16 May 2004 Sunday 25 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425 PML-N plans to protest Shahbaz's deportation ISLAMABAD, May 15: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has convened a meeting of its Central Working Committee (CWC) here on Wednesday to finalize a plan to lodge its protest against the forced deportation of party president Shahbaz Sharif to Jeddah ... National Alliance meeting on 19th LAHORE, May 15: The national executive and the parliamentary party of the National Alliance will meet under the chairmanship of Farooq Leghari in Islamabad on May 19 to announce their formal merger with the Pakistan Muslim League. ... PM accused of weakening PML RAWALPINDI, May 15: Pakistan Muslim League-Q (dissolved) vice-president Syed Kabir Ali Wasti has appealed to President Pervez Musharraf and party president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain to take notice ... Muttahida renews demand for ban on JI KARACHI, May 15: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Saturday renewed its demand for imposing a ban on Jamaat-i-Islami for its alleged involvement in terrorist activities. ... Charges against governor rejected KARACHI, May 15: Adviser to Chief Minister on Information and Archives Salahuddin Haider has denied the charges levelled by a political party against Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad. ... ARD blasts NA speaker LAHORE, May 15: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has criticized the National Assembly speaker for consulting the ruling PML-Q leadership and the prime minister for nominating leader of the opposition in the lower house. ... PPP moves to check further erosion LAHORE, May 15: Fearing more defections the PPP high command has launched a campaign to take into confidence party's parliamentarians on various policies ... Two PPP dissidents resign as MPAs LAHORE, May 15: Two MPAs from Bahawalpur who quit the PPP three months back resigned from their Punjab Assembly seats here on Saturday. ... PM to meet Pagaro today SUKKUR, May 15: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali will arrive in Pir Jo Goth on Sunday evening to discuss the political scenario and the unification of the Pakistan Muslim League with PML-F chief Pir Pagaro. ... CPJ slams harassment of newsmen NEW YORK, May 15: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on Friday condemned the harassment and detention of several Pakistani journalists who were covering the return of PML exiled leader to Lahore on May 11. ... Lawyers reject changes in Constitution ABBOTTABAD, May 15: An all Pakistan lawyers convention held here on Saturday rejected the amendments made in the 1973 Constitution and demanded its restoration in its original form. ... Projects creating imbalance to be opposed: BNP QUETTA, May 15: The Baloch people are not against progress but will not allow any development programme that created a demographic imbalance, turning the local people into a minority in their own province ... Compulsory retirement not to be allowed: Omar Ayub HARIPUR, May 15: Federal parliamentary secretary Omar Ayub said here on Saturday that denationalization of state-owned enterprises and other entities was part of the national policy ... CM accuses Centre of delaying NFC award PESHAWAR, May 15: Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani said here on Saturday that the Centre was using delaying tactics to resolve the stalemate over the National Finance Commission (NFC) award. ... NIRC's revival being delayed LAHORE, May 15: The National Industrial Relations Commission, country's supreme body for adjudication in industrial disputes and regulation of trade unions, practically ceased to exist towards the end of April. ... Report recommends establishment of cancer registries ISLAMABAD, May 15: As many as 79,400 cases of cancer ranging from head and neck tumours to prostrate, breast and colon-rectum cancers are reported every year in Pakistan ... Inflation increased in April: Ishrat RAWALPINDI, May 15: Inflation increased during the month of April, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Dr Ishrat Hussain said on Saturday. Talking to reporters after delivering a lecture on Banking Sector Reforms at Nust Institute of Management Sciences (Nims) ... Senate body for scrutiny of funds: School nutrition programme ISLAMABAD, May 15: The Senate standing committee on women's development on Saturday underlined the need for reviewing the Tawana Pakistan Project and suggested that the funds earmarked for the purpose should be properly scrutinized. ... Medicine experts visit pharma firms ISLAMABAD, May 15: The health ministry recently arranged a group visit to eight drug manufacturing companies of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Wah Cantonment and Lahore to help local manufacturers enhance their capabilities. ... LEAs asked to be ready against all machinations KARACHI, May 15: Sindh Chief Minister Ali Mohammed Mahar has said that people have been frustrated with strikes, as they want development and prosperity in the province. ... Korea asked to correct Kashmir map ISLAMABAD, May 15: PML information secretary Senator Tariq Azeem, while reacting to a world map published by the Korean Overseas Information Service in which Jammu and Kashmir has been shown as part of India, has demanded immediate correction of the wrong information. ... IFAD satisfied over poverty alleviation programme MUZAFFARABAD, May 15: The International Fund for Agriculture Development is fully satisfied with the successful implementation of a community-based poverty alleviation project in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir. ... Sweden lauds Pakistan's role in war against terror STOCKHOLM, May 15: Sweden has appreciated Pakistan's role in the war against global terrorism and also expressed satisfaction over the commencement of the dialogue process between Pakistan and India. ... Pakistani being probed for possible terror ties SAN FRANCISCO, May 15: US officials are trying to determine if a Pakistani, arrested in Texas on March 8, has links with Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Houston-based newspaper reported on Saturday. ... ICRC defensive on 'confidentiality' policy ISLAMABAD, May 15: Amid emphatic international calls for abandoning its policy of confidentiality in dealing with detainees, particularly after the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has gone on the defensive ... HR abuses widespread in held Kashmir: Amnesty WASHINGTON, May 15: "Torture, rape, deaths in custody, extrajudicial executions and disappearances have been perpetrated by agents of the state with impunity," says Amnesty International in its latest report on the Indian occupied Kashmir. ...

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