Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Six killed in Balochistan unrest
Published: November 02, 2011
QUETTA - Six people were killed and three others sustained wounds in separate incidents of violence in Balochistan Tuesday.
Unidentified armed motorcyclists fired shots at Asif Ali and Qurban Ali in Nawa-i-Killi in the outskirts of Quetta, injuring them critically. Later, they succumbed to wounds. The deceased belonged to the Shia community. According to police, the murder could be an incident of sectarian violence. However, investigation was underway. The bodies were handed over to heirs.
Separately, a man was killed and three others wounded in a firefight between two tribal groups near cattle market in Eastern Bypass area of Quetta. Police said the gunfight erupted between Shawani and Norzai tribes over a piece of land.
The deceased was identified as Allah Dad. The relatives of deceased, carrying the body, staged a demonstration in front of the Quetta Press Club and demanded the arrest of killers. In Nushki, police recovered two bodies from Garri Dakh area, officials said. They were identified as Muhammad Naheem and Mehboob. Meanwhile, a truck driver was killed in Dukki area of Loralai. The deceased was identified as M Saleem.
THE NATION
QUETTA - Six people were killed and three others sustained wounds in separate incidents of violence in Balochistan Tuesday.
Unidentified armed motorcyclists fired shots at Asif Ali and Qurban Ali in Nawa-i-Killi in the outskirts of Quetta, injuring them critically. Later, they succumbed to wounds. The deceased belonged to the Shia community. According to police, the murder could be an incident of sectarian violence. However, investigation was underway. The bodies were handed over to heirs.
Separately, a man was killed and three others wounded in a firefight between two tribal groups near cattle market in Eastern Bypass area of Quetta. Police said the gunfight erupted between Shawani and Norzai tribes over a piece of land.
The deceased was identified as Allah Dad. The relatives of deceased, carrying the body, staged a demonstration in front of the Quetta Press Club and demanded the arrest of killers. In Nushki, police recovered two bodies from Garri Dakh area, officials said. They were identified as Muhammad Naheem and Mehboob. Meanwhile, a truck driver was killed in Dukki area of Loralai. The deceased was identified as M Saleem.
THE NATION
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
India plans to build Afghan-Iran rail link
07:59 01/11/2011
NEW DELHI, November 1 (RIA Novosti)
India is planning to construct a 900-km railway line connecting Chabahar port in Iran with the mineral-rich Hajigak region of Afghanistan, the Hindustan Times said on Tuesday.
The successful completion of the project “will increase Indian leverage in Afghanistan and its strategic presence in the region,” the paper said citing informed government sources. “It will also help reduce Kabul’s dependence on Islamabad.”
In addition, “it will open opportunities for Indian companies to explore Afghanistan's mineral wealth, believed to be worth $1-3 trillion.”
Hajigak, located 130 km west of Kabul in Bamiyan province, holds Afghanistan's largest iron ore deposits. Of the 22 companies shortlisted for the bid for these deposits 14 are Indian, the paper reported.
RIANOVOSTI
Monday, October 31, 2011
Indian firms may land iron ore mining contract in Afghanistan
Sachin Parashar, TNN | Oct 31, 2011, 02.12AM IST
NEW DELHI: Shortly after it signed a strategic partnership pact with Afghanistan, India's engagement with Kabul is all set to blossom further with two Indian companies, one of them a government-backed consortium led by SAIL, likely to win the contract for iron ore mining at Hajigak in Bamiyan province.
In a country where -- according to US government estimates - there are untapped mineral resources worth $1 trillion, the Hajigak iron ore mining entails the single largest foreign investment by any country for such a project in the war-torn country.
SAIL and NMDC are heading a consortium of seven companies which has bid for the contract as a part of the Manmohan Singh-led government's initiative to further enhance India's role in Afghanistan, a country in which India has pledged investment worth $2 billion. Another Indian company which has bid separately is corporate Ispat Alloys.
According to Afghanistan's minister of mines Wahidullah Shahrani, the two Indian entities have "emerged as the most potential companies for Hajigak''. The final decision is likely to be taken by Afghan authorities in early November. Other companies from Canada, US and Iran too are in the fray. Foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai had met Shahrani during his visit to Afghanistan last month during which he is said to have pushed the case for Indian firms.
If the SAIL-led consortium does indeed win the contract, the deal will surpass the $4 billion contract signed by China for copper mining in the Logar province four years ago. In fact, the contract can help India dispel the notion that it is reduced to playing catch-up with China which has won most of the major mining contracts in Afghanistan.
The SAIL-led consortium has bid for all four Hajigak mining blocks. Government authorities have backed the bid maintaining that it makes strategic as well commercial sense to have a presence in mining in Afghanistan.
India has, so far, focused mainly on infrastructure development in Afghanistan, building roads, schools, power lines and hospitals. The Hajigak contract, which involves investment of $6 billion, will also establish India's presence in the country, which is gearing up to face security challenges on its own after 2014, for a very long time to come.
US geologists and government officials estimated last year that Afghanistan was sitting on unexploited mineral reserves such as copper, iron ore, lithium, gold and cobalt worth over $1 trillion.
According to Shahrani, however, another major contract for oil and gas exploration in northern Afghanistan Amu Darya is likely to go China's way.
The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Shortly after it signed a strategic partnership pact with Afghanistan, India's engagement with Kabul is all set to blossom further with two Indian companies, one of them a government-backed consortium led by SAIL, likely to win the contract for iron ore mining at Hajigak in Bamiyan province.
In a country where -- according to US government estimates - there are untapped mineral resources worth $1 trillion, the Hajigak iron ore mining entails the single largest foreign investment by any country for such a project in the war-torn country.
SAIL and NMDC are heading a consortium of seven companies which has bid for the contract as a part of the Manmohan Singh-led government's initiative to further enhance India's role in Afghanistan, a country in which India has pledged investment worth $2 billion. Another Indian company which has bid separately is corporate Ispat Alloys.
According to Afghanistan's minister of mines Wahidullah Shahrani, the two Indian entities have "emerged as the most potential companies for Hajigak''. The final decision is likely to be taken by Afghan authorities in early November. Other companies from Canada, US and Iran too are in the fray. Foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai had met Shahrani during his visit to Afghanistan last month during which he is said to have pushed the case for Indian firms.
If the SAIL-led consortium does indeed win the contract, the deal will surpass the $4 billion contract signed by China for copper mining in the Logar province four years ago. In fact, the contract can help India dispel the notion that it is reduced to playing catch-up with China which has won most of the major mining contracts in Afghanistan.
The SAIL-led consortium has bid for all four Hajigak mining blocks. Government authorities have backed the bid maintaining that it makes strategic as well commercial sense to have a presence in mining in Afghanistan.
India has, so far, focused mainly on infrastructure development in Afghanistan, building roads, schools, power lines and hospitals. The Hajigak contract, which involves investment of $6 billion, will also establish India's presence in the country, which is gearing up to face security challenges on its own after 2014, for a very long time to come.
US geologists and government officials estimated last year that Afghanistan was sitting on unexploited mineral reserves such as copper, iron ore, lithium, gold and cobalt worth over $1 trillion.
According to Shahrani, however, another major contract for oil and gas exploration in northern Afghanistan Amu Darya is likely to go China's way.
The Times of India
Saturday, October 29, 2011
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