20 December 2004 Monday 07 Ziqa'ad 1425 MMA calls black day on Jan 1 RAWALPINDI, Dec 19: Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed on Sunday termed President Gen Pervez Musharraf a 'security risk' for the country and urged opposition parties to join hands against the 'dictatorship'. ... PML begins mass contact movement KARACHI, Dec 19: The Pakistan Muslim League has started its mass contact drive in Sindh with a youth convention, and this will be followed by a public contact drive at the tehsil level. ... PPP's street power intact: Asif KARACHI, Dec 19: Pakistan People's Party leader Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday said his party would defeat the establishment in its struggle for democratic rights and urged the masses, especially the youth ... Cases against PPP leaders termed fabricated ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: Pakistan People's Party (PPP) has dismissed corruption charges against PPP leaders as "concocted and fabricated" designed only to punish them for supporting democracy. ... Muttahida's coordination committee reorganized KARACHI, Dec 19: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has named Mr Tariq Javed as acting convener of the party's coordination committee, while Dr Farooq Sattar has been made its deputy convener. ... JI demands relief for people KARACHI, Dec 19: The military rulers have failed to provide any relief to people; and poverty, soaring prices and unemployment have made the life of the common man miserable. ... ANP wants local bodies' polls on party basis PESHAWAR, Dec 19: The Awami National Party (ANP) has demanded that next local body elections be held on party basis. It has reiterated its opposition to the Kalabagh dam and warned the centre against taking up the 'disputed project'. ... Jam justifies arrest of political activists QUETTA, Dec 19: Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf has said that the issue of Balochistan National Party-Mengal dissociating itself from the negotiation process concerns to the federal government and the parliamentary sub-committee. ... 'Talks on Kashmir best solution' QUETTA, Dec 19: Balochistan Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani has said that the issue of Kashmir between India and Pakistan could be settled only through agreement among the three main parties and peaceful negotiations. ... Life term means 25 years in prison?: Supreme Court seeks legal opinion LAHORE, Dec 19: The Supreme Court has observed that there is no law in the country which declares that life imprisonment means 25 years in prison. ... Experts urged to oppose water projects: President's Sindh visit SUKKUR, Dec 19: Intellectuals, writers and irrigation experts should jointly express their reservation against the construction of Kalabagh dam during the proposed visit of President Gen Pervez Musharraf to Sindh ... China to 'double' investment LAHORE, Dec 19: China's private and public sectors would double their investment in Pakistan during the next couple of years, according to a federal minister. ... 'Management of water being given priority' ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mohammad Raza Hayat Harraj has said the government is giving top priority to water management system, utilization of water resources and development of agriculture sector. ... Sonia Gandhi's message KARACHI, Dec 19: The All India Congress Committee chief Sonia Gandhi has sent a message, which was read at the conference by Suresh Keswani, and its Sindhi translation was read by Laxman Bhatia Komal. ... Media City to be set up in Islamabad ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli on Sunday said the proposed Media City would be established in the Blue Area. ... Language, culture may help foster harmony: Shah, Sachal, Saami moot opens KARACHI, Dec 19: Speakers at an international conference expressed the hope that people-to-people contact between India and Pakistan could go a long way in establishing and then strengthening friendly ties between the two South Asian neighbours. ... Anti-polio campaign needs supplements KARACHI, Dec 19: At a time when the campaign against polio has entered its last lap, the Pakistani health authorities have come face to face with a difficult problem. ... Appointment of FST members demanded ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: The Pakistan Services Bar Association (PSBA) has demanded the government fill the four vacant posts of members in the Federal Services Tribunal (FST). ... Quality postal services urged KARACHI, Dec 19: Federal Communication Minister Shamim Siddiqui has said that postal services in a changed scenario of stiff competition demands the qualities of a very high order in postal officers ... Ada Jafri gets Kamal-i-Fun KARACHI, Dec 19: The Pakistan Academy of Letters has conferred the Kamal-i-Fun award for 2003 on leading poetess Ada Jafri, says a press release. It adds that the award was given by Federal Education Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi on Sunday afternoon. ... Empowerment of women stressed ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: Participants of a conference here on Saturday recommended that women issues must not be isolated from the larger perspective of social justice and states be made gender-responsive. ... Balanced diet can avert strokes LAHORE, Dec 19: Stroke, also called a brain attack, can be prevented by eating a balanced diet and exercising for 30 to 45 minutes daily. Maintaining a healthy weight, controlling blood pressure, cholesterol level and diabetes ...

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