26 May 2004 Wednesday 06 Rabi-us-Saani 1425 NA summoned for budget session ISLAMABAD, May 25: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday called the National Assembly to meet on Monday to begin the second budget session of the present lower house. ... PPP rejects Fazl as opposition leader KARACHI, May 25: Pakistan Peoples Party on Tuesday strongly reacted to the nomination of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal's parliamentary leader Maulana Fazlur Rahman as leader of the opposition in the National Assembly ... MMA now alternative govt, says Fazl: Fresh by-election under army supervision sought KARACHI, May 25: The Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has said that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal is now the alternative government of Pakistan ... PPP demands fresh polls under HRCP supervision ISLAMABAD, May 25: The PPP parliamentarians from Punjab have demanded fresh elections in the country under the supervision of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). ... SGS inquiry hearing fixed for 30th ISLAMABAD, May 25: A Swiss investigation magistrate inquiring into the SGS case against PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and her husband Asif Ali Zardari, has fixed May 30 as the next date for hearing, Dawn learnt here on Tuesday. ... Hearing of Asif's bail plea adjourned ISLAMABAD, May 25: The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned hearing of a bail application of detained Pakistan People's Party leader Asif Ali Zardari in the BMW car reference till June 8 on the request of the National Accountability Bureau. ... Nusrat's petition returned again LAHORE, May 25: The Lahore High Court's registrar office has refused for the second time the fixing of a writ petition filed by Nusrat Shahbaz, wife of Shahbaz Sharif, before a bench of the Lahore High Court. ... Petitions of 12 PML-N men sent to home secy LAHORE, May 25: The Lahore High Court division bench hearing the writ petitions of PML-N leaders against their detention, sent petitions of 12 party activists to the home secretary for a decision within a week. ... Punjab PA session begins today LAHORE, May 25: The summer session of the Punjab Assembly is beginning from Wednesday with opposition intentions to agitate the deportation of Shahbaz Sharif and arrest of its activists. ... JUI to resist hanges in blasphemy laws LAHORE, May 25: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, whose amir Maulana Fazlur Rehman has been appointed opposition leader in the National Assembly, declared on Tuesday that the party would not allow the government to make any change to the blasphemy laws or the Hudood Ordinance. ... Six Harkat activists remanded in CID custody KARACHI, May 25: Six alleged terrorists belonging to the Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Almi were remanded in the custody of the CID police till May 31 by Arshad Noor Khan, judge of the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC-III), for Karachi division on Tuesday. ... 50 JSQM protesting workers arrested KARACHI, May 25: Police arrested at least 50 activists of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz from the shrine of Abdullah Shah Ghazi in Clifton on Tuesday ... PPP opposes MCB deal KARACHI, May 25: Head of PPP Parliamentarians' Economic Co-ordination Committee and member of National Assembly Syed Naveed Qamar on Tuesday opposed the move to enable Muslim Commercial Bank to take over the Adamjee Insurance Company. ... City being exposed to extremism: Muttahida KARACHI, May 25: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement is being targeted by religious extremists because it is the biggest obstacle in the way of those elements who wanted to turn Karachi into another bastion of Taliban and extremism. ... Govt policies have stabilized economy, says Jamali JEDDAH, May 25: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Tuesday asked Pakistani expatriates to strive for projecting Pakistan as a country offering tremendous opportunities for foreign investment in a safe and secure environment. ... Government pursuing free media policy, says Rashid ISLAMABAD, May 25: An introductory meeting of Standing Committee of Senate on Information and Broadcasting was held at the Parliament House here on Tuesday. ... Govt stand on wage board has changed, says APNS KARACHI, May 25: The APNS has strongly criticized the statement of the Federal Minister for Information, Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, issued at the end of the inter-provincial information ministers' meeting held in Islamabad on Friday last. ... Pakistan, UK working on extradition treaty: envoy ISLAMABAD, May 25: Pakistan and the United Kingdom are working on an extradition treaty, the British high commissioner, Mark Lyall Grant, said on Tuesday. He said this while presiding over a discussion on 'Islam ... War on terror being used to trample rights: experts ISLAMABAD, May 25: The world community is bogged down by the sexed up terminology of "War Against Terrorism" as the governments are using the fancy term to indulge in violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Geneva Conventions. ... APNS urged to accept SC verdict ISLAMABAD, May 25: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the All-Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation (Apnec) have regretted the stand of the All-Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) over the proposed linkage of government ... Unicef, UNDP to provide funds for water projects ISLAMABAD, May 25: Unicef and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) here on Tuesday signed a $428,000 project aimed at improving water and sanitation quality and environment in Punjab and Sindh provinces. ... Contradictions in Indian media LAHORE, May 25: The Indian election results have come as a surprise, not massive, but big enough for people to hope that India will finally be moving away from contradictions. ... Ideal climate for IT investment: Awais ISLAMABAD, May 25: Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Tuesday said the government had provided ideal business climate and investment opportunities to foreign investors in IT and telecom sectors of Pakistan. ... AJK court again warns law officers MUZAFFARABAD, May 25: In less than a week, AJK Shariat Court Chief Justice Syed Manzoor Hussain Gillani has again warned the law officers of the government to be careful in filing appeals against the acquittals by the subordinate judiciary. ... Spaniard's family leaves Pakistan without his body PESHAWAR, May 25: The family of a Spanish researcher murdered two years ago and buried in far northwest Pakistan returned home empty-handed this week after failing to persuade local elders to let them exhume his body, police said on Tuesday. ... Kabul to free last batch of Pakistani prisoners PESHAWAR, May 25: Afghanistan has agreed in principle to release the last batch of over 400 Pakistani prisoners being held in Kabul's notorious Pul-i-Churkhi prison. ... Govt criticized over polluted water KARACHI, May 25: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Tuesday demanded a probe into the provision of toxic water to the residents of Hyderabad, and the deaths of several people including women and children ... Better working conditions for journalists demanded KARACHI, May 25: At the national conference on Urdu press, being held at the Karachi University, three sessions were held on Tuesday, which was the second day of the moot. ... Govt urged to check water-borne diseases in Sindh ISLAMABAD, May 25: The Consumer Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) has urged the Sindh government to take measures to contain the death toll and spread of fatal diseases being caused by the supply of contaminated drinking water in areas of lower Sindh, particularly Hyderabad. ... HEC signs MoU for higher studies in Holland ISLAMABAD, May 25: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Netherlands Organization for International Corporation in Higher Education (NUFFIC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) here on Tuesday. ...

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