Moderate earthquake hits northwest Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: A moderate 5.5-magnitude earthquake jolted northwestern Pakistan Saturday, but there were no reports of casualties or damage, officials said.

Tremors were felt at 10:17 am (0417 GMT) in several parts of northwestern Pakistan including Peshawar, the capital of northwest frontier province, a seismological department official told AFP.

The epicentre was about 300 kilometres (185 miles) north of Peshawar in the remote Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan, and was registered at a depth of 187 kilometres, it said.

Residents panicked in some parts but there were no reports of any casualties or damage, the official said.

A 7.6-magnitude quake on October 8, 2005 claimed more than 73,000 lives, seriously injured nearly 70,000 people and left 3.3 million homeless in Pakistan. More than 1,000 also died in Indian Kashmir.

SOURCE:http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/pakistan/18-moderate-earthquake-hits-nwfp-am-02

Islamabad police raids US-linked security firm

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad police in an early morning raid claim to have recovered 61 illegal guns and nine pistols from the offices of a private security firm providing security to the US embassy.

The raid comes after it was revealed that the Interior Ministry had issued licences of highly sophisticated assault riffles to the company with the Prime Minister’s special permission.

The police has registered a case of fraud against the owner of the company and arrested two persons from the offices of Inter Risk.

US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson had held meetings with Prime Minister Gilani and the Interior Minister Rehman Malik for approval of the licenses.

Although the weapons are owned by the US embassy, they are to be carried by Inter Risk personnel.

The security firm Inter Risk had signed a contract with the US embassy in April to provide security to American employees of theUS embassy in Pakistan. — DawnNews

Meeting called for moon sighting in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: A joint meeting of zonal and local committees has been called for sighting of Eid moon here today after which chances of celebrating one Eid all over the country have grown thin.

According to Geo News a joint meeting of zonal and local committees of NWFP has been called today at Masjid Qasim Ali Khan in Peshawar where witnesses regarding moon sighting in the province will be collected.

It may be recalled that Senior Minister NWFP Bashir Ahmed Bilour has said that if decision based on Sharia regarding moon sighting is made, then Eid would be celebrated in NWFP.

Today’s meeting will be very significant in view of this statement from the provincial minister.

SOURCE:http://geo.tv/9-19-2009/49479.htm