmed the toll, saying three shops and four cars were destroyed. The commander of Lashkar-e-Islam was among those killed in the explosion, the residents said, adding that six people among those injured belonged to the same group.

“The timed device appeared to have been planted by a rival militia,” the residents told Daily Times by phone. Meanwhile, in Hangu district, a remote-controlled bomb targeted a police vehicle, injuring four policemen and five civilians, District Police Officer Abdur Rashid Khan told reporters.

He said the blast took place near Baghto Chowk on Tall Road. http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010717story_17-7-2010_pg1_4

4. Six NATO oil tankers gutted after attacks: By Saleem Shahid in Dawn, July 17

QUETTA, July 16: Six oil tankers carrying fuel for Nato forces in Afghanistan were set on fire by unknown armed men in Machh and Wadh areas of Khuzdar district on Friday.

Sources said the drivers had parked their oil tankers at a roadside hotel near Machh after arriving from Karachi. All of a sudden unknown armed men riding motorcycles appeared and peppered the tankers with a volley of bullets.

As the four tankers were loaded with fuel, they caught fire in no time while a driver, Habibullah, who was sleeping in his tanker, was injured.

“All the four oil tankers were destroyed,” Khurshid Shah, Machh DSP, told Dawn, adding that nearby shops and a house of the hotel owner had also caught fire. The shop and house were damaged badly.

Police said the armed men fled after the attack.

In another incident, two Nato oil tankers were destroyed near Wadh area of Khuzdar district, 350km south-east of Quetta.

Sources said unknown men perched on mountains opened fire on the two tankers, which were coming from Karachi, when they reached Wadh town. /www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/six-nato-oil-tankers-gutted-after-attacks-770

5. Taliban blow up two ‘spies’ near Miramshah

MIRAMSHAH, July 16: Taliban militants in tribal belt on Friday executed two men by strapping explosives to their bodies, security officials said. The public execution took place in a village near Miramshah, the main town in North Waziristan which sits on the Afghan border, after the men were accused of spying for the US.

“Taliban militants strapped explosive material to their bodies and blew them up publicly,” a local administrative official said.

It is the second such incident in the same village. In a similar execution on May 21 Taliban blew up two men, according to security officials http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/front-page/taliban-blow-up-two-spies-near-miramshah-770

6. Balochistan remains shut for 3rd day over Habib Jalib’s murder

By Mohammad Zafar in the Daily Times, July 17

QUETTA: A complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike was observed across Balochistan on Friday to condemn the assassination of Habib Jalib, BNP-Mengal general secretary, who was killed by unidentified assassins on Wednesday.

A majority of shopping and business centres across the province remained closed, including those in the provincial metropolis, for the third consecutive day. Most of the highways, including the RCD Highway, also remained closed for traffic as protesters put up barricades to block the flow of traffic.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010717story_17-7-2010_pg1_3