20 February 2004 Friday 28 Zilhaj 1424 PML factions to apply separately: Removal of suffixes ISLAMABAD Feb 19: Leaders of six parties (five PML factions and the Sindh Democratic Alliance) met here on Thursday and decided that all the league factions would separately apply to the Election Commission ... ARD asks MMA to tender public apology LAHORE, Feb 19: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has demanded that the Muttahida Majlis-Amal (MMA) should tender a public apology before offering cooperation in the remove-Musharraf movement. ... PPP may discuss Benazir's return ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: The Pakistan People's Party's leadership will meet in London on Friday to review the political situation and finalize the party's line of action. ... PPP meeting in London today KARACHI, Feb 19: The PPP's Central Executive Committee, in its meeting in London on Friday and Saturday, would take up fall out of Gen Pervez Musharraf's policies on domestic and external interactions. ... ARD resents Musharraf's remarks on N-facilities KARACHI, Feb 19: Activists of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) on Thursday slammed Gen Pervez Musharraf for expressing fears that Pakistan's nuclear facilities and capabilities could be bombed if extremists had their way. ... ARD urged to cooperate with MMA: Requisitioning of NA session HYDERABAD, Feb 19: With neither the ARD nor the MMA having the statutory strength to requisition the National Assembly session on their own, the opposition will have to forge a united front to appear as a force to be reckoned with. ... Protests camps, processions continue in Sindh towns HYDERABAD, Feb 19: Activists of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy continued their protest in major towns of interior Sindh for the seventh consecutive day on Thursday. ... Seventh day of ARD protest GUJRANWALA, Feb 19: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) continued its province-wide protest against the government policies for the seventh day on Thursday. ... ANP wants govt to work with all parties LAHORE, Feb 19: Holding the armed forces responsible for the crises Pakistan is facing on Afghan, Kashmir, extremism and nuclear issues, the ANP has urged the government to take all political parties ... Government policies humiliating: Nisar ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: Acting parliamentary leader PML (N) Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has said Gen Pervez Musharraf's policies on Afghanistan, Kashmir, nuclear programme and military operation in the tribal areas indicated a humiliating retreat. ... US Congress team meets Musharraf ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: A US Congressional delegation at a meeting with President Gen Pervez Musharraf here on Thursday welcomed an agreement between Pakistan and India to start dialogue on resolving their disputes, officials said. ... Jamali returns from Tehran LAHORE, Feb 19: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali returned home on Thursday afternoon after attending the Developing Eight (D-8) Summit in Tehran. ... Saarc law moot to 'create goodwill' LAHORE, Feb 19: Chief Justice of India Visheshwarnath Khare has said that the three-day Saarc Law Conference in Karachi will be an attempt to create mutual goodwill and develop a level of a common legal understanding in the region. ... CJs moot, Saarc law conference open today KARACHI, Feb 19: The chief justices of seven South Asian countries will hold their seventh joint meeting here on Friday on the sidelines of the 10th Saarclaw conference. ... Court asks govt to explain man's detention ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: The Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court on Thursday issued notices to the federal government and the director-general of the ISI to explain why Sarwar Bhatti, a resident of Jhanda Chichi ... WB likely to increase soft-term assistance ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: The World Bank plans to increase from this year soft-term assistance to Pakistan's infrastructure, social sector development and water and power sectors to improve investment climate and reduce poverty. ... UK MP hails Pakistan-India dialogue MIRPUR, Feb 19: Visiting member of the House of Lords, upper house of the British Parliament - Lord Nazir Ahmed has welcomed the achievement in the first round of the foreign secretary-level Pak-India talks concluded on Wednesday. ... ADB okays $465,000 grant for Fata ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: The Asian Development Bank has approved a technical assistance grant of $465,000 to strengthen key institutions involved in the development of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. ... SC reserves verdict in PSO workers' case ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its judgment in the case of reinstatement of about the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) 100 employees who were recruited during the PPP government but asked to leave by the next government. ... Tolerant society to improve country's image - minister ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has stressed the need for developing a tolerant society to improve the country's image in the world. ... PHC judge shows inability to hear NAB's appeal PESHAWAR, Feb 19: A judge of the Peshawar High Court, Justice Tariq Pervez, on Thursday expressed his inability to hear an accountability appeal of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) challenging the acquittal of federal minister for water and power Aftab Sherpao ... Ata for women education to cut poverty ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: Minister Incharge Science and Technology Prof Attaur Rahman has said investment in science and technology is one of the strongest weapons to combat illiteracy among the women of South Asia. ... Students asked to choose accredited varsities ISLAMABAD, Feb 19: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has stressed upon students to take admissions to accredited degree- awarding universities and institutions. ... Three-year higher education programme LAHORE, Feb 19: The Higher Education Commission and the British Council are jointly launching a higher education links (HEL) programme to enhance research and training capacity of the institutions in the country. ... Labour moot denounces inflation LAHORE, Feb 19: Hundreds of delegates, who are attending the All-Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions' National Labour Conference, took out a procession here on Thursday to express resentment against growing unemployment and inflation. ... Fata officials must be made accountable - JI PESHAWAR, Feb 19: The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) has demanded of the government to curtail powers of the political administrators in Fata and make them accountable before the court of law. ... Pakistani businessmen invited to Canada LAHORE, Feb 19: Pakistani businessmen were invited on Thursday to open their offices in Canada to obtain maximum access to the markets in the US and Mexico. ... Los Angeles police offer help LAHORE, Feb 19: The Los Angeles police have promised to provide modern equipment and training to the Punjab police and the Federal Investigation Agency to improve investigation techniques. ... PPO admits Rs30 million fraud by its employee KARACHI, Feb 19: A federal law attorney will inform the Sindh High Court whether the Pakistan Post Office is prepared to deposit with the SHC nazir Rs298,207,618 admitted by it to have been misappropriated by a former employee of its City Courts branch. ... Light Rail referred to Economic Affairs Div LAHORE, Feb 19: The Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency has referred the Light Rail Transit Project to the Economic Affairs Division after upgradation for permission for investment from Japan and China. ... Educational ties with Asean countries proposed HYDERABAD, Feb 19: Higher education exchange programmes should be started and linkages be made between universities of Pakistan and Asean countries. ... Four killed in Kashmir SRINAGAR, Feb 19: Indian security forces shot dead four mujahideen in two overnight encounters in occupied Kashmir, a police spokesman said on Thursday. ... Govt dithers about FST members' appointment - 4,000 appeals pending KARACHI, Feb 19: An inordinate delay is being caused in the disposal of appeals of over 4,027 employees of the federal government and public sector organizations ... MLC wants army officers induction on civilian posts RAWALPINDI, Feb 19: The military bureaucracy has sought permission from the defence ministry to directly appoint army officers in the Military Lands and Cantonments (MLC) ...

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