At least 22 people were killed in Pakistan in terror-related incidents on Tuesday, reports our correspondent. “Thirteen people including deputy superintendent police Mohammed Iqbal and his gunman were killed and several others injured in a remote-controlled bomb blast here at Najafabad in Kalachi area (in Dera Ismail Khan),” a police official said. “A bomb planted on the roadside exploded when the vehicle of DSP Kalachi in Paind Khan area was approaching,” he added. The injured were rushed to the hospital where the condition of some victims was stated to be critical.
Meanwhile, in Orakzai Agency, a security man was killed and seven others injured during skirmishes between the security forces and militants whereas eight militants were killed in a retaliatory action. The military said that militants stormed a check post in Khawastori area in lower Orakzai and killed a security official. Seven other sec-urity men were wounded.
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Nepal talks fail, crisis continues
Kathmandu : High-level parleys to end political stalemate in Nepal failed on Tuesday with the Maoists sticking to their demand that PM Madhav Kumar Nepal should resign to pave the way for a nat-ional government. The talks held between Unified CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda and acting Nepali Congress President Shushil Ko-irala in Kathmandu to end the political deadlock failed to yield any concrete result as the two sides stuck to their stands.
NC asked the Maoists to take the peace process to its logical end by integrating and rehabilitating the Mao-ist combatants before discussing power-sharing.
“We have also asked the Maoists to return the seized land and house belonging to different people and to dissolve the paramilitary st-ructure of the Young Communist League of the Mao-ists so that an atmosphere of trust could be created,” Mr Koirala said. —PTI