The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is a terrorist organisation, even if it has not been officially designated yet, a top United States official has told his lawmakers. The US now says that the Pakistani Taliban was responsible for the failed Times Square bomb attempt on May 1, in which a Pakistani-American, Faisal Shahzad, 30, has been arrested by federal authorities.
A new report by the Bipartisan Policy Centre's National Security Preparedness Group says the US does not have a real strategy to counter the homegrown threat.
"We've now developed evidence that shows that the Pakistani Taliban was behind the attack," US Attorney General Eric Holder told ABC television's Sunday current affairs talkshow This Week.
For a wannabe terrorist like Faisal Shahzad, accused in the Times Square bombing plot, shopping for help in Pakistan is no problem as the country is like a supermarket with money and weapons freely available for potential jihadists, says Newsweek editor Fareed Zakaria.
Pakistani intelligence officials are tracing links between Times Square bombing plot suspect Faisal Shahzad and banned terror group Jaish-e-Muhammad, led by Maulana Masood Azhar. This search has led investigators to the sprawling, marble-floored Batha Mosque and a religious school in a crowded neighbourhood of Karachi, which was once the provincial headquarters of the JeM and was visited by the elusive Azhar, who was released from prison in 1999.
'Anybody can claim anything,' Pakistan army spokesperson Major General Athar Abbas said. 'I do not think the Pakistani Taliban has the capacity to carry out attacks overseas because the army has destroyed their facilities.'
A Delhi court is likely to frame charges on September 20 against a suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist in the sensational Batla House encounter in which a Delhi Police Inspector was killed in 2008.
'We are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea'
Terming the Batla House encounter "totally fake", the Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid Ahmed Bukhari has accused the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre of harassing Muslims.
Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi are a spin-bowling unit the equal of any in the world
A suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorist arrested in Azamgarh in connection with the 2008 serial blasts in Delhi, will be charged with the murder of Delhi Police Inspector Mohan Chand Sharma during the Batla House encounter, sources said on Tuesday.
The arrest of Shahzad Ahmed alias Pappu, an accused in the Delhi serial blasts case and the Batla House encounter, is a major breakthrough for investigating agencies. These agencies are now trying to ascertain whether Pappu had undergone a pilot training course in Bengaluru.Pappu is reportedly a member of the Indian Mujahideen, which operates under the aegis of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba, and he had played a key role in planning the Delhi serial blasts in September, 2008.
A Pakistani court has extended the custody of former president General Pervez Musharraf till October 30 in the Lal Masjid case and ruled that the next hearing would be held at his Chak Shahzad farmhouse, which has been turned into a sub-jail.
The bodies of the three persons killed in an alleged fake encounter on April 30 on the Line of Control (LoC) by the army were exhumed on Friday afternoon and were identified by the relatives.
The trial in the sensational Batla House encounter case is all set to begin as a Delhi court on Wednesday sent the matter to a sessions judge for hearing arguments on charge and subsequent proceedings against Shahzad, alleged member of Indian Mujahideen.
A computer programmer, who knew Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad, is among the three Pakistani men arrested during investigations into the failed plot. The three men were picked up on Thursday in a series of raids in the Boston suburbs, on New York's Long Island and in New Jersey, as the Federal Bureau of Investigation followed the money trail in the failed attack.
A Pakistani official, who spoke on conditions of anonymity, said that Sheik Mohammed Rehan, an alleged member of JeM -- a banned terror group having close relations with the Al-Qaeda -- drove with Shahzad from Karachi to Peshawar in July 2009, The Los Angeles Times reports.
With the role of India-focused terror outfits such as the Laskhar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed likely to come under scanner in the Times Square bombing plot, Pakistan's response would be a "litmus test" for future engagement with the US as Islamabad has been reluctant to act against these groups, a top American expert has said.
Featuring Santer, Jordan, Faulkner, Morris, Zampa.
