03 April 2004 Saturday 12 Safar 1425 Question hour: bureaucrats presence in NA ordered ISLAMABAD, April 2: National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain on Friday directed the government to ensure presence of senior officers of the ministries and divisions in the galleries during the question hour of the Lower House. ... PPP condemns NSC Bill's bulldozing ISLAMABAD, April 2: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has criticized what it called bulldozing of the National Security Council (NSC) Bill in the National Assembly and vowed to continue to oppose it. ... SC to take up Shahbaz's plea on Wednesday ISLAMABAD, April 2: The Supreme Court will take up the petition of former chief minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif seeking permission to return to Pakistan, on Wednesday. On the last hearing on March 17, the SC bench headed by Chief Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui had asked the federation of Pakistan, the Punjab government and the immigration director general to submit separate comments ... Explanation sought from ministry: Hamza's name on ECL LAHORE, April 2: The Lahore High Court on Friday issued a notice to the interior ministry to explain bar on Hamza Shahbaz, the son of former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif, from proceeding abroad by placing his name on the ECL. ... No deadline for talks: Khokhar SINGAPORE, April 2: President Pervez Musharraf has not set any deadline for resolving the Kashmir dispute, Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar said on Friday. ... Former GBHP director gets five years imprisonment ISLAMABAD, April 2: The Accountability Court Rawalpindi on Friday awarded five years imprisonment to the former general manager/project director of Ghazi Barotha Hydropower Project (GBHP) ... NAB recovered over Rs1bn thru plea bargains in twin cities ISLAMABAD, April 2: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) recovered Rs1.137 billion through plea bargains in Rawalpindi and Islamabad last year, the bureau's annual report 2003 said. ... JI jirga meets in Peshawar PESHAWAR, April 2: A three-day tribal jirga, organized by Jamaat-i-Islami, began its proceedings at the Al Markaz-i-Islami here on Friday. ... Clarification An article by Mr Munirul Haq entitled "It could have been avoided" was published in Dawn's Sunday Magazine on March 14. ... NA told 1,048 Pakistanis in foreign jails ISLAMABAD, April 2: The National Assembly was told here on Friday that 1,048 Pakistanis were detained in countries like USA, England and Afghanistan. ... Sindh to take up water treatment project ISLAMABAD, April 2: The Sindh government has decided to initiate a programme to improve the quality of industrial wastewater by implementing a Master Plan in all industrial estates in Karachi. ... 0.1m naib qasids cost national exchequer Rs6bn annually ISLAMABAD, April 2: The colossus of Pakistan government's machinery rests on that relic of the colonial era, the naib qasid, whose strength of over 100,000 costs the exchequer as much as Rs6 billion annually. ... Curriculum to be made moderate: Zobaida ISLAMABAD, April 2: The revised curriculum will be made moderate with an equal emphasis on both the religious and worldly knowledge, said the federal minister for education, Zobaida Jalal ... Pakistan-China cooperation in IT sector stressed ISLAMABAD, April 2: Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Friday underlined the need for greater cooperation between Pakistan and China for the growth and promotion of telecom and IT sectors in Pakistan. ... $40m given by EU to be spent on education KARACHI, April 2: Sindh Education Minister Irfanullah Marwat said on Friday the European Union had provided $40 million for improving primary education facilities and training of teachers in four districts of Sindh. ... Ibad for improving conditions in slums KARACHI, April 2: Sindh governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has said that collective efforts by town-planners and architects and better vision of SAARC countries will have a revolutionary impact on housing and living style. ... HRCP concerned over date palm plantation ISLAMABAD, April 2: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has expressed its concern about the suitability of the date trees in the climatic conditions of the capital. ... Peace parade report termed unfounded ISLAMABAD, April 2: Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan has described as totally unfounded and wild speculation the reports of President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee leading an Aug 14 peace parade from Muzaffarabad to Srinagar. ... Former MNA granted bail in Azam Tariq case RAWALPINDI, April 2: The special anti-terrorism court No 1 here on Friday granted bail to former MNA Nawab Amanullah Khan Sial, one of the three accused in Maulana Azam Tariq murder case. ... Jihad council calls for Indian election boycott MUZAFFARABAD, April 2: The Muttahida Jihad Council, an alliance of Kashmiri mujahideen groups fighting Indian rule in held Kashmir, has called upon the Kashmiris to boycott the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls in the disputed Himalayan region. ... Wapda, NWFP govt trade charges: Payment of dues, over-billing PESHAWAR, April 2: The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and the NWFP government have accused each other of violating their recent understanding meant to ensure timely payment of monthly power charges by the province ... Regional states must cooperate in health sector, say experts: BMJ's South Asian issue KARACHI, April 2: The countries of South Asia face similar health problems. The solutions to their problems may also be similar. ... Minister says it's now or never for new dams LAHORE, April 2: Only the present leadership could evolve a consensus for water reservoirs and it is a matter of now or never for new dams. ... Musarrat joins PAT LAHORE, April 2: Actress-turned-politician Musarrat Shaheen announced on Friday the merger of her party, Tehrik-i-Musawaat, with the Pakistan Awami Tehrik. ...

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