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Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the party of Mohajirs which had become a taboo for the establishment, organised its first major public rally after 10 years in Karachi yesterday and vowed to work for the welfare of Sindh, which it said was yet to get its due share from the central government of Islamabad.

A Pakistani court yesterday began the trial of Jaish-e-Mohammed activist Sheikh Omar Ahmed Saeed and three other men for the murder of U.S. reporter Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped in Karachi in January.

Shops and business centres remained closed in parts of Karachi yesterday to protest against the killing of two influential regional politicians supporting President Pervez Musharraf's bid to retain power through a referendum.

The government, keen to ensure the success of President General Pervez Musharraf in the referendum, may invent new methods to ensure maximum number of participation by the people.

The opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP) which has been preparing for a show of strength on the death anniversary of its founder, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto today, complained yesterday that quite a large number of its workers were prevented from proceeding to the market town of Larkana, where the late leader has been resting since his execution in 1979.

A high court in Pakistan has cleared the deck for the trial of militant Sheikh Omar Ahmed Saeed and three of his accomplices, accused of murdering and kidnapping the Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, at the Karachi central jail from tomorrow.

The trial of Sheikh Omar Ahmed Saeed and his three accomplices in the case of kidnapping and murder of the Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, which was to start yesterday morning, fell victim to legal wranglings and had to be put off till next week, lawyers and officials, called for the proceedings in the Karachi Central Jail, said later.

A Pakistan Islamic party staged yesterday the first demonstration against a bid by military ruler President Pervez Musharraf to stay in power through a referendum just hours after he announced it.

Opinion polls, conducted by a group of newspapers have given an overwhelming majority to President General Pervez Musha-rraf in the planned referendum.

Opposition parties here estimated yesterday that Karachi voters' response to the referendum was less than lukewarm after no more than five or six per cent came out to vote.

The referendum for President Pervez Musharraf has created an interesting situation in Sindh where the mayor of Karachi is facing a revolt for refusing to back the plan.

Although the trial for the kidnap and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was deferred again yesterday, it took an exciting new turn after a court in Karachi issued a contempt notice to Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf for attempting to influence the proceedings, and ordered the state to argue next week whether the charge was maintainable.