March 24, 2006	Friday	Safar 23, 1427

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MMA offers mediation on law & order: Musharraf asked to retain one office RAWALPINDI, March 23: The Muttahida Majlis-i-Ammal’s vice president and Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad has called upon President General Pervez Musharraf to relinquish any of the two offices he holds before the 2007 elections....		Talks option open, says governor QUETTA, March 23: Balochistan Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani said on Thursday that the government had not closed the door for negotiations but would not hold talks with the elements creating law and order problem until they surrendered their weapons....
Opposition vows to continue struggle for democracy ISLAMABAD, March 23: Leaders of major opposition parties on Thursday vowed to continue their joint struggle to bring genuine democracy in the country. Speaking at seminar on “Pakistan and future challenges”,...		Works in quake-hit areas not to be delayed: Erra ISLAMABAD, March 23: The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) will promote time-bound reconstruction in the quake-hit areas as any delays will increase the sufferings and retrograde development....
Pakistan and China to open four new road links BEIJING, March 23: China and Pakistan will open four new passenger and cargo road links in the first half of the year, Chinese State media reported on Thursday....		Italy waives off $100m loan ISLAMABAD, March 23: Italy has agreed to write off a $100-million loan extended to Pakistan as part of relief and rehabilitation contribution in quake-hit areas of the country, Minister for Information Technology Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari said on Thursday....
Majority of PML-N leaders reach London ISLAMABAD, March 23: Majority of the Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) leaders on Thursday reached London to attend a meeting of the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) scheduled to be held on Saturday and Sunday....		PPP says ‘agencies trying to break us’ ISLAMABAD, March 23: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has criticized what it said the latest bid by government agencies to further break the mainstream political parties with a view to rig the forthcoming general elections....
Zardari property confiscation slated ISLAMABAD, March 23: President of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) Makhdoom Amin Fahim has said the orders of a low-level accountability court to confiscate the property of Asif Ali Zardari is...		Kidnappers kill man who brought ransom RAWALPINDI, March 23: In one of the most heinous crimes in the city’s history, kidnappers of a small boy shot dead his uncle on Thursday who had brought them Rs1.5...
127 awards conferred on Pakistan Day ISLAMABAD, March 23: A total of 138 civil awards, conferred by President Gen Pervez Musharraf on 14th August, 2005 and two civil awards conferred after 14th August, 2005, were conferred on...		Reception for award winners ISLAMABAD, March 23: President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Thursday hosted a reception in honour of the people who were conferred civil and military awards at a ceremony on Thursday....
Power supply to Quetta suspended for two hours QUETTA, March 23: The provincial metropolis and many other areas of Balochistan remained without electricity for two hours on Thursday as power supply was suspended from Dhadar area of Bolan district....		Two-thirds of world’s 771m illiterates are women: report ISLAMABAD, March 23: There are about 771 million illiterate adults in the world, and 103 million children are out of school today. Many of those who enrol drop out without adequate literacy skills, says a Unesco study....
Singaporean pays $55,000 to hunt markhore CHITRAL, March 23: A Singapore hunter who wanted to hunt a Kashmiri markhore with bow and arrow and paid $55,000 fee for the purpose failed in his bid....		Spring festival, cattle show from today MULTAN, March 23: A full dress rehearsal was held at Qila Kohna, Qasim Bagh, here on Thursday as part of final preparations for three-day Jashn-i-Baharaan and Horse and Cattle show which is scheduled to begin here on Friday....
Seven die as rains lash parts of Sindh SUKKUR, March 23: Seven people were killed and several others injured when a heavy dust storm, followed by torrential rains, lashed Sukkur, Larkana, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Dadu, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Jacobabad and Ghotki districts on Thursday evening....		Women being made pawn to settle disputes LARKANA, March 23: Women are being used as shield in the name of karo-kari to settle old enmities, pecuniary and matrimonial disputes. This was stated by leaders of the Indus Development...
People wary of vaccinated chicken meat ISLAMABAD, Mar 23: Chicken meat lovers still reeling from the fears of Bird Flu are now wary of eating meat of vaccinated birds because of concerns about possible side effects....		Pindi showing progress in fight against tuberculosis RAWALPINDI, March 23: The Rawalpindi district is showing a steady progress in fight against tuberculosis (TB). The case detection and treatment success rate have been achieved due to improved drug management, community mobilization, involving tertiary care hospitals, NGOs and intersectoral organizations....
Army engineers being trained on damage assessment ISLAMABAD, March 23: A USAID-funded organization is helping train 600 Pakistan military engineers to assess the severity of earthquake damage to buildings and promote earthquake-resistant construction techniques....		PRCS providing potable water in quake areas ISLAMABAD, March 23: The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) says it is helping in making fresh water a reality again in the earthquake-devastated areas. The devastating quake smashed water pipes and...
Body on project design on the cards ISLAMABAD, March 23: The government has decided to establish a high-powered independent entity under the planning and development division to overcome the problem of project design, causing billions of rupees loss to the economy every year....		‘TB patients get free treatment’ QUETTA, March 23: The provincial manager of the tuberculosis control programme, Dr Basir Khan Achakzai, has said that laboratory tests and medicines are provided to TB patients free of charge in all the districts of Balochistan....
