Pakistan Army chief vows to eliminate the menace of terrorism following Friday's twin suicide attack
Islamabad (PTI): Pakistan's Army chief General Syed Asim Munir has vowed to eliminate the menace of terrorism from the country through "unabated" military operations against militants following Friday's twin suicide attacks that have killed 65 people.
A total of 60 people were killed and more than 60 others were injured in a grisly suicide blast on Friday in Balochistan that targeted a procession to celebrate Prophet Muhammad's birthday near the Madina Masjid in Mastung, an official said.
In the second bomb attack that took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Hangu, targeting a police station's mosque, five people were killed, and 12 others were injured as the mosque's roof collapsed in the explosion's impact, it said.
The Chief of Army Staff visited Quetta on Saturday where he was briefed on recent terrorist attacks, the Army's media wing said in a statement on Saturday night.
Munir said that the heretics who have nothing to do with Islam were carrying out such attacks with the "backing of state sponsors of terrorism".
"These terrorists and their facilitators, having no link with religion and ideology, are proxies of the enemies of Pakistan and its people," he said, without giving more details.
The Army chief added: "These forces of evil will continue to face the full might of the state and security forces backed by a resilient nation."
"Our operation against terrorists would continue unabated and the Armed Forces, Intelligence and Law Enforcement Agencies shall not rest till the menace of terrorism is rooted out from the country."
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack in Balochistan so far however, the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), responsible for some of the bloodiest attacks in Pakistan, denied its involvement.
Meanwhile, a think-tank report showed that Pakistan's security forces have experienced their highest casualties in eight years, with at least 386 personnel losing their lives in the first nine months of 2023.
The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) report also said a troubling 57 per cent surge in violence nationwide, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
In the CRSS Security Report for the third quarter of 2023, it is highlighted that among the 1,087 violence-related fatalities recorded this year, security forces accounted for 36 per cent of the casualties, marking an eight-year high. This figure includes 137 Army personnel and 208 police personnel.
The rise in violence is particularly concentrated in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Balochistan
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Adani, nephew not charged under US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: Adani Green
New Delhi: Billionaire Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani have not been charged with any violations of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in the indictment filed by US authorities in a court in a bribery case, the Adani Group said on Wednesday.
Gautam Adani, founder chairman of the ports-to-energy conglomerate, Sagar Adani and another key executive, Vneet Jaain, have been charged by the US Department of Justice with being part of an alleged scheme to pay USD 265 million in bribes to Indian officials to win contracts for supply of solar electricity that would yield USD 2 billion profit over a 20-year period.
In a stock exchange filing, Adani Green Energy Ltd, which is at the centre of the bribery allegations, said reports claiming that the three have been charged with FCPA violations "are incorrect".
They have been charged with offences that are punishable with a monetary fine or penalty.
"Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and Vneet Jaain have not been charged with any violation of the FCPA in the counts set forth in the indictment of the US DOJ or civil complaint of the US SEC.
"These directors have been charged on three counts in the criminal indictment, namely (i) alleged securities fraud conspiracy, (ii) alleged wire fraud conspiracy, and (iii) alleged securities fraud," the filing said.
The Adani Group has denied all allegations and said it will take all possible legal recourse to defend itself.
A criminal indictment has been filed before the United States District Court Eastern District of New York by the Department of Justice in the case of USA against Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and Vneet Jaain.
"The indictment does not specify any quantum of any fine/penalty," the company said.
The civil complaint alleges that the executives violated certain sections of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Act of 1934, and aided and abetted Adani Green Energy Limited's violation of the Acts, it said.
"Although the complaint prays for an order directing the defendants to pay civil monetary penalties, it does not quantify the amount of penalty," it said.
