01 October 2004 Friday 15 Shaban 1425 ARD decides to boycott Thar by-poll HYDERABAD, Sept 30: The Sindh chapter of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy has decided to boycott the Tharparkar by-elections to be held on Oct 7 and observe Oct 12 as a 'black day'. ... CEC rejects opposition senator's objections ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: Chief Election Commissioner Irshad Hasan Khan on Thursday rejected the objections raised by PPP parliamentary leader in the Senate on the increase of polling stations in the forthcoming by-elections in Tharparkar. ... NWFP PML president may be replaced ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: In the wake of a serious row over the nomination of Syed Ali Shah as the ruling Pakistan Muslim League's NWFP president, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, the party chief, is likely to replace him ... MMA is poor people's last hope, says Qazi PESHAWAR, Sept 30: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed has accused the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of sponsoring a campaign to dislodge the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) government in the NWFP ... JI alleges its workers being 'intercepted' LAHORE, Sept 30: The Jamaat-i-Islami has alleged that a sensitive agency was by-passing the provincial government and directly instructing district police officers to check JI activists travelling to Nowshera, in the NWFP. ... NA body opposes Drugs Act amendment ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: The National Assembly's standing committee on health opposed a proposed amendment to section 12 of the Drugs Act 1976 in its meeting on Thursday. ... The economics of a political congregation PESHAWAR, Sept 30: With more than 30,000 shamyanaas (tents) covering an area of about 4.2 million square feet, a village coming up at Azakhel Park, some 20 kilometres from here, for Jamaat-i-Islami's three-day Ijtema (congregation), starting from Oct 1, has more to it than only being a political gathering. ... Protection for armed conflict victims sought ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: The parties engaged in armed conflicts, whether pre-emptive or defensive, must respect the International Humanitarian Laws (IHL). Islam goes beyond the international laws and preaches respect for humanity and right to freedom. ... ARD submits motion on decision of load shedding ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: The Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has submitted an adjournment motion to the National Assembly Secretariat on the recent decision of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) to carry out load shedding throughout the country. ... Rs30m ADB grant for irrigation channels KOHAT, Sept 30: The Asian Development Bank has approved Rs 30 million for improvement of more than 200,000-feet-long irrigation channels from natural springs up to the fields for the benefit of farmers in remote areas ... Legislation urged to reform judicial system ISLAMABAD Sept 30: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Thursday directed the ministry of law and justice to propose suitable legislation to reform the judicial system. ... Youth urged to take care of senior citizens ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Friday urged the younger generation to respect and take care of the senior citizens. ... Pakistan, India losing $900m share of world tourism market: Report ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: Pakistan and India are losing $900 million share in international tourism market due to the ongoing conflict in Kashmir and political unrest ... West has its own agenda on Kashmir, says Sultan ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: Former prime minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry on Thursday said Kashmir had shot up on the US and EU priority list after 9/11 ... Musharraf and Aziz felicitate Chinese leaders ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said on Thursday that the exemplary relationship between Pakistan and China would be strengthened in the years to come. ... $1m raised in US for human uplift schemes NEW YORK, Sept 30: The two fund-raisers organized in the US for human development programmes in Pakistan have raised close to a million dollars. ... Britain values ties with Pakistan, says Blair LONDON, Sept 30: British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said Britain has an extraordinarily close relationship with Pakistan, particularly over the past few years, and cementing it further will be good for the rest of the world. ... Security beefed up at US, Saudi embassies RAWALPINDI, Sept 30: Security has been stepped up around the heavily guarded American embassy as well as the Saudi embassy and its visa consulate in Islamabad following terrorist threat, a source said on Thursday. ... Punjab starts providing wheat to mills: Bid to stabilize flour price LAHORE, Sept 30: The Punjab government decided on Thursday to start releasing 10,000 tons of wheat daily to flour mills in the province at the rate of Rs390 per 40kg. ... France to help set up museum in Quetta QUETTA Sept 30: French Consul-General Jean Yves Berthault has said that the government of France will cooperate with the Balochistan government for establishing a museum in Quetta. ... Renovation plan for schools launched LANDI KOTAL, Sept 30: Ambassadors of the United States and Japan and NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah inaugurated the construction and repair work in Jamrud of the first of 130 schools that will be reconstructed ... UNHCR office suspends work after phone threats PESHAWAR, Sept 30: The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is re-examining security arrangements at its local office after receiving anonymous threat calls on Wednesday, an official said. ... Shab-i-Barat observed with religious fervour ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: Shab-i-Barat, the night of reverence and devotion, was observed all over the country on Thursday with great religious zeal. ... Delay in wage board award implementation criticized KARACHI, Sept 30: A joint meeting of the executive council of the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) and the All Pakistan Newspapers Employees Confederation on Thursday reviewed the situation ... Landmines conference on 11th ISLAMABAD Sept 30: A conference is being organized by the Community Motivation and Development Organization (CMDO) and Pakistan Campaign to Ban Landmines (PCBL) on October 11 in Islamabad. ... Need to define terror stressed HYDERABAD, Sept 30: The consul-general, Russian Federation, Vladimir P. Mikhayaloy, has said Russia will continue to play its due role in global politics but it has no intention to become a super-power. ... People being deceived with hepatitis injections: minister - 'Only treatment is preventive' ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: Health Minister Mohammad Nasir Khan on Thursday warned that certain vested interests were selling hepatitis vaccine injections only to mint money because no treatment was available to completely cure the deadly disease. ... Committee hits out at Steel Mills irregularities ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: The Public Accounts Committee on Thursday criticized the Pakistan Steel Mills management for several financial irregularities that have caused a loss of over Rs350 million to the national exchequer. ... 3m births annually in Pakistan: minister ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: The country's population has increased almost five-fold since independence in 1947, with nearly three million births annually at a growth rate of 1.9 per cent. ... PHC allows treatment of Palestinian PESHAWAR, Sept 30: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday allowed a former PML-N lawmaker Jawed Ibraheem Paracha to conduct medical treatment of a Palestinian, Yousaf bin Yousaf, through a doctor he had recommended in the Peshawar central prison. ...

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