20 May 2004 Thursday 29 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1425 KARACHI: Ibad for collective efforts to curb terrorism KARACHI, May 19: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan has said that better and lasting results can be achieved through collective efforts against terrorists. ... KARACHI: Local govt system continues to face problems KARACHI, May 19: The new system of local government, despite three years of its implantation, continues to face teething problems as many of its key officials ... KARACHI: Two bank branches, 3 vehicles set on fire - Protest against power breakdown KARACHI, May 19: Two bank branches and three vehicles were set on fire and vehicular traffic remained suspended for hours on Superhighway as traders at the New Sabzimandi ... KARACHI: KU begins study into Tasman oil spill KARACHI, May 19: The Institute of Environmental Studies, University of Karachi has initiated a deep surface study to assess the impact of the pollution on land caused by the Tasman Spirit oil spill off the Clifton beach. ... KARACHI: Nazim seeks help for schools, colleges KARACHI, May 19: An estimated 12,500 public schools, 92 colleges and over 45 healthcare units in Karachi require the urgent support of concerned citizens and philanthropists to function effectively at their optimum capacities. ... KARACHI: 2 PNSC men get 7 years for Rs13m embezzlement KARACHI, May 19: An accountability court sentenced, on Wednesday, two dismissed officials of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation to seven-year term for misappropriating Rs13 million lying in the contributory provident fund. ... KARACHI: Hearing put off against beverage firms KARACHI, May 19: Two popular brands of beverages were being manufactured and sold without certification by the Pakistan Standard and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA), a federal attorney informed a division bench of the Sindh High Court on Wednesday. ... KARACHI: Firing sparks panic at examination centre KARACHI, May 19: The examination staff, reportedly fed up with outside interference, expressed their reluctance to conduct the on-going HSC annual examinations at the Government Degree College, Buffer Zone, on Wednesday. ... KARACHI: Show-cause notice in child's custody case KARACHI, May 19: The Sindh High Court issued a show-cause notice to the respondent father for May 27 in a contempt application moved by the petitioner mother seeking custody of their 18-month-old son. ... KARACHI: Rs3.8m and gold taken away from bank KARACHI, May 19: Armed men looted Rs3.8 million cash and gold worth over Rs1.4 million from a bank in Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Wednesday. The police said some six armed men entered the branch of National Bank ... KARACHI: Handicapped children need transport KARACHI, May 19: More than 50 handicapped children who are getting formal education, as well skill development activity in a rehabilitation centre in Lyari Town, are facing a lot of difficulties due to non-availability of transport facilities. ... KARACHI: Safari ride in park to begin soon KARACHI, May 19: Karachi Cities are soon going to be able to have a first-hand experience of watching wild animals from close quarters as the city government has planned to open the hitherto closely-guarded area in the Safari Park by the end of this month, it is learnt. ... KARACHI: PAWLA elects office-bearers KARACHI, May 19: The Pakistan Women Lawyers Association (PAWLA) has elected its new office-bearers, said a press release. Afroz Haq and Noor Naz Agha were elected as PAWLA president and general secretary respectively, the statement said. ... LAHORE: Rs5 billion stuck in CCBs - Basharat LAHORE, May 19: Punjab Law and Local Government Minister Raja Muhammad Basharat has said that development funds worth Rs5 billion were stuck in the citizen community boards (CCBs) in the province due to lukewarm public response. ... LAHORE: UET to hold entrance test LAHORE, May 19: Contrary to its approved policy that the University of Health Sciences, upon its establishment, will take over the management of the entrance test ... PESHAWAR: Shopkeepers protest against arrests PESHAWAR, May 19: Shopkeepers in Khyber Bazaar staged a protest demonstration and blocked the road for several hours against the arrest of 11 shopkeepers by the traffic police here on Wednesday. ... PESHAWAR: High court issues notice to AGP - Afghan journalist's detention PESHAWAR, May 19: A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court on Wednesday put the attorney-general of Pakistan and the NWFP advocate-general on notice in a writ petition challenging the detention of an Afghan journalist ... PESHAWAR: Shortage of medicines in Peshawar PESHAWAR, May 19: Several drugs have gone missing from the market, but are being sold in black market at exorbitant prices, chemists and doctors told Dawn. A psychiatrist said an important drug, Chlorpromazine, was out of market, causing the patients to suffer. ... PESHAWAR: Customs dept told to release cargo PESHAWAR, May 19: The Peshawar High Court on Wednesday directed the customs authorities to return 480 packages of disposable razors to a trading company which had imported the consignment six years ago under the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement. ... PESHAWAR: 'Drug use common in suicide attempts' PESHAWAR, May 19: Many people attempting to commit suicide use drugs, including sedative and tranquillisers, to end their lives, doctors and healthcare staff said on Monday. ... HYDERABAD: Inquiry into supply of polluted water demanded HYDERABAD, May 19: The City Taluka Council in a unanimously- adopted resolution here on Wednesday demanded a high-level inquiry into contamination of water of the Indus River. ... HYDERABAD: Reconstruction of demolished mosque recommended HYDERABAD, May 19: A meeting held by the Sindh Zakat, Ushr and Religious Affairs Minister, Dr Irfan Gul Magsi, here on Tuesday recommended to the Sindh government that the demolished GPO mosque be rebuilt. ... HYDERABAD: Nazims demand release of funds HYDERABAD, May 