02 January 2004 Friday 09 Ziqa'ad 1424 PAs repose confidence in president LAHORE, Jan 1: Out of 371 members of the Punjab Assembly, 254 belonging to the PML-Q and its allies gave vote of confidence to President Gen Pervez Musharraf during its special sitting here on Thursday as the joint PPP-PML-N opposition boycotted the vote ... Opposition split over vote of confidence PESHAWAR, Jan 1: The fragile opposition bloc in the NWFP Assembly experienced a split when its component parliamentary groups stood poles apart during the presidential vote of confidence here on Thursday. ... MMA cannot be coerced: CM PESHAWAR, Jan 1: NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani has said that by opting to abstain from the presidential vote of confidence, members of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal in the provincial assembly have shown that they "cannot be coerced" and that their "loyalties cannot be changed". ... Rashid may contact PPP ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: The government may establish contact with the People's Party Parliamentarians after it receives a positive response from the party's leadership in this regard, says Federal minister for information and the government's spokesman Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. ... Three MPAs' membership suspended by MMA LAHORE, Jan 1: The Punjab MMA president has suspended the membership of three MPAs of the alliance who voted for Gen Pervez Musharraf in the confidence vote on Thursday. ... Legislators validated dictatorship, says PPP KARACHI, Jan 1: Leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly Nisar Ahmed Khuhro has described the vote of confidence in General Musharraf as 'Black Day'. "It is a joke with the Constitution and democratic dispensation," he remarked. ... PPP, PML-N criticize Musharraf HYDERABAD, Jan 1: The People's Party Parliamentarians, Hyderabad chapter, on Thursday held a protest meeting at the party secretariat against President Gen Pervez Musharraf's move to obtain a vote of confidence. ... Pervaiz hails, Qasim opposes trust vote LAHORE, Jan 1: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said the trust vote obtained by President Gen Pervez Musharraf will escalate the pace of economic reforms and bring about political stability in the country. ... Anas may lead JUP ISLAMABAD Jan 1: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) one of the six component parties of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) is meeting in Karachi on Jan 17, to elect its new president, party sources told Dawn. ... Altaf urges workers to register in voters' list KARACHI, Jan 1: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has asked MQM workers and supporters to get themselves registered in the voters' list. ... Z. A. Bhutto's birth anniversary begins LAHORE, Jan 1: Birthday celebrations of PPP founder and former prime minister the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto started here on Thursday with the cutting of a cake by the party's Ulema Wing. ... Law on forensic labs likely PESHAWAR, Jan 1: The government is likely to promulgate an ordinance to pave the way for the establishment of forensic science laboratories (FSLs). Official sources said that regional forensic science laboratories (RFSLs) would be established in Karachi ... QAU to remain closed during Saarc summit ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU) will remain closed from January 4 to 6 due to Saarc summit, said an official statement on Thursday. ... Payment row mars Rs4bn PHA project ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: The Islamabad phase of the Rs4 billion Pakistan Housing Authority (PHA) initiative is in dire straits as the capital's three service delivery organizations ... B-pharmacy course to be upgraded ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has agreed to the proposal that the four-year B-Pharmacy degree course should be upgraded to Pharm-D with a duration of five years. ... AIOU students complain about error in BEd English paper ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: Several BEd students of Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) have complained to the varsity's controller examination about the error in the instructions of the English paper held in Spring Semester 2003. ... Flaws keep pilgrims in trouble KARACHI, Jan 1: Flaws in the record of Haj pilgrims' information, kept by the ministry of religious affairs, and delay in updating the incoming information have put the pilgrims' travel to the holy places in trouble. ... 15,500 airlifted to Saudi Arabia ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: More than 15,500 intending pilgrims have been airlifted to Saudi Arabia since the start of Haj operation on December 26, a spokesman for the ministry of religious affairs said on Thursday. ... NRC proposes changes to DAE courses ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: The National Review Committee (NRC) has proposed various changes to the draft curriculums of electrical, mechanical, electronic and ship construction technologies with specialization in naval professions. ... Three bullet-proof cars for Vajpayee arrive: Full-dress rehearsal at airport RAWALPINDI, Jan 1: The Indian government on Thursday air-lifted three bullet-proof BMW cars into Pakistan as part of their own security measures for Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee ... PIA to shed few GMs, says chairman LAHORE, Jan 1: President Gen Pervez Musharraf wants bilateral agreements with foreign airlines under the open-sky policy, said PIA chairman Ahmad Saeed while talking to reporters at the Lahore airport on Thursday. ... Lahore-Delhi a 'high yield route' LAHORE, Jan 1: PIA Chairman Ahmad Saeed has said that the Lahore-Delhi route is a "very high yield" route and its revival will boost airline's revenues. ... Projects of big dams opposed HYDERABAD, Jan 1: The concluding session of a seminar on "Advocacy and Dialogue on Natural Resources" here on Wednesday opposed the construction of big dams and proposed that small water reservoirs should be built. ... JUI-F starts anti-dam movement HYDERABAD, Jan 1: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) on Thursday launched a protest movement throughout the province against the construction of Kalabagh dam and greater Thal canal by staging a rally at the press club. ... 40pc population suffers from environmental stress: report ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: More than 40 per cent population of Pakistan suffers from general environmental stress (GES) due mainly to demographic growth and lack of appropriate housing structures and sanitary facilities ... 250 teachers to leave for US for higher studies ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: A batch of 250 teachers from different schools and colleges would leave for the United States from January 12 and 15 for advanced teachers training. ... China expels 700 Pakistani traders from Xinjiang: Violation of border accord GILGIT, June 1: With the closure of Pakistan-China border at Khunjerab Pass, 210km north of here on Dec 31, the Chinese authorities in Xinjiang province expelled over 700 Pakistani traders ... 'Action taken against recruitment firms: Afghans being sent abroad on green passports' PESHAWAR, Jan 1: The Bureau of Immigration and Overseas Employment has cancelled licence of one registered overseas recruitment promoter in Peshawar on the charges of sending Afghan refugees abroad ... EPB pledges outlets in world best stores LAHORE, Jan 1: The Export Promotion Bureau will facilitate the leading exporters from different sectors in setting up retail sale outlets in the shopping malls of London, New York and Dubai under its recently introduced 'Promoting Products Made in Pakistan' scheme. ... Project's PC-I to be amended LAHORE, Jan 1: Federal Industries and Production Secretary M Javed Ashraf Husain has directed the Pakistan Industrial Technical Assistance Centre to amend the PC-1 of the project of development of 26 regional and zonal technology support centres across the country. ...

© The DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2004