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HEADLINES

1. KING FAHD OF SAUDI ARABIA EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH PAKISTAN DURING MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER, MUHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF IN JEDDAH.

2. PARLIAMENT HOLDS FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE RESOLUTION CONCERNING PROCLAMATION OF EMERGENCY IN THE COUNTRY.

3. INDIA WANTS EARLIEST POSSIBLE RESUMPTION OF PEACE TALKS WITH ISLAMABAD - SAYS INDIAN PRIME MINISTER ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE.

4. IN OCCUPIED KASHMIR, REINFORCEMENT OF INDIAN FORCES RUSHED TO KUPWARA TO COPE WITH THE MOUNTING OPERATIONS BY MUJAHIDEEN.

5. SENIOR PALESTINIAN LEADER, FAISAL AL-HUSSAINI HURT IN CONFRONTATION WITH JEWISH SETTLERS IN JERUSALEM.

NEWS IN DETAILS

SAUDI ARABIA HAS EXPRESSED SOLIDARITY WITH PAKISTAN FOLLOWING INDIA'S NUCLEAR TESTS WHICH CREATED SECURITY CONCERNS TO PAKISTAN. THIS ASSURANCE WAS GIVEN BY KING FAHD OF AUDI ARABIA DURING A MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER MR.MOHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF IN JEDDAH LASTNIGHT. THE TWO LEADERS REVIEWED THE SITUATION IN THE REGION AFTER BLASTS BOTH BY INDIA AND PAKISTAN. THE PRIME MINISTER INFORMED THE SAUDI KING ABOUT THE INCREASING PRESSURE PAKISTAN HAS TO BEAR WHILE WAITING FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S RESPONSE TO INDIA'S NUCLEAR TESTS. THE PRIME MINISTER SAID, PAKISTAN HAS NO OPTION BUT TO UNDERTAKE NUCLEAR TESTS TO RESTORE STRATEGIC BALANCE IN THE AREA.

THE PRIME MINISTER ALSO ADDRESSED THE JEDDAH-BASED PAKISTANIS WHICH INCLUDED PROFESSIONALS, WORKERS AND BUSINESSMEN. IN HIS ADDRESS, THE PRIME MINISTER SAID THAT NUCLEAR TESTS BY PAKISTAN HAVE RESTORED THE BALANCE OF POWER WHICH WAS DISTURBED AFTER INDIA'S NUCLEAR BLASTS. HE SAID, SUCH DECISIONS PROVE A TURNING POINT IN THE HISTORY OF NATIONS. PAKISTAN'S DECISION, THE PRIME MINISTER ADDED, WAS IN GREATER NATIONAL INTERESTS. MR.MOHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF SAID, HE HAS APPRISED THE WORLD LEADERS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF KASHMIR PROBLEM WHICH IS THE CORE ISSUE BEHIND TENSION BETWEEN THE TWO NEIGHBOURS. HE SAID, HE HAD ALSO TOLD U.S. SECRETARY GENERAL KOFI ANNAN THAT IMPLEMENTATION OF U.N.RESOLUTIONS ON CASHMERE HAVE BEEN LYING IN THE COLD STORAGE FOR THE LAST 50 YEARS, WHILE CERTAIN RESOLUTIONS ARE IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT ANY LOSS OF TIME. THE PRIME MINISTER SAID, SANCTIONS ARE NOT NEW FOR PAKISTAN. HE CALLED UPON THE OVERSEAS PAKISTANIS TO COOPERATE WITH THE GOVERNMENT IN ITS EFFORT FOR ACHIEVING THE GOAL OF SELF-RELIANCE. HE ASKED THEM TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF THEIR REMITTANCES THROUGH PAKISTANI BANKS.

