23 January 2004 Friday 30 Ziqa'ad 1424 KARACHI: Transporters call strike over POL prices KARACHI, Jan 22: Different groups of transport operators on Thursday gave a token strike call for Saturday to pressurize the government into either withdrawing the recent increase in the diesel price or raising transport fares. ... KARACHI: SHC orders release of salaries to KBCA men KARACHI, Jan 22: The Sindh High Court ordered on Thursday payment of salaries to all employees of the Karachi Building Control Authority without being required to report for duty to the city district government or the town committees or nazims. ... KARACHI: Apwa shop to reopen shortly KARACHI, Jan 22: A nearly half-a-century old handicraft shop established by the All Pakistan Women's Association, which was closed down some time back, is expected to reopen at a new location next week. ... KARACHI: Exposed-heart baby undergoes surgery KARACHI, Jan 22: The three-and-a-half-year-old baby with an 'exposed' heart, Alina Farooq, was operated upon on Thursday at the National Institute of Cardio-Vascular Diseases (NICVD) by a team of three surgeons. ... KARACHI: Activists indicted for collecting donations KARACHI, Jan 22: An anti-terrorism court charged on Thursday three activists of the banned Kuddamul Islam with collecting donations for "Jihad". ... KARACHI: Anti-polio drive extended KARACHI, Jan 22: Advisor to Sindh chief minister on Health, Noman Saigal, has announced a two-day extension in the ongoing anti-polio drive. ... KARACHI: Karachi hit by thunderstorm KARACHI, Jan 22: A thunderstorm lashed the city and its adjoining areas on Thursday morning for about one-and-a-half hour, affecting the city life as the roads at streets were flooded with rainwater, causing traffic jams. ... KARACHI: 'Other charges' in phone bills KARACHI, Jan 22: The Pakistan Telecommunication Company has announced that the company provides value-added services, including CLI, to its customers as per existing tariff but due to some technical reasons ... KARACHI: Authenticity of GHQ letter being ascertained KARACHI, Jan 22: The Health Department has requested the Services, General Administration and Coordination Department (SGA&CD), Government of Sindh, to check the authenticity of a letter which was ostensibly issued by the Provincial Monitoring and Coordination Secretariat ... KARACHI: Schedule of HSC exam forms, fees announced KARACHI, Jan 22: The Board of Intermediate Education on Thursday announced schedule of submission of forms and fees pertaining to HSC (Part-I) annual examinations-2004 for regular and private candidates. ... KARACHI: SSC exams forms KARACHI, Jan 22: The examination forms of SSC Part-I (Class IX), SSC Part-II (Class X), Science and General groups annual examination-2004 from regular and private candidates as well as ex-candidates would be accepted from Feb 6 to Feb 14, with a late fee of Rs500. ... KARACHI: 3-day book fair opens at KU KARACHI, Jan 22: Karachi University Vice-Chancellor Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui on Thursday inaugurated the three-day book-fair, being organized by the Islami Jamiat Talaba at varsity gymnasium. ... KARACHI: IT dept told to withdraw notice KARACHI, Jan 22: The Federal Tax Ombudsman has ordered the income tax authorities to withdraw its notice issued to the Sui Southern Gas Company for the assessment year 1998-99. ... KARACHI: SBC to observe token strike KARACHI, Jan 22: The Sindh Bar Council has asked lawyers to observe a token strike on Friday to protest against the treatment being meted out to nuclear scientists. ... KARACHI: City govt drops idea of centralized exams KARACHI, Jan 22: Following intervention by higher authorities, the Education department of the city government has dropped the idea of conducting centralized annual examinations of male students of Class V and Class VIII at public schools. ... KARACHI: Ex-official indicted in corruption case KARACHI, Jan 22: An accountability court indicted a former joint secretary of the interior ministry and his wife in a corruption case. ... KARACHI: Workshops held on various diseases KARACHI, Jan 22: On the occasion of fifth Liaqat National Hospital symposium, Department of Neurosurgery and Spinal department, in collaboration with Medtronic, arranged first Cadaveric spinal instrumentation workshop. ... KARACHI: Demolition of illegal private jetties urged KARACHI, Jan 22: Four key figures of the Fishermen Cooperative Society (FCS) have called for dismantling all illegal private jetties and landing sites in the coastal area of Karachi. ... KARACHI: Hawkesbay allottees to get plots soon KARACHI, Jan 22: The handing over of plots to allottees of Hawksbay Scheme-42 under Lyari Development Project will start immediately and all possible steps would be taken for provision of basic facilities of life in all the sectors of the scheme. ... KARACHI: Shaikh