05 March 2004 Friday 13 Muharram 1425 Muttahida likely to replace ministers KARACHI, March 4: A major organizational and political change in the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was expected to be announced by its London-based chief Altaf Hussain in the general workers meeting scheduled for Sunday ... Benazir concerned over report: Barring of women from voting ISLAMABAD, March 4: The Pakistan People's Party has ordered an inquiry into press reports saying that regional leaders and office-bearers of major political parties, including the PPP ... PPP denies anti-women move PESHAWAR, March 4: The People's Party Parliamentarians has denied that its district organizations in Dir (upper) and Dir (lower) have opposed the participation of women voters in the local bodies by-elections in the two districts. ... PPP apprises IPU of regime's duplicity ISLAMABAD, March 4: The People's Party Parliamentarians MNA, Fauzia Wahab, has apprised the Inter Parliamentary Union secretary-general, Anders B. Johnsson, of the Pakistan government's biased attitude towards her party. ... Political restriction on women slammed PESHAWAR, March 4: Women rights bodies have expressed concern over what they termed barring women from contesting the forthcoming local bodies by-elections in different districts ... Minister seeks sectarian harmony RAWALPINDI, March 4: Sectarian harmony and cohesion is the greatest need of the hour, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said here on Thursday. ... America responsible for Quetta incident: JUI LAHORE, March 4: Blaming the US for the Quetta incident, the JUI-F claimed that it (the US) was finding excuses to attack Iran and announced that it would raise the issue in parliament. ... Imran condemns Quetta killings ISLAMABAD, March 4: The chairman of Pakistan Tehrik Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has condemned the incident of sectarian killings in Quetta in which 47 people had died on the day of Ashura and termed it failure of the government in maintaining law and order. ... UK satisfied with security measures, says Straw ISLAMABAD, March 4: British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw on Thursday expressed his government's satisfaction over security arrangements in Pakistan, interior ministry sources said. ... AI condemns killing of innocent people: Wana operation PESHAWAR, March 4: The Amnesty International has expressed concern over the killing of innocent tribal people and abuse of rights in hunt for Al Qaeda by the Pakistan security forces in the tribal areas ... Judgments fully implemented: CJ ISLAMABAD, Mar 4: Pakistan's judiciary is completely independent and its judgments are fully implemented by "persons and agencies concerned," says Chief Justice of Pakistan Nazim Hussain Siddiqui. ... 10-year RI for Vani proposed LAHORE, March 4: The Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan has proposed that all people deciding to contract a marriage for vani or sawara through a Jirga or a panchayat, should be liable to a rigorous imprisonment of up to 10 years. ... WB report on water resources rejected: 'Sindh representatives not consulted' HYDERABAD, March 4: The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture and the Sindh Abadgar Board have expressed utter disappointment over the World Bank document ... SCCI to form cell to boost trade in CARs, Afghanistan ISLAMABAD, March 4: The Sarhad Chambers of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) will establish a special unit in its chamber to focus on improvement of bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan. ... ADB team arrives on 9th to review project RAWALPINDI, March 4: A technical team of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is arriving here on March 9 to review the cost of an environment project and discuss terms and conditions with the government officials for financing the scheme ... AJK cabinet meeting deferred MUZAFFARABAD, March 4: The AJK cabinet meeting was deferred by Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat Khan on Thursday for a day reportedly under the instructions of the powers that matter in an attempt to resolve the polarization within the Muslim Conference. ... Soomro calls for increase in women's job quota ISLAMABAD, March 4: Women need more than five per cent mandatory quota in the public sector organizations to tap their potential for the overall national development, Senate Chairman Mohammadmian Soomro said. ... Two students qualify to speak at London KARACHI, Mar 4: More than 6,000 student visas were issued in 2003 to Pakistanis for studying in Britain. This was stated by British Deputy High Commissioner Hamish St Claire Daniel here on Thursday. ... No progress made by AIOU: Report - Devising course in Urdu ISLAMABAD, March 4: Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) has still not made any significant progress in devising a special course for transaction of official business in Urdu despite having received Rs5.73 million for the purpose. ... Plan to check vehicular emission on cards ISLAMABAD, March 4: The minister of state for environment, Maj (retired) Tahir Iqbal, on Thursday said the government would soon be launching a comprehensive emission control programme to check air pollution. ... 6-member cell set up to fight bird flu LAHORE, March 4: The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) has notified constitution of a six-member emergency cell to handle Avian Influenza (AI), which has already caused a high mortality in poultry flocks in the Karachi area ... Drugs termed a major source of terror financing ISLAMABAD, March 4: The governments of the South Asian countries assume that drug trafficking is one of the major sources of funds for terrorist groups, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) report-2003 ... $50,000 US grant for quake victims ISLAMABAD, March 4: US Ambassador Nancy Powell on Thursday announced a $50,000 grant assistance for the earthquake victims of Mansehra and Batagram. ... German national gets 7 years RI in drug smuggling case RAWALPINDI, March 4: A court here on Thursday awarded seven years imprisonment to a German national arrested at Islamabad International Airport for trying to smuggle heroin. ...

© The DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2004