18 June 2004 Friday 29 Rabi-us-Saani 1425 KARACHI: Micro-credit bank soon to help jobless: CM KARACHI, June 17: Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said that a micro-credit bank is being established in Sindh soon with an aim of extending interest-free loans for the promotion of cottage industry and agriculture and to provide self-employment to jobless people. ... KARACHI: Many spend sleepless nights due to power cuts KARACHI, June 17: Power breakdowns continued unabated on Thursday in the city, leaving the people helpless in face of the ongoing humid weather. ... KARACHI: KWSB turns deaf ear to public complaints KARACHI, June 17: A large number of houses, situated on both side of Baghdadi's D D Chaudhry Road and Lyari's Tannery Road, have not been getting water supply for the last 12 days in the current hot and humid weather. ... KARACHI: Water scarcity may cause food crisis - Moot on desertification KARACHI, June 17: Experts at a seminar on Thursday urged the government to prepare strategies at national, provincial and district levels for agriculture, besides constructing small, cost-affective dams ... KARACHI: Development schemes for coastal areas stressed KARACHI, June 17: Experts at a workshop on Wednesday called for undertaking development programmes in coastal zones of the province to enhance economic output of the people there. ... KARACHI: Woman seeks custody of baby boy KARACHI, June 17: Another woman approached the Sindh High Court on Thursday to recover custody of her suckling child from her husband. ... KARACHI: IEP chief resumes charge KARACHI, June 17: The ousted president of the Institute of Engineers Pakistan (IEP) resumed charge of office at Lahore on Wednesday and the Sindh High Court declined on Thursday to restrain him from carrying out his duties. ... KARACHI: Epilepsy patients can live normal life - Experts KARACHI, June 17: Epilepsy can be managed well, if timely diagnosed and treated with regular medication, and a patient can live normal life without any difficulty after recovery. ... KARACHI: Drive launched against illegal cable operators KARACHI, June 17: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) - Sindh Region has initiated a drive against illegal cable TV operators in the province. ... KARACHI: Gulshan Town's Rs757m budget KARACHI, June 17: Town Nazim of Gulshan-i-Iqbal on Thursday presented Rs757 million budget of the town for the year 2004-05 showing a surplus of Rs0.5 million. ... LAHORE: More than 300 power breakdowns in 24 hours LAHORE, June 17: The distribution system of the Lahore Electricity Supply Company (Lesco) sustained 12 major breakdowns and around 300 minor trippings during the last 24 hours ... PESHAWAR: MMA leaders get VIP treatment in hospitals PESHAWAR, June 17: Under the rule of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, the VIP culture is thriving in government hospitals, as everywhere else, despite MMA's claims of having done away with it. ... PESHAWAR: 70 shops in Kabari Bazaar gutted PESHAWAR, June 17: At least 70 shops and cabins were reduced to ashes on Thursday morning after a fire engulfed the Kabari Bazaar on the Jinnah Park Road near the railway tracks here. ... PESHAWAR: Boy severely beaten up by seminary teacher PESHAWAR, June 17: The father of a minor boy who was treated at the Khyber Teaching Hospital after being severely beaten by his teacher in a religious school in Swabi district has appealed to Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali to order the arrest of the assailant. ... PESHAWAR: Ex-customs official granted bail PESHAWAR, June 17: A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court on Wednesday granted bail to a former assistant collector customs Karachi, Rana Mazhar Ali, accused of misusing his authority. ... PESHAWAR: Habeas corpus pleas: court holds in-camera hearing PESHAWAR, June 17: A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court on Thursday held in camera proceedings in two identical habeas corpus petitions challenging the detention of two young men allegedly arrested by the Pakistan Army more than three months ago. ... HYDERABAD: Water tests planned to check quality HYDERABAD, June 17: The district health coordination committee on Wednesday discussed in detail the water contamination crisis and decided that Wasa would ensure supply of safe drinking water to users and control water-borne diseases. ... HYDERABAD: Issuance of NOCs to encroachers criticized HYDERABAD, June 17: Members of the city taluka council on Thursday criticized the issuance of no-objection certificates for electricity and gas connections to encroachers. ... LARKANA: Dist govt to probe into registration of false FIRs LARKANA, June 17: A district government meeting on Wednesday decided to hold inquiry against SHOs who would register false FIRs. The meeting with District Nazim Khurshid Junejo in the chair directed the police officials to discourage such a trend. ... RAWALPINDI: LHCBA against plan to set up military courts RAWALPINDI, June 17: The Lahore High Court Bar Association here on Thursday pledged that it would resist the setting up of military courts. ... HYDERABAD: Killing of PPP leader condemned HYDERABAD, June 17: Thecity chapter of the People's Party Parliamentarians has condemned the murder of party leader Munawwar Suharwardy in Karachi on Thursday and demanded registration of an FIR against the Sindh governor and chief minister. ... DADU: Arrest of killers demanded DADU, June 17: Residents of the Ghari village held protest demonstrations outside the Degree College and the taluka hospital and at the Ghanta Ghar Chowk in Mehar on Thursday. ... HYDERABAD: Call to reduce defence budget HYDERABAD, June 17: Leaders of public opinion and intellectuals have termed federal and Sindh budgets anti-people and demanded that the defence budget should be reduced and the NFC award be announced on the basis of revenue generation. ... KAHIRPUR: Load-shedding sparks protest across Sindh KHAIRPUR, June 17: Consumers took to the streets and held protest demonstrations in different cities and towns of interior of Sindh against Hesco. ... BADIN: Water theft - Officials, landlords warned - Rahim meets farmers, nazims BADIN, June 17: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said that lapses in the distribution of irrigation water in tail-end areas will be examined. ... MIRAMSHAH: Three killed in bank robbery attempt MIRAMSHAH, June 17: Three people were killed and two others seriously injured when gunmen stormed a bank in the North Waziristan Agency headquarters town here on Wednesday. ... ABBOTTABAD: Abbottabad SSC results declared ABBOTTABAD, June 17: Students of the Pakistan Scouts Cadet College Batrasi secured 10 positions in the Secondary School Certificate examination of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Abbottabad. ... GUJRANWALA: Five get death for killing ex-minister GUJRANWALA, June 17: The Anti-Terrorism Court No 1 handed down death sentence on six counts and fined Rs3.5 million collectively to five convicts in a murder case of former provincial minister Chaudhry Muhammad Farooq and his five men here on Thursday. ... GUJRANWALA: TV licence fee process termed complicated GUJRANWALA, June 17: The local chamber of commerce and industry and other segments of society have criticized the proposed collection of TV licence fee worth Rs25 per month through electricity bills. ... VEHARI: Anti-rabies vaccine in short supply VEHARI, June 17: The anti-rabies vaccine has been in short supply in almost all government hospitals, RHCs and BHUs in the district for quite some time. ... FAISALABAD: Road project to be completed in time FAISALABAD, June 17: Frontier Works Organization (FWO) Director-General Maj-Gen Shahid Niaz has claimed that the construction work on the Faisalabad - Sheikhupura Road will be completed in six months. ... FAISALABAD: A mother seeks justice FAISALABAD, June 17: A woman has threatened to commit suicide in front of the office of the DIG to mark her protest against alleged apathy of the Jaranwala police. ...

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