DAWN WIRE SERVICE


Week Ending : [sic APRIL] March 06 1995 Issue : 01/13


The DAWN Wire Service (DWS) is a free weekly news-service from Pakistan's largest English language newspaper, the daily DAWN. DWS offers news, analysis and features of particular interest to the Pakistani Community on the Internet. Extracts from DWS can be used provided that this entire header is included at the beginning of each extract. We encourage comments & suggestions. We can be reached at: e-mail dws%dawn@sdnpk.undp.org fax +92 (21) 568-3188 & 568-3801 mail Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Limited DAWN Group of Newspapers Haroon House, Karachi 74400, Pakistan (c) Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Ltd., Pakistan - 1995

CONTENTS

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NATIONAL NEWS

---------------------------- Opposition ..........Nawaz's proposals : PM offers talks after US visit ..........PM's approach painful, says Nawaz Karachi & MQM ..........PML-MQM teams formed to promote co-operation ..........4 held for 31 deaths in city ..........5 involved in city killings named ..........Leghari, MQM talks end without progress Kashmir ..........Shift in German stand on Kashmir ..........US wants Kashmir issue to be resolved Benazir's US visit ..........Benazir meets Congress leaders today ..........Benazir to seek Congress support ..........PM's visit: progress on key issues unlikely The ruling Alliance ..........Mistrust plagues PDF alliance ..........PPP bags Frontier seats Drug baron's extradite ..........Drug barons' extradition challenged in SC ..........2 drug barons extradited to US ..........Drug baron's extradition stayed till 12th Case against Ramzi registered Govt asks President to summon assembly JI splits into two groups SHC to have nine more judges

BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

-------------------------------------- Karachi Stock Exchange .........Recovery on the horizon Rs 88bn power plan for Karachi OGDC made limited company Monetary bodies to have IMF consultants Coal power plant to be set up at Keti Bandar PS to buy Chinese technology 3 companies shortlisted in PTC sell-off +++The Business & Financial Week

EDITORIALS & FEATURES

---------------------------------------- Proposed law disturbs many Contempt of court Front-line state syndrome ANP-PML allegations say nothing new Leghari's effort to solve Karachi issue Beyond exchanging letters

SPORTS

------------ Pressure on Pakistan captain A welcome gesture by Wasim =================================================================== DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS

