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PPP activists lathi-charged, journalists injured

     Karachi: Police baton-charged several Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) workers at Karachi Cantt Station, to bar them from proceeding to Lahore for welcoming the PPP leader Benazir's husband Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday. Some of the news journalists present for coverage also got injured; however, police detained more than a dozen party workers from the venue apparently to prevent a mass welcome for Zardari who is returning from Dubai on Saturday, party sources claimed on Thursday. "We have over 15,000 cadre and leaders arrested in Punjab. In Lahore alone, over 3000 have been held", a PPP spokesman claimed. The Punjab government, however, said a few hundred people have been taken into custody to "prevent" the breakdown of law and order. Zardari is returning to Lahore from Dubai on Saturday after a two-month reunion with his self-exiled wife following his release from eight years of imprisonment. Warning the PPP, Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi said on Thursday that "we will knock daylights" out of the PPP cadre if they indulged in violence. Meanwhile, Zardari himself said on Thursday that his party was holding talks with government to restore democracy and immediate elections instead of waiting till 2007. "Dialogue is on to restore democracy and it's not about any deal", he told Geo TV. With no sign of Bhutto coming home from her self-exile, PPP wants to project him as its leader and the ruling pro-Musharraf Pakistan Muslim League-Q, (PML-Q) government in Punjab is apparently nervous as Zardari has said he would settle in Lahore instead of Karachi. PPP chose April 16, the day Musharraf begins his visit to India, as the day for his return, hoping that the crackdown would not be too hard in order to avoid negative publicity back home.

ICC okays, but Ganguly won't play Kanpur ODI (Go To Top)

      Kanpur: The ICC today permitted skipper Sourav Ganguly to play in the Kanpur one-dayer against Pak, but the BCCI said that he won't play the match since it has been decided to continue with the selected team with Rahul Dravid as captain. Clarifying that Ganguly will not play the match and Dravid will lead the team tomorrow, BCCI secretary SK Nair said: "The board's position was duly explained to the Indian captain Sourav Ganguly and he has appreciated the decision." He said: "Since less than 24 hours remain for the start for the Kanpur match, the Board felt that it is extremely important for the players to concentrate and focus on the match, so that they could bring out the best performance. In view of this, the Board has decided to continue with the selected team for the Kanpur match." Nair further said that Ganguly too was eligible to play the remaining matches in the series after he appealed against the six match ban imposed on him by match referee Chris Broad for slow over rate. Meanwhile, in a statement the ICC confirmed to have received an appeal by Ganguly against the suspension. It said that the formal notice of the appeal was received yesterday. The statement added that ICC would appoint within 48 hours a member of its Code of Conduct Commission as an Appeals Commissioner to hear this appeal.

Unprecedented security at Kotla (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The Delhi Police today threw an unprecedented security blanket around the Ferozeshah Kotla grounds in New Delhi, the venue of the last ODI between India and Pakistan on April 17. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is scheduled to watch the match. About 8000 policemen including 2000 women police officials have been deployed to ensure Musharraf's security, who has already escaped two assassination bids. Security men will sanitise the route which will be taken by Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to reach the venue. Musharraf and Singh will watch an hour of the match from a bulletproof glass cabin which is being readied under the close watch of the elite Special Protection Group. Delhi Police Commissioner K.K. Paul that said spectators should come well in advance as everyone would be frisked thoroughly. "There will be lot of frisking and other security precautions are there then people who can come ahead of time then it would be easier for them. If they come by 7.30 a.m., then it would be easier for people. It takes a lot of time in frisking and other security checks. So it is necessary for people to come before time," said Paul. Congress president Sonia Gandhi along with her children Priyanka Vadra and Rahul Gandhi, former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, PJP president LK Advani and seven high-ranking Pakistan federal ministers are expected to witness the match. About one hundred people, including Musharraf's relatives, friends and journalists will be a part of his entourage on the day.

Pak cricket coach Woolmer gets birth certificate in Kanpur (Go To Top)

     Kanpur: Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer received his birth certificate in Kanpur today! Yes, he was born in this town 57 years ago as Robert Andrew Woolmer to an English couple. Woolmer is here accompanying the Pakistani cricket team for the fifth one day international. Authorities at the Georgina Mc Robert Memorial hospital presented him his birth certificate. Incidentally, it was his birthday today. "It's the best birthday present I have had. It's my birthday and I have always been interested in this. Both my parents have died which is unfortunate now. But it's nice to see the place where I was born. Thank you very much for inviting me, thank you indeed," said Woolmer. He said it was good to visit the place where he was born. Bob's father, who lived in the city, had represented erstwhile United Provinces, the present Uttar Pradesh, but his career was restricted to just one match. Later on his family settled in England. Woolmer, a former England opener, had in 1999 taken on as Pakistan coach after he ended a highly successful five-year term with South Africa. Woolmer, played 19 Tests between 1975-1981, scoring 1059 runs and taking four wickets with his medium pace attack. Later, he took to coaching and pioneered in the field of computers.

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