09 January 2005 Sunday 27 Ziqa'ad 1425 KARACHI: Transport strike cripples Karachi KARACHI, Jan 8: The city witnessed an effective strike on Saturday, observed by the public transport operators in protest against the increase in diesel prices twice in a month. ... KARACHI: Thin attendance KARACHI, Jan 8: Attendance in schools and colleges was affected due to non-availability of buses, coaches and wagons on Saturday. ... KARACHI: Lyari tense after Baloch leader's assassination KARACHI, Jan 8: Most parts of Lyari remained tense on Saturday, in the aftermath of the killing of renowned Baloch leader Anwar Bhaijan late Friday night. ... KARACHI: 6-year-old boy kidnapped, killed by uncle KARACHI, Jan 8: The body of a six-year-old boy, who had been kidnapped on Jan 1, was found on Saturday in a room of the house of his uncle, the police said. ... KARACHI: Recounting of votes at Arts Council today KARACHI, Jan 8: The ex-officio President of the Arts Council of Pakistan and DCO Karachi, Fazalur Rehman, has appointed Raeesuddin Paracha, EDO Investment Promotion and Enterprise ... KARACHI: Safe release of kidnapped judges priority: Rauf KARACHI, Jan 8: Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui has said that safe release of the two judges kidnapped from Shikarpur was the preference of the government, and in this regard much progress has already been achieved. ... KARACHI: 7 gangsters sent to jail KARACHI, Jan 8: Justice Amir Hani Muslim of the Sindh High Court on Saturday sent seven bandits to jail while directing the investigation officer to submit challans against them on January 15, 2005 in a police encounter and explosive substance case. ... KARACHI: Book on Sindhi literature launched KARACHI, Jan 8: A book titled Jadeed Sindh Adab: Meelanat, Rujhanat, Imkanat - a comprensive study of Sindhi literature, its past and present and the future prospects - was launched on Friday. ... KARACHI: More research on Bhitai's life urged KARACHI, Jan 8: Speakers at a seminar on Saturday stressed for more research on Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai so that more aspects of his life and poetry could be highlighted. ... ISLAMABAD: New year reception at Netherlands embassy ISLAMABAD, Jan 8: The Netherlands embassy held a new year reception on Friday to mark the rotation of the European Union Presidency. ... HYDERABAD: 'Hesco to get Rs12bn for network improvement' HYDERABAD, Jan 8: Federal Water and Power Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi has denied reports that the telemetry system installed on various water projects had developed faults and it was not giving correct reading of water flows. ... DADU: 1,200 skin disease cases reported in Dadu dist DADU, Jan 8: DCO Alamuddin Bullo has said that about 1,200 cases of Leishmaniasis have been reported from government hospitals in the district during the recent outbreak of the skin disease ... NAWABSHAH: Workers oppose privatization of PTCL NAWABSHAH, Jan 8: The Pakistan Telecommunication Employees Union has opposed the proposed privatization of the communications company, and has threatened to launch a resistance movement if authorities go ahead with the plan. ... BADIN: Water shortage hits Badin BADIN, Jan 8: Residents of Badin city are facing a shortage of drinking water in the wake of shrinking water reservoirs. Sources said there was no water available to meet the demand of four days. ... PESHAWAR: Boy pleads for arrest of mother's killers, protection PESHAWAR, Jan 8: A teenaged son of a woman killed in honour-related dispute has appealed to the authorities to arrest the killers of his mother. His mother was killed early last month. ... PESHAWAR: Travel agents demand security PESHAWAR, Jan 8: Travel Agent Association of Pakistan (TAAP) on Saturday have appealed to president and prime minister to take notice of the Federally Investigative Agency (FIA) officials who, they alleged, were teasing them for pecuniary benefits. ... PESHAWAR: Construction of new hospital suspended PESHAWAR, Jan 8: The construction work on a 300-bed hospital in Peshawar