PAKISTAN NEWS: Nominations for speaker, deputy speaker approved

ISLAMABAD, March 18: The nomination papers of the candidates for offices of the speaker and deputy speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly were accepted here Tuesday.

Dr Fahmida Mirza, Israr Tareen, Faisal Karim Kundi and Khushbakht Shujaat submitted nomination papers for the speaker and deputy speaker slots, respectively, and that were approved after scrutiny.

Court extends remand of accused in Bhutto murder case

RAWALPINDI, March 18: Extending the judicial remand of the five arrested accused in former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s assassination case to April 21, a Pakistani special court on Tuesday issued last warning to five culprits including Baitullah Mehsud to appear before the court for hearing.

Five accused Rafaqat, Hasnain, Aitzaz Shah, Sher Zaman and Abdur Rashid were presented in the special anti-terrorism court-I in this garrison city near Islamabad Tuesday morning. The accused could not be charged and were later shifted to the Adiala Jail.

Strike by transporters cripples life in Pakistan’s largest city

KARACHI, March 18: A wheel-jam strike by transporters to protest the hike in petroleum prices crippled life in this commercial capital of Pakistan on Tuesday, as people faced numerous hardships in their daily chores.

On the call of the Transporters Alliance, all the public transport including buses, minibuses, wagons, etc, stayed away from the roads in the largest city of the country.

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