19 January 2005 Wednesday 08 Zilhaj 1425 KARACHI: Academic year to start from August - Change in schedule approved KARACHI, Jan 18: The new academic session for school goers in the province would commence on August 1 this time, with a delay of four months, it was officially learnt on Tuesday. ... KARACHI: School dropout rate still high, says Hamida KARACHI, Jan 18: The Sindh Education and Literacy Minister, Dr Hamida Khuhro, has urged the need for community participation to help the government enrol every child of school going age. ... KARACHI: DCO refuses tenders on beautification KARACHI, Jan 18: The DCO Secretariat has refused seven tenders of parks and beautification plans of the city government as these were scheduled to be floated on Tuesday. ... KARACHI: SHC sends ex-DC back to hospital KARACHI, Jan 18: A Sindh High Court division bench refused on Tuesday an under-trial former divisional commissioner's release on bail but ordered that he be shifted back to hospital from the Central Prison. ... KARACHI: Coaches for KCR delayed KARACHI, Jan 18: The revival of Karachi Circular Railway, under which local trains were scheduled to commence operation on Jan 15, has been further delayed as coaches are still being refurbished and modified. ... KARACHI: Warning system for tsunamis stressed KARACHI, Jan 18: Geologist Dr Athar Ali Khan has underlined the need for putting in place an early warning system for tsunamis in the region. ... KARACHI: ATC dismisses police plea KARACHI, Jan 18: An anti-terrorism court dismissed on Tuesday an application of the police seeking release of three accused in a kidnapping for ransom case. ... KARACHI: Man spends 17 years in jail without conviction KARACHI, Jan 18: A man was finally acquitted by court after remaining in prison for more than 17 years without any conviction. ... KARACHI: Two die in accidents KARACHI, Jan 18: Two persons died and five others injured in two road accidents in different parts of the city on Tuesday. ... KARACHI: 13 PhD degrees granted KARACHI, Jan 18: The Board of Advance Studies and Research, University of Karachi, has approved grant of PhD degrees to 13 candidates, said the varsity spokesman on Tuesday. ... KARACHI: Completion of road before time ordered KARACHI, Jan 18: The acting city nazim, Tariq Hassan, has instructed that work on the Business Recorder Road be completed before its schedule so that area citizens could be facilitated. ... KARACHI: SHC issues notices on Harkat man's plea KARACHI, Jan 18: A division bench of the Sindh High Court on Tuesday admitted for hearing appeals filed by an activist of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Alami against his conviction in the explosives ... KARACHI: 2 policemen, 2 brothers killed in shootout KARACHI, Jan 18: Two police officials and two suspected members of a gang of robbers were killed in what police claimed to be an encounter here on Tuesday night. ... LAHORE: Motions on land sale, Avenue-1 price hike LAHORE, Jan 18: The provincial government is suffering a loss of millions of rupees due to the sale of land in Faisalabad at a price lower than the market rate, PML-N legislator Rana Sanaullah told the house on Tuesday. ... LAHORE: Govt has nothing to do with LPC attack: Raja LAHORE, Jan 18: Law minister Raja Basharat told the house on Tuesday that the attack on the Lahore Press Club was an issue between journalists and a student organization and the government had nothing to do with it. ... LAHORE: FCPS-II trainees to go to DHQ hospitals LAHORE, Jan 18: The Punjab government in collaboration with the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan has decided to send FCPS-II trainees to serve at district headquarters hospitals for six months during their final year of training. ... LAHORE: Govt can acquire leased land, court told LAHORE, Jan 18: The Punjab irrigation and wildlife departments submitted in the Lahore High Court on Tuesday that they were acquiring the provincial government land at Munawarpura village near Marala Head works for ... LAHORE: Agriculture markets to be set up in Punjab LAHORE, Jan 18: Private sector would be allowed to establish agriculture produce markets in the province and the government would introduce a new law to facilitate it. ... LAHORE: Amir Munir 'has taken refuge in Dubai' LAHORE, Jan 18: Ravi Town Nazim Amir Munir has managed to escape to Dubai, it is learnt here. Sources told Dawn on Tuesday that the Punjab Anti-Corruption Establishment had stopped raids for his arrest after learning about his escape. ... LAHORE: TDCP walk for tsunami victims LAHORE, Jan 18: The Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab on Tuesday organized a walk to raise money for the President's Relief Fund for tsunami victims. ... ISLAMABAD: Homage paid to Manto ISLAMABAD, Jan 18: A galaxy of literary figures at a seminar on Tuesday paid homage to Saadat Hasan Manto as a bold and courageous short story writer. The seminar was organized by the Pakistan Academy of Letters here. ... PESHAWAR: Pleas against ban on renewal of gun licence disposed of PESHAWAR, Jan 18: The Peshawar High Court disposed of on Tuesday 37 identical writ petitions challenging a ban on renewal of Kalashnikov licences, and directed the federal government to decide renewal applications of the petitioners within three months. ... PESHAWAR: Measures urged to solve problem of brain drain PESHAWAR Jan 18: NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah said here on Tuesday that public and private sector are jointly responsible to provide maximum opportunities