18 May 2004 Tuesday 27 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425 Next local polls also in cantonments: Musharraf ISLAMABAD, May 17: President Gen Pervez Musharraf announced on Monday that local government elections in all cantonments and Islamabad would be held at the time of the next LG polls in the country ... Merger plan causes rift in Millat Party LAHORE, May 17: Millat Party chief Farooq Leghari's decision to merge the party with the ruling PML-Q has caused a rift among its senior members. ... PPP to approach C'wealth to stop Pakistan's entry ISLAMABAD, May 17: The People's Party Parliamentarians (PPP) has decided to approach the Commonwealth before its meeting next month in order to block Pakistan's entry into the organization. ... Debate on president's uniform irrelevant: Asghar ISLAMABAD, May 17: The country is passing through a miserable state of affairs in all spheres of public and private life, and under such a situation the debate regarding president's uniform is irrelevant ... US urges multi-party polls in 2007 WASHINGTON, May 17: The United States on Monday urged the government to prepare for "fair multi-party elections" in 2007. The US State Department put forth two demands in its annual human rights report for 2003 ... Musharraf's rule to end soon, says PML-N HARIPUR, May 17: PML-N's central executive council member Yusuf Ayub Khan has said that the days of Musharraf regime are numbered and his 'undemocratic rule' would come to an end by Dec 31. ... PPP criticizes MMA leadership: Opposition leader's nomination PESHAWAR, May 17: The Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has criticized the nomination of Maulana Fazlur Rehman as opposition leader, saying that it has exposed the political expediency of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) that is nothing more than a B-team of the ruling elites. ... Ruling party accused of causing defections BAHAWALPUR, May 17: PPP Punjab President Qasim Zia and divisional coordinator Mumtaz Ahmad Matyana have criticized the government for causing defection in the two main opposition parties and rigging in the Karachi and Rahim Yar Khan bypoll. ... Muttahida releases 'evidence' against JI KARACHI, May 17: The coordination committee of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement on Monday claimed that it had pictorial evidence of the alleged terrorist activities of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal ... APC rejects inquiry commission on by-polls KARACHI, May 17: Participants of All Parties Conference on Monday deplored violence in the recent by-elections, demanded sacking of the chief election commissioner and rejected the inquiry commission instituted by the government in this regard. ... Probe into by-election irregularities begins KARACHI, May 17: Justice Muhammad Sadiq Leghari, heading the Inquiry Commission of the Election Commission of Pakistan on Monday sought detailed reports from the Additional Home Secretary and Provincial Police Officer ... Correction There was an inadvertent error in Para 12 of the news report titled: 'Timetable for peace talks may be revised' which appeared in Dawn on Monday (May 17). ... Court orders release of Amanullah Niazi LAHORE, May 17: The Lahore High Court on Monday suspended the detention order of PML-N's former MNA Amanullah Niazi and ordered his release. Mr Niazi was put under detention by the home department under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960 ... Ponam calls for a new constitution QUETTA, May 17: The Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement (Ponam) leadership has announced that Punjab must accept the rights of the oppressed nationalities because continuous denial of the constitutional and political rights of Balochs ... Rs9 billion to be allocated for higher education: Ata RAWALPINDI, May 17: An amount of Rs9 billion will be allocated for higher education and research in the next year's budget. This was stated by the minister in charge of science and technology ... UN team to visit Islamabad soon: Peace keeping force for Iraq ISLAMABAD, May 17: A UN delegation to seek Pakistani troops for likely peace-keeping duty in Iraq, is expected to arrive here in near future for talks with government officials. ... Over $4bn investment expected in IT: Awais ISLAMABAD, May 17: Pakistan is expecting an investment of $3 to $4 billion with an additional jobs creation for 15,000 to 20,000 people in the information technology sector in the next five years. ... Musharraf should seek meeting with Sonia: Mubashir LAHORE, May 17: The Punjab PPP-SB president and a strong advocate of good friendly relations between Pakistan and India, Dr Mubashir Hasan, proposed on Monday that President Pervez Musharraf should seek a meeting with the new Indian prime minister ... PPC welcomes secular forces' win in India KARACHI, May 17: Congratulating millions of marginalized people of India for giving their unequivocal verdict against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to support secular forces ... JWP hails Congress win in Indian polls QUETTA, May 17: Jamhoori Watan Party chief Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti has welcomed the victory of Indian National Congress and the left parties in Indian general elections. ... Purchase of warships discussed with China BEIJING, May 17: Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Shahid Karimullah held talks with Commander of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) Vice Admiral Zhang Dingfa here on Monday. ... Wheat being bought for smuggling to Afghanistan SWABI, May 17: The flour millers and traders have deputed agents to purchase wheat from peasants on an urgent basis, even if it meant paying high rates for the stock, and it has been revealed that a major chunk of hoarded wheat stock would be smuggled to Afghanistan. ... Afghan DPs census to begin in Sept PESHAWAR, May 17: The Population Census Organization of the ministry of population has agreed to prepare modalities for the upcoming census of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, officials of the Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CAR) said. ... 3 Pakistanis jailed in Moscow MOSCOW, May 17: A Moscow court has sentenced three Pakistanis to between eight and 10 years in prison for kidnapping nine Indians, the RIA Novosti news agency reported on Monday. ...

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