20 November 2004 Saturday 07 Shawwal 1425 KARACHI: Opposition demands protection to Edhi - Sindh PA session KARACHI, Nov 19: The Sindh Assembly on Friday expressed concern over threats to noted social worker Abdus Sattar Edhi, problems being faced by Umrah pilgrims in Jeddah, and death of many people, who consumed spirit, in Hyderabad. The house also unanimously adopted resolutions condoling demise of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and UAE President Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan. ... KARACHI: Social welfare dept devolved, PA told KARACHI, Nov 19: The Sindh department of culture and tourism spent Rs6.45 million during 2003-04 on nine functions organized to promote Sindh culture. This was stated by Minister for Culture and Tourism Shabbir Ahmed Qaimkhani in response to a question asked by Mohammad Idrees Siddiqui during question hour in the Sindh Assembly on Friday. ... KARACHI: Children's Day today KARACHI, Nov 19: The Universal Children's Day will be marked across the country on Nov 20 (today) in the backdrop of the fact that 50 to 54 per cent of local children are exposed to nutritional deficiencies. ... KARACHI: Nazim terms PLGC notice mala fide KARACHI, Nov 19: A row between the city and the Sindh governments over devolution of the Malir and Lyari development authorities seems to be intensifying. ... KARACHI: PIA ferrying back stranded pilgrims KARACHI, Nov 19: The Sindh Assembly was on Friday informed that the PIA had taken extra measures and started special flights to ferry back the stranded Pakistani pilgrims who had gone to Saudi Arabia for performing Umrah. ... KARACHI: Officials accused of hiding HIV facts KARACHI, Nov 19: Pakistan is viewed as a 'low-prevalence but high-risk' country when it comes to the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). ... KARACHI: Kidney ward for children planned KARACHI, Nov 19: A full-fledged kidney ward for children, with all relevant facilities, is expected to be fully operational by next year at the National Institute of Child Health. ... KARACHI: Finance dept stops funds to 10 colleges KARACHI, Nov 19: Teaching activities at the 10 new colleges, established by the city government have failed to start . ... KARACHI: Chemistry dept to hold golden jubilee KARACHI, Nov 19: A three-day festival will be held at the Chemistry department, Karachi University, in Feb 2005 to mark the department's 'Golden Jubilee'. Those who have graduated from the department in the past 50 years will be invited to the event.... KARACHI: KU not to shift exam centres KARACHI, Nov 19: The University of Karachi has decided not to shift the examination centres of male candidates of degree classes outside its campus. Sources on the campus said that a decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the Vice Chancellor, Dr Qasim Pirzada, on Friday. ... KARACHI: MPs urged to raise voice against privatization KARACHI, Nov 19: The Parents Action Committee (PAC) of St Joseph's College on Friday appealed to MPAs, MNAs, senators and federal and provincial ministers elected from Karachi to play their role in getting denationalization of college stopped as otherwise, many poor students would not be able to seek admissions at the institution. ... KARACHI: Millions of children at risk: seminar told KARACHI, Nov 19: Speakers at a seminar on Friday urged the government to take measures to save millions of children whose lives are under threat due to poverty, family disputes and unawareness among parents about adverse impacts of family problems on them in society. ... KARACHI: Bail plea of accused in NAB case dismissed KARACHI, Nov 19: A division bench of the Sindh High Court dismissed on Friday a bail application moved by an accountability case accused but directed the trial court to conclude the proceedings within two months. ... KARACHI: Three SIs, 5 constables suspended KARACHI, Nov 19: Eight policemen were put under suspension on Friday for negligence in duty. Three sub-inspectors and five constables were put under suspension by the SITE TPO. ... ISLAMABAD: Hospital gets 4 fully equipped ambulances ISLAMABAD, Nov 19: Federal Government Services Hospital (FGSH) received four fully equipped ambulances here on Friday. The Rs8.8 million worth of ambulances were handed over to the hospital management by Health Secretary Anwar Mehmood.... LAHORE: PBC polls to be held under amended law LAHORE, Nov 19: A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Friday restored the operation of the ordinance promulgated by the federal government on Nov 3, paving the way for holding of the Punjab Bar Council elections under the changes stipulated by the new law. ... LAHORE: Wheat sowing way behind target LAHORE, Nov 19: The wheat sowing drive in the Punjab is slow mainly because of water shortage. Figures available with the agriculture department up to Nov 6 show that only 9.3 per cent of the target area has come under wheat cultivation, which is 7.65 per cent less than the corresponding period last year. ... LAHORE: Food cases threatened with dismissal LAHORE, Nov 19: Over 15,000 food adulteration cases presented in the courts after Sept 30, 2002, are threatened with dismissal on technical grounds on account of a clarification sought by the provincial government in respect of the legality of extension in service allowed to the City District Government public analyst by the district Nazim. ... LAHORE: Terrorism resurgence worries HRCP LAHORE, Nov 19: Human Rights Commission of Pakistan chairperson Tahir Muhammad Khan and secretary-general Hina Jilani have said the reports of resurgence in activities of banned extremist groups in the NWFP highlighted the lack of official commitment to eradicate violent trends and threats posed to citizens by terrorists. ... PESHAWAR: Need for discouraging child labour stressed PESHAWAR, Nov 19: The district government is taking keen interest in protecting children's rights and discouraging child labour, says Nazim Azam Afridi. A statement issued after the signing of a memorandum of child's rights here on Friday quoted him as saying that parents, teachers and other members of the society should take extra care in upbringing children. ... PESHAWAR: Landmines almost cleared, says report PESHAWAR, Nov 19: Pakistan has cleared about 99 per cent of the landmines it had laid along its border with India in the year 2001 and 2002, says an international landmines monitor report. ... PESHAWAR: Court admits bank's petitions on loans PESHAWAR, Nov 19: The Peshawar High Court on Thursday admitted for hearing three writ petitions filed by the Bank of Khyber against decisions of State Bank committee in favour of three industrial firms belonging to political families. ... PESHAWAR: Fata finance cells from Dec 1 PESHAWAR, Nov 19: Finance cells in the seven agencies of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas will start working from Dec 1, says a handout. NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah told a 12-member delegation of the Fata reforms committee, led by Mumtaz Bangash, on Friday that the cells would look after financial matters, including revenue collection and transactions, to regularize the income and expenditure system in the tribal areas. ... PESHAWAR: '87pc of Fata TB patients treated' PESHAWAR, Nov 19: The World Health Organisation has urged TB patients in Fata to continue treatment for eight consecutive months to get cured. "TB, EPI, HIV-Aids and malaria are the priority areas for the WHO because these are the main causes of the high rate of mortality in the country," said Dr Quaid Saeed, medical officer of the WHO, while elaborating on the TB control programme in Fata on Friday. ... PESHAWAR: Children's conviction under FCR condemned PESHAWAR, Nov 19: An NGO has expressed concern over continuing detention and conviction of children under the collective responsibility clause of the Frontier Crimes Regulation and has urged the government to release them immediately. ... SWABI: NGOs, Jirga move to stop honour killings SWABI, Nov 19: Welfare bodies and members of a local Jirga on Friday decided to act jointly to curb honour killings in the district. The decision came at a meeting arranged by the Community Development Organization. ... HYDERABAD: Adviser absolves excise dept of responsibility - Poisonous liquor claims two more lives HYDERABAD, Nov 19: The death in the poisonous liquor tragedy rose to 22 after two more persons died here on Friday. Meanwhile, the provincial excise adviser absolved his department of responsibility for the deaths. ... HYDERABAD: Action taken against 14 students - Exam mal practices HYDERABAD, Nov 19: The vice-chancellor of the Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, on the recommendations of the discipline committee of the university, has taken action against 14 students for their involvement in examination mal practices, including paper leaks, using unfair means and tampering with answer sheets. ... HYDERABAD: 10 selected for fellowship HYDERABAD, Nov 19: On the recommendations of the Higher Training Scholarship Committee, under the urgent need basis project, Vice Chancellor of the University of Sindh Mazharul Haq Siddiqui has approved post-doctoral fellowship for 10 faculty members of different institutes and departments of the university. ... HYDERABAD: Farm science conference HYDERABAD, Nov 19: The Sindh Agriculture University is organizing a national conference on agricultural and veterinary sciences from November 23 to 25. The theme of the conference is "Sustainable agriculture: a roadmap to national development." ... HYDERABAD: Hesco plans open katchehries HYDERABAD, Nov 19: Hesco announced here on Friday that its officials will hold open katchehries in different parts of the city to solve problems of consumers and to address their complaints. ... RAWALPINDI: 2.4kg heroin seized RAWALPINDI, Nov 19: The Airport Security Force (ASF) on Friday foiled an attempt to smuggle 2.4kg heroin to Canada and arrested a passenger on charges of drug trafficking. ... SHIKARPUR: Administrators not to replace nazims, says minister SHIKARPUR, Nov 19: Federal Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Mr Abdul Razzaq Thaheem has rejected the statements made by some politicians that the government will replace district nazims with administrators three months before the local bodies' elections. ... MIRPURKHAS: Wheat shortage MIRPURKHAS, Nov 19: Residents of the district have criticized the National Logistic Cell for its refusal to transport 150,000 bags of wheat from Punjab to all centres as per a contract. ... SUKKUR: Inquiries into crimes against women launched SUKKUR, Nov 19: Police are investigating two separate incidents of humiliating and torturing a woman and a minor girl after registering cases against accused on Wednesday. ... MANSEHRA: Three small dams to be built soon, says nazim MANSEHRA, Nov 19: Work on three small dams in the area will begin soon after the completion of necessary paper work, says district Nazim Syed Ahmad Hussain Shah. He was talking to members of various delegations who had called on him on Friday. ... GUJRANWALA: Warrants for two Elite Force men re-issued GUJRANWALA, Nov 19: Continuing the hearing of the Sialkot jail incident, the Anti-Terrorism Court No 1 on Friday re-issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of two constables of the Elite Force, who escaped from court after cancellation of their bails during the previous hearing. ... FAISALABAD: Several seminaries raided FAISALABAD, Nov 19: Police raided more than a dozen seminaries in the city and rural areas on Thursday night on the information provided by suspected militant Nazir Ahmad alias Osama Nazir to arrest his accomplices. ... SAHIWAL: Two officials suspended for negligence - Breach causes Rs15m loss SAHIWAL, Nov 19: Villagers, accompanied by the army, succeeded on Friday in plugging the breach occurred in the Lower Bari Doab Canal between RDs 361-362 near Chak 96/6-R. The loss of crops and property has been assessed at Rs15 million. ... FAISALABAD: Man kidnaps daughter for ransom FAISALABAD, Nov 19: A man staged a drama of kidnap for ransom of his daughter with the help of his friend to get money from his father. Ghulam Muhammadabad police said Aslam lodged a complaint that his eight-year-old daughter Kashmala was kidnapped for ransom a week ago....

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