24 September 2004 Friday 08 Shaban 1425 Ministers face criticism in Senate ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: Members of the opposition as well as treasury benches on Thursday criticized the ministers and expressed their dissatisfaction over replies to several questions given by them during the question hour session in the Senate. ... 'Bush's single sentence on democracy is enough' LAHORE, Sept 23: Punjab PPP president and opposition leader in the provincial legislature Qasim Zia says impression that US President Bush has not raised the issue of uniform with Gen Pervez Musharraf is erroneous. ... BNP warns rulers, army against oppression KARACHI, Sept 23: Leaders of Balochistan National Party (BNP) on Thursday reaffirmed their pledge to continue their struggle for the due rights of Baloch people till the goal was achieved. ... Benazir calls for resolving dams issue democratically ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto has said water shortage in the country and the debate on new dams needed resolution in accordance with set precedents ... Assembly resolution termed violation of Sindh's mandate HYDERABAD, Sept 23: Protest rallies were held in all district headquarters of Sindh on Thursday by the People's Party Parliamentarians in protest against the passage of a resolution by the Sindh Assembly ... Asif's acquittal application KARACHI, Sept 23: A second application for acquittal under Section 265-K of CrPC was filed before District and Sessions Court, East by Asif Ali Zardari, main accused in the murder case of Mir Murtaza Bhutto ... PML-N to participate in general, local polls KARACHI, Sept 23: The PML-N, Sindh chapter, has decided to fully participate in the upcoming local government elections and also to prepare for the next general elections expected to be held in 2005. ... NA by-election on Nov 18 PESHAWAR, Sept 23: By-elections in the NA-35 Malakand constituency will be held on Nov 18. The seat which fell vacant with the death of Maulana Muhammad Inayatur Rehman belonging to the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal. ... Debate on liquor in Punjab Assembly LAHORE, Sept 23: The Punjab Assembly was informed on Thursday that there was a difference in being a Muslim state and an Islamic state. ... Sindh PA debates water shortage KARACHI, Sept 23: The Sindh Assembly on Thursday began discussing the opposition's adjournment motion pertaining to shortage of water in the province ostensibly due to inequitable distribution from the Indus. ... Deputy speaker to convene session PESHAWAR, Sept 23: Going against the wishes of the provincial government, NWFP Assembly Deputy Speaker Ikramullah Shahid has decided to convene the provincial assembly session within 24 hours to complete the agenda furnished by the opposition. ... Pay more attention to agriculture: PM LAHORE, Sept 23: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has urged the Punjab government to pay special attention towards the agriculture sector as its development will create more job opportunities. ... Pay, pension body summary with PM ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: The National Assembly was informed on Thursday that a summary for the formation of a pay and pension committee had been sent to the prime minister for approval. ... Govt escapes defeat on opposition motion ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: The government narrowly escaped a vote defeat in the National Assembly on Thursday after repeated counts of members that provoked a protest walkout by opposition parties ... Top-level army changes in offing ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: The military authorities have confirmed the retirement, at the end of their three-year tenure in their posts, of Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Muhammad Aziz Khan ... Minister stresses modern education MURREE, Sept 23: Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has stressed the need for instilling enlightenment in the students through balanced education to meet the modern era challenges. ... 1.3 million acres lost to sea, PA told KARACHI, Sept 23: Land measuring some 1.3 million acres, belonging to the Thatta district alone, has been swallowed up by the Arabian Sea due to a lack of flow of river water. ... Power companies asked to cut line losses ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: The federal government on Thursday directed all electricity distribution companies (Discos) of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) to reduce their line losses by 10 per cent ... Railways may become corporation: minister NOWSHERA, Sept 23: Federal Minister for Railways Mian Shamim Haider said on Thursday that a study to convert Pakistan Railways into a state corporation with full financial autonomy was under way. ... Agri growth linked to water resources conservation ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: Pakistan can achieve a sustainable growth rate of over six per cent in agriculture sector up to 2020 by exploiting the potential of all sub-sectors of agriculture ... Labourers seek raise, workable conditions FAISALABAD, Sept 23: The All-Pakistan Federation of Trade Unions, International Labour Organization and other trader bodies have demanded of the government to provide basic facilities to industrial workers ... Wedding expenses: SC seeks Punjab govt's comment ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Punjab government to explain what necessitated it to enact a law contrary to a federal government law still in force to check wasteful expenses matrimonial functions. ... FDI rose to Rs9.5m in 2 years: minister RAWALPINDI, Sept 23: Minister for Privatization and Investment Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh on Thursday said foreign investment increased from Rs2 million to Rs9.5 million in the last two years. ... Karzai's aide claims support of Mujahideen PESHAWAR, Sept 23: The representative of Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Pakistan has claimed that top jihadi leaders have extended support to the president in the Oct 9 presidential elections. ... Pakistan, India for joint agri policies FAISALABAD, Sept 23: The Indian and Pakistani agricultural research scientists have observed that the exchange of ideas, research material and students was imperative for the uplift of the agriculture sector in both the countries. ... UK increases number of student visas ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: British High Commission (BHC) has increased the number of student visas for Pakistanis from 2,000 to 10,000 for the last two years. ... Row between passport dept, Nadra deepens KARACHI, Sept 23: The rift between the passport department and Nadra (National Database Registration Authority) has deepened causing delay in the launch of the machine-readable passports (MRPs), well-placed sources told Dawn on Thursday. ... Govt to involve clergy in population control KARACHI, Sept 23: The Federal Minister for Population Welfare, Choudhri Shahbaz Hussein, addressing officials of the Sindh population welfare department on Thursday ... 'Depression, anxiety afflict Afghans' PESHAWAR, Sept 23: Afghan doctors have expressed concern over the growing number of people afflicted by depression in Afghanistan. ... Rs5 billion allocated for uplift plans ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: Federal Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Justice (retired) Abdul Razzaq Thahim has said a sum of Rs5 billion had been allocated for various development projects ...

© The DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2004