August 25, 2005	Thursday	Rajab 19, 1426

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Tight security for polls in Balochistan: 400 stations declared sensitive QUETTA, Aug 24: Arrangements are in place for the second phase of local body elections to be held in 12 districts of Balochistan, including the provincial capital of Quetta, on Thursday....		Opposition says contest will be tough in Punjab LAHORE, Aug 24: The second phase of the local elections is being held in 18 districts of Punjab on Thursday amid claims by the ruling PML that candidates backed by it will get a stunning victory everywhere....
Option to resign from assemblies still open: PPP ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Secretary-General of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) and MNA Raja Pervez Ashraf has said the option to resign from the assemblies is still open and the opposition parties...		‘Elaborate’ security arrangements LAHORE, Aug 24: All is set for the second phase of local elections being held in 1,180 union councils of 18 districts of the Punjab on Thursday (today)....
1,000 polling stations declared sensitive: Second phase of LB election today HYDERABAD, Aug 24: More than 1,000 polling stations have been declared sensitive in the districts of Hyderabad, Badin, Dadu, Jamshoro, Tando Mohammad Khan and Matiari and army troops started patrolling these cities on Wednesday evening....		Opposition seeks debate on IAEA report ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Opposition members have submitted an adjournment motion to the Senate Secretariat, seeking a debate on a report in which the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had concluded that...
Pemra bill outlives 90-day life in Senate ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: The Pemra Amendment Bill 2005, permitting cross-media ownership which has outlived its mandatory 90 days life in the Senate since the National Assembly passed it in mid- May,...		Issue of downstream Kotri water crucial for Sindh: Sindh minister cites delta devastation KARACHI, Aug 24: Sindh Irrigation and Power Minister Nadir Akmal Leghari has said that unless Sindh agrees on the quantity of water to be made available downstream Kotri, no future irrigation schemes should be taken up....
‘Rs10bn package for Quetta soon’ QUETTA, Aug 24: Chief Minister Jam Mohammad Yousuf has said a Rs10-billion package has been prepared for Quetta for providing basic amenities to people and employment opportunities to youths and resolve the water shortage problem....		Pakistan, Guinea discuss cooperation ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Foreign ministers Khurshid Kasuri and Madame Sidibe Fatoumata Kaba of Guinea discussed ways of strengthening cooperation between their countries in economic and other fields and on international issues...
ANP forms alliance with Jamaat PESHAWAR, Aug 24: The Awami National Party-backed Watan Dost Group and Jamaat-i-Islami-backed Al-Khidmat Group on Wednesday entered into an alliance for the elections of Peshawar city district and its four town councils....		Develop social capital to reduce poverty ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Pakistan’s desire to reduce poverty demands the development of its human and technological resources and competitiveness, a research scholar stated here on Tuesday....
PPP predicts low turnout in LB polls ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Pakistan Peoples Party has predicted a low turnout in the second phase of local government elections, scheduled for Thursday, due to “massive rigging” by the regime in the first phase on August 18. Talking to Dawn here on Tuesday, the Punjab PPP Information secretary....		LB candidates asked to sign surety bonds RAWALPINDI, Aug 24: The police here on Wednesday sought surety bonds of ‘good behaviour’ from the candidates participating in the elections in an attempt to maintain law and order during the second phase of local government polls, official sources said....
Sudan embassy assures help in release of Pakistanis ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: The embassy of Sudan has assured human rights activist Ansar Burney that it will extend all-out support and cooperation for the early release of 60 Pakistanis from a private jail in Sudan....		Censor board seeks powers to punish cinema houses: Violation of law ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: The chairman of the Central Censor Board has sought magisterial powers in order to ensure swift action against the cinema houses violating the law....
FIA told to curb human trafficking ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao has said human smuggling has reduced by 37 per cent in the country. Reviewing the performance of Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for...		‘One doctor for 5,146 people in NWFP’ PESHAWAR, Aug 24: NWFP Governor Khalilur Rehman has said there is one doctor for almost 2000 patients in Pakistan, a ratio extremely on the low side when compared with the international standard of one doctor for 500 patients....
Major reshuffle in FO ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: In a major diplomatic reshuffle, the Foreign Ministry is set to replace several ambassadors to different countries. Naeem Khan, spokesman for the Foreign Office, has been named Pakistan’s ambassador to Manila....		Govt accused of using resources for its aspirants ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Leaders of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) have alleged that the government was using all its machinery and resources for the success of its candidates in the second phase of local bodies election....
Kasuri opens work on new building at FO ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri on Wednesday opened work on the construction of an additional office block at the ministry of foreign affairs....		‘Local polls promoting conflicting trends’ WASHINGTON, Aug 24: In a sign of President Pervez Musharraf’s mixed political role, his policies are helping both the women’s rights activists and their opponents, says one of half-a-dozen articles on Pakistan’s local body elections published in US newspapers....
Agricultural research reform report finalized ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Recommendations of a task force constituted by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) on reforms in agriculture research will be submitted to Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz soon....		AG put on notice in loan default case ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: The Supreme Court has put the attorney general on notice in a case challenging section 15 of the Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finance) Ordinance, 2001....
Federation put on notice in Indian woman’s case PESHAWAR, Aug 24: The Peshawar High Court on Tuesday put on notice the federal government and other respondents in a writ petition filed by an Indian woman seeking Pakistani citizenship as she has married her cousin here....		JI rejects claims about fair elections ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Rejecting government’s claims about holding free and fair first phase of the local body elections, JI secretary-general Syed Munawar Hasan on Wednesday said that the combined opposition would adopt a unified line of action after the second phase....
