04 September 2004 Saturday 18 Rajab 1425 Agriculture minister's slot sparks debate MULTAN, Sept 3: A debate has sparked here over the question who will be the agriculture minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, as this is the only portfolio after finance which has been left vacant ... Arbab tells opposition to change attitude KARACHI, Sept 3: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Friday advised the opposition in the Sindh Assembly to do away with its attitude of "opposition for the sake of opposition" and let the elected government function. ... Leaders of ARD parties to meet in Lahore ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: A meeting of the heads of the component parties of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) is being convened in Lahore next week, says parliamentary secretary of the alliance Izhar Amrohvi. ... PPP leader criticises composition of cabinet LAHORE, Sept 3: Punjab PPP Information Secretary Naveed Chaudhry on Friday expressed disappointment over the composition of new federal cabinet and the allotment of portfolios ... Benazir makes changes in party's Sindh, AJK leadership ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: Chairperson Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Benazir Bhutto on Friday announced organizational changes in the party based on the principle of separation of the party office from parliamentary office. ... MMA leader criticizes large cabinet GUJRANWALA, Sept 3: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal central leader MNA Liaquat Baloch criticized the government on inducting of an army of ministers and termed it a burden on the national exchequer. ... Walkout by MMA as PA adopts govt resolution KARACHI, Sept 3: The Sindh Assembly met here on Friday in a requisitioned session and took up normal business in a comparatively disciplined manner, though against the expectations of certain quarters. ... Thar by-poll on Oct 7 ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: Chief Election Commissioner Irshad Hasan Khan on Friday announced the election schedule for Oct 7 by- election to NA-229 Tharparkar-I. ... Opposition has tough agenda for PA session PESHAWAR, Sept 3: The joint opposition in the NWFP assembly is set to give tough time to the treasury benches during the forthcoming session of the provincial legislature ... PML election schedule today LAHORE, Sept 3: The ruling PML's election authority is expected to announce a schedule for the election of provincial office-bearers on Saturday (today), secretary-general Chaudhry Zaheeruddin says. ... No forward bloc in MMA, says Qazi PESHAWAR, Sept 3: Central president of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) Qazi Hussain Ahmad has denied the existence of "a forward bloc or accountability group" in the NWFP. ... Government land being sold at throwaway price: MQM HYDERABAD, Sept 3: The supervisory committee of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Hyderabad, has said that people who are disposing of municipal property at throwaway prices were neither sincere with the city nor with the people. ... PPP slams govt on law & order KARACHI, Sept 3: Leader of the opposition in Sindh Assembly, Nisar Ahmad Khuhro, who is also the president of PPP Sindh chapter, has said that their party requisitioned the session ... 'Smuggling of humans a serious charge' ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: PML-N Information Secretary Siddiqul Farooque says that revelations made by former interior minister Faisal Saleh Hayat, in an interview, about a human smuggling racket is a very serious charge-sheet against members of the government ... Colin Powell felicitates Aziz ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: US Secretary of State Colin Powell on Friday rang up Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to felicitate him on assuming the office of the country's chief executive. ... Recent clues can lead to arrest of Osama: US officials ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: US counter-terrorism officials believe that the recent spate of Al Qaeda arrests in Pakistan have provided significant clues, which could lead to "guaranteed" arrest of Osama bin Laden and his other top associates. ... Indian peace activists arrive LAHORE, Sept 3: At least 69 peace activists arrived here from India via Wagah border crossing to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Pak-India Peoples' Forum for Peace and Democracy. ... Indian food festival begins today LAHORE, Sept 3: Acting Indian High Commissioner T. C. Raghavan and Punjab Tourism Minister Aslam Iqbal would open the first two-week South Indian Food Festival at a local hotel on Saturday (today). ... Water scarcity may become major source of future conflict KARACHI, Sept 3: Security analysts on Friday sounded a warning that scarcity of water may become a major source of conflict in the 21st century, posing a serious threat to human development and security. ... Meeting convened to discuss water crisis ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: Responding to forecasts of a looming crisis, the federal government has convened an extraordinary special inter-provincial meeting to ponder over expected water shortage in the coming Rabi season ... Pakistan unlikely to achieve literacy target: speakers ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: Participants of a consultative workshop here on Friday doubted the ability of Pakistan to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and Education For All (EFA) by the year 2015 ... Osaka Varsity students visit PU LAHORE, Sept 3: Osaka University of Foreign Studies, Japan, seven students led by their head Prof So Yamane visited the Punjab University New Campus on Friday. ... No decision on CTBT yet - Foreign Office tells LHC LAHORE, Sept 3: The foreign office has submitted to the Lahore High Court that Pakistan has still not taken any decision with regard to signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) ... Killing of Nepalese workers condemned ISLAMABAD, Sept 3: The South Asian Free Media Association (Safma) on Friday condemned the gruesome murder of 11 Nepalese workers in Iraq and sympathized with the bereaved families. ... PIA provides more seats for Umra pilgrims from Peshawar KARACHI, Sept 3: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) provided adequate number of additional seats for Umra passengers from Peshawar during the month of August and would do the same in September. ... 'Police keep injured prisoners handcuffed' QUETTA, Sept 3: The Balochistan National Party (Mengal) on Friday criticized police for keeping handcuffed in the jail ward of a hospital the party's activists who had been injured in militiamen's firing in Wadh. ... JKLF alleges bid to partition Kashmir permanently MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 3: Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Amanullah Khan on Friday accused India and Pakistan of working for the permanent partition of Kashmir on the basis of the Line of Control. ... Occupation forces urged to leave Iraq QUETTA, Sept 3: The All Pakistan Shia Action Committee staged a demonstration in front of an imambargah after Friday prayers to denounce United States atrocities in Iraq and demanded that the occupation forces leave the country. ...

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