01 June 2004 Tuesday 12 Rabi-us-Saani 1425 No decision yet to sit in NSC: Fazl ISLAMABAD, May 31: The Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and the Secretary-General of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, has said that it has not been decided yet if he will sit in the National Security Council ... ARD rejects Fazl as opposition leader ISLAMABAD, May 31: A majority of the Opposition parties on Monday rejected Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the Muttahida Majlis-i- Amal (MMA) secretary-general, as their leader in the National Assembly ... Fazl gives protest call for Friday KARACHI, May 31: Opposition leader in the National Assembly Maulana Fazlur Rahman, who is also secretary general of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, has given a call for country wide strike for Friday ... Shamzai's murder widely condemned LARKANA, May 31: Activists of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) took out a procession here on Monday to protest against the assassination of religious scholar Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai. ... Sit-in staged against killing of Mufti Shamzai ISLAMABAD, May 31: Hundreds of protesters staged a sit-in here on Monday evening in front of Parliament House against the killing of Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai in Karachi. ... Attacks not linked with sectarianism: Ulema KARACHI, May 31: Ulema belonging to different schools of thought met Governor Ishratul Ibad and Federal Religious Affairs Minister Ijazul Haq at the Governor House on Monday. ... Lawyers challenge deportation of Shahbaz LAHORE, May 31: The Pakistan Lawyers Forum has submitted a constitutional writ petition in the Lahore High Court challenging the deportation of PML-N president Mian Shahbaz Sharif. ... Pre-arrest bail granted to spokesperson LAHORE, May 31: The Lahore High Court on Monday allowed pre-arrest bail to Farrukh Husain Shah, the spokesperson for Mian Shahbaz Sharif, till June 15 and restrained the police from arresting and intimidating him during the period. ... Benazir calls party meetings in London ISLAMABAD, May 31: The Pakistan People's Party chairperson, Benazir Bhutto, has called several organizational meetings of the party in London this week to resolve any outstanding matters relating to the party's functioning. ... PPP (Sherpao), PPP-Patriots merge today ISLAMABAD, May 31: The merger of Pakistan People's Party (Sherpao) and the Pakistan People's Party-Patriots will take place after a joint meeting of the general councils of the two parties here on Tuesday. ... Militants warned of another operation WANA, May 31: Political authorities in the South Waziristan tribal region have said they would have no choice but to launch another military operation if the economic blockade failed to pressure Ahmadzai Wazir tribe to turn over foreign militants. ... OIC to discuss challenges faced by Muslim world ISLAMABAD, May 31: President Gen Pervez Musharraf will inaugurate a two-day international seminar on the 57-nation Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) here on Tuesday ... JI shoora blames US agents for killings KARACHI, May 31: The local shoora of Jamaat-i-Islami on Monday accused the United States and its agents of involvement in the killing of Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai and bomb blasts. ... Rocket attack on minister's house; maid's son killed QUETTA, May 31: A man was killed and five others were injured in a rocket and mortar attacks at Mand, a small township at the Pakistan-Iran border in Makran, on Monday. ... PM concerned over govt officials' foreign trips ISLAMABAD, May 31: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has expressed his concern over the increasing number of foreign visits of government officials on frivolous and self-serving grounds, Dawn has learnt. ... Jamali directs more allocation for roads ISLAMABAD, May 31: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has directed finance and planning ministries to allocate more funds for communication sector so that far-flung areas could be connected with main highways ... PTA receives 93 applications for line licences ISLAMABAD, May 31: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has received 93 applications for the grant of Local Loop (LL) and Long Distance International (LDI) licences from prospective investors so far. ... Govt defends purchase of Boeing 777 aircraft ISLAMABAD, May 31: The government defended the purchase of Boeing 777 on the floor of the National Assembly on Monday as the opposition questioned the deal and demanded explanation for installation of substandard seats in the aircraft. ... UN to prepare review on water crisis ISLAMABAD, May 31: The United Nations Disaster Management Team in Pakistan met on Monday and discussed the issue of water contamination and subsequent outbreak of gastroenteritis disease and skin complaints ... Increase in GDP not to cut poverty, say experts ISLAMABAD, May 31: The government's expectation that the trickle down of increased growth rate of GDP to the common people will reduce poverty is belied by the experience of Pakistan itself as well as Latin American countries ... Pakistanis among 50 hurt in Turkey ANKARA, May 31: Some 50 would-be immigrants, including Pakistanis, were injured on Monday in the southeastern Turkish province of Batman when the truck they were hiding in skidded off the road and fell into a roadside ditch ... 32 parties eligible for FM channels ISLAMABAD, May 31: The Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Monday declared 32 private parties eligible for the licences of FM radio channels after the bidding process. ... Record traces Indian PM's roots to Gah GAH, May 31: People in at least two districts of Pakistan's Punjab province, Chakwal and Jhelum, are laying claim to being the ancestral roots of the new Indian prime minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, while documentary record seems to corroborate only one version. ... Envoy pays tribute to Mandela's statesmanship PESHAWAR, May 31: The High Commissioner of South Africa, Mr Moosa Moolla, has observed that the new emerging world will bring peace and tranquillity to people as the evil forces are destined to disappear from the planet. ...

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