08 January 2004 Thursday 15 Ziqa'ad 1424 Musharraf may address parliament on 12th ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: President Gen Pervez Musharraf is expected to address a joint session of parliament next week, sources told Dawn on Tuesday. They said that though the date had not been finalized ... World powers welcome talks ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: Major world powers have welcomed the outcome of the 12th Saarc summit and the joint statement by Pakistan and India to resume composite dialogue next month as historic and momentous. ... Qayyum calls for follow-up steps: Pakistan, India dialogue ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: Former president of Azad Jammu & Kashmir Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan has stressed the need for taking some follow-up steps after the successful Vajpayee-Musharraf meeting in order "to be able to enter the composite dialogue fully prepared." ... Kashmiri leadership's role in talks sought ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: The opposition leader in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, Barrister Sultan Mehmud Chaudhry, on Thursday called upon India and Pakistan to include the Kashmiri leadership in their talks on Kashmir under the composite dialogue arrangement. ... Altaf hails peace talks KARACHI, Jan 7: Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain has extended his felicitations to the president on the success of the 12th Saarc conference in Islamabad. ... Vajpayee has a good sense of humour: Shaukat ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: A Pakistani minister attached to Indian Premier Atal Behari Vajpayee during his stay in Islamabad for this week's Saarc summit found him a man with good sense of humour. ... PML-Q nominates Shahabuddin for Senate KARACHI, Jan 7: The Pakistan Muslim League has nominated Syed Shahabuddin Shah as the party candidate for the Senate seat byelection, which is scheduled for Jan 10. ... Govt figures challenged: Payments to growers LAHORE, Jan 7: The opposition in the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday challenged the statistics submitted by Food Minister Chaudhry Iqbal to the house during the question hour. ... Conflict hampers opposition LAHORE, Jan 7: The Punjab Assembly did not see any "traditional altercation" between the treasury and opposition benches, as the latter indulged in an internal conflict on Wednesday. ... Appointment of advisers discussed LAHORE, Jan 7: The opposition raised the issue of the appointment of advisers during the morning session of the Punjab Assembly on Wednesday. PPP's Rana Aftab on a point of order said that there was no provision in the 1973 Constitution for appointing any adviser. ... Fahim leaves for Dubai to meet Benazir ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: The chairman of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD), Makhdoom Amin Fahim, has left here for Dubai to meet PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, a source told Dawn here on Tuesday. ... Suspects in Pindi blasts held: Faisal LAHORE, Jan 7: Interior minister Faisal Saleh Hayat has said that suspects in the two assassination attempts on President Musharraf have been arrested. Talking to journalists here on Wednesday night at a local hotel ... Need for greater UN peacekeeping role stressed ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: The UN under-secretary-general, Jean-Marie Guehenno, here on Wednesday underscored the role of world body in peacekeeping in view of the fact that 20 to 30 conflicts have raged at any given time over the past five decades. ... PM announces bonus for Saarc summit officials ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Wednesday announced one-month salary as bonus for those officials, who remained involved in Saarc summit arrangements, Interior Minister Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat said. ... Ministry seeks PM secretariat nod: Out-of-turn allotment of houses ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: Federal Minister for Housing and Works Syed Safwanullah has sought special powers and quota for out of turn allotment of government houses ... 'Country has ample wheat stock' ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: Pakistan does not face any shortage of wheat during the current year, as it has over 2.6 million tons of commodity in its stocks (including 2.2 million with the public sector) ... 'Govt plans to raise teachers salaries' ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: The federal government in collaboration with the provincial governments is working on a comprehensive strategy to reasonably enhance the salaries of the school teachers, Education Minister Ms Zubaida Jalal said on Wednesday. ... Govt to help finance water flow needs PESHAWAR, Jan 7: Federal ministry of water and power will help finance to conduct a study to know how much water should be released down stream Kotri to check sea intrusion in Sindh, according to sources. ... Steps taken to ensure flight safety: PIA KARACHI, Jan 7: The management of the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has taken measures to ensure safety of the crew and travelling passengers by installing cockpit doors and cameras. ... Crisis looms large Sindh left with only 19,000 tons of wheat KARACHI, Jan 7: An acute wheat shortage may compel the Sindh government to seek intervention of President Musharraf and Prime Minister Jamali to persuade Punjab to provide at least 300,000 tons of wheat to meet the requirements till the end of March next ... Tasman crewman under treatment KARACHI, Jan 7: The crew member of the grounded ship Tasman Spirit, who attempted to commit suicide on Monday, was shifted from the intensive care unit to a room of a private hospital on Wednesday. ... NA speaker meets Turkish officials ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain on Wednesday reached Ankara on a 4-day official visit to Turkey at the invitation of Bulent Arinc, the Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly. ... N-scientist's wife moves LHC for his release ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: The wife of Dr Mohammad Farooq, a nuclear scientist detained by covert agencies since Nov 23, submitted a petition in the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court ... Relics to remain at Badshahi Mosque LAHORE, Jan 7: The Punjab government has disallowed shifting of Islamic relics of the Badshahi Mosque to the Lahore Museum, ordering proper security measures for them. ... Police forensic lab in stagnant state PESHAWAR, Jan 7: Non-existence of proper service structure coupled with lack of facilities and workload have adversely been affecting the performance of Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) at the crimes branch of the police department, sources told Dawn. ... Owners of 400 kilns told not to use tyres ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: Minister of State for Environment Maj Tahir Iqbal (retired) has warned brick-kiln owners, located in and around the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, to stop using old tyres and sludge for fuel due to their environmental hazards. ... 'Balochistan needs more attention' ISLAMABAD, Jan 7: The mega projects in Balochistan will guarantee the bright future of Pakistan, but the voice of the province needs further enunciation in the corridors of power so that the task of poverty alleviation could be speeded up ... Sikhs want Gurdwara back PESHAWAR, Jan 7: The Evacuee Trust Property Board has not yet met the demand of Sikh community to hand over the possession of an abandoned Gurdwara in the walled-city of Peshawar. ... Check up advised for kids' bladder disorders KARACHI, Jan 7: A wet child can cause embarrassment to the parents, besides personally facing a difficult situation at the school due to no fault of his or hers but because of an undersized bladder or inadequate voluntary control. ... Scientists call for drug monitoring agency KARACHI, Jan 7: Scientists and researchers associated with drug development have underscored the need for establishment of a "compliance agency" at the federal level to develop ...

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