KARACHI: Violence erupted near New Sabzi Mandi as angry mob blocked the Superhighway late on Tuesday over power outage in area since last three days. Several hundreds people came out on the roads and hurled stones at the traffic. They also burnt tyres on the main Superhighway. The mob ransacked over a dozen government offices situated inside the New Sabzi Mandi, sources told The News.

GILGIT: Four officials of Northern Areas Health Department perished when the ambulance they were riding fell in Skardu river near Thangoro turn on Tuesday. Police officials said, "The accident took place on a sharp turn after the driver lost his control over the vehicle." The victims were identified as Haji Muhammad Husain, Muhammad Hasan, Ghulam Husain, and Haji Abbas.

NEW YORK: United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has lauded Pakistan’s contribution towards maintenance of international peace. In a meeting with visiting Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri here, Annan recounted Islamabad’s "immense contribution" in peacekeeping operations of the international organisation.Kasuri discussed with the UN secretary-general regional and international issues. The foreign minister also discussed the agenda of the Security Council for current month in which Pakistan is holding the presidency.

LONDON: The Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) will meet here on Friday and will discuss the suspension of Pakistan from the 54-member organisation. "They will consider Pakistan’s suspension from the Councils of the Commonwealth," the spokesman of the organisation said on Tuesday. He declined to comment on the final decision of the CMAG, saying, "I cannot comment on the decision the ministers will take. That is a matter for them." "The meeting of the CMAG will be held as scheduled, despite change of government in India. The Commonwealth secretariat is in touch with New Delhi regarding its representation at the meeting and we will hear from New Delhi soon," said the spokesman.

HELD SRINAGAR: Two Indian soldiers, two militants and a civilian were killed in violence in held Kashmir, police said on Tuesday. The soldiers and militants died in separate overnight clashes in of Anantnag, a police spokesman said. In Doda, suspected militants shot dead a civilian in his family home overnight, police said

Tension, meanwhile, continued in downtown Srinagar against the demolition of an old mosque at Nowhatta Chowk. Men, boys and women pelted stones upon the police and security parties and raised slogans against the puppet administration.

ISLAMABAD: Chairperson Pakistan People’s Party Benazir Bhutto has called party leaders to London for meetings from the first week of next month. Sources said the PPP leaders would brief Benazir various organizational aspects of the party during the meetings. The reorganization of the party in the provinces will also be taken up, keeping in view the next elections. The party’s officials and the parliamentarians would meet Benazir on separate days. Provincial executives and members of assemblies of NWFP, Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh and Azad Jammu Kashmir Legislative Council will be meeting the party leader in London. In all fourteen meetings will be held.