By Saleem Shahid
QUETTA, Aug 15: Flares, presumably those of missiles or rockets, were seen flying over Quetta and other cities of Balochistan late Tuesday night causing scare among the people. Several people and officials claimed to have spotted the flares over Quetta, Loralai, Qila Saifullah and other areas of Balochistan.
However, the officials concerned did not confirm the destination, landing of these flares and any damage in any area.
The DC, Barkan, Iftikhar Chaudhary, confirmed by telephone that he had seen the flares, crossing the sound barriers over the skies. He said the flares or "missiles" were moving with a very high speed in a row of six to seven.
When contacted, Shoib Mir, deputy commissioner, Loralai, also confirmed the flying of the flares, "possibly rockets or missiles" over Loralai. The DC said that the people in Hostri, Kocha Killi and Mara Tangi had also spotted those objects and confirmed it to him.
Both the officials said that there were no reports where those "missiles" had landed.
The political agent, Chagai, also confirmed the flying of missiles or rocket with high speed over Chagai district. Some reports suggested that the "missiles or rockets" were flying from west to east.
Rafaqat Ali adds from Islamabad: An ISPR spokesman ruled out the possibility of any attack on any part of Afghanistan like the Americans made earlier on the hideout of Osma Bin Laden.
Gen Rashid Qureshi, the ISPR director-general, when contacted by telephone late Tuesday night, said there was no veracity in such reports.
He was asked if he had any information of any blast or sighting of missiles, he said he was not in a position either to confirm or deny it. He said only after checking up with the relevant authorities he would be in a position to say anything.
By Saleem Shahid
QUETTA, Aug 16: A massive search was carried out in the districts of Loralai, Barkan, Kohlu and the adjoining areas to find out any evidence of the unidentified objects, presumably missiles, by the officials and the people on Wednesday.
The official sources confirmed the use of choppers and inducting members of the law enforcing agencies in finding any trace of debris or destruction by the unidentified objects seen flying over the districts of Balochistan.
Some sources confirmed that similar objects with sound of explosions were also spotted over Kandahar in Afghanistan, people contacted by telephone told this correspondent.
One Naseebullah of Kohlu district in Marri tribal agency said, "obviously he saw the objects flying with high speed. But he got no clue what were the objects. If missiles, who fired them and where it landed."
Deputy commissioner Barkan, Iftikhar Chaudhary, Shoaib Mir, acting commissioner Loralai, political agent, Kohlu, Akbar Durrani, also confirmed that the combing operations were carried out in their respective districts.
The officials used police, levies, militiamen and helicopters to comb the areas to resolve the mystery, the sources said. They were firm that the unidentified objects moved from West to East entering the territory of Punjab province.
Ansar Abbasi adds from Islamabad, the reported "missiles" seen over Balochistan on Tuesday night remained a mystery even on Wednesday as the authorities could not confirm any missile or rocket fire.
An ISPR spokesman Colonel Saulat when contacted categorically told Dawn that neither any missile nor any rocket had landed anywhere in Balochistan.
When asked whether the ISPR would be issuing any reaction to the reported incident, he said, "no" and added that the provincial government was investigating the matter to ascertain whether any such thing had occurred.
The military spokesman Major General Rashid Qureshi had already ruled out the possibility of any attack on any part of Afghanistan like the Americans did earlier on the hideout of Osama Bin Laden.
By Our Staff Correspondent
QUETTA, Aug 17: The Balochistan government on Thursday said that the unidentified objects spotted on the skies of Balochistan on Aug 15 were not missiles.
"Certain misreporting by the media has added to the uncertainty and drew mixed reaction by the people", an official statement said here today.
It said that seven unidentified objects had been spotted flying over Noshki, Quetta, Loralai, Barkhan, Maiwand, Kohlu, Hekhtar, Uchli, Maratangi and Fort Munro crossing the provincial boundaries.
Due to the technical peculiarities it could very safely be said that the objects were not missiles at all, it added.
There had been no reports of landing of the objects in any part of the province, it stated.
However, due to unconfirmed reports a search party, headed by senior officials, had been sent to different areas but nothing could be found.
Massive search continued in different areas of the province on the second day on Thursday for finding any evidence of the unidentified objects.
"No evidence of crash of the objects was found from any district where these were seen flying over," sources in Barkhan and Loralai said.
Different teams of police, levies and Frontier Corps, continued their search operation in the difficult hilly areas of Loralai, Barkhan and Kohlu, sources confirmed to Dawn when contacted by telephone.
Meanwhile the Taliban sources in Kandahar denied the reports that missiles had been fired from Afghanistan.
A spokesman for the Taliban authorities said: "No missile or any other object was fired from Afghan land towards Pakistan."
By Tariq Birmani
DERA GHAZI KHAN, Aug 27: An unidentified flying object (UFO) which came from the west side landed in the tribal area of Dera Ghazi Khan on Sunday night, reports reaching here said.
The UFO which was seen flying over Fort Munro and Rakhi Gaaj towns of the tribal area hit the ground between Baghalchor and Rounghin, some 80km from here, at 8.30pm.
Sources in the Border Military Police (BMP) quoted tribesmen living in Rounghin area as saying the unidentified flying object had come from the West, Balochistan.
"It was nose-diving and after a few moments the sky was lit up," the tribesmen said. Sources ruled out the possibility of casualties because the area where the UFO probably landed was deserted.
Uranium-rich Baghalchor is out of bound area whereas Rounghin has a scattered and thin population.
Sources in the office of the tribal area political assistant confirmed receiving the report and said a team had been sent to the area to ascertain the facts.
It was the second UFO which landed in the tribal area of southern Punjab in the last two weeks.
Earlier, an object which was also seen flying over several towns of Balochistan had landed near a PAF air base in the tribal area of Rajanpur district on Aug 15.
Its wreckage was removed by members of sensitive agencies a few days ago. The divisional administration is tight-lipped over the issue.
