LAHORE, Pakistan, March 11 (Agencies) - Two bombs exploded in Lahore city, capital of Punjab province, Tuesday morning, killing at least 26 people and injuring up to 175 others, police and officials said. The first bomb went off at about 9.25 a.m. outside the city-centre Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) offices, badly damaging the eight-storey building and nearby buildings on the busy Mall Road. Reports said 20 persons were killed. �We're trying to evacuate the wounded trapped under the debris,� FIA chief Tariq Pervez told Reuters from Islamabad. Chaudhry Manzoor, the director of the agency, which focuses on illegal immigration, said 14 employees had been killed.
A second bomb went off in the mainly residential neighbourhood of Model Town, about 10 km from the site of the first blast, killing two children and another person, besides the two suicide bombers, said a city administrator, Mian Ejaz. Police said the second attack was caused by a suicide car bomb. The car had two people inside and blew up after it was stopped at the gate of an advertising agencies office. Last week a twin-suicide bombing killed five people in an attack on a navy college in the city. According to private TV channels the blast at the FIA building took place near the elevator. On the other hand, the posh Model Town blast was caused when the explosive laden vehicle was dashed against the boundary wall of the bungalow housing the advertising agency. The two children killed were brothers. Emergency has been declared in Lahore hospitals which have so far received up to 100 injured, the TV channels reported. (First Posted @ 09:50 PST, Updated @ 19:15 PST)
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
At least 26 killed in two blasts in Lahore
March 11: Seminar "Adliya ki Azadi - Awam ki Azadi"
People's Resistance
"Adlia ki Azadi: Awam ki Azadi"
4:30 pm, March 11, 2008
PMA House, Garden Road, Karachi
The issue of justice affects all of us directly. This seminar explores why all Pakistanis should care about the restoration of an independent judiciary, and includes perspectives from everyday Pakistani citizens on why an independent judiciary matters to them.
CHIEF GUEST: Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court, Mr. Justice Sabihuddin Ahmad
Speakers include:
Women's Issues: Ms. Nazish Brohi
Students' Issues: Mr. Khurram Ali (Communist Mazdoor Kissan Party)
Media Issues: Mr. Ghazi Salahuddin
Privatization and Labour Issues: Mr. Dhani Baksh Samoon (People's Workers' Union, Pakistan Steel Mills)
PLEASE JOIN US!
To confirm, RSVP 0300 293 8550WAF Press Release
There were several events organised in Lahore on 8th March, the International Women’s Day.
WAF, Lahore held a press conference at the Lahore Press Club. The well attended Press Conference began with dedicating the day this year to Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto to acknowledge her contributions and her ultimate sacrifice for the country and its people; followed by highlighting the significance of the day and its brief history; reading out of the statement; a brief review of WAF’s struggle for women’s rights and democracy in Pakistan, its opposition to military rule and more recently its whole hearted support for the restoration of the judiciary. There was a lively question answer session with reference to the WAF statement and the conference ended with Rubina Saigol’s recitation of her poem “Wifaq”
The press conference ended with the re-iteration of the demand for the restoration of the judiciary and return to 2 November constitution. Black flags and stickers (“adilya bahal karo”, etc.) were handed out to all participants and a procession taken out with placards and banners, and yellow balloons (WAF colour) were let off. Popular slogans for the restoration of the judiciary, ouster of Musharraf (“Go Musharraf Go”), women’s rights (“Still Marching On…), constitutionalism, etc. were raised. Representatives of lawyers, students, women and minorities organizations, NGOs and others participated. Passers-by raised Victory signs in support. Police was present in large numbers police but stayed away from the demonstrators.
The press conference was varyingly reported in the Lahore edition of different newspapers: detailed reports in DT, News and Jung, only a picture in the Nation. Samaa and a few other local TV channels covered the press conference and the demonstration in their 8th March round up.