THE JOINT SITTING OF THE PARLIAMENT HAD FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE RESOLUTION MOVED TO APPROVE THE PROCLAMATION OF EMERGENCY IN THE COUNTRY. MAULANA ABDUS SATTAR NIAZI, PROFESSOR SAJID MIR AND SHEIKH TAHIR RASHID SUPPORTED THE RESOLUTION SAYING THE DECISION TO SET OFF NUCLEAR DEVICES WAS THE MOST CRUCIAL JUNCTURE IN OUR 50 YEAR HISTORY. PAKISTANI LEADERSHIP TOOK THE DECISION AT A RIGHT TIME. PROCLAMATION OF EMERGENCY IS AN OFFSHOOT OF THIS DECISION. THEREFORE WE ARE MORALLY BOUND TO SUPPORT THIS SINCE WE SUPPORTED THE DECISION TO GO FOR NUCLEAR TO RESTORE THE MILITARY BALANCE IN THE REGION. MR. JAMIL-UD-DIN AALI PROPOSED TO RESTORE THE ARTICLE RELATING TO THE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION CONTENDING THAT EMERGENCY COULD BE ENFORCED WITHOUT PUTTING RESTRICTION ON THESE ARTICLES. HAFIZ FAZAL MOHAMMAD, DR.ABDUL HAI BALOCH, MIR HAZAR KHAN BIJARANI, SYED AKRAM SHAH, MR.JEHANGIR BADR AND SYED IQBAL HAIDER OPPOSED THE RESOLUTION. THEY WERE OF THE OPINION THAT GOVERNMENT COULD CARRY OUT ITS ECONOMIC AGENDA WITHOUT RESORTING TO THIS UNPLEASANT OPTION. THEY SAID, IT WILL IMPAIR THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE WHO LOOK AT THE PARLIAMENT AS THE CUSTODIAN OF THEIR RIGHTS. THE STEP WILL ALSO AFFECT THE POLITICAL SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY WHICH IS STILL IN A DEVELOPING STAGE.

FRESH REINFORCEMENT OF INDIAN FORCES HAVE BEEN RUSHED TO KUPWARA WHERE THEY ARE SETTING UP CAMPS IN THE FOREST AREAS OF LOLAB, RAFIABAD, CHOWKIBAL, BUDNIMBAL AND KARNA VALLEY TO COPE WITH THE SERIOUS SITUATION CREATED BY THE KASHMIRI MUJAHIDEEN'S OPERATIONS. MUJAHIDEEN HAVE BEEN GIVING TOUGH TIME TO THE INDIAN TROOPS IN THE FOREST AREAS OF KUPWARA. IN ONE CLASH ALONE, THE MUJAHIDEEN KILLED FIVE JAWANS OF RAJPUTANA RIFLES AND INJURED MANY OTHERS. WITH THE ARRIVAL OF FRESH REINFORCEMENTS, THE TROOPS HAVE CORDONED OFF THE FOREST AREA AND INTENSE COMBING OPERATION HAS BEEN LAUNCHED TO SPOT THE MUJAHIDEEN. IN KUKERNAG, THE INDIAN FORCES' AGENTS KILLED A CONGRESS PARTY WORKER MOHAMMAD ABDULLAH AFTER ABDUCTING HIM FROM HIS HOUSE, THE AGENTS ALSO KILLED A NATIONAL CONFERENCE WORKER, MOHAMMAD SULTAN, IN TRAL.

THE INDIAN PRIME MINISTER, ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE HAS SAID, NEW DELHI WANTED THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE RESUMPTION OF PEACE TALKS WITH ISLAMABAD. IN A STATEMENT TO INDIA'S UPPER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT RAJJIA SABHA, MR.VAJPAYEE SAID, INDIA IS COMMITTED TO POWERFUL DIRECT DIALOGUE WITH PAKISTAN.

