29 March 2004 Monday 07 Safar 1425 KARACHI: Clashes on polling day leave many wounded KARACHI, March 28: An activist of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement was shot and wounded while an unruly mob burnt the house of another activist in Gulistan-i-Jauhar on Sunday during the local body elections. ... KARACHI: Joblessness haunts merchant navy officers KARACHI, March 28: The Pakistan Merchant Navy Officers Association has said that out of a total workforce of over 12,500, only around 2,000 officers were employed because of the local as well as international situation. ... KARACHI: Civil servants urged to back democracy KARACHI, March 28: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has urged the civil servants that their focus should be on strengthening Pakistan as an impregnable fortress of democracy. ... KARACHI: City fleet to get 273 new buses KARACHI, March 28: City Nazim Niamatullah Khan has pledged issuance of permits for new routes and inclusion of 273 more buses in the city's public transport network. ... KARACHI: Ministry asks refineries to curtail expenditure KARACHI, March 28: The Ministry of Petroleum has directed all semi-government refineries and affiliated corporations/companies, particularly the National Refinery Limited and PERAC ... KARACHI: Networking of women NGOs planned KARACHI, March 28: The provincial women development department has planned to initiate networking of all the non- governmental organizations working for the womenfolk in the province. ... KARACHI: People seek protection against criminals KARACHI, March 28: Residents of Ali Mohammad Mohalla in Lyari Town have urged the authorities to ensure protection to the life and property of the local residents. ... KARACHI: HSC exams begin on April 28 KARACHI, March 28: Ignoring a decision of the steering committee of the provincial education department, the Board of Intermediate Education, Karachi, has decided to conduct HSC Annual Examinations-2004 from April 28. ... KARACHI: Mushaira held in Figar's memory KARACHI, March 28: Humour mixed with anger and satire was how one could define the 'Aalmi Tanzo Mazaah Conference-o-mushaira' held on Saturday night at the cool and airy lawns of the Faran Club, Gulshan-i-Iqbal. ... KARACHI: KESC told to improve performance KARACHI, March 28: The Member National Assembly, Dr Farooq Sattar, has urged KESC's management to further streamline its complaint centres during summer as power failure complaints increase during this season. ... KARACHI: Urdu version of Trotsky's book launched KARACHI, March 28: Speakers at a book-launching ceremony urged the forces of communism to regroup under the banner of Leninism and Trotskyism. ... KARACHI: Haqiqi activist, 2 others killed KARACHI, March 28: An activist of Mohajir Qaumi Movement was killed by unknown persons in Model Colony on Sunday. According to the police, two unknown persons brought a wounded man in a rickshaw at Salman Medical Centre in Moinabad, Model Colony and later disappeared. ... QUETTA: Compensation for people to be shifted from Gwadar QUETTA, March 28: The Balochistan Government has decided that the local population in Gwadar would be shifted to other places on their own will and after payment of reasonable compensation and allotment of land to them. ... ISLAMABAD: Uplift package for Chitral demanded ISLAMABAD, March 28: Speakers at a seminar on Chitral's past, present and future here on Sunday criticized the discriminatory attitude of successive governments ... RAWALPINDI: Candidates backed by govt lose in Pindi: Turnout low in union council by-polls RAWALPINDI, March 28: Candidates backed by the opposition dominated the local bodies by-elections here on Sunday, winning six of the seven union council Nazim and Naib Nazim seats in the city. ... PESHAWAR: By-polls held in 11 Peshawar UCs PESHAWAR, March 28: Like elsewhere in the country, by-elections were held for the 11 union councils of the city district here on Sunday. The turnout, however, was thin on all polling stations in inner city areas. ... PESHAWAR: Ecology bodies not yet formed PESHAWAR, March 28: The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act's provision requiring establishment of sectoral committees of environmental experts remains unfulfilled even after six years of its enforcement in 1997 ... PESHAWAR: Judges in a bind over forest laws PESHAWAR, Mar 28: Special forest magistrates in the Provincially-Administered Tribal Areas are facing difficulties because the NWFP Forest Ordinance 2002 is not applicable over to those areas. ... HYDERABAD: Low voter turnout marks LG by-polls in Sindh HYDERABAD, March 28: A low turnout of voters, scuffles and complaints of interference by officials marked the local government by-elections held in Sindh on Sunday. ... HYDERABAD: Call to change crop pattern HYDERABAD, March 28: Sindh Food and Agriculture Minister Arif Mustafa Jatoi has stressed the need for changing crop pattern in the water deficient province of the country. ... HYDERABAD: Conference in Bhit Shah planned HYDERABAD, March 28: The annual literary conference on the occasion of Urs of Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai will be held in Bhit Shah. This was decided at a meeting held at the district Nazim secretariat here on Saturday ... RAWALPINDI: New body to pursue environment project RAWALPINDI, March 28: A new Project Management Unit (PMU) would be established for the implementation of Rawalpindi Environmental Improvement Project (REIP), sources told Dawn on Sunday. ... SWABI: Women in Swabi barred from voting SWABI, March 28: In a majority of the 56 union councils in the Swabi district, where by-polls were held for vacant seats on Sunday, women voters were barred from exercising their right to vote. ... GUJRANWALA: Maqbool vows interest-free loans for killed women GUJRANWALA, March 28: All skilled women and unemployed youth in the Punjab would be given interest-free loans to start their business, Governor Khalid Maqbool said on Sunday. ... KASUR: Three of a family killed in accident KASUR, March 28: Three family members were killed while six others were injured on Sunday after two cars collided head-on at Puchokey village, Raiwind Sadar. ... SHEIKHUPURA: Lack of interest in by-election SHEIKHUPURA, March 28: Low turnout in local bodies' bypolls due to lack of interest among the generality of people was the highlight of the event in many parts of the province on Sunday. ... BAHAWALPUR: Maiden Boeing flight lands in Bahawalpur BAHAWALPUR, March 28: The first PIA 737 Boeing flight from Karachi with 39 passengers and 10 crew members landed at the upgraded Bahawalpur runway on Sunday morning. ... MIANWALI: Bike-lifting cases on the rise MIANWALI, March 28: Incidents of theft, dacoity and lifting of motorcycles are alarmingly on the rise in the city. More than 10 motorcycles have been lifted so far within a week. ... GUJRANWALA: Naib Nazim among 12 held GUJRANWALA, March 28: As many as 12 men of two groups, including a Naib Nazim, were arrested by Naushera Virkan police for an exchange of fire here on Sunday. A passerby was injured in firing. ... SUKKUR: Train escapes disaster SUKKUR, March 28: The 19-up Khushhal Khan Khatak Express narrowly escaped disaster near Kandhkot railway station on Sunday when its driver applied emergency brakes on seeing a large portion of tracks missing a few metres ahead. ... THATTA: Hospital inaugurated THATTA, March 28: Social welfare and health organizations should inform people, particularly villagers, about importance of preventive measures to control the spread of diseases. ... LARKANA: Two killed in encounter LARKANA, March 28: A robber and a shepherd were killed in an encounter in the Bakrani area near here on Sunday. A group of robbers attempted to snatch a motorcycle from a man who was going to Puranoabad village. ... KARACHI: Facilities for disabled people in new projects KARACHI, March 28: Karachi Building Control Authority has asked builders to construct ramps for disabled people in all residential projects. ... KARACHI: Sheikh Yassin's killing condemned KARACHI, March 28: The martyrdom of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin will accelerate the independence movement of Palestinian Muslims because no power of the world could defeat the passion of jihad and martyrdom ...

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