has been suspended due to non-availability of funds, officials said. ... PESHAWAR: South FATA project launched PESHAWAR, Jan 8: The government has started a number of multi-purpose development schemes including South FATA Development Project (SFDP) for the socio-economic, women development and agriculture uplift of the tribal area. ... HARIPUR: Girl's torture case accused jailed HARIPUR, Jan 8: A senior civil judge, Haripur, on Saturday jailed an accused in the torture case of a housemaid, while the additional district and sessions judge granted pre-arrest bail to his wife, a co-accused in the crime. ... LANDI KOTAL: Students protest at power crisis in Bara LANDI KOTAL, Jan 8: Khasadar force resorted to aerial firing on Saturday to disperse a students' procession protesting against frequent load-shedding in Bara, Khyber Agency, eyewitnesses said. ... KOHAT: Accused revenue officials escape KOHAT, Jan 8: Three revenue department officials on Friday went into hiding after being implicated in a corruption case for illegally transferring property, it has been learnt. ... QUETTA: Doctors hold protest meetings in Balochistan: Sexual abuse QUETTA, Jan 8: Doctors in the the Civil Hospital and Bolan Medical Complex here on Saturday wore black armbands and held protest meetings to protest against the gang-rape of lady doctor in Sui area a few days ago. ... SHIKARPUR: Three die in karo-kari incident SHIKARPUR, Jan 8: A man, his mother and a 13-year old girl were killed and two other women were seriously injured after a man opened fire on them with a Klashnikov rifle, police said on Saturday. ... BAHAWALPUR: Maqbool lays foundation of IUB hostel BAHAWALPUR, Jan 8: Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool on Saturday laid the foundation stone of the new hostel at the Islamia University Bahawalpur. ... GUJRAT: Bandits strike seven times in Gujrat GUJRAT, Jan 8: Armed bandits looted a house, a trader and female schoolteachers, snatched three motorcycles and took away four buffaloes in seven strikes in and around the city during the last 36 hours. ... FAISALABAD: Three bankers held for forgery FAISALABAD, Jan 8: The Anti-Corruption Establishment on Saturday rounded up three MCB officers on charges of clearing forged cheques in connivance with the defunct deputy commissioner office staff, causing about Rs1.5 million loss to the national exchequer. ... FAISALABAD: Four hospitals served with notices: Improper waste disposal FAISALABAD, Jan 8: The local Environmental Department uttered its disquiet over the measures taken by the four local hospitals for the disposal of their waste. ... FAISALABAD: Euros, prize bonds worth Rs4m looted FAISALABAD, Jan 8: Two masked bandits took away foreign currency and prize bonds worth Rs4 million from an employee of a money changer outside Chiniot Bazaar here on Saturday. ... SARGODHA: Drainage plan 'plagued by scam' SARGODHA, Jan 8: A monetary scam involving millions has been alleged in one of the local projects planned under the National Drainage Programme. The drainage project is learnt to have been lingering on for the last four or so years. ... JHANG: Women critical of cut in number of UC members JHANG, Jan 8: Women Nazims, Naib Nazims and councillors have strongly criticized the National Reconstruction Bureau and the government for reducing the number of union council members from 21 to 13 as a result of which women's representation in each union council would also decrease. ... JHANG: Liquor claims five lives in Jhang JHANG, Jan 8: Five drunkards died on Saturday at the emergency ward of the DHQ hospital. Reports said Zulfiqar, Kamran, Mohammad Afzal, Imtiaz and Shehzad allegedly purchased two bottles of liquor from Asghar and Jan Mohammad and went to the shop of their friend in Mohallah Sultanwala. ... BAHAWALPUR: Bahawalpur DBA office-bearers BAHAWALPUR, Jan 8: Malik Muhammad Aslam Channar and Khawaja Ghulam Murtaza were elected on Saturday president and secretary- general of the district bar association respectively. ...

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