17 February 2005 Thursday 07 Muharram 1426 MMA awaits Nawaz's signal to partymen: Joint anti-Musharraf drive LAHORE, Feb 16: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal is waiting for Nawaz Sharif to instruct his party leaders to cooperate with the religious alliance in the anti-Musharraf movement. ... PML-N accuses govt of causing Rs300bn loss to exchequer ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: Pakistan Muslim League-N on Wednesday accused Gen Pervez Musharraf of causing about Rs300 billion losses to the national exchequer during his four-and-a-half years rule. ... PML appoints political coordinators in Sindh SUKKUR, Feb 16: The ruling Pakistan Muslim League has appointed two political coordinators, one for Karachi and the other for the interior of Sindh, to mobilize party workers, help them in organizational matters and solve their problems. ... Rabbani meets Gillani, Hashmi in jail ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: Opposition leader in the Senate Mian Raza Rabbani called on ARD President Makhdoom Javed Hashmi and former National Assembly speaker Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani in Adiyala Jail, a source said here on Wednesday. ... Judge issues order on Benazir's petition KARACHI, Feb 16: An accountability court in Karachi on Wednesday, granting a miscellaneous application of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and others, directed the prosecution to first sum up its case against the accused. ... Musharraf, Aziz hail bus service agreement ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Wednesday welcomed the decision taken by India and Pakistan on the commencement of a bus service between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar. ... No arms race with India, says Karamat WASHINGTON, Feb 16: Pakistan does not want to enter into an arms race with India though it realizes that the balance of power in South Asia has tilted in New Delhi's favour, says Ambassador Jehangir Karamat. ... Altaf urges Natwar to take up more issues KARACHI, Feb 16: Welcoming the Indian External Affairs Minister Mr Natwar Singh's visit to Pakistan, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief, Altaf Hussain hoped that it would not only be helpful in reducing tension ... Malaysia supports Indo-Pakistan talks ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: Pakistan and Malaysia on Wednesday agreed that all countries of the region, including Pakistan and India, should seek peaceful resolution of their regional issues, including the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir. ... PM for interfaith harmony ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz stressed the need for increasing interfaith harmony in the world to promote better understanding between Islamic world and the west. ... PM to attend Jeddah Economic Forum ISLAMABAD, Feb.16: Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will explore ways to further strengthen bilateral relations during a visit of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to the Saudi Kingdom later this week, the foreign office said on Tuesday. ... Fight against drugs: US to help Pakistan, says envoy RAWALPINDI, Feb 16: US Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker has said his government intends to cooperate with Islamabad in the fight against drugs. ... UN mission surveying rain, snow damage PESHAWAR, Feb 16: A United Nations joint assessment mission has launched a survey of the NWFP and adjoining tribal areas to evaluate the damage caused by rains, landslides and snowfall and provide emergency relief to affected people. ... No trace of 24 missing armymen LANDI KOTAL, Feb 16: There is no trace yet of the 24 missing army soldiers despite a lapse of six days as bad weather was hampering rescue workd in the remote Tirah valley of Khyber Agency. ... Relief goods sent to NWFP, Pasni ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: The Utility Stores Corporation (USC) has sent relief goods containing eatables to the district coordination officers of Mansehra and Swat. ... NWFP for immediate NFC award ISLAMABAD Feb 16: The North West Frontier Province (NWFP) has urged the federal government to take immediate steps for the National Finance Commission Award. ... 40pc uplift funds lying unused ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: Over 40 per cent development funds are lying unutilized due to 'capacity constraints' of various federal government agencies, including Wapda, the gas companies and local government institutions. ... PTCL extends free local calls regime till June ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: The Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTCL) has extended the free local calls regime, introduced on August 14, 2004, for another six months till June 30. ... Witness records statement in doctor brothers' case KARAHCI, Feb 16: Feroz Mehmood Bhatti, judge anti-terrorism court (ATC-II) for Karachi division, on Wednesday recorded the statement of SHO Jackson as last defence witness in a case against Dr Akmal Waheed and Dr Arsahd Waheed ... Ex-minister's bail extended PESHAWAR, Feb 16: A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court on Wednesday extended the bail granted to former federal minister Syed Qasim Shah till March 20. ... FIA to crack down on consultant firms LAHORE, Feb 16: The Federal Investigation Agency has directed its zonal offices to launch a crackdown on the consultant firms, which are involved in sending people abroad on doctored documents. ... LoC travel decision welcomed in AJK: Militant group calls it insignificant MUZAFFARABAD, Feb 16: People in Azad Kashmir on Wednesday welcomed the agreement between India and Pakistan to restart Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service ... 502 plots given to officials in '88 at throwaway price ISLAMABAD, Feb 16: The government has placed before the Senate record pertaining to allotment of 502 plots to bureaucrats under a discretionary quota in Federal Government Employees Housing Scheme (Phase-I) in October 1988. ... Mobilization of youth stressed - Community participation PESHAWAR, Feb 16: The Executive Director of the Innovation in Civic Participation (ICP), US, Ms Susan Stroud, said here on Wednesday that youth could play a pivotal role through community participation ...

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