12 held on Iran border DALBANDIN (Chaghai), March 23: Iranian border guards arrested 12 Pakistani nationals on Pakistan-Iran border and handed them over to the Taftan levy personnel on Thursday. According to sources close to security personnel, the people were crossing the border without legal documents....		‘Industrial parks to boost economy’ ISLAMABAD, March 23: The government will create industrial parks to increase manufacturing base, create employment opportunities and raise the sector’s GDP share, says Federal Minister for Industries, Produc-tion and Special Initiatives Jahangir Khan Tareen....
Protection sought LAKKI MARWAT, March 23: A woman has complained that her and her husband’s lives were in danger after the release on bail of three people involved in robbery in her house....		NGOs accused of creating dependency syndrome MUZAFFARABAD, March 23: The People’s Party Azad Jammu and Kashmir (PPAJK) on Wednesday criticised non-governmental organisations for creating a ‘dependency syndrome’ among earthquake survivors and urged them to leave the area and let people get on with their normal lives....
‘Women’s status to be improved’ PESHAWAR, March 23: The NWFP government is committed to its obligation under the Beijing Conference communique to take measures for raising the status of women, an official said here on Thursday....		Measures taken against bird flu ISLAMABAD, March 23: The NWFP government has taken various measures to check the spread of bird flu virus. Director-General of Livestock and Poultry Develop-ment, Dr Sher Mohammad Khan, told VOA that results of cases from Charsadda and Abbottabad had been confirmed....
UC naib nazim commits suicide TOBA TEK SINGH, March 23: The naib nazim of union council 12, Gojra tehsil, reportedly committed suicide on Thursday. Sarfraz Rahat Masih was a resident of Chak 424 JB Eisayan...		2 constables, cattle lifters injured in shootout SARGODHA, March 23: Two constables and as many cattle lifters were injured in a ‘shootout’ between police and cattle lifters here on Thursday on Sargodha-Jhang Road, some 50km from here....
More tribesmen set to return to Dera Bugti DERA GHAZI KHAN, March 23: The district police have impounded dozens of wagons to send back those Bugtis who were banished from Dera Bugti and currently settled in Rajanpur and Multan....		Several booked for misusing loudspeaker GUJRANWALA, March 23: Police on Thursday booked 80 people and arrested a dozen of them on charges of violating Loudspeakers Act in Naushera Virkan. Reports said the accused were involved in...
Wasa moves against industrial effluent FAISALABAD, March 23: The Water And Sanitation Agency has banned the forced pumping of industrial effluent and ordered to construct treatment tanks in all the dying and spinning factories in the city....		LBDC breach floods crops SAHIWAL, March 23: About a 25-feet wide breach occurred on the left bank of Lower Bari Doab Canal (LBDC) here on Thursday morning at RD-440 near Chak 9/11-L, inundating crops on scores of acres....
‘Malpractices’ at PR reservation office NAROWAL, March 23: A number of passengers have complained about corruption and malpractice at the reservation office of the local railway station. They allege that no one can get a seat...		Girls college fails to get affiliation with PU KASUR, March 23: The students of MA English, Islamiyat and Political Science had to send their admission as private students with double fee as the administration of the Government Degree College for Women failed to get affiliation with the Punjab University....
UCE teachers, students at odds with management MULTAN, March 23: The teachers and students at the University College of Education have some ‘serious’ complaints against the institute’s management from concentration of power to hostile working and living environment....		Rs200 for attending convention TOBA TEK SINGH, March 23: On the directive of provincial government high ups, district council officials paid Rs200 as pocket money to every person who went to Lahore on Thursday to attend PML convention from Toba district....
Complaints about cell phone service RAHIM YAR KHAN, March 23: Subscribers of a cell phone company in the district have been facing a great deal of inconvenience owing to poor service for the last couple of months....		Weightlifters congratulated GUJRANWALA, March 23: The nation showers accolades on two weightlifters for winning gold and silver medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games being held in Melbourne, Australia....
Robbers kill traffic police constable GUJRANWALA, March 23: A traffic constable was shot dead by robbers on offering resistance in Hashmi Colony here on Thursday. Reports said Sheikh Ijaz Ahmad along with his family was on...		PML to win elections on performance, says Aziz LAHORE, March 23: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said here on Thursday the PML and coalition partners were working for the progress and prosperity of the country and they would win the next general elections on account of their performance....
Party to re-elect Musharraf: Pervaiz LAHORE, March 23: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi says the PML will re-elect Gen Musharraf president-in-uniform to ensure the continuity of his policies which saved the country from default and being tagged as a terrorist state....		SC decides cases on merit: chief justice LAHORE, March 23: Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry said here on Thursday that the Supreme Court decided all matters on merit. “The impression that the Supreme Court has decided...
JI’s mass contact drive LAHORE, March 23: The Jamaat-i-Islami will launch a mass contact drive here to mobilise people against menaces of price hike, unemployment and the law and order....		Mutton, beef prices up LAHORE, March 23: Mutton and beef prices have shot up in the city owing to a sharp increase in demand in view of the bird flu scare....
Farmers anticipate tough wheat season LAHORE, March 23: Wheat price may face intense pressure this year, as the Punjab Food Department cuts its target to a paltry two million tons amid expectations of over 21 million tons total production....		Nankana bus arrives today LAHORE, March 23: The first Amritsar-Nankana Sahib bus will cross over Wagah from India carrying 30 passengers, including five officials, on Friday (today). It is learnt that the inaugural bus will be seen off by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh....