03 December 2004 Friday 20 Shawwal 1425 Mushahid wins over opposition to his side ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: Senators from across the party divide gave a unanimous majority vote to the ruling party secretary-general, Senator Mushahid Hussain, as a head count was made by the acting Senate chairman on Thursday ... MMA leaders meet PML-N today LAHORE, Dec 2: Some leaders of the MMA are scheduled to call on PML-N leaders here on Friday to invite them to the rallies the religious alliance will be holding to mount pressure on Gen Musharraf to quit. ... PML-N rules out more for reconciliation LAHORE, Dec 2: The PML-N declared on Thursday that there was no possibility of reconciliation with the military establishment, and even talks with them amounted to wasting time. ... Achakzai says Ponam to cooperate with ARD QUETTA, Dec 2: Mahmood Khan Achakzai, chief of the Pukhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, has said that the Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement (Ponam) would cooperate with the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy (ARD) ... 'Agencies weakening opposition' BAHAWALPUR, Dec 2: MMA leader and Punjab Jamaat-i-Islami Amir Liaquat Baloch has alleged that intelligence agencies are out to disintegrate the opposition for it is mounting pressure on president Pervez Musharraf to take off his uniform after Dec 31. ... PPP-S backs Salim Saifullah in Malakand PESHAWAR, Dec 2: The Pakistan People's Party has announced withdrawal of its candidates in the NA-35, Malakand, bye-election, Raziq Jan and Mohammad Nisar, in favour of Salim Saifullah Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League. ... ANP delays drive against dam PESHAWAR, Dec 2: The Awami National Party has delayed its planned protest campaign against the centre over the construction of Kalabagh dam till such time the federal government takes a final decision to execute the project, party leaders say. ... LG polls: 2,100 deputed to update electoral rolls ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: The Election Commission has asked the public to get their names registered in the electoral rolls so that free, fair and transparent local government elections could be held in the country next year. ... Women MPs urged to take unified stand in assemblies KARACHI, Dec 2: Speakers at a meeting on Thursday urged women legislators to rise above their party affiliations and take a common stand on an issue relating to women as and when presented on the floor of the house. ... Global debt market to be tapped for borrowings: GDP to increase 6.6pc: Aziz ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: Pakistan is entering an era of market-based fund raising and financial management and the country will now rely more on borrowings from the international debt market, says Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. ... Govt defends omission of religion column ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: The government on Thursday defended its decision to remove the column of religion from the newly-introduced machine-readable passports, and informed the Senate that this step had been taken in line with the practice in Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. ... Enhanced trade ties with Poland stressed RAWALPINDI, Dec 2: Pakistan and Poland have tremendous potential for expansion in trade and commerce and the two countries should enhance their trade relations for mutual benefits. ... Arrangements for e-hiring reviewed ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari on Thursday directed the officials of his ministry and all its 16 subsidiary departments to make arrangements for the start of e-hiring next month. ... Qazi says Aga Khan board to follow curriculum ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: The Aga Khan Examination Board is bound to follow the national curriculum and syllabi, and will not be allowed to take examination from the contents not approved by the curriculum wing of the education ministry. ... Reforms in Wasa, fresh water for lake proposed - Report on water contamination HYDERABAD, Dec 2: The chief minister's inquiry committee on water contamination has recommended in its report that inlet sources of the Manchhar Lake ... Premier meets Chinese envoy, Chitrali team ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Thursday said his upcoming visit to China would provide another opportunity to both the countries to come more closer. ... Several accords to be signed with China ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: Pakistan and China will sign several agreements aiming at promotion of economic partnership in large undertakings between the two countries during Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz's visit to Beijing later this month ... Hayat defends AJK cabinet expansion MUZAFFARABAD, Dec 2: AJK Prime Minister Sardar Sikandar Hayat on Thursday rejected criticism of the recent cabinet expansion saying that the growing workload in the state had necessitated a larger cabinet. ... Environment experts to attend workshop in India KARACHI, Dec 2: Pakistani environmentalists and government agencies may develop working relationships with Indian conservationists and experts for the improvement of air quality in major cities of the country, including Karachi ... Project to promote education for girls PESHAWAR, Dec 2: The NWFP government in collaboration with the World Food Programme is launching a five-year project - "Promotion of Primary Education for Girls in the NWFP" - in January 2005 at a cost of Rs893.962 million. ... AAPP calls for promotion of youth, women ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: The 5th General Assembly of the Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP) called on Wednesday for introducing comprehensive policies for advancement of women, youth and children ... Pakistani newsman dies in Jeddah RIYADH, Dec 2: Veteran Saudi Arabia-based Pakistani journalist, Mazhar Hassan Siddiqui, died in a Jeddah hospital in the early hours of Thursday after a brief illness. He had been admitted to the hospital a couple of days back. ... 'Nationalists implicated in blast incidents' QUETTA, Dec 2: Leader of the Balochistan National Party (Mengal group) Sardar Akhtar Mengal has accused intelligence agencies of falsely implicating nationalists in bomb blasts incidents occurring in various parts of the province. ... High Court grants bail to doctor brothers KARACHI, Dec 2: Terrorism accused Dr Akmal Waheed and his brother, Dr Arshad Waheed, were granted bail by a division bench of the Sindh High Court on Thursday in the sum of Rs 500,000 each and personal bonds in the like amount to the satisfaction of the trial court. ... '155 killed in 231 sectarian clashes' ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao informed the Senate on Thursday that a total of 155 people were killed and 651 injured in 231 incidents of sectarian clashes during 2001 to 2003. ... LHC starts process to sell Ittefaq units LAHORE, Dec 2: Justice Mohammad Sair Ali of the Lahore High Court on Thursday started the process for the sale of four units of Ittefaq Group of Industries afresh, giving a deadline of Jan 26 to get new bids from within the country and abroad. ... Pakistan, India need to share experiences, says minister ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: Minister for Industries Jahangir Khan Tareen on Thursday said Pakistan and India should learn from one another's experiences for prosperity in both countries. ... Punjabi can improve relations - Pervaiz AMRITSAR, Dec 2: Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has said that the recent meetings between the Pakistani and the Indian leaderships have paved the way for the peaceful solution to the existing disputes and differences between the two countries. ... SCBA chief disowns letter PESHAWAR, Dec 2: The president of the Supreme Court Bar Association, Qazi Muhammad Jamil, said on Thursday that the executive committee of the association had not taken any decision regarding a 'Lawyers Complex' in Islamabad ... Rs866 million utilized under MPAs' programme KARACHI, Dec 2: The government had launched the MPAs' Priority Programme from the fiscal 2002-03 which actualized in July 2003 with allocation of funds earmarked during that financial year and the programme was carried out during 2003-04. ...

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