Aziz grieved KARACHI, Jan 22: A noted scholar, folklorist and Sindhi writer, Shaikh Mohammad Ismail died on Thursday evening after protracted illness. He was 80. He was also the eldest brother of Shaikh Aziz, Dawn's edition-in-charge. ... KARACHI: Nazim opens flyover KARACHI, Jan 22: The Shah Faisal Colony flyover constructed at a cost of Rs183.60 million was opened to traffic on Wednesday evening after its formal inauguration by the Nazim Karachi, Naimatullah Khan. ... ISLAMABAD: Court summons Hyderabad DIG: Couple's murder case ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: The Supreme Court on Thursday summoned Hyderabad DIG to rationalize the police report that the murder of a couple in the Sanghar district was not the outcome of a jirga decision, and was only a simple honour killing. ... LAHORE: Departmental tussle delays recruitment: Law officers for Punjab govt LAHORE, Jan 22: The failure of a cabinet committee to decide whether the home or law departments will control the proposed new prosecution service is rendering the Punjab government unable to recruit over 300 attorneys required to defend its cases in courts. ... LAHORE: Tanneries to be removed from urban areas LAHORE, Jan 22: The Punjab government has decided to shift tanneries outside the limits of the urban areas and install foreign funded plants for the treatment of their waste. ... LAHORE: Colourful programme for Basant LAHORE, Jan 22: The Parks and Horticulture Authority has chalked out a colourful programme for the 15-day Basant Festival to be celebrated in the provincial metropolis from Feb 6 to 20. ... ISLAMABAD: CDA decides to increase taxes ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to enhance taxes in Islamabad to generate more funds for development schemes. ... ISLAMABAD: Body to resolve Port Qasim plots issue ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: The government has ordered setting up of a vigilance committee to resolve the issue of cancellation of plots at Port Qasim Authority and settle its administrative problems. ... ISLAMABAD: BZU given Rs4m for two projects ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) will provide financial assistance worth Rs4 million to Bahauddin Zakria University (BZU) to conduct two research projects. ... RAWALPINDI: Pipeline blast affects gas supply in some areas RAWALPINDI, Jan 22: A huge explosion occurred in a Sui gas pipeline under the Faizabad flyover on Thursday, resulting in low-pressure gas supply to various areas in the twin cities. ... PESHAWAR: NWFP ulema to wait for moon evidence PESHAWAR, Jan 22: The local Ulema would announce their decision about the sighting of Zilhijj moon three days later. This was stated by Khateeb of Qasim Ali Khan mosque Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai while talking to Dawn here on Thursday. ... PESHAWAR: Action against medical teachers condemned PESHAWAR, Jan 22: The teacher's association of Khyber Medical College and Post Graduate Medical Institute (PGMI) has condemned the recent suspension, demotion and transfer of teachers and demanded withdrawal of the orders. ... PESHAWAR: Handing over of Hayatabad town affairs opposed PESHAWAR, Jan 22: The NWFP local government and rural development department has opposed the proposed handing over of the affairs of Hayatabad township from Town-III administration to the city development and municipal department (CDMD), sources said. ... PESHAWAR: Hunt for Shahani in Bannu area likely PESHAWAR, Jan 22: An operation for the recovery of missing Punjab Minister Naeemullah Shahani is expected to begin soon in the tribal areas along the Bannu Frontier Region. ... PESHAWAR: Health plans suffer with allocations left unused PESHAWAR, Jan 22: Low utilization of the funds allocated by international donor agencies for carrying out different projects in the health department has been hindering accomplishment of the objectives of the projects, sources said. ... PESHAWAR: Notices issued in detention case PESHAWAR, Jan 22: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the NWFP advocate-general and deputy attorney-general in a writ petition challenging detention of a person allegedly by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency for the last three months. ... PESHAWAR: Need to improve social services stressed PESHAWAR, Jan 22: Most of the participants in a one-day consultative workshop were of the view that the implementation of the power devolution plan in the NWFP is not in accordance with the Local Government Ordinance, 2001. ... PESHAWAR: Rain, snowfall continue in NWFP for second day PESHAWAR, Jan 22: Upper parts of Hazara and Malakand regions received heavy snowfall during the last 24 hours as intermittent rains lashed larger parts of the NWFP, including the provincial capital on Thursday. ... ISLAMABAD: Teaching of natural history in schools stressed ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: French archaeologist Professor Jean-Loup Welcomme, who discovered the mammals, which lived on earth, during excavations in Bugti hills in 1999, presented two skulls to officials of the Museum of Natural History in Islamabad at a reception held here on Thursday evening. ... PESHAWAR: ATC cannot deal with child abuse cases: PHC PESHAWAR, Jan 22: The Peshawar High Court has ruled that an anti-terrorism court has no jurisdiction to deal with the cases of sexual abuse of children. ... PESHAWAR: Five held for selling spurious medicines PESHAWAR, Jan 22: The FIA crime cell has arrested five persons on the charge of selling unregistered and spurious drugs, official sources said here on Thursday. ... HYDERABAD: SHC issues contempt of court notice to official HYDERABAD, Jan 22: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad, on Thursday issued a contempt of court notice to irrigation secretary Bashir Ahmad Dahar in a land acquisition matter. ... HYDERABAD: Establishment of science city urged HYDERABAD, Jan 22: The three-day second international symposium on biotechnology at its concluding session at the Sindh University has recommended the establishment of a science city in Jamshoro as four public and private universities are located there. ... ISLAMABAD: SC upholds PHC verdict in Shahpur Nazim case ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the Peshawar High Court judgment in which it had declared the Nazim of Union Council Shahpur, Kohat ... HYDERABAD: Funds for angiography machine allocated HYDERABAD, Jan 22: The Sindh government has sanctioned of Rs50 million for an angiography machine at the under construction intensive care and coronary care unit in the Civil Hospital, Hyderabad. ... HYDERABAD: LUMHS student shot at, injured HYDERABAD, Jan 22: A student of the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, was injured when he was fired upon by two outsiders in the university premises on Thursday. ... HARIPUR: Power channel closed for inspection HARIPUR, Jan 22: The power channel of Ghazi Barotha hydel power project has been closed for 25 days and the generation suspended to examine the damages which purportedly occurred in its bed and sides at certain points, sources told Dawn here on Thursday. ... LARKANA: 'Chandio's defection won't affect PPP' LARKANA, Jan 22: The People's Party Parliamentarian, Larkana district, at an urgent meeting here on Thursday, observed that the departure of Nawab Shabir Ahmed Chandio from the party would not make any difference to the party. ... FAISALABAD: Dist Baitul Maal bodies by next week FAISALABAD, Jan 22: Punjab Minister for Baitul Maal Ejaz Shafi has said the district committees would be finalized throughout the province next week. ... GUJRANWALA: 12 illegal shops razed in Gujranwala GUJRANWALA, Jan 22: The City Tehsil Council on Thursday launched a grand operation against the landgrabbers and bulldozed around a dozen shops in various parts of the city. ... GUJRANWALA: Lawyer hurt by 'respondent' GUJRANWALA, Jan 22: A lawyer of the District Bar Association was beaten up and injured by a respondent to a case, here on Thursday. Reports said Nahid Bibi moved against her husband Ijaz Qamar the court of Additional District and Sessions Judge Sheikh Ikram. ... SAHIWAL: Sahiwal Nazims, deputies may resign SAHIWAL, Jan 22: The opposition leader in the district council said here on Thursday local Nazims and Naib Nazims had decided to submit their en bloc resignation to the Punjab governor against the alleged favouritism by the district Nazim. ... SHEIKHUPURA: Two killed, 22 injured on road SHEIKHUPURA, Jan 22: Two passengers were killed while 22 others sustained injuries on Thursday in a pile up near Jahamkay on Sargodha Road, some eight kilometres from here. ... FAISALABAD: Bandits on the rampage FAISALABAD, Jan 22: Bandits looted hundreds of thousands of rupees in cash, ornaments and hijacked three cars, a motorcycle, a truck in 29 strikes in the city and its rural areas during the last three days. ... MULTAN: Irrigation secretary to refer scam to ACE MULTAN, Jan 22: The Lahore High Court, Multan Bench, on Thursday directed the Punjab irrigation secretary to refer case against employees involved in around Rs250 million scam to the ACE , and submit compliance report within a week. ... DERA GHAZI KHAN: Dera- Quetta road blocked DERA GHAZI KHAN, Jan 22: The inter-provincial Dera-Quetta Road remained closed for several hours on Wednesday and Thursday. Snow fall and light drizzle on Wednesday night made the road slippery ... PESHAWAR: Display centre for handicrafts from NWFP PESHAWAR, Jan 22: The NWFP directorate of Social Welfare has set up a display centre to promote and display the handicrafts made by the skilled women of the province's vocational centres. ...

© The DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2004