31 March 2004 Wednesday 09 Safar 1425 Sami blames JI, JUI-F for cracks in MMA NOWSHERA, March 30: Chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI) Senator Maulana Samiul Haq has said that differences existed among the component parties of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. ... Qazi likely to be re-elected JI chief LAHORE, March 30: Qazi Husain Ahmed is likely to be re-elected amir of the Jamaat-i-Islami for the fifth time. The electoral process has already been completed and the result is likely to be announced on Wednesday. ... ARD calls off march on Wana LAHORE, March 30: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy on Tuesday decided to call off its march on Wana, scheduled for Wednesday (today), as the government halted its operation in the area. ... Muttahida makes way into JI-dominated local bodies KARACHI, March 30: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement had boycotted the local body elections in 2001, but the party took part in the byelections on Sunday. The MQM thus has a presence now in Sindh local bodies. ... PPP rejects Muttahida's claim of clean sweep KARACHI, March 30: City chief of the Pakistan Peoples Party has described the Muttahida Qaumi Movement's claim of 'a clean sweep' in the local body byelections as 'misleading'. ... PPP demands Javed's production order ISLAMABAD, March 30: Pakistan People's Party has demanded release of production order of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy president, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi. ... Call to improve public access to parliament ISLAMABAD, March 30: Speakers at a roundtable discussion have called for improving public access to parliament and asked the legislators and members of the civil society organizations to play their active role in this regard. ... Religious fervour blocking moves against gender discrimination ISLAMABAD, March 30: Religious fervour broke through political alliances in the National Assembly on Tuesday to confront moves for more rights for women and protection from customs such as honour killings. ... Police foil JSQM's bid to block roads - Protest against disputed water projects HYDERABAD, March 30: Police made large-scale arrests of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz activists throughout Sindh on Monday night and Tuesday to foil their plan to block roads leading to Punjab. ... JSQM activists block highway KARACHI, March 30: The Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz on Tuesday staged a sit-in on Superhighway against the construction of the Greater Thal Canal and Kalabagh Dam. During the sit-in, vehicular traffic remained at a stand-still. ... Jamali hints at cess on fertilizer factories SUKKUR, March 30: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has said that the government is actively considering a proposal to impose a cess on fertilizer factories and the matter will be discussed with owners of these factories. ... NFC award to benefit Balochistan most: Tourism to be promoted in Gwadar - Aziz QUETTA, March 30: Balochistan will get maximum benefit in the next National Finance Commission award, says Federal Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz. ... New passports from September LAHORE, March 30: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) is all set to issue new Machine Readable Passports (MRP) from September this year. ... PM's Beijing visit to cement ties: diplomat KARACHI, March 30: China hopes that the forthcoming visit of prime minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali to Beijing in connection with the Asian Economic Forum meeting would further consolidate the time-tested friendship between the two countries. ... Zobaida denies deletion of Jihad verses ISLAMABAD, March 30: Education Minister Zobaida Jalal on Tuesday rejected the impression that any chapter or verses regarding "Jihad" or "Shahadat" (martyrdom) had been deleted from textbooks. ... DPs in tribal areas to be shifted to Tank PESHAWAR, March 30: The government has decided to set up an emergency relief camp at the site of an abandoned housing scheme in Tank district where Afghan refugees from the troubled South Waziristan region would be resettled, officials said. ... Qisas, Diyat must come after trial: experts ISLAMABAD, March 30: No offence should be compounded under Qisas and Diyat unless the trial is completed after which the legal heirs of the victim may demand Qisas or compound the offence. ... Track-II 'diplomats' to meet in September ISLAMABAD, March 30: Former senior bureaucrats, retired generals and intellectuals from India and Pakistan will meet in New Delhi in September to discuss various proposals for resolving the Kashmir issue. ... IBA urged to create funds for students KARACHI, March 30: The Senate chairman, Mohammadmian Soomro, on Tuesday advised business schools, especially the Institute of Business Administration, to create endowment funds to provide better remuneration to teachers and financial assistance to needy students. ... Cricket helps half-brothers surmount boundary MULTAN, March 30: Half-brothers Rashid and Shahid Latif have been separated for decades by hostility between Pakistan and India but cricket has brought them together ...

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