25 December 2004 Saturday 12 Ziqa'ad 1425 'Prosperous Pakistan Quaid's vision' ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz have asked the nation to pledge and make efforts for turning Pakistan into a prosperous and dynamic Islamic welfare state. ... Pledge to safeguard minorities' rights: President, PM's messages on Christmas ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Friday greeted Pakistani Christians on Christmas and stressed the need for removing distrust and pledged to safeguard minorities' rights. ... PPP must support govt on uniform, says Arbab KARACHI, Dec 24: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim said on Friday that the Pakistan People's Party should openly support President Gen Pervez Musharraf on uniform issue if it wants rapprochement with the establishment. ... MMA holds protests against deletion of religion column ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal on Friday spearheaded country-wide protest demonstrations called by the All Parties Khatm-i-Nabuwat Conference against the removal of the religion column from the new machine-readable passport ... MMA observes protest day LAHORE, Dec 24: The MMA observed Friday as a protest day against the government's failure to include the religion column in the new passport, says a press release issued by the alliance. ... Rally against omission of religion column held KARACHI, Dec 24: Hundreds of supporters of the Almi Majlis-i-Tahaffuz-i-Khatme Nabuwwat (SAW) and the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) on Friday took out a rally ... 2005 to be celebrated as inter-faith harmony year ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: The Pakistan Muslim League president, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain Friday said his party would celebrate 2005 as year of inter-faith harmony to bring closer various civilizations. ... MMA takes out processions in Sindh towns SUKKUR, Dec 24: On the call of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, processions were taken out throughout the interior of Sindh including, Sukkur, Ghotki, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kandhkot and Thul on Friday ... Balochistan's quota in federal govt reviewed ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: The four-member special committee of the cabinet committee constituted under the directive of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz reviewed the quota of Balochistan in the federal services. ... 'Decision on dam after technical body report' HYDERABAD, Dec 24: Sindh Minister for Water and Power Nadir Akmal Leghari has said that a decision about Kalabagh dam or any other dam will be taken in the light of technical committee's report. ... Change in attitude of West suggested: Interaction with Muslim world KARACHI, Dec 24: Emphasizing the need for building bridges of understanding between the Muslim world and the West by shunning negative perceptions of each other ... Population trust being revived: minister ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: The government is strengthening the National Trust for Population Welfare (Natpow) to enable it to provide financial and technical support to civil society organizations working for population welfare. ... SC seeks report on judges' kidnapping ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: The Supreme Court on Friday took suo motu notice of the kidnapping of two judges from Shikarpur and directed senior officials of the Sindh administration to submit a report within 10 days on steps taken for their recovery. ... 'IT returns increased by 125,000' ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: The number of income tax returns have increased by 125,000 up to November this year against the target of 200,000 to be achieved by the end of 2005 as a part of the broadening of the tax base. ... All About Lifestyles gets under way KARACHI, Dec 24: A three-day exhibition titled "All about lifestyles" got under way at the Expo Centre on Friday afternoon. At least 144 companies are taking part in the exhibition organized by the Dawn Group of Newspapers. ... Thick fog adds to chill LAHORE, Dec 24: Thick fog blanketed cities in the central and northern Punjab, including Lahore, and Azad Kashmir on Friday, increasing intensity of cold. ... Two held with weapons, explosives LAHORE, Dec 24: Police claimed on Friday to have made the biggest-ever weapons haul on the Christmas eve. Among the seized material were explosive, rockets, hand grenades and anti-aircraft bullets ... Six Afghans arrested WANA, Dec 24: Six Afghan nationals were arrested in Makin area of the South Waziristan tribal region on Friday, officials said. ...

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