01 May 2004 Saturday 10 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425 KARACHI: Systematic power cut contradicts KESC claim KARACHI, April 30: Electricity consumers on Friday complained that unannounced load shedding was being carried out by the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation. ... KARACHI: Verdict reserved in PSO office blast case KARACHI, April 30: An anti-terrorism court reserved on Friday judgment in a bomb blast case against two workers of the banned Lashkar-i-Jhangvi. ... KARACHI: Probe into crisis of textbooks demanded KARACHI, April 30: A joint body of school heads and teachers on Friday demanded of the government to institute a judicial enquiry into the issue of non-availability of textbooks to 2.8 million students of government primary schools in the province. ... KARACHI: MQM-H prisoners moved to interior KARACHI, April 30: More than a dozen of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement activists, languishing in city's two prisons, have been shifted to different jails in the interior of Sindh, a spokesman for the party claimed on Friday. ... KARACHI: Women's status depends on economic uplift - PM's aide pledges support KARACHI, April 30: Prime Minister's Adviser on Women Development Nilofar Bakhtiar has said that economic and political empowerment of women is one of the basic criteria without which their status in society could not be enhanced. ... KARACHI: PEC lays blame on DCET, govt KARACHI, April 30: Amidst an increasing concern over the plight of graduates of the Dawood College of Engineering and Technology, the Pakistan Engineering Council has come up with the notion that college as well as the government was responsible for the situation. ... KARACHI: High-level PIA body probing 'imbalances' KARACHI, April 30: PIA chairman Chaudhry Ahmed Saeed said here on Thursday that a high-level committee had been constituted to look into the "imbalances" created in the overall functioning of the airlines during the past several years. ... KARACHI: PPP calls for downsizing in senior ranks KARACHI, April 30: The central information secretary of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Taj Haider, on Friday called for downsizing in the senior ranks of the army as removal of 50,000 troops would add to the number of unemployed in the country. ... KARACHI: Experts call for more bone-marrow units KARACHI, April 30: Prof. Masood Hameed Khan, Vice Chancellor of Dow University of Health Sciences, here on Friday urged the private and public sector to make joint efforts for establishing more bone-marrow transplantation units ... KARACHI: DUHS to have institute of orthopaedics KARACHI, April 30: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan has issued directives for establishment of an institute of orthopaedics as a constituent institute of the Dow Medical University. ... KARACHI: Black day observed in educational centres - Police action against students KARACHI, April 30: Students of various professional education institutes in the city, including the Dawood College of Engineering and Technology, Dow Medical University, Sindh Medical College, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and Karachi University, observed 'black day' on Friday ... KARACHI: Diploma course in health care systems KARACHI, April 30: The College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan is offering a one-year diploma programme in health care systems management, starting from Sept 6. ... KARACHI: SHC rejects bail plea of LJ activist KARACHI, April 30: Justice Azizullah M. Memon of the Sindh High Court on Friday rejected a bail application moved by an alleged activist of the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, accused in a case registered under the Explosives Act and Arms Ordinance. ... KARACHI: Evening course admissions KARACHI, April 30: Karachi University on Friday announced that admissions in various certificate, diploma and degree programmes, including those of Honours and Masters, offered under its evening programme for 2004-05 session will commence on May 9. ... KARACHI: Youth dies in road accident KARACHI, April 30: A youth died in a road accident in Site area on Friday. Police said that Nadeem, 25, was on his motorcycle when a speeding water tanker knocked him down near Siemens Chowrangi. ... KARACHI: Man found dead in lockup KARACHI, April 30: A young suspect died under mysterious circumstances about three hours after his arrest by Malir City police on Friday. ... ISLAMABAD: Nescom, PSF to design bicycles, auto-rickshaws ISLAMABAD, April 30: The National Engineering and Scientific Commission (Nescom), Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) and Sohrab on Friday entered into an agreement to design and develop bicycle and auto-rickshaws. ... ISLAMABAD: NA body objects to changes in Thal canal plan ISLAMABAD, April 30: The National Assembly standing committee on planning and development in its meeting on Friday asked the Planning Division to work for adoption of a new vision of the socio-economic development of Pakistan ... ISLAMABAD: Labour bodies call for worker-friendly policies ISLAMABAD, April 30: Members and friends of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) for citizens' rights, Islamabad - Rawalpindi, have joined hands with trade unions, labour comrades, workers and fellow citizens to observe Labour Day on Saturday. ... ISLAMABAD: Ex-minister Lasi's appeal dismissed