NATIONAL NEWS

=================================================================== 950404 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Nawaz's proposals : PM offers talks after US visit ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, April 3: Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has welcomed opposition leader Nawaz Sharif's offer of co-operation to resolve the Karachi crisis and informed him that she would meet him on her return from the United States. "I will be leaving for the United States shortly and would like to meet you on my return at a mutually convenient time so that we can together can examine your offer of co-operation", Ms Bhutto said in a letter written to Mr Sharif on Sunday and released on Monday. Ms Bhutto is leaving on a nine day trip to the United States on Tuesday. Mr Sharif, who recently met MQM chief Altaf Hussain in London, had written a letter to the Prime Minister on Saturday, offering his co- operation to resolve the Karachi crisis. In his letter, released by the PML on Monday, Mr Sharif asked Ms Bhutto to bring the MQM back into the national political mainstream to remove the sense of political and psychological alienation of the people of Karachi. He had also expressed his disappointment at the speech of the Prime Minister made over radio and television in which she had asked Mr Sharif to adopt a political approach for resolving the Karachi crisis. Mr Sharif had also referred to his meeting with Mr Hussain and asked the government to hold local bodies elections in Sindh, withdraw 'false cases' against Mr Hussain and provide general amnesty to the MQM workers. "We owe it to the people of Pakistan to rise above narrow, partisan considerations and make a fresh beginning with new policies and initiatives on the Karachi crisis," Mr Sharif wrote in his letter. So far the two leaders have exchanged many similar letters but a meeting between them has yet to materialise. Ms Bhutto, replying to Mr Sharif's letter, expressed her gratification over the offer of co-operation extended by the opposition leader on the issues of national interest. The Prime Minister, however, politely reminded the opposition leader that while on one hand he was offering his co-operation to the government, on the other hand he was making plans with the MQM to hold protest meetings in the United States during her visit. "We have received reports that the Nawaz League, in tandem with Altaf group of MQM, is seeking to get time on TV Cable News, organise protest meetings and deluge US Congress with negative material," she said. s"While recognising the right of the opposition to protest as it deems fit, I wonder if it would not be more befitting, considering the national interest, not to do so on US soil," Ms Bhutto said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950405 ------------------------------------------------------------------- New letter to Benazir : PM's approach painful, says Nawaz ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, April 4: Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif has expressed disappointment over Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's reply to his earlier letter and said her approach towards Karachi was painful. "As your letter makes clear, Karachi obviously does not command the attention of your government that the grave situation in that city warrants," Mr Sharif said in a new letter sent to the Prime Minister on Tuesday. "Your somewhat casual approach to events at home, particularly the alarming situation in Karachi, has pained me since it reflects a lack of seriousness in tackling vital national issues," the opposition leader said, apparently disturbed by Ms Bhutto's reply that she would meet him on her return from the United States. He said Ms Bhutto instead of discussing the Karachi situation in her letter focused on her US trip. "This shows the absence of concern or commitment towards Karachi." Mr Sharif criticised the Prime Minister's visit to the United States and said the country could ill afford luxuries of such expensive visits, particularly when the revenues were fast depleting. Referring to Ms Bhutto's charge that the PML in collusion with MQM was planning to stage protest demonstrations in the US cities on her arrival, Mr Sharif said Pakistanis living in foreign countries were equally concerned about the dismal state of affairs in their country and were free to express their sentiments. The opposition leader took strong exception to the phrase of "Nawaz League" used by the Prime Minister while referring to the opposition Pakistan Muslim League in her letter. "Your reference to the country's largest party, the Pakistan Muslim League, as Nawaz Group typifies a mentality devoid of basic etiquettes, manners and all norms of decency governing relations between political forces in a civilised democratic society," Mr Sharif said. "It is this intolerant attitude towards the opposition that lies at the root-cause of the crisis in the country." He hoped that on her return from the United States, Ms Bhutto would find some time to pay attention to pressing domestic issues facing the nation. He said the government's wrong policies had pushed Karachi to a virtual point of no return. "Further callousness and negligence will only aggravate matters, deepening the crisis," he said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950402 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PML-MQM teams formed to promote co-operation ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Our Staff Reporter KARACHI, April 1: The MQM and the PML-ANP alliance have announced four- member teams to promote understanding and good relations between their parties. The MQM team comprises Ajmal Dehlavi and MPAs Shoaib Bokhari, Ghazi Khalid and Tariq Javed. The PML-ANP team is composed of ANP chief Mohammad Ajmal Khattak, PML vice-president Illahi Bakhsh Soomro and Karachi MNAs Dost Mohammad Faizi and Capt Haleem Siddiqui. Both the teams would meet shortly to finalise the line of action in the light of understanding reached between MQM chief Altaf Hussain and PML chief Mian Nawaz Sharif during the two-day talks held last month in London. