18 March 2004 Thursday 26 Muharram 1425 Rs22m spent on legislators' foreign visits, NA told ISLAMABAD, March 17: A parliamentary delegation to the U.N. General Assembly and foreign visits by the president, the prime minister and the foreign minister during the present government's tenure had cost the national exchequer Rs22.29 million, members of the National Assembly was informed on Wednesday. ... 'Govt secularizing country' ISLAMABAD, March 17: Amir of Jamaat-i-Islami Qazi Hussain Ahmad on Wednesday said the government was pursuing the American agenda to secularize the country by making changes in the curricula. He was speaking at a protest demonstration organized by the Islami Jamiat-i-Tulaba (IJT) ... PPP accuses govt of horse-trading SHIKARPUR, March 17: Opposition leader in Sindh Assembly Nisar Khuhro has accused the rulers of damaging the sanctity of parliament. Speaking at a news conference in Garhi Yasin on Tuesday evening ... Body formed to end JI-JUI(F) rifts PESHAWAR, March 17: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has constituted a four-member committee to mend rifts between the two major components of the alliance, Jamaat-i-Islami and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl), at the NWFP level. ... Opposition blasts killings in Wana PESHAWAR, March 17: The treasury benches on Wednesday evaded a discussion initiated by the opposition on the Wana killings. Speaking on a point of order ... Petition on security for Benazir adjourned KARACHI, March 17: The Sindh High Court adjourned on Wednesday the hearing of a petition seeking a 'security cover' for PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto on her return to enable the petitioner to establish his legal status. ... Bar plans 'constitution subversion' trial LAHORE, March 17: The new leadership of the Lahore High Court Bar Association vowed on Wednesday to hold trial of all those responsible for subverting the 1973 Constitution. ... 4 petitions on women's vote issue rejected PESHAWAR, March 17: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday dismissed four identical writ petitions filed against barring women from casting votes in the local bodies elections held in 2001. ... PM's call for prayers for Bush assailed LAHORE, March 17: MMA vice-president Prof Sajid Mir has criticized the prime minister for appealing to the nation to pray for the well-being of the US president who, he said, was committing atrocities against Muslims. ... March against Musharraf's offers on Kashmir MUZAFFARABAD, March 17: The Jammu Kashmir People's Party will hold a 'self-determination march' to highlight the importance of the Kashmiris' right that has been "risked by the Pakistani rulers," JKPP leader Sardar Khalid Ibrahim said on Wednesday. ... Sikandar, Qayyum ready for patch-up MUZAFFARABAD, March 17: AJK Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat on Wednesday held a meeting with Muslim Conference leader Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan in a bid to defuse the three-week old crisis affecting the ruling party. ... Booby trap van turns out to be a hoax KARACHI, March 17: The liquefied chemical, found in the fibreglass tank, placed in the abandoned vehicle near the US consulate, was neither inflammable nor explosive, Dawn learnt here on Wednesday. ... Plea against HBL sell-off returned for sixth time LAHORE, March 17: The Lahore High Court registrar office returned for the sixth time on Wednesday the writ petition against the privatization of the Habib Bank, maintaining its earlier objection that the petition should be filed with the LHC's Rawalpindi bench. ... 'Saarc summit cost over Rs44 million' ISLAMABAD, March 17: The ministry of foreign affairs was provided with Rs35 million against a demand of Rs55 million to organize the 12th Saarc summit in the capital early this year. ... Network of OIC states' science academies formed ISLAMABAD, March 17: The Network of Academies of Science in countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference (NASIC) was set up at the concluding session of the two-day Inter-Academy Panel (IAP) meeting of the heads of science academies of OIC states here on Wednesday. ... Awais asks US businessmen to invest in IT, telecom ISLAMABAD, March 17: Federal Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Wednesday called upon the US businessmen to invest in information technology and telecom sectors in Pakistan. ... Donors want revenue collection enhanced ISLAMABAD, March 17: The multilateral donors on Wednesday asked Pakistan to enhance revenue collection, reduce subsidies and public sector losses, increase public sector development programme and increase funding to the provinces under the National Finance Commission (NFC). ... Rs35m allocated to set up genetics dept at LUMHS ISLAMABAD, March 17: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has earmarked an amount of Rs35 million to establish molecular biology (genetics) department at the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro, Sindh. ... Strategies needed for SMEs' financing LAHORE, March 17: Muslim countries should devise strategies to provide the small and medium enterprizes (SMEs) an easy access to formal financial resources. ... ADB wants structural reforms in Wasa RAWALPINDI, March 17: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has asked Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) officials to introduce structural reforms to the agency and upgrade its consumers database ... More funds sought railways LAHORE, March 17: The Pakistan Railways is bearing the brunt of the federal government's changed priorities as financial allocations to the institution in the Public Sector Development Plan (PSDP) are gradually declining. ... Rs2bn released for law and order ISLAMABAD, March 17: Interior Minister Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat on Wednesday told the National Assembly that the federal government had provided over Rs2 billion to the provinces during the last three years for the welfare of police employees ... Expulsion of Afghan refugees demanded QUETTA, March 17: A joint meeting of three opposition parties in the Balochistan Assembly have demanded that Afghan refugees and other foreigners be driven out from the province, saying they had made Quetta a safe haven for terrorists. ... Seas park 2004 naval exercise ends KARACHI, March 17: Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Shahid Karimullah, said on Wednesday that Pakistan Navy is committed to the policies and pursuits of the government in promoting peace in the region and reiterated the resolve of PN to defend the maritime frontiers of the country. ...

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