The Asia Cup to be played in Bangladesh from February 24, will be played in the T20 format for the first time in the tournament's history. The tournament which precedes the vital World T20 to be held in in India in March, has a rich history with India and Sri Lanka winning it five times each. Pakistan have been victorious on two occasions while Bangladesh's best finish has been their runner-up performance in the 2012 edition. Team India will be led by MS Dhoni and the tournament will also see Virat Kohli returning after taking a break from the recently concluded three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka. Dhoni will be chasing history to become the most successful skipper in the tournament history. The Indian skipper and former Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga have both recorded same number of nine victories and four defeats in the Asia Cup All the matches will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Mirpur. The qualifying rounds involving Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong and Oman has begun from Friday.
In the wake of a final verdict on the Batla House encounter case, the National Investigation Agency and police teams from several states are all set to launch another manhunt for the head honchos of the Indian Mujahideen.
A week after a car bomb was diffused in the nick of time, another bomb was found in New York Times square, leading to massive evacuation of the area.
A middle-aged individual who is suspected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other investigating agencies for being involved in the failed Times Square car bombing is a naturalised US citizen of Pakistani origin, media reports said on Tuesday.
'It is possible that these terrorists took advantage of the chaos and escaped in the melee.'
An accused in the 2008 serial blasts in the national capital was on Monday arrested by the Anti-Terror Squad of the Uttar Pradesh Police from Azamgarh district, a senior officer said.
None other than India skipper Virat Kohli acknowledged Afghanistan's rapid rise in the last four years.
Visa norms for travel between India and Pakistan are expected to be made simpler within three months, a senior Pakistani official has said.The new visa policy, under discussion between the two countries, entails easier documentation process and extended validity period for both individual and group visa applicants.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad team, which is probing the Mumbai terror attacks, on Tuesday took transit remand of an accused arrested in connection with the attack on the Central Reserve Police Force camp in Rampur."An ATS team, which arrived in the state capital on Monday, took Imran Shahzad alias Abu Samad, currently lodged in Lucknow jail, on transit remand to Mumbai," said Additional Director General (Law and Order) Brijlal.
Pakistan's national selection committee on Wednesday axed flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi and pacer Sohail Tanvir from the 15-member squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka preferring to give rookie players Ahmed Shahzad and Mohammad Talha a chance.
'Irrfan was known in his friend circles as a Sufi-esque man who was never detached from any incident, person or situation,' remembers Rajesh Abhay, a friend of the actor since their days at NSD.
Pakistan skipper Misbah ul Haq, who is often blamed for his slow approach to game, showed that he can be an attacking skipper when situation demands. In the crucial game against South Africa, the 40-year-old was seen adopting a carefree approach, which helped the sub-continent nation stun the one of the pre-tournament favourites by 29 runs.
Advancing into the Super 10 stage for the first time in three attempts, minnows Afghanistan will face a formidable challenge when they clash with South Africa in the ICC World Twenty 20 Championship at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
India is being represented by 487 athletes in more than 15 disciplines.
No Indian Davis Cup squad has travelled to Pakistan since March 1964 and in that tie, held in Lahore, India had won 4-0.
India suffered a shock 28-run defeat against Afghanistan but still qualified for the semi-finals of the Asian Cricket Council Emerging Teams Cup tournament for the under-23 cricket teams, in Singapore, on Thursday.
Nepal secured a historic entry into the upcoming World Cup qualifiers after a sensational last-ball one-wicket victory over Canada in the ICC World Cricket League Division Two in Windhoek (Namibia) on Wednesday.
The film makers agreed to put certain disclaimers and delete some scenes in the movie which were objected to by Khan and Ahmed.
Five packets of explosives were found on Monday near former Pakistani military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf's farmhouse here, days after explosives were discovered on the road he was to take to a court.
Still to come to terms with the loss of their loved ones in violence in parts of northeast Delhi, relatives are anxiously waiting outside GTB hospital's mortuary for the postmortem to be conducted before the bodies are handed over to them.
The remarks came a month after India's National Defence Advisor M K Narayanan said in Chennai that Sri Lanka should not buy weapons form Pakistan and China.
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