TENSION IS RUNNING HIGH BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA WITH SLIM HOPES THAT A NEW PEACE INITIATIVE WILL EMERGE FROM AFRICA'S ANNUAL SUMMIT. SOME AFRICAN LEADERS ARE URGING BOTH COUNTRIES TO STOP FIGHTING AND SETTLE THEIR DISPUTES PEACEFULLY. DESPITE THE DIPLOMATIC AND POLITICAL EFFORTS BORDER FIGHTING IS CONTINUING. AS FEARS GROW OVER THE FULL SCALE WAR BETWEEN ETHIOPIA AND ERITRIA, THE DIPLOMATS AND FOREIGN NATIONALS ARE BEING EVACUATED FROM THE TWO COUNTRIES. THE UNITED STATES, GERMANY, ITALY, BRITAIN AND THE UNITED NATIONS SENT PLANES TO BRING BACK THEIR NATIONALS. A GERMAN AIR FORCE PLANE CARRYING ABOUT 200 EVACUEE FROM ERITREAN CAPITAL OF ASMARA HAS ARRIVED IN COLOGNE.

THE EUROPEAN UNION IS PREPARING TO BAN INVESTMENT IN SERBIA TO DEMONSTRATE TO YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC IT WILL NOT TOLERATE THE USE OF MILITARY FORCE IN KOSOVO. FOREIGN MINISTERS OF EUROPEAN UNION MEETING IN LUXEMBOURG TODAY ARE EXPECTED TO IMPOSE FURTHER ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AGAINST SERBIA AND POSSIBLE MILITARY ACTION. MEANWHILE, ETHNIC ALBANIAN REFUGEES ARE FLEEING FROM KOSOVO TO NEIGHBOURING ALBANIA AROUND ELEVEN THOUSAND ALBANIANS HAS FLED FIGHTING IN KOSOVO. UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES AND RED CROSS DISTRIBUTED FOOD AND OTHER ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES AMONG THE REFUGEES IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF ALBANIA.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER HAS WON A THRILLING CANADIAN GRAND PRIX. SCHUMACHER TOOK ONE HOUR AND 40 MINUTES TO COVER THE REQUIRED DISTANCE. GIANCARLO FISICHELLA TOOK THE SECOND PLACE AND EDDIE IRVINE'S FERRARI FINISHED THIRD.

THE EUROPEAN UNION HAS BANNED ALL NEW EUROPEAN INVESTMENTS IN SERBIA TO PROTEST BELGRADE'S MILITARY CRACK DOWN ON ETHNIC ALBANIANS IN KOSOVO. THIS WAS DECIDED IN A MEETING OF THE EU FOREIGN MINISTERS IN LUXEMBOURG TODAY. THE MINISTERS AT THE MEETING WERE UNANIMOUS THAT STRONGER SANCTIONS WERE NECESSARY TO IMPRESS BELGRADE THAT A VIOLENT SOLUTION TO KOSOVO PROBLEM WAS UNACCEPTABLE.

THE LION KING SWEPT THE TECHNICAL AWARD FOR BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL FOR JULIE TAYMOR AS WELL AS AWARDS FOR BEST CHOREOGRAPHY, BEST COSTUMES, BEST LIGHTING AND SCENIC DESIGN. GARRY HYNES WAS NAMED BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY FOR THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE. THE WINS WERE THE FIRST TIME TONYS HAVE GONE TO WOMEN DIRECTORS. THE PLAY ALSO WON TONYS FOR BEST ACTRESS MARIE MULLEN, AS WELL AS FOR FEATURED ACTION AND ACTRESS IN A PLAY.

TWO CZECH MIG 21 MILITARY JETS HAVE COLLIDED IN MID AIR AND CRASHED INTO A RESIDENTIAL AREA INJURING A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ON THE GROUND. TWO APARTMENTS WERE DESTROYED IN THE CRASH IN THE SOUTHERN TOWN OF CESKE BUDEJOVICE, BUT THE PILOTS EJECTED SAFELY AND THERE WERE NO SERIOUS INJURIES. THE MILITARY JETS WERE IN A TRAINING EXERCISE OVER THE CITY.

