tribuneindia...Spotlight

			Tuesday, December 29, 1998
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Benazir not allowed to fly abroad
KARACHI, Dec 28 (AP) — The Pakistani authorities today stopped former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto from going to Dubai, saying "she cannot travel abroad because of ongoing corruption cases against her". "They (authorities) showed me a written order that I can't go abroad because there are (corruption) cases against me", Mrs Bhutto told newspersons at the Karachi airport as she wiped her tears with a tissue paper. Mrs Bhutto was going to Dubai to celebrate New Year with her three children who are studying there. "My children have nothing to do with politics. The incident has shocked me. It has also exposed the ugliness of Pakistani politics", she said. She denied the charges and accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of "corruption, loan default and illegal transfer of money to foreign bank accounts".
Health services crippled
NEW DELHI, Dec 28 (UNI) — Health services in the capital came to a standstill as over 75000 health employees went on 24 hour mass leave today to press their demand for enhanced salaries and favourable service conditions. The striking employees under the aegis of joint council, observed one day strike in Delhi and central government run hospitals. The affected hospitals included lnjp, g b pant, Deen Dayal, Sucheta Kirpalani, Guru Teg Bahadur, Maulana Azad hospitals and others. The health employees said they would observe 72 hour strike beginning on January 4 if their demand were not met.
Graft arrest
NEW DELHI, Dec 28 (UNI) — The Vigilance Department of the Northern Railways nabbed senior travelling Inspector of Accounts redhanded, while demanding and accepting bribe from a trader for facilitating delivery of his consignments. during a raid at the New Delhi station parcel office on December 23. The raid was conducted based on a complaint from a regular customer of the railways, who stated that Naresh Kumar, the officer, had demanded a monthly gratification of Rs 3,000.
Gawli aide held
MUMBAI, Dec 28 (UNI) — Raju Philips, alias Sirasat, a close associate of underworld don-turned-politician Arun Gawli, has been nabbed by the Mumbai Police. Philips, who was wanted in several serious cases, had also contested the last Lok Sabha election. However he lost it. He was involved in several offences like murder, attempt of murder and extortion.
Naxals kill landlord
HYDERABAD, Dec 28 (PTI) — A landlord was shot dead by Naxalites of the outlawed People’s War Group (pwg) in Warangal district, while a Naxalite of cpi-ml Janasakthi group was killed and three others were injured by members of the same group in Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh since last evening. According to the police here, three armed pwg men picked up V. Madhusudan Reddy, the landlord, from his house at village Chillagudem and shot him dead on the village outskirts.
3 cops dead
BANGALORE, Dec 28 (PTI) — Three policemen, including an assistant sub-inspector, were killed on the spot when a container-truck hit their patrolling jeep, Hoysala. The Haryana-registered truck collided with a van and hit the police vehicle near Yelahanka in the early hours, the police said. Two occupants of the van were injured and they had been hospitalised. The container driver had absconded.

Lankan minister fined
COLOMBO, Dec 28 (AP) — The Sri Lankan Supreme Court has asked a junior minister in the national government, who also is the father of Sri Lanka’s cricket captain Arjuna Ranatunga, to pay compensation to a journalist for ordering his police bodyguards to attack him. A court official today said last week’s Supreme Court ruling found Mr Reggie Ranatunga, Deputy Minister for Transport, Environment and Women’s Affairs, guilty of instigating the assault on Jayantha Dias, who heads the news division of the state-run television network. He was ordered to pay the journalist Rs 50,000 ($ 735). The minister denied the charge.
Pak city sealed
PESHAWAR, Dec 28 (AP) — The Pakistani Army sealed roads leading to the northern Pakistani city of Bannu, 120 km from here, where it imposed an indefinite curfew after clashes between armed mobs and security forces left six persons dead and 20 wounded, authorities said today. The violence was prompted by protest against the killing of Haroonur Rasheed (15). Policeman Syed Rasul is accused of trying to sodomise the boy and shooting him dead when he resisted.
Pak minister quits
ISLAMABAD, Dec 28 (DPA) — A senior minister in Pakistan’s Punjab province resigned today after charges that a cinema owned by him had been stealing electricity, reports said. Mian Meraj Deen, who headed the province’s tax department and resigned under pressure, said he would contest the charge in court on the grounds that he had leased out the cinema and the lessee was obliged to pay all bills, not he personally, said the Nation.
54 fishermen detained
KARACHI, Dec 28 (PTI) — Pakistani authorities today detained 54 Indian fishermen for allegedly fishing in Pakistani waters and seized nine boats, the maritime security agency said. A day earlier, 149 Pakistani fishermen had returned home after being released by India in return for 191 Indian fishermen freed by Pakistan last month.