to highly qualified Pakistanis to return home ... PESHAWAR: ADP approval orders ignored by districts PESHAWAR, Jan 18: The district governments have taken no notice of the NWFP government's instruction to get their annual development programmes approved for the current financial year, sources told Dawn. ... PESHAWAR: Rs3bn 'vision plan' for HEC approved PESHAWAR, Jan 18: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has approved a Rs3 billion 'vision plan' for the University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Peshawar, to promote research and skill training. ... PESHAWAR: Relief period for power defaulters extended PESHAWAR, Jan 18: The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) has extended by six months the period of its relief package for domestic and industrial consumers who have been without supply of power for the last five years. ... PESHAWAR: Petition alleges misuse of FCR by agency official PESHAWAR, Jan 18: A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court summoned on Tuesday the assistant political agent (APA) of Kohat Frontier Region (FR) on a writ petition challenging detention of a person under the Frontier Crimes Regulations. ... PESHAWAR: Distribution network under pressure - Pesco PESHAWAR, Jan 18: The Peshawar Electric Supply Company (Pesco) has said that increase in consumption of electricity over the past few days because of low temperature and shortage of gas has put its distribution network under tremendous pressure. ... KARACHI: Reduction in women's seats in LBs slammed KARACHI, Jan 18: A non-governmental organization working for women rights, condemning the government's decision to reduce the number of seats for women in the local bodies ... HYDERABAD: NAB opens office in Hyderabad HYDERABAD, Jan 18: The director-general of the National Accountability Bureau, Sindh, Maj-Gen Haroon Sikandar Pasha, has said that accountability courts in the city will be reactivated ... HYDERABAD: Reduction in council seats criticized HYDERABAD, Jan 18: Speakers at a symposium here on Tuesday criticized proposal to reduce the strength of councillors in the local bodies. The symposium was organized by the Takhleeq Foundation at the press club. ... SWABI: Scholar stresses importance of nano-technology SWABI, Jan 18: Result-oriented research is key to achieving a breakthrough in the field of nano-technology and the importance of nano-science would increase manifold in the near future. ... MARDAN: Arrangements discussed for Bacha Khan anniversary MARDAN, Jan 18: A district meeting of the Awami National Party (ANP) was held here on Tuesday to discuss and finalize arrangements for the 14th death anniversary of the Khudai Khidmatgar Tehrik (KKT) founder, Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan ... DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Demand to restore women's seats DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Jan 18: The Citizen Action Committee of the Aurat Foundation staged a protest demonstration in front of the press club here on Tuesday against the proposed reduction in the number of seats reserved for women at the union council level ... LANDI KOTAL: Tribesmen get road construction stopped LANDI KOTAL, Jan 18: Zakhakhel tribesmen in the Bukarh area of the remote Tirah valley have got the work on a road leading to the valley stopped by occupying the construction site. ... GUJRAT: Record of 44 criminal cases missing GUJRAT, Jan 18: The office of DSP Headquarters did not have any clue to the missing more than 100 pages (Zimnis) from investigation files of 44 criminal cases lodged with Lalamusa Saddar police station in 2003 ... SIALKOT: PTCL fails to issue connections in a decade SIALKOT, Jan 18: The PTCL has not issued connections to the applicants of Seellu Bajra Garhi village, who had submitted applications 10 years ago.... FAISALABAD: 18 students of agricultural varsity reinstated FAISALABAD, Dec 18: As many as 18 students, who were expelled from the University of Agriculture, have been restored conditionally to the campus by the Disciplinary Advisory Committee on Tuesday. ... BAHAWALPUR: Road project delay an agonizing experience BAHAWALPUR, Jan 18: Inordinate delay in completion of the busy Bahawalpur-Ahmedpur East Tarinda Road dualization has prolonged miseries of motorists and commuters. ... FAISALABAD: Water shortage to hit Rabi crops FAISALABAD, Jan 18: Standing Rabi crops over 3.005 million acres in the Faisalabad irrigation zone will be affected owing to decline in canal water share by the provincial authorities in the wake of overall scarcity of water. ... SAHIWAL: 11 govt offices get power cut notices SAHIWAL, Jan 18: The Multan Electric Power Company has issued disconnection notices to 11 government offices for the recovery of default amount worth Rs20 million. ... SUKKUR: Water level falls at Sukkur Barrage SUKKUR, Jan 18: A decrease of 4,000 cusecs of water has been recorded at the Sukkur Barrage over the past three days. Irrigation experts have described the situation as alarming. ... DADU: Woman forgives intruder DADU, Jan 18: A woman living in a village near the Zamzama oil and gas field of the BHP Billiton has said that in response to pleas made by senior officers of the company and the Qasim Rangers ... LARKANA: Victims' relatives get compensation - Qambar tragedy LARKANA, Jan 18: The ministerial committee on the Qambar incident, visited houses of four deceased persons in Qambar and handed over cheques for Rs200,000 for each victim. ...

© The DAWN Group of Newspapers, 2005