ISLAMABAD, April 30: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed an appeal of former federal minister Ghulam Akbar Lasi against his disqualification to hold public office for 21 years by the now defunct Ehtesab Bureau. ... LAHORE: Secretary blamed for report delay - Textbooks issue LAHORE, April 30: Punjab Education Minister Mian Imran Masood has criticized education secretary Shahid Rasheed for not finalizing the inquiry report, which is to fix responsibility for inclusion of misleading and objectionable material in textbooks. ... LAHORE: Non-perennial canals to be opened LAHORE, April 30: The Punjab Irrigation Department on Friday decided that it would start opening non-perennial canals from Saturday. According to an official of the department, these canals will run at half their capacity in view of water shortage in the Kharif season. ... LAHORE: Refusal to allow prayers condemned LAHORE, April 30: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan condemned on Friday the administration for refusing Christians to hold annual prayer meeting in Sahiwal. ... LAHORE: Boy in hospital after torture LAHORE, April 30: A boy suffering from psychological trauma at Children's Hospital alleged on Friday that he had been tortured by his teacher at a seminary in Faisalabad. ... PESHAWAR: Foreign passports seized; two held PESHAWAR, April 30: The Federal Investigation Agency has seized a large number of foreign and Pakistani passports, national identity cards and machines used for forging documents ... PESHAWAR: System for hospital waste disposal yet to be developed PESHAWAR, April 30: Public sector health care institutions have yet to develop a proper framework for safe disposal of hospital waste, in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act, 1997, health officials told Dawn. ... PESHAWAR: Afghan refugees to pay less for tubewell use PESHAWAR, April 30: The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) is levying reduced power tariff charges on tubewells installed in Afghan refugee camps in line with a recent decision of the federal government, official sources said. ... PESHAWAR: House job doctors continue strike PESHAWAR, April 30: Members of the Democratic Doctors Forum have announced to continue their strike till the acceptance of their demands. The announcement was made at a press conference by the forum's president ... PESHAWAR: Ex-NHA official convicted PESHAWAR, April 30: An accountability court here on Friday convicted a former land acquisition collector of the National Highway Authority, Nazir Ahmad, and sentenced him to five years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs23.2 million. ... HYDERABAD: Poisonous water blamed for fish depletion HYDERABAD, April 30: People's Party Parliamentarians MNA Nawab Abdul Ghani Talpur has said that fish and grass in the Manchhar Lake have been completely destroyed due to the poisonous water from Punjab ... BADIN: Sida confirms injustice with Sind - MNA - Water distribution BADIN, April 30: With water shortage persisting all over Sindh, the tail-end district of Badin is suffering the most and its agriculture sector is on the brink of collapse. ... LARKANA: Textbooks not available LARKANA, April 30: Expressing concern over the non- availability of textbooks, the district council in its Friday's session, feared the selling of textbooks in the open market. ... HYDERABAD: Couple sent to police custody HYDERABAD, April 30: Civil Judge Aijaz Khaskheli remanded a couple to police custody here on Friday after they were produced in the court by the investigation wing of the Government Officers Residence police in a Hudood Ordinance case. ... DERA GHAZI KHAN: Food project fails in Dera - Primary schools DERA GHAZI KHAN, April 30: The World Food Programme, which is meant to improve attendance of primary school girl students and teachers by providing them an incentive in the form of cooking oil once in a month ... MULTAN: Millers to stay on the sidelines for 10 days - Wheat procurement MULTAN, April 30: Local flour millers have agreed to remain on the sidelines in the wheat market during the coming 10 days to enable the district government to achieve its procurement target. ... SIALKOT: Plan to make technical education compulsory SIALKOT, April 30: The Punjab government is considering a proposal for introducing a one-year compulsory technical education for students of government schools after the middle examination. ... SAHIWAL: ASI 'kidnapped' from Police Lines canteen SAHIWAL, April 30: An ASI was reportedly kidnapped from the Police Lines canteen by three people, including a woman, here on Friday. ASI Sarfraz was about to leave his quarter for his duty when he received a telephone call. ... GUJRANWALA: 80 captives set free GUJRANWALA, April 30: As many as 80 captives involved in minor cases were set free by the district and sessions judge during his visit to the district jail on Friday. ... HAFIZABAD: Private students being denied admission HAFIZABAD, April 30: Students of unregistered private schools are not being allowed admission in the government high schools to the Hafizabad district. ... THATTA: DPSC chief accused of land grabbing THATTA, April 30: District Public Safety Commission chairman Syed Dilshad Shah has bulldozed some five huts belonging to members of the Brohi tribe with police help to grab the land on which the tribe has resided since generations. ...

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