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950401 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 held for 31 deaths in city ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ghulam Hasnain KARACHI, March 31: After a week-long extensive search operation, police arrested four activists of Mohajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi) and Sipah-i- Sahaba Pakistan who had allegedly killed at least 31 people in four attacks during the last two months. Informed sources told Dawn the four were the members of a single gang which had carried out most of the killings in the city since December last. The four, who the investigators claimed were operating on the orders of the top leadership of Sipah-i-Sahaba and MQM Haqiqi killed four brothers, including a police officer, in their New Karachi house on Feb. 18, gunned down 20 people in attacks on Mehfil-i-Murtaza and Abul Fazil Abbas Mosque on Feb. 25 and shot dead seven members of three families in the PECHS area on March 2. Besides, the gang carried out the killings of MQM workers, orders of which were allegedly issued by the Haqiqi leadership. The provincial Secretary-General of Sipah-i-Sahaba, Hafiz Ahmed Bakhsh, who has been under detention since March 10 explosion at a Shia mosque in Malir, is now being jointly investigated by the personnel of top intelligence agencies after disclosures that he was the main SSP leader who was giving the killing orders. Officials hinted that following the arrests of 11 activists allegedly involved in the city killings, moves are afoot to arrest the central leaders of Sipah-i-Sahaba and Sipah-i-Mohammadi who had ordered the killing of their rivals. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950403 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 involved in city killings named ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ghulam Hasnain KARACHI, April 2: The names of five activists of Mohajir Qaumi Movement (Haqiqi) and Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan who had allegedly killed at least 68 people, including some Sunnis and a Christian, in the city since February last, were officially released on Sunday. They are: Mansoor Babar, Dr Umer Hayat, Mohammad Fazil, Karimullah Sharif and Syed Asif Ali. Officials said the five, who were the members of a team of over two dozen hired guns, were taking orders from the central leadership of Haqiqi and SSP. According to sources, record seized by the police and the interrogation of the suspects revealed that Haqiqi chief Afaq Ahmed; provincial secretary general of SSP, Hafiz Ahmed Bakhsh; its information secretary Tariq Madni and other central leaders of both the parties not only were aware of the activities of the gang but were also allegedly issuing death warrants. The sources said SSP leader Hafiz Ahmed Bakhsh, who was investigated by a top team of intelligence personnel, not only revealed the entire network but also helped police find some clues. But the main problem for the police, the sources said, was that they were not yet given permission to arrest Haqiqi leadership and other members of his party, for their alleged participation in all these killings. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950331 ------------------------------------------------------------------- President flies back today : Leghari, MQM talks end without progress ------------------------------------------------------------------- By A Correspondent KARACHI, March 30: President Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari held talks with the Mohajir Qaumi Movement (MQM) leaders on Thursday in a bid to restore peace in the city and urged them to cooperage with the government in realising this objective. "The President urged them (MQM leaders) to join hands with the government to restore peace and normalcy in the city which was the basic minimum requirement for further talks," said the spokesman for the President. The talks were held at the initiative of the President at the State Guest House. Official circles did point out that President in his meeting with MQM leaders underlined the need for co-operation among all sections of the people in the city to bring peace. Highly placed informed sources said that MQM delegation presented a list of its grievances to the President. The President is understood to have told them that he would require time to go through them before making any observation. Till press time MQM Rabita Committee was still deliberating on the pros and cons of the talks. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950406 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shift in German stand on Kashmir ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, April 5: German President Roman Herzog, while supporting plebiscite for the Kashmiri people, categorically stated on Wednesday that the right to self-determination must not be won by "force." In a major policy departure from last year when German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel declared the UN resolutions on Kashmir to be "irrelevant", the German president, at a Press conference here, told newsmen: "The resolutions are still valid, and both Pakistan and India must find new solutions to resolve the Kashmir conflict peacefully." However, he was quick to point out that Germany retains its "neutrality" on the Kashmir conflict between Pakistan and India. On his first state visit since his assuming office of President, Mr Herzog said that during his talks with Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and President Farooq Leghari, he raised "sensitive" questions on NPT, Pakistan India relations, alleged attempt to smuggle fissile material into Pakistan from Germany, human rights and the change in a paragraph on blasphemy law. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950401 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US wants Kashmir issue to be resolved ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Muhammad Ali Siddiqi WASHINGTON, March 31: Secretary of State Warren Christopher on Thursday referred to Kashmir as "a long-standing problem" and said there was some need for "a resolution or near-resolution" of it. Answering Congressman James Moran's question about Kashmir and South Asia, where "the situation is not getting better," Secretary Christopher told the House International Relations Committee the United States had been trying "to work constructively with both Pakistan and India" to see if they could have some resolution of the conflict. There was no reference to Kashmir or South Asia in Secretary Christopher's prepared statement when he surveyed the world scene while defending the State Department's 21.2 billion dollars budget. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950406 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Benazir meets Congress leaders today ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Mohammad Ali Siddiqi WASHINGTON, April 5: Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto arrived here on Wednesday on a nine-day tour that includes a first-ever meeting with President Clinton for talks considered crucial to the future of US- Pakistan relations. The Prime Minister reached the US capital a day after President Clinton admitted for the first time that the half-a-decade-old sanctions policy toward Pakistan had failed and said America should "seriously review" its policy toward Islamabad. The talks with President Clinton are scheduled for April 11. The visit has been preceded by the extradition to the United States of two of Pakistan's most wanted drug barons - Iqbal Baig and Anwar Khattak - an issue on which the US has been sensitive. State Department acting spokesman David Johnson said on Tuesday the extradition of the two was "the type of action that we like to see in the positive relationship that we're building with the government of Pakistan." The Prime Minister will utilise the period between now and the White House event to drum up congressional support for Pakistan for changes in if not a repeal, of the Pressler amendment. Among the congressional leaders the Prime Minister will meet Thursday are Senate majority leader Senator Bob Dole, Senator Jesse Helms, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman who is opposed to all aid, Representative Benjamin Gilman, chairman of the House international Relations Committee, besides individual senators like Reid and members of the House and Senate foreign relations committees. In the afternoon, the Prime Minister will also meet Senator Hank Brown, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on Near East and South Asia. Last month, Senator Brown surprised everybody by questioning Administration officials on the utility of the Pressler amendment. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950403 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Repeal of Pressler law : Benazir to seek Congress support ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, April 2: Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's forthcoming nine- day visit to the United States signals significant developments that augur well for the future of Pakistan-US relations, Foreign Secretary Najmuddin Shaikh said here on Sunday. Pakistan must not expect any dramatic results, such as the repeal of Pressler law, during Ms Bhutto's interaction with the Americans. The Foreign secretary Mr. Najmuddin Shaikh, however, struck a note of hope, saying: "We expect Ms Bhutto to establish a rapport with the top Congressmen at the Hill and succeed in securing the support of the Congress for Pressler's repeal." While the Clinton administration has already denounced the discriminatory law as a "blunt instrument," the test of Ms Bhutto's persuasive skills will be her success in convincing the Congressmen to review the Law. "There is already a wave of sympathy vis-a-vis Pakistan's position pervading on Capitol Hill, and many voices are being raised against the country-specific Pressler Law. Besides, the US now wants a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute and has spoken against the current human rights violations and systematic repression of the struggle of Kashmiri people by India," Mr Shaikh told a group of newsmen, while quoting the US Secretary of State, Mr Warren Christopher, and the resolution tabled in the House of Representatives on the conflict in Kashmir. Ms Bhutto is expected to brief Congress heavy weights like Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, Chairman of the House International Relations Committee Benjamin Gilman, Chairman of the Senate Sub-Committee on South Asia Hank Brown, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jesse Helms and a host of other important Congressmen like Lee Hamilton. To a question whether Ms Bhutto was offering any quid pro quo to the Congress in lieu of Pressler's repeal, the foreign secretary was categorical in stating that there was no question of a shift in Pakistan's principled position on the nuclear issue. Giving a detailed history of bilateral relations since the enforcement of Pressler, Najmuddin Shaikh said while Pakistan has refused to sign the NPT unilaterally until India did so, "It makes good sense for India not to agree to any nuclear proliferation measures because it wants a status 'quo in US-Pakistan relations, it does not want the restoration of pre 1990 relations." He said efforts by the US to pressure Pakistan to accept the NPT unilaterally failed. Now the American businessmen had blamed Pressler for blocking and damaging their business prospects with Pakistan due to the denial of insurance by Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the Trade Development Assistance Fund which were barred under Pressler. Asked if Ms Bhutto would return "empty handed" from the US, given that Pressler would not disappear overnight nor the F-16s delivered on a platter, Najmuddin Shaikh said, "We expect to sign some aid agreements for the social sector, the money for which will be given to the non-governmental organisations under PL 480. But the scale of such US assistance will be quite small," he warned, adding that Pakistan did not believe in aid, but wanted trade instead. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950405 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PM's visit: progress on key issues unlikely ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Muhammad Ali Siddiqi WASHINGTON, April 4: Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto files in here on Wednesday on a much awaited nine-day tour to establish what would be the first high-level contact between Pakistan and the United States since the end of the Cold War. There is an excess of unresolved issues, and Pakistan diplomatic sources have been careful not to raise expectations as to the outcome of the visit, the second by Ms Bhutto as Prime Minister. The visit has been preceded by what to Prime Minister were some highly embarrassing developments that at one stage seemed to cast a shadow on talks with her American hosts and appeared even to threaten the visit itself. Thanks, however, to skilful diplomacy, and the understanding shown by sections of the responsible media and Administration officials, the damage has been contained. In fact, on the killings of the two American consulate employees in Karachi and the arrest and extradition of Ramzi Yousef, tables have been turned, and the attempt by the Indian lobby to arraign Pakistan has not only failed; President Clinton, State Department officials and the media have hailed Pakistan's co-operation with the United States in combating terrorism. The First Lady's swing through South Asia also helped matters a great deal. Non-political and basically symbolic, the Hillary visit, nevertheless, served to focus media attention on Pakistan and on the two ladies and helped inject a lightness of touch in what at times appeared a grim scenario. Nevertheless, symbolism matters little when it comes to brass tacks, and for that reason no one in the State Department