19: Nazims of various rural union councils of the district have threatened to launch a protest movement if the sugar cess fund and the octroi tax are not released to union councils by May 23. ... SUKKUR: Officials urged to serve traders with sincerity SUKKUR, May 19: The Sindh Minister for Labour, Transport, Manpower and Industries, Adil Siddiqui, has advised the bureaucracy to serve traders and businessmen with sincerity and honesty. ... HYDERABAD: 817 cops infected with hepatitis HYDERABAD, May 19: Participants of a seminar were informed here on Wednesday that 817 policemen of Hyderabad district were carriers of hepatitis B and C. The seminar, aimed at spreading awareness on hepatitis ... HYDERABAD: Stress on English language in teachers' training HYDERABAD, May 19: District Nazim Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman has said that a top priority will be given to English language in teachers' training courses and mostly English tutors will be hired from the private sector for this purpose. ... RAWALPINDI: Clerks observe strike today RAWALPINDI, May 19: The All-Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) has said it will observe another countrywide pen-down strike on Thursday to press the government for acceptance of its charter of demands. ... MUZAFFARABAD: Court nullifies appointment MUZAFFARABAD, May 19: An accountability court on Tuesday nullified the appointment of a junior clerk and fined a former education department official Rs50,000 for misusing his authority. ... KOHAT: 81kg hashish seized, two nabbed KOHAT, May 19: The Kohat police busted an inter-provincial gang of drug-traffickers and seized 81kg hashish which was to be smuggled abroad from Punjab on Wednesday. ... HARIPUR: Woman seeks action against husband HARIPUR, May 19: A deputy district officer (education) here on Wednesday lodged a complaint with the district and sessions court, seeking a Hudood Ordinance action against her husband who had accused her boss of molesting her. ... KOHAT: 75 policemen told to report to HQ KOHAT, May 19: Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Ishtiaq Marwat on Wednesday sent more than 75 policemen, who had been appointed in disregard of merit or had been working on the same posts for many years, to report to the police headquarters. ... SWABI: People urged to vote for independent group SWABI, May 19: Provincial Minister for Food, Excise and Taxation Fazal Rabbani said on Wednesday that those who were being controlled from Walibagh should be rejected by the local government representatives in the district nazim election on May 22. ... THATTA: Council wants more water for Keenjhar THATTA, May 19: The Thatta Taluka Council on Wednesday demanded release of maximum water to the Keenjhar Lake to overcome the worsening water crisis in Mirpur Sakro and Thatta talukas. ... SANGHAR: District Council seeks end to water rotation programme SANGHAR, May 19: The members of the district council at its session here on Wednesday demanded the arrest of a federal minister, end to the water rotation programme and making of tube-wells linked to the Left Bank Outfall Drain functional. ... NAUSHAHRO FEROZE: Boys booked for taking photographs of girl NAUSHAHRO FEROZE, May 19: A case was registered against two boys on Wednesday for taking photographs of a young girl in Bhiriya Road town. ... HYDERABAD: Situation in Hyderabad worsening - Contaminated water in Indus HYDERABAD, May 19: The situation due to supply of contaminated water of the Indus river to the people of Hyderabad, Qasimabad and Latifabad talu-kas is worsening with each passing day. ... SUKKUR: Six awarded life term in murder case SUKKUR, May 19: The Anti-Terrorism Court-I, Sukkur and Larkana, here on Wednesday sentenced six persons to life imprisonment in a kidnapping-cum-murder case. ... SANGHAR: Man given death penalty for killing fiancee SANGHAR, May 19: The district and sessions judge, Mir Nabi Bux Talpur, has awarded the capital punishment to Ihsan Mari, 28, in a murder case of his fiancee. ... BAHAWALPUR: ACE wants 7-year jail for wrong complaint BAHAWALPUR, May 19: The Punjab government has been recommended that a law should be enacted to award a seven-year hard jail along with Rs20,000 fine to a convict for submitting a false complaint against anyone to the Anti-Corruption Establishment. ... SARGODHA: Pervaiz announces compensation - Utra village killings SARGODHA, May 19: Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has announced Rs100,000 compensation for each deceased and Rs50,000 for each injured, besides free medical treatment of those injured in Utra village incident. ... GUJRAT: Two of the accused escape custody - Gujrat incident GUJRAT, May 19: Two of the nominated accused involved in Madina Syedan murders disappeared mysteriously from the Gujrat Saddar police station lock-up on Wednesday. ... SIALKOT: School awaiting teachers SIALKOT, May 19: Science and mathematics teachers have not been appointed for 2,500 students of Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Badiana, Pasrur tehsil, since its upgradation 10 years back. ... SAHIWAL: Councillor kidnaps man on suspicion SAHIWAL, May 19: A councillor allegedly kidnapped a wagon driver from his house in Kot Khadim Ali Shah on Tuesday on suspicion of having illicit relations with his niece. ... PESHAWAR: Students seek probe into police action PESHAWAR, May 19: Students of Ayub Medical College, Abbottabad, on Tuesday demanded a judicial inquiry into baton-charge on their colleaguesby police and barring them from taking examinations for two years. ... KARACHI: MQM slams JI activities KARACHI, May 19: The MQM coordination committee has condemned the armed attack on its sympathizers Mohammad Ashraf Baloch and Ghulam Mustafa Baloch in Kumailpur Mohalla, Baldia Town. ... LAHORE: Mercury soars to 46.2°C LAHORE, May 19: People experienced another hot day in the city on Wednesday, as the Mercury shot up to 46.2 degrees Celsius. Increased power trippings and unavailability of water in many areas compounded problems. ...

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