SENIOR PALESTINAIN LEADER FAISAL AL-HUSSAINI HAS BEEN HURT IN A CONFRONTATION WITH JEWISH SETTLERS WHO TOOK OVER A NUMBER OF HOUSES IN EAST JERUSALEM OVER NIGHT. HUSSAINI WAS TAKING PART IN A DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE THE HOUSES IN THE SILWALAN NEIGHBOURHOOD WHERE JEWISH SETTLERS OCCUPIED FOUR BUILDINGS DURING THE NIGHT. SOME OTHER PALESTINIANS WERE ALSO INJURED DURING THE CONFRONTATION WITH THE ISRAELI POLICE. FAISAL HUSSAINI STRONGLY OBJECTED TO THE OCCUPATION OF THE PALESTINAIN HOUSES AND SAID THAT JEWS ARE TRYING TO BUY ALL THE LANDS IN THE EAST JERUSALEM. THE LATEST MOVE BY SETTERS COINCIDED WITH MEDIA SPECULATIONS THAT A DEAL ON THE FURTHER ISRAELI TROOPS WITHDRAWAL IN THE WEST BANK, AN ACCORD WITH WOULD BREAK A 15 MONTH PEACE MAKING DEADLOCK, MIGHT BE NEAR. MEANWHILE, ACTIVISTS OF "PEACE NOW" MOVEMENT DEMONSTRATED AGAINST THE OCCUPATION OF THE HOUSES. ISRAELI POLICE ROUNDED UP THE ACTIVISTS AND FORCEFULLY REMOVED THEM FROM THE SITE.

PRESIDENT MUHAMMAD RAFIQ TARAR HAS CALLED UPON PAKISTANI EMBASSIES ALL OVER THE WORLD TO BRIEF THE WORLD COMMUNITY ABOUT INDIA'S AGGRESSIVE DESIGNS AND ATROCITIES IN OCCUPIED KAHSMIR. THE PRESIDENT WAS TALKING TO PAKISTAN'S AMBASSADOR TO JORDAN, ZAHID SAEED WHO CALLED ON HIM AIWAN-E-SADR TODAY. THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT AFTER INDIA'S NUCLEAR TESTS OPEN THREATS TO ATTACKS ON PAKISTAN IT WAS INEVITABLE FOR PAKISTAN TO TEST ITS NUCLEAR CAPABILITY. HE SAID, PAKISTANI DIPLOMATS SHOULD MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE WORLD COMMUNITY THAT RESOLUTION OF KASHMIR ISSUE UNDER U.N. RESOLUTIONS IS IMPERATIVE FOR LASTING PEACE IN SOUTH ASIA.

U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S SPECIAL SESSION ON DRUGS BEGINS TODAY. REPRESENTATIVES OF ABOUT 150 COUNTRIES INCLUDING 35 HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT ARE ATTENDING THE SESSION. INTERIOR MINISTER CHAUDHRY SHUJAAT HUSSAIN IS LEADING PAKISTAN'S DELEGATION AT THE SESSION.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN ARRIVES IN GERMANY TODAY FOR A LANDMARK SUMMIT WITH CHANCELLOR HELMUT KOHL. THE SUMMIT FIRST OF ITS KIND IN RUSSIA-GERMANY RELATIONS WILL FOCUS ON INTERNATIONAL POLITICS AS WELL AS ON BILATERAL RELATIONS. THE AREAS OF COOPERATION TO BE EXPLORED INCLUDE TRADE, GERMAN INVESTMENT IN RUSSIA, THE COAL INDUSTRY, MILITARY COOPERTION AND OTHER ISSUES.

THE U.S. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON WILL OPEN THE SPECIAL SESSION. THE FOCUS OF THE U.N. SESSION IS ON CURBING THE LAUNDERING OF DRUG PROCEEDS AND REDUCING DEMAND AMONG DRUG USERS. IN HIS ADDRESS CLINTON HAS TO AGAIN APPEAL TO THE WORLD'S NATIONS TO UNITE BEHIND A COMMON STRATEGY FOR FIGHTING BOTH.

