28 December 2004 Tuesday 15 Ziqa'ad 1425 Uniform issue: MMA threatens to observe countrywide protest ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) on Monday said it would observe January 1 as black day if President Pervez Musharraf did not quit the office of the army chief after the December 31 deadline. ... MMA 'won't move courts' on uniform issue LAHORE, Dec 27: The six-party Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal alliance will not move courts in case Gen Pervez Musharraf backs out of his promise of taking off his uniform by Dec 31. ... MMA leader hints at new alliance LAHORE, Dec 27: A central MMA leader here on Monday hinted at the possibility of a new alliance of political forces having "identical ideological thinking", and said the six-party religious coalition and the PML-N had similar views on various issues. ... Qazi invites Fahim to meeting LAHORE, Dec 27: MMA President Qazi Husain Ahmed on Monday invited ARD chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim to an informal meeting in Islamabad on Dec 30, ARD sources said on Monday. ... Zardari sees elections next year LAHORE, Dec 27: PPP leader Asif Zardari predicts general election in September next and return of party chairperson Benazir Bhutto before it. ... PPP to win 60 per cent seats in Karachi: Asif KARACHI, Dec 27: The Pakistan People's Party leader Asif Ali Zardari has expressed the hope that the PPP would win 60 per cent seats from Karachi in the next general elections, which he believed would be held in 2005. ... PPP, PML-N discuss political situation ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: A meeting of the top leadership of PPP and PML (N) grouped together in the ARD held on Sunday in Islamabad reviewed the political situation in the country. ... PPP workers released RAWALPINDI, Dec 27: The remaining 13 Pakistan People's Party (PPP) workers arrested from the airport premises for gathering to welcome party leader Asif Ali Zardari were released from Adiala Jail on Monday. ... NA body defers bill on human rights ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: The National Assembly standing committee on law, justice and human rights met here on Monday under the chairmanship of Rai Mansab Ali Khan to discuss the Council for Awareness and Enforcement of Human Rights Bill-2003. ... PA debate on Qambar tragedy tomorrow KARACHI, Dec 27: The Sindh Assembly on Monday admitted opposition's identical adjournment motions on the killing of four persons during a protest in Qambar against the creation of new districts. ... Cases against 125 religious party activists GUJRANWALA, Dec 27: Kotwali police on Monday registered cases against 125 activists of religious parties, including MMA MNA Maulana Qazi Hamidullah and presidents of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam ... Witnesses to Quaid's death alive, says Altaf KARACHI, Dec 27: The London-based leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf Hussain, claimed on Monday that Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and his sister Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah were tortured to death by those who claimed to be their true followers ... Sherpao for concerted efforts to fight terrorism LAHORE, Dec 27: Federal Interior Minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has stressed for more dedicated efforts to fight terrorism, extremism and intolerance. ... Demand for closure of link canals in Punjab: Water shortage in Sindh HYDERABAD, Dec 27: The Sindh Water Committee has termed the Chashma-Jhelum and Taunsa-Panjnad link canals, which are used to divert divert water from the Indus River to Punjab, illegal and demanded that they should be immediately closed. ... Performance of Nepra reviewed ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz while appreciating the performance of National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) on Monday said the authority should encourage new investors in power generation ... Action against Sindh official proposed ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: The Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges on Monday decided to recommend strict disciplinary action against Sindh Food Secretary Mir Mohammad Pariyar. ... Govt's health policy termed 'anti-poor' QUETTA, Dec 27: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has rejected the health policy of the federal government and termed it 'beneficial only to the privileged class'. ... MRP facility handed over to passport dept ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) has handed over the machine-readable passport (MRP) printing facility to Immigration & Passport Department (I&PD), it is announced on Monday. ... Suggestions for improving legal, judicial system invited LAHORE, Dec 27: Federal Law Minister Wasi Zafar has invited proposals from bar associations, councils and lawyers for improving the legal and judicial system of Pakistan which was "far from satisfactory." ... Court orders newsman's appearance QUETTA, Dec 27: An anti-terrorism court, which had earlier cancelled the bail of journalist Khawar Mehdi, on Monday ordered that the journalist be informed through newspaper advertisements to appear before the court. ... Fata to be purged of arms, says governor PESHAWAR, Dec 27: The government has planned to clean the entire tribal area of illegal arms before the elimination of the Frontier Crimes Regulation (FCR). ... People's work ability depends on health, says Soomro KARACHI, Dec 27: Senate Chairman Mohammad mian Soomro has said that progress of a country is inextricably linked to the quality of its human resources and the health of a nation is an important determinate of the performance capacity of its people. ... Mehsuds warned of action PESHAWAR, Dec 27: The military authorities have warned four sub-clans of the Mehsud tribe in South Waziristan to lay down arms before Jan 15 or face full-scale action. ... New routes for trade with Afghanistan planned PESHAWAR, Dec 27: The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) is in the process of setting up eight new customs stations in different parts of the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) to encourage trade with Afghanistan through new routes. ... Explanation sought from AJK officials: Delay in lifting wheat MUZAFFARABAD, Dec 27: Taking strong exception to delay in the lifting of AJK's share of wheat from the two ports of the country, AJK chief secretary has sought explanation from officials concerned in this regard ... Lifting of ban on trade unions sought ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: Labour leaders and trade unionists from all over the country declared the Industrial Relations Ordinance (IRO) 2002 anti-worker and demanded that amendments proposed by MNA Chaudhry Manzoor Ahmed be approved. ... Indian writers visit Moenjodaro LARKANA, Dec 27: A delegation of Sindhi writers from India visited the Indus valley civilization site of Moenjodaro and attended a reception in Larkana on Sunday. ... Widespread rain forecast ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: The Pakistan meteorological department forecast on Monday a good spell of rain in most parts of the country and snowfall in Balochistan, Northern Areas and Kashmir over the next three days. ...

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