HYDERABAD, April 25: The members of the paramedical staff and the doctors staged a rally outside the press club here in support of the presidential referendum.

They were carrying banners and placards and raised slogans in favour of the referendum.

Speaking on the occasion, the minister for health, Sindh, Ahsan Ahmed, said that President Gen Pervez Musharraf had established the first private medical university and had raised the foreign exchange reserves from $700 million to more than $5 billion.

He observed that before Gen Musharraf, the rulers used to get perturbed over the fact that the country would be declared a terrorist state.

He added that the day was not far when Pakistan would become the Asian tiger.

shc: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, here on Thursday directed the deputy inspector general, operations, Hyderabad region, to ascertain facts from the district police officers and SHOs of the region about Mohammad Juman, the missing son of a petitioner, Fatima Bibi.

The order was passed after the DPO, Dadu, told the court that he did not know the whereabouts of the detainee.

Several respondent police officials also appeared before the court.

The petitioner’s counsel expressed his dissatisfaction and apprehended that the detainee might be eliminated in the custody.

The bench, comprising Justice Attaur Rehman and Justice Zia Pervez, directed the DIG to file his report within 15 days.

The additional inspector general of police, Hyderabad region, district police officers of Hyderabad and Dadu, the ASP, Kotri, and SHOs of the Thana Bula Khan, Tando Allahyar and Husri police stations were cited as respondents.

The petitioner, who was represented by Ghulamullah Chang, claimed in the petition that on March 18 four armed policemen barged into her house, abused the womenfolk and threatened to hold them hostage.

They looted Rs70,000 cash and gold ornaments and also took away her son.