TENSION IS RUNNING HIGH IN THE INDIAN CITY OF HYDERABAD, THE CAPITAL OF SOUTHERN INDIAN STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH.THE DEATH TOLL FOLLOWING THE THREE DAYS OF CLASHES HAS RISEN TO EIGHT AND SOLDIERS WERE DEPLOYED IN THE CITY TO CONTROL THE SITUATION. SIX PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND AROUND SIXTY INJURED IN THE FIRST DAY OF CLASHES. THE TROUBLE BEGAN AFTER MUSLIM PROTESTED AGAINST AN ANONYMOUS PAMPHLET AGAINST ISLAM. STRICT CURFEW WAS IMPOSED AND POLICE WERE GIVEN TO SHOOT ON SIGHT ORDERS IN THE SEVERAL AREAS OF HYDERABAD. SEVERAL HOUSES AND VEHICLES WERE BURNT DOWN IN THE CITY AND POLICE CLASHED WITH THE DEMONSTRATORS.

THE PRIME MINISTER MR. MOHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF HAS SAID BY RE-ESTABLISHING THE STRATEGIC BALANCE, PAKISTAN HAS CONTRIBUTED NOT ONLY TO THE CAUSE OF PEACE AND STABILITY IN SOUTH ASIA, BUT ALSO TO INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND STABILITY. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DAILIES, 'AL-ITTEHAD' AND 'EMIRATE NEWS', THE PRIME MINISTER SAID, PEACE AND STABILITY IN SOUTH ASIA IS A PRE-REQUISITE FOR THE STABILITY OF ADJOINING REGIONS INCLUDING THE GULF REGION. IT WAS THE ALTERING OF THIS STRATEGIC BALANCE BY THE INDIAN NUCLEAR TESTS THAT COMPELLED PAKISTAN TO OPT FOR NUCLEAR OPTIONS. REFERRING TO KASHMIR PROBLEM, THE PRIME MINISTER SAID, PAKISTAN HAS NOT LINKED KASHMIR TO THE NUCLEAR ISSUE. ON THE CONTRARY, IT WAS INDIA WHICH THREATENED PAKISTAN WITH NUCLEAR BLACKMAILING WITH A VIEW TO IMPOSING A MILITARY SOLUTION IN KASHMIR. THE PRIME MINISTER CALLED UPON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO WORK UNITEDLY WITH THE INTER-LINKED ISSUES OF PEACE, SECURITY, CONFIDENCE-BUILDING AS WELL AS CONVENTIONAL AND NUCLEAR ARMS CONTROL IN SOUTH ASIA.

SPORT

CARLOS MOYA HAS WON THE FRENCH OPEN TENNIS TITLE. IN THE FINAL, MOYA OF SPAIN OUTPLAYED HIS COMPATRIOT ALEX CORRETJA 6-3, 7-5 AND 6-3.

WEATHER

A SEVERE TROPICAL CYCLONE WHICH FORMED IN THE ARABIAN SEA IS NOW LOCATED ABOUT 700-KILOMETRES SOUTH OF KARACHI. ACCORDING TO THE MET OFFICE, IT IS MOVING IN A NORTHERLY DIRECTION. THE CYCLONE HAS A SURFACE WIND OF 80 TO 95 KNOTS GUSTING TO 110 KNOTS. IT IS EXPECTED TO FIRST MOVE IN NORTHERLY DIRECTION AND LATER ON MAY RECURVED TO NORTH AND NORTH-EAST DIRECTION. IN THAT CASE, IT WOULD HIT THE INDIAN COAST OF GUJRAT BY TOMORROW MORNING. THE MET OFFICE SAYS, SOUTH-EAST OF SINDH PROVINCE ESPECIALLY THATTA AND BADIN DISTRICTS MAY ALSO BE AFFECTED. THE PAKISTAN METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT HAS SET-UP AN EMERGENCY CENTRE TO MONITOR THE CYCLONE AND REGULAR BULLETINS WOULD BE ISSUED THROUGH TELEVISION AND RADIO. RAIN WITH DUST AND THUNDERSTORM IS EXPECTED AT ISOLATED PLACES OF PUNJAB, LOWER SINDH, UPPER NWFP AND KASHMIR.