43 councils in NWFP go to polls in second phase PESHAWAR, Aug 24: A total of 13,584 candidates are contesting in 430 union councils of the province in the second phase of local government elections. In this phase, candidates fielded by...		Protesting taxi-drivers block Torkham road LANDI KOTAL (Khyber Agency), Aug 24: Cab drivers blocked the road to the border town of Torkham at Sajamala Chowk here on Wednesday to protest the removal of what the administration said illegal taxi- stands in the Landi Kotal bazaar....
Use of modern farm techniques stressed MARDAN, Aug 24: Federal Minister for Food, Agriculture and Livestock Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan has said that the government is taking all steps to provide quality agriculture inputs to farmers for increasing their income and per acre yield....		Union council results withheld SWABI, Aug 24: The official results of the elections of union council Pabaini nazim has been withheld by the district returning officer after a female presiding officer and other female staff...
Five main groups in Mansehra poll fray MANSEHRA, Aug 24: Five groups backed by political parties and influential people are in the run in the second phase of the local government elections to be held in Mansehra on Thursday....		Influential groups set for Jhang showdown FAISALABAD, Aug 24: One of the historical districts in the country, Jhang continues to be under the strong influence of feudals and pir biradaries and is divided on a sectarian basis....
PML groups refuse to stand by Cheema: Variyo to contest for nazim SIALKOT, Aug 24: The PML divided groups have refused to support the Ajmal Cheema outfit’s nominee for district nazim’s office. The Cheema group had nominated on Tuesday Muhammad Akmal Cheema, ex-Sialkot tehsil nazim, for the district nazim office....		Five of a family in Shakargarh polls SIALKOT, Aug 24: Five members of a family are contesting the local election for different seats in Union Council No 3, Shakargarh city (Narowal). According to reports, Sheikh family head Zaheer...
Nomination of hopefuls for nazim ‘rigging’ SARGODHA, Aug 24: The official nomination of Humair Hayat Rokhri for Mianwali district nazim slot by Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has been widely criticized as one of the government tactics to influence the voters....		Proposal to restore Derawar’s outer wall BAHAWALPUR, Aug 24: The federal government is considering a proposal to restore outer wall of the historic Derawar Fort in Cholistan, about 80km from here. The proposal has been moved by the archaeology department....
Relatives of old figures elected in Vehari VEHARI, Aug 24: Though the local government system was introduced with the claims of infusing new blood in the grassroots politics, most of the union council nazim and naib nazim elected...		Ex-nazim still striving for PML support TOBA TEK SINGH, Aug 24: Former district nazim Chaudhry Ashfaq has not given up his efforts to get ruling party support despite chief minister’s announcement that ex-MNA Abdul Sattar is the PML nominee for district nazim....
Patients suffer as hospital staff go on poll duty FAISALABAD, Aug 24: Patients are facing problems as the DHQ Hospital staff has been deputed for polling duty. A round of the local DHQ Hospital here on Wednesday revealed that the...		Ruling party allies also cry foul MULTAN, Aug 24: Wheeling-dealing for the top tehsil and district slots has been kicked off in southern Punjab where the elections for union councils that form the electoral college were held on Aug 18....
Opposition vows to defy all odds: ‘No-trust in EC’ LAHORE, Aug 24: The opposition parties on Wednesday expressed their no-trust in the election commission at a joint press conference here, but declined to boycott the second phase of local polls being held on Thursday (today)....		Infiltration, smuggling discussed with India LAHORE, Aug 24: Indian Border Security Force Deputy Inspector General Gur Darshan Singh has said that infiltration and smuggling are possible from Pakistan despite erection of fence on the Indian border....
Implement ban on processions: Pervaiz LAHORE, Aug 24: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi directed on Wednesday all DPOs to ensure effective implementation of a ban on processions in all districts. The ban is imposed under Section 144...		Nazim candidate disqualified LAHORE, Aug 24: A full bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to allow Hafiz Asad Obeidullah to contest election for the office of Union Council 94 nazim on his...
People again suffer for govt’s poor planning LAHORE, Aug 24: Whether it is a public meeting to be addressed by some government high-up or general or local elections, it has become a routine that the public has to suffer for lack of planning at the government’s part....		Army to move only at EC’s request SUKKUR, Aug 24: Corps Commander Sindh Lt-Gen Syed Athar Ali on Wednesday said that polling in any constituency could only be suspended on the orders of the election commission and added...
Camp closure deadline extension ruled out PESHAWAR, Aug 24: Afghan refugee camps in Bajaur and Kurram will be closed by August 31 and no further extension will be granted. The Commissionerate Afghan Refugees and UNHCR will, however,...		Suicide in lock-up: 3 policemen suspended HARIPUR, Aug 24: The district police officer (DPO) Haripur has suspended a sub-inspector and two constables Khanpur police station for negligence in duty. While they were on duty an under investigation accused had committed suicide in the lockup of PS Khanpur....
PPP-S denies preventing women from casting vote PESHAWAR, Aug 24: The Pakistan People’s Party (Sherpao) has denied its workers had restrained women from casting vote or they were involved in suspension of polling at any booth across the province....		Plan to revamp technical education in NWFP PESHAWAR, Aug 24: The government has approved a plan of over Rs900 million to revamp the system of technical education and vocational training in the province....