ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was today [Jan 17] told by the Government that Muslim oil producing countries, including Iran, were helping Pakistan financially in many ways after the raise in oil prices, but there was no official information that the Arab oil producers had decided to sell oil to Muslim States at the pre-1973 prices. The Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs, Mr Aziz Ahmed, and the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Malik Mohammad Akhtar, said this during a debate. ... Malik Akhtar said that the oil producing countries were giving Pakistan financial assistance in many ways, including participation in joint ventures, credits and generous donations for relief of the quakehit people of Pakistan.

[Meanwhile, as reported by our staff correspondent from Lahore,] Abdur Rahman Chughtai, a painter of international repute, died here this evening [Jan 17] at his residence. ... He was 75. Chughtai, who belonged to a famous family of artists and architects, was a direct descendent of Ustad Ahmad, whose name has been associated with the building of the Taj Mahal in Agra, Delhi`s Jama Masjid and the Red Fort. He taught at the Mayo School of Arts for a decade.