21 November 2004 Sunday 08 Shawwal 1425 PM begins three Saarc states' tour today ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will carry with him specific proposals for revitalizing the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (Saarc) as he sets out on a tour of three member states on Sunday morning to discuss with his counterparts his vision for the regional body. ... Benazir says Aziz out of touch with reality: Mixed response to PM's address ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Chairperson Benazir Bhutto said Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, in his maiden speech, only tried to paint a rosy picture of the future without knowing the bitter ground realities. ... PM's invitation to opposition hailed LAHORE, Nov 20: A PML-N legislator has welcomed Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's invitation to opposition parties for talks on various issues. In a press statement here on Saturday, MNA Pervaiz Malik said the government should change its policy ... MMA files two motions in NA: Hyderabad deaths, democracy ISLAMABAD Nov 20: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal has filed two adjournment motions in the National Assembly secretariat to debate what it termed the government's efforts to sabotage the opposition's democratic movement and 17 deaths caused by poisonous liquor in Hyderabad. ... Lawyers come to blows LAHORE, Nov 20: The all-Pakistan lawyers convention here on Saturday was a three-and-a-half-hour pandemonium as supporters and opposers of the military government raised deafening slogans. ... JUI-F man withdraws from by-polls PESHAWAR, Nov 20: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) candidate Maulana Hameedullah Roghani has withdrawn in favour of the Muttahida Majlis-i- Amal's Bakhtiar Mani in NA-35, Malakand, by-election. ... PPP hopeful of Asif's early release SWABI, Nov 20: People's Party Parliamentarians leaders expressed the hope on Saturday that former senator Asif Ali Zardari would be released soon because the government had failed to prove his involvement in any case during trials and investigations over eight years. ... Recruitment policy being framed: CM SHIKARPUR, Nov 20: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said that a recruitment policy is being drawn up to fill thousands of vacancies that have been created in various departments. ... Interests of Sindh to be protected, says CM KARACHI, Nov 20: Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said that rights of people in the entire province would be safeguarded at all costs. ... LEW project to be modified: Farooq KARACHI, Nov 20: Deputy convener of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement's coordination committee Dr Farooq Sattar claimed on Saturday that because of the efforts of his party ... Tourism brings $135m to Pakistan in 2003 ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: Pakistan's foreign exchange earnings from tourism stood at $135 million during the year 2003 and the department intends to double the figure in the coming three years, Minister for Tourism Dr G.G. Jamal said. ... India should avoid controversies: FO ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: The Foreign Office has urged Indian leadership to avoid issuing statements to reiterate its previous stance on Kashmir as such statements fuel controversy. ... High oil prices main hurdle to meet power needs ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: The government is facing difficulties to meet the challenge of generating 18,468 MW of electricity by 2007-08 with a view to fulfil the growing power needs. ... Wheat movement ban irks ADB PESHAWAR, Nov 20: A ban on inter-provincial movement of wheat imposed in April this year by the government of Punjab has not gone well with the Asian Development Bank which now wants a permanent resolution ... 11 ministers take oath in AJK MUZAFFARABAD, Nov 20: Eleven new AJK ministers, appointed by Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat a week ago, were formally sworn in here on Saturday. President Sardar Mohammad Anwar Khan administered the oath at the President House. ... Justice must for world peace, says expert HYDERABAD, Nov 20: Dr Gunter Mulack, head of the office of "Dialogue with Islam" in Berlin, Germany, has called upon people of the world to launch a joint struggle for international peace and against injustices that have led to many wars. ... Freedom of expression 'victim of 9/11': Consensus at SAFMA moot LAHORE, Nov 20: Freedom of expression is definitely one of the victims of 9/11 and journalists can only defend press freedom by holding to fundamental principles of their craft, one of them being the recognition to work together. ... Atmosphere 'conducive' to reconciliation in S. Asia LAHORE, Nov 20: South Asian journalists have said that the present regional atmosphere is conducive to reconciliation of conflicts and in this connection media can play its effective role to bring the countries closer to one another. ... Efforts urged for child welfare KARACHI, Nov 20: Health experts at a seminar, organized on Saturday to commemorate the World Children Day, sought joint efforts on part of society for social, psychological, mental and physical well being of all local children. ... HRCP condemns honour killings LAHORE, Nov 20: Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Chairperson Tahir Muhammad Khan and Secretary-General Hina Jilani said on Saturday that the increased blatancy with which the honor killings ... 3,000 Indian Sikh yatrees due today LAHORE, Nov 20: More than 3,000 Indian Sikh yatrees will arrive here on Sunday by three special trains to participate in the 535th birth anniversary celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak. ... Pakistani arrested in Bosnia SARAJEVO, Nov 20: A Pakistani national has been arrested in Bosnia for allegedly threatening international prosecutors responsible for organized crime and corruption, police were quoted as saying by Srna news agency on Saturday. ...

© The DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2004