01 January 2004 Thursday 08 Ziqa'ad 1424 MMA won't vote for president, says Qazi NOWSHERA, Dec 31: Chief of Jamaat-i-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmad has reiterated that Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal will not give vote of confidence to President Gen Pervez Musharraf. Talking to reporters at Zirat Kaka Sahib ... Musharraf's agenda exposed: Benazir ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: Former prime minister and chairperson of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto says General Pervez Musharraf's alliance with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has exposed the general's hidden agenda. ... Musharraf still an unconstitutional president: Nawaz LAHORE, Dec 31: Deposed prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif says Gen Pervez Musharraf will remain unconstitutional president even after a confidence vote ... Nawaz calls for supremacy of Constitution ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: The exiled prime minister and Quaid of Pakistan Muslim League (N), Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, on Wednesday said the only way to pull the country out of crises ... MMA betrayed democratic forces: PPP PESHAWAR, Dec 31: The People's Party Parliamentarians has said that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has accepted the LFO as part of the constitution and "ditched the real democratic forces of the country". ... ARD remarks criticized KARACHI, Dec 31: Highlighting the importance of a strong and unified opposition, a number of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Sindh, leaders said in joint statement on Wednesday ... JUI-S divided over vote of confidence PESHAWAR, Dec 31: The provincial chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Sami), Qazi Abdul Latif, said on Wednesday that the party's two MPAs would give a vote of confidence to President Gen Pervez Musharraf ... MMA lawmaker to vote for Musharraf LAHORE, Dec 31: An MPA of the MMA has announced that he will go against the decision of the six-party alliance of not voting for Gen Pervez Musharraf in the trust vote on Thursday. ... 'ARD's boycott amounts to supporting bill' LAHORE, Dec 31: A PML-Q senator says the ARD's boycott of the Senate debate establishes that the opposition alliance regards the 17th constitutional amendment as a step in the right direction but is constrained not to support it because of 'dictation from abroad'. ... MMA team meets Pervaiz LAHORE, Dec 31: A delegation of MMA MPAs called on Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi here on Wednesday and reviewed the positive impact of the alliance's agreement with the government on the political situation in the country. ... Separate MMA MPAs' seats in PA: Rana LAHORE, Dec 31: Deputy opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday asked the speaker to allocate the MMA separate seats. ... PA meets today KARACHI, Dec 31: Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has summoned special session of the Sindh Assembly to meet at 11am on Thursday to securing vote of confidence for Gen Pervez Musharraf as President of Pakistan ... PA summoned to seek vote of confidence PESHAWAR, Dec 31: The NWFP Governor, Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, has summoned special meeting of the provincial assembly tomorrow at 11am for seeking vote of confidence in President General Pervez Musharraf. ... PA concerned over law, order situation PESHAWAR, Dec 31: The NWFP lawmakers on Wednesday expressed their dissatisfaction over the prevailing lawlessness and social injustices in the province and held the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal ... Asif's plea against Ehtesab Act rejected KARACHI, Dec 31: A full bench of the Sindh High Court dismissed on Wednesday a writ petition moved by PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari to question the validity of the Ehtesab Act, 1997. ... Hashmi's trial inside jail challenged ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: The decision to hold the hearing of the treason case against Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi inside the Adiala Jail was challenged in the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi bench, on Wednesday. ... Former ministers to review govt's stand: NFC award issue PESHAWAR, Dec 31: The NWFP government has arranged a meeting of former provincial finance ministers on Thursday to review its stand about the National Finance Commission (NFC) award and the hydel profit. ... Governor admits lapses in security: Attack on Musharraf BAHAWALPUR, Dec 31: Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool admitted on Wednesday that security lapses gave a chance to the anti-state elements to make two attempts on the president's life. ... 'India agrees to arrange MPs visit to Jammu' ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: India has agreed in principle to arrange a visit of Pakistani parliamentarians to Jammu and final decision in this regard will be taken after Saarc Summit. ... Press freedom was achieved after struggle, says APNS ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: The freedom now enjoyed by the press had not been presented to it by any government on a platter, but was the result of a protracted struggle by the country's journalists, editors and publishers. ... Local institutions to get foreign teachers: HEC begins recruitment in US WASHINGTON, Dec 31: Pakistan on Wednesday introduced a new programme in the United States for recruiting highly-qualified faculty for graduate research programmes in its public sector universities and institutions. ... NWFP assured of arbitration: Net hydel profit issue PESHAWAR, Dec 31: Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz has assured the NWFP that its grievances against Wapda on the net hydel profit issue will be resolved through arbitration, says a handout. ... NFC award: Centre gets provinces' demands ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: All the four provinces have formally given the details of their increased funding requirements to the federal government for the proposed new National Finance Commission (NFC) award. ... DPs may lose health facilities QUETTA, Dec 31: Nearly 280,000 Afghan refugees in Balochistan may lose health facilities from Thursday owing to a dispute between the UNHCR and the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees. ... Over Rs0.3m contract given sans approval: Illumination of buildings ISLAMABAD, Dec 31: The services wing of Capital Development Authority (CDA) has given Rs0.35 million contract of illumination of important buildings in Islamabad for Saarc Summit to a firm without the approval, a source told Dawn on Tuesday. ... Human smuggler held LAHORE, Dec 31: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) claimed on Wednesday to have arrested a human smuggler from Qila Dedar Sigh after an encounter. ... Revision of electoral rolls begins today KARACHI, Dec 31: The process of annual revision of electoral rolls begins on Jan 1 throughout Sindh as elsewhere in the country. According to the schedule announced by the Pakistan Election Commission ... FIU deployed at Islamabad airport RAWALPINDI, Dec 31: At least three dozen 'close circuit television cameras' and 'explosive detectors' will be installed at Islamabad International Airport to boost security for the Saarc summit, an official source told Dawn on Wednesday. ...

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