or the embassy here tries to underrate the difficulties ahead, given the complexities of the issues begging serious tackling and attention for half a decade. *From the Pakistani perspective, the challenge lies in crafting a new, multifaceted relationship, now that the old bonds revolving round the military axis have been buried once and for all. To the Pakistan side, the issues that merit attention are Indo-Pakistan problems (Kashmir, rights abuses in the valley, the missile race), the F-16 affair and the Pressler amendment; to the US side, basically two issues matter, nuclear proliferation and terrorism. This is not to say that the Americans are not aware of the many other issues on which the two sides tend to draw closer. But so devastating has been the impact of the Pressler amendment on their bilateral relationship that progress has not been achieved even in areas where this was possible. That is where the truth and the challenge lie: both sides believe a new relationship must be developed, and are eager to do so. But progress is blocked because neither side knows precisely how to go about it. The Pakistani formula for breaking the impasse is pedestrian, meant more as political rhetoric. It knows that Congress - more so the Senate Foreign Relations Committee headed by Senator Jesse Helm - now hates the very word "aid." So it believes in strengthening the non-military, non- aid side ... trade and investment, to be more specific. But this can hardly be a doctrine on which to base foreign policy at a time when trade barriers are vanishing throughout the world in any case, and almost every Third World country is seeking, and receiving, foreign capital. On the other issues, terrorism and narcotics, the government of Pakistan is serious only to the extent Americans are watching. Otherwise, no government of Pakistan, whatever its political hue, has the courage or the inclination to crack down on the powerful drug mafia or on the even more powerful and sacrosanct post Afghanistan fundamentalist militias they are waiting in the wings. Nevertheless, the GoP is paying attention to these issues to keep the Americans happy. In one respect, however, the GoP has shown robust common sense, for there is one policy constant that overrides all other considerations: Islamabad must not only be an the right side of the United States, it must appear to be Washington's good friend and provide New Delhi with no opportunity to get closer to the world's only superpower at Pakistan's expense. This policy entails, often a one sideness that remains unreciprocated. The American side is not unaware of the root-cause of the problem, the Pressler amendment. As the last few months have shown Administration officials, beginning with Defence Secretary Perry, have criticised the law and called it counter-productive. The gist of what Perry, Energy Secretary O'Leary, Assistant Secretary Robin Raphel Assistant Defence Secretary Joseph Nye and others have said was this: the Pressler amendment has failed to dissuade Pakistan from pursuing its nuclear programme; America now has no leverage with Islamabad, the amendment is punishing US business rather than Pakistan, because the GoP is doing its purchases elsewhere. This, then, is the only hint of the line the American side is thinking along for the benefit of a state located in a region where the US has vital economic and geopolitical interests. The one commodity the Gulf and the south-west Asian region lacks is goodwill for America. With Afghanistan in debris, Central Asia in turmoil, and Iraq and a fundamentalist Iran hostile to the US more than ever before, "moderate," democratic Pakistan still retains a certain value for the United States. To put it negatively, the US would not be the gainer if it loses the only potential friend it has in the area. Not for nothing did Perry say after his return from South Asia, "Pakistan is the key to peace in the region." Non-proliferation, undeniably, is one of the major planks of American foreign policy. But, as the last five years have shown, it has achieved no successes in South Asia. India would not curtail its nuclear programme because of its China concerns, while Pakistan would take no unilateral steps if India did not follow suit. The bait the US offered to Pakistan - F-16s for a capping and rollback - failed to tempt Islamabad. In fact, over the last couple of years, Pakistan has been bold enough to take the veil off its nuclear mystique and, instead of repeating the "peaceful purposes" line, now openly declares that it views its nuclear plans in the security context. This, then, is another constant in Pakistan's negotiating strategy. Come what may, Pakistan will not give up its nuclear plan - and there is nothing the US with the lame duck Pressler amendment, can do about it. It is against a background of these realities - a mix of wide areas of agreement and disagreement, challenges and opportunities - that the Benazir visit is taking place. The State Department official said it would be first meeting between President Clinton and Prime Minister Bhutto and affirmed that the US side would concentrate on how to improve the relationship. But, he made it clear an improvement in the bilateral relationship would be within the context of the US desire to improve relations with all states of South Asia. Clearly, it is Congress and not the Administration that holds the trump card, for it is the legislature that will decide whether to resume aid by repealing or modifying the Pressler amendment. While there is a strong pro-Pressler lobby here, Pakistan is not without friends. Last month, there have been hints from Congressmen - among them Senator Hank Brown, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Sub-Committee on Near East and South Asia, and Congressman Lee Hamilton, former chairman of the House International Relations Committee, that the Pressler sanctions needed changes. These were the only points' on which the legislators agreed with officials. What precise form an amendment to amendment would take, if at all, is not clear. There would be plenty of gestures and symbols, besides the signing of memorandums of understanding on American investments in new sectors. But a breakthrough on such key issues as the release of the F-16s, a greater American commitment to pressure India to improve its human rights records, or an active US mediatory role in Kashmir do not appear to be on the cards. In ultimate analysis, the visit would be the end in itself, for it would have demonstrated that Pakistan and America were on speaking terms. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950401 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mistrust plagues PDF alliance ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Mahmood Zaman LAHORE: Mistrust between the PDF parties continues to plague the alliance. Differences have now surfaced between the two over the issue of filling as many as 42,000 vacancies in Grades 1 to 16 in Punjab government departments. Most People's Party MPAs want a quota of 70 per cent to be allotted to PDF MPAs, with only the remaining vacancies being filled on merit. But legislators of the PML (Junejo) are said to be in favour of filling all the vacancies on merit. The vacancies are to be filled by April-15. The date was extended from March 31 as a merit policy and procedure had not been evolved and also because no decision was taken on the PPP MPAs' demand for a quota. PPP MPAs believe that if their demand for a quota for all PDF MPAs is conceded, it will help the ruling alliance by aiding unemployed youth and giving a political boost to the alliance parties. But PML(J) leaders think that it will be a dangerous game to play. Since the number of unemployed educated youth far outstrips the jobs available, "we may he doing a disservice rather than a good deal to our government if we insisted o a quota for ourselves", one PML(J) activist said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950331 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PPP bags Frontier seats ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From A.S. Yousufi PESHAWAR, March 30: Pakistan People's Party won by-elections of Bunder and Swat on Thursday. According to unofficial results, in PF-63 Buner the PPP candidate, Sher Akbar Khan advocate, managed a lead of 508 votes over his only ANP rival Karim Babar. Whereas the PPP candidate had secured 12,590 votes, his ANP rival could secure only 12082 votes. In PF-70 Swat, the PPP candidate Dr Afsarul Mulk secured 13960 votes against his PML(N) rival Haji Mohammad Zahir Shah's 6155. Independent candidate Dr Fateh Mohammad, a PML dissident, secured only 3700 votes. Polling in all the 54 stations both of Buner and Swat had been brisk and peaceful by and large. The turnout at PF 70 was sizeable where approximately 55 per cent of the registered voters cast their votes. Meanwhile, ANP and PML leaders in Peshawar have accepted their defeat in both the constituencies though they at the same time accused the Government of engineering the results. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950405 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Drug barons' extradition challenged in SC ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Nasir Malik ISLAMABAD, April 4: The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Wednesday about the admissibility ) of three petitions filed by the wives of alleged drug lords Mirza Iqbal Baig and Anwar Khattak against the Lahore High Court decision that cleared the way for their extradition to the United States. The Lahore High Court on Sunday allowed the extradition of seven drug barons, including Baig and Khattak. The two were immediately flown to the United States in a US military plane. Though apparently the petitions will make little difference for Baig and Khattak who have already been sent abroad, they can affect the remaining five accused who are in Adiala Jail. One of the five accused, Nasrullah Hanjera has applied to the Supreme Court to grant an order blocking his possible extradition. Khawaja Haris, lawyer for the accused, has maintained in his petitions that the extraditions are in isolation of Section 5 (2) of Extradition Act 1972 which bars extradition until an accused has been acquitted or completed a sentence in his own country. Interior Minister Naseerullah Babar told reporters on Monday that the alleged drug barons were handed over to the US authorities after completing all legal requirements. But constitutional experts say the government acted in haste by immediately parcelling the two accused thus denying them of their constitutional right to appeal before the Supreme Court. They also point out that the extradition was also contrary to Article 4 of the Extradition Agreement signed between the two countries. Article 4 says: The extradition shall not take place if the person aimed has already been tried, discharged or punished or is still under trial in the territories of the high contracting party (applied to in this case Pakistan) for the crime or offence for which his extradition is demanded. If the person claimed would be under examination or under punishment his extradition shall be deferred until the conclusion of the trial or the full execution of any punishment awarded to him." Haris told reporters that Baig and Khattak were still serving their five-year jail term awarded to them by a Karachi magistrate. Besides, two cases were also pending against them. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950403 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 drug barons extradited to US ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Nasir Malick ISLAMABAD, April 2: The government on Sunday extradited two notorious drug barons to the United States after Lahore High Court (Rawalpindi bench) rejected their petitions against their extradition orders, an official said here. Haji Iqbal Baig and Anwar Khattak were taken to PAF Base, Chaklala from where they were flown to the United States in a US naval aircraft, the official who asked not be named said. "It is clear from the evidence produced by the prosecution in support of the allegation that Mirza Mohammmad Iqbal Baig received $250,000 ($2.5 million) for six tonnes of hashish in 1983, $400,00,00 ($4.0 million) in September 1993 and $120,000,000 ($120 million) through his partner Akber Sheikh for 20 tons of hashish," the court order said, rejecting the petitions of seven drug barons, including Baig and Khattak. The other five are Tariq Butt, Ghulam Mohammad, Umar Khan Afridi, Iqbal Parvez Durrani and Nasrullah Khan Hanjera. The fate of the remaining drug barons whose applications against their extradition were rejected by the court was not known. Baig, came into limelight during the military rule of Gen Zia-ul-Haq when his people beat up a foreign media team which had come to make a film on him secretly. Patronised officially during the martial law period, a hunt for Baig who was began after the restoration of democracy in 1985. He kept in hiding for several years fearing his extradition to the United States. Finally he surrendered before the authorities in 1989 when Ms Bhutto came to power. Soon after he filed an appeal against his extradition and had been challenging the lower court decisions. This time, he had opposed his extradition on the ground that the inquiry conducted by a magistrate suffered serious technical defects. Nine people have been extradited since the caretaker government of Moeen Qureshi in 1993. He was the first to extradite four people wanted by the United States on drug smuggling charges. Those extradited in the past include Zulqarnain Khan, Misal Khan, Khalid Khan, Taweez Khan, Shahid Hafeez Khawaja, Mohammad Saleem Malik and Mian Mohammad Azmat. Of these three - Misal Khan, Khalid Khan and Taweez Khan - were acquitted by a US court and have since returned to Pakistan. The remaining have either been awarded long terms of imprisonment or are facing trial. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950406 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Drug baron's extradition stayed till 12th ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, April 5: The Supreme Court on Wednesday provided temporary relief to an alleged drug baron, wanted in the United States on a drug trafficking charge, by stopping his possible extradition until April 12. Nasrullah Hanjera had appealed to the Supreme Court against a decision of Lahore High Court regarding the extradition of seven drug lords. Two of them, Haji Iqbal Baig and Anwar Khattak, were extradited a few hours after the court decision. The wives of Baig and Khattak had also filed petitions in the Supreme Court but the three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, did not take up the petitions for technical grounds. The bench was of the opinion that there was no urgency involved in their appeals as the two had already been extradited to the United States. Besides, it was also to be seen whether the petitions can be accepted in their absence. These petitions would come up on their term in routine. However, the court accepted the application of Nasrullah Hanjera, one of the five drug barons at Adiala Jail, and granted him interim stay order until April 12. "Issued notice to the respondents and also to the Attorney General for 12.4.95. Till then, the petitioner may not be removed from Pakistan," a short court order said. Hanjera has made Interior Secretary, Superintendent Adiala Jail and Magistrate who conducted the preliminary inquiry, respondents in the case. Baig's petition has been filed by Abid Hasan Minto, Khattak's petition by Ijaz Batalvi and Butt's petition by Dr Abdul Basit, all constitutional experts. The three lawyers have invoked the fundamental rights in their petitions. Baig and Khattak were extradited to New York two days before Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto embarked on a visit to the United States. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950403 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Case against Ramzi registered ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Our Staff Reporter KARACHI, April 2: Police on Saturday registered a case under the Explosives Act against the New York's Wor1d Trade Centre bombing accused, Ramzi Yousef. They claimed that on July 23, 1993, Ramzi Yousef was wounded while making some explosives in a flat in Nadia Towers in Nanakwara. The explosives, they alleged, were to be used to assassinate Pakistan People's Party Chairperson Bhutto during her 1993 election campaigning. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950404 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Govt asks President to summon assembly ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, April 3: The government has sent a summary to President Farooq Ahmad Leghari to summon the next National Assembly session on April 9 to discuss a number of political and economic issues including some ordinance promulgated recently. According to the detail the Ministry of law and Parliamentary Affairs has prepared an agenda for the next session which included legislation on number of issues including the ordinance related to the disqualification of the parliamentarians in case they were defaulters of bank loans and other government utilities. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950405 ------------------------------------------------------------------- JI splits into two groups ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Abdul Sattar Qamar .MULTAN, April 4: Jamaat-i-Islami has been divided into two groups and Majlis-i-Shoora members opposed to the policies of Qazi Hussain Ahmed have decided to convene a convention on April 14 and 15 in Lahore under the leadership of Maulana Naeem Siddiqui, a close associate of the late Maulana Maudoodi. Sources in the group told Dawn here on Tuesday that the breakaway faction would be called Tehrik-i-Islami. He claimed that 16 members of Majili-i-Shoora, provincial Nazima Amira Ehsan, divisional Nazima Rawalpindi Talat-Habib, Nayyar Bano, Ummi- Zubair, Bilqees Soofi, Qamar Jalil, and Yasmin Hameed had decided to quit the Jamaat and join the Tehrik accusing Qazi Hussain violating the party programme. The Tehrik sources said a manifesto and constitution of new party had already been finalised and a large number of workers would take part in the convention from all over the country. Maulana Gauhar Rehman would take part in the convention with a large group of workers from the NWFP. However, Mian Tufail Mohammad and Professor Ghafoor Ahmed are reluctant to join hands with the dissidents, but they did not oppose the formation of new party. Meanwhile, Jamaat-i-lslami sources told Dawn that a number of delegations were visiting the different cities to contact the dissident, and convince them against joining the tehrik. If they refused to stop opposing Qazi Hussain Ahmed, their membership would be terminated. They said disciplinary action had been taken against six members for plotting against the party. Those expelled are Mukhtar Salim, Hafeez-ur-Rehman Ahsan, Nasar Ahmed Zahid and Abdus Salam Khan from Lahore, Ch Abdul- Rehman from Islamabad and Hakim Mehmood Saharanpuri from Rawalpindi. The Jamaat sources further said all those attending the Tehrik convention would lose their JI membership. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950405 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SHC to have nine more judges ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Our Staff Reporter KARACHI, April 4: Nine more judges are being appointed to the High Court of Sindh, increasing the number of those appointed by the present government to 18, excluding the acting chief justice. Their appointments will increase the number of Sindh High Court Judges to 27, which will be highest at any one time. Four judges are due to retire between May and November. They are: Mr Justice M. Aslam Arain (May 11), Mr Justice Salahuddin Mirza (Sept 22), Mr Justice Abdul Rahim Kazi (Oct 3), and Mr Justice G.H. Malik (Nov. 10). =================================================================== DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS

BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

=================================================================== 950401 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Recovery on the horizon ------------------------------------------------------------------- SIGNS of recovery were visible on the Karachi Stock Exchange last week thanks to active short-covering by both the institutional traders and the leading brokerage houses but analysts doubted the market's ability to sustain any technical rally until and unless it was backed by peace in the city. Doubts are still lurking in investors' mind about the duration of that the current pause in the city killing to entertain the idea that peace has returned to the hostage city. However, some recent positive developments on the political front, notably the initiatives taken by the President to talk to the warring groups have raised hopes and a major breakthrough might be imminent, with peace not being distant possibility. The Karachi Stock exchange index of share prices after several weeks persistent decline finally managed to stage a good recovery, up 41.65 points at 1,655.26 as compared to 1,613.61 a week earlier, reflecting the relative strength of the base shares. State Bank's quick monetary steps including uncapping of lend rates and two per cent increase in bank credit ceiling could be some of the financial positive development. Although new buying is still to re-emerge even on the relative safe havens, technically short dealers and brokers were active on selected counters and made covering purchases at the lower levels. "The market derived its main strength from active buying in the bank shares after the news of removal of lending rate cap but there were some other aiding factors too," said and analyst. Most analysts believer the current political initiatives taken by the Opposition leaders despite rigid official stance could attain the cherished goal of peace in the city. "The sentiment in part is also boosted by the clarification by the army that it did not oppose talks with the MQM for peace in the city as it has a role to play," they added. However, most analysts doubted the market's ability to sustain the rally on the strength of the bank shares. Volume soared to a new peak level of about 24 million shares, surpassing its previous all-time record of 23.3 million shares some days back, bulk of which, more than 15 million shares, went to the credit of PTC. Floor brokers doubted the market's ability to extend the current rally as heavy foreign selling in PTC shares could take its toll. They said a record single session volume of 15 million shares in any listed share is unprecedented and amounts to panic selling. Bulk of the activity, therefore, was confined to about half a dozen current favourites, as investors were not inclined to move out of the safe havens until the market stabilises on certain viable levels. Floor brokers were, thus divided over the direction of the market with the start of the new account, although most agreed that selling pressure could dominate the trading scene in the sessions to come. Even some of the bank shares which the led the market advance could not sustain the overnight gains as some leading among them ran into selling and ended partially reacted. The market advance was led by the bank sector where prices recovered in unison on strong covering purchases at the attractive lower level, leading gainers among them being Citicorp, MCB Bank of Punjab, Soneri Union Fidelity and Askari bank. They were followed by most of the cement, and synthetics shares under the lead of Mustehkam Cement, which rose by Rs 10 followed by Cherat Cement and Bengal Fibre and Ibrahim Fibre in the Synthetics. Energy shares did not follow the market's general line of action and fell further under the lead of PSO, Shell Pakistan, but Sui Southern and some others rose appreciably. Among the auto shares, Pak Suzuki Motors, and Balochistan Wheels rose modestly but Al-Ghazi Tractors, and some others fell. Most of the MNCs played on both sides of the market amid brisk rolling of positions from the high-risk areas to the relative safe haven. While Philips, Fauji Fertiliser and ICI Pakistan showed good gains ranging from Rs 2 to 8, Siemens, and Parke-Davis fell sharply on selling at the higher levels. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950406 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rs 88bn power plan for Karachi ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From I.H. Rashid LAHORE, April 5: The Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) has drawn up an ambitious Rs 88 billion power development plan for Karachi. The plan, which forms part of the Prime Minister's Karachi package, was discussed here by KESC chairman and managing director S.T.H. Naqvi with WAPDA during a recent visit to Lahore. It provides for investment of Rs 83 billion in the private sector and Rs 5 billion in the public sector. According to the plan the KESC's present installed capacity of four power stations is 1738 mW while its firm capacity is 1500 mW which is equal to the present requirement of the city. During summer and in emergencies, the KESC buys power from WAPDA, Pakistan Steel and the Karachi power plant. With its annual load growth rate up to 8 per cent, Karachi's actual power need will go up to 2200 mw by the year 2000. The KESC has plans to purchase about 2500 mw power from the private sector which is setting up thermal power stations in the vicinity of the city. The new power plants are expected to start production by the end of 1997. In addition, the KESC is adding a sixth unit at its Bin Qasim power station at an estimated cost of Rs 5 billion. The unit which will produce 210 MW will start operating in July next year. Transmission lines of 220 kv capacity are being laid at an estimated cost of Rs 4.5 billion. The Korangi thermal power station will be renovated and a 300 mW unit would be added. Letters of support have been issued by the private power Cell, ministry of water and power, to the Fauji Electric Power Company for setting up a 350-mW power project at Hub, to Wakgas for setting up an 800-mw barge- mounted diesel power station at Bin Qasim, half of which will be connected to the KESC grid, and to Messrs Gul Ahmad for setting up a 125 mW diesel power plant in the Korangi industrial area. According to the KESC chief, work on the fifth power project has been launched for expansion and rehabilitation of Karachi's old and inadequate power transmission and distribution system. The work, which is estimated to cost $245 million, is expected to be completed by the middle of next year with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank, the Export and Import Bank of Japan and the World Bank. With the completion of the programme, the KESC's transmission capacity will increase to about 900 mVA. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950405 ------------------------------------------------------------------- OGDC made limited company ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, April 4: The federal government on Tuesday converted the state-run Oil and Gas Development Corporation (OGDC) into a limited company. The decision was taken by amending the Oil and Gas Development Corporation Ordinance 1961 through a presidential ordinance. The government had announced last year to privatise the OGDC by offering 49 per cent of its shares in the market and retaining the rest with it. All assets, properties, installations, plants, machinery, rights and liabilities of the Corporation shall be transferred to the new company and the employees of OGDC shall also stand transferred to the new company. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950405 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Monetary bodies to have IMF consultants ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Sabihuddin Ghausi KARACHI, April 4: The World Bank and International Monetary Fund are appointing consultants in the State Bank of Pakistan, Corporate Law Authority, Controller of Insurance office, Privatisation Commission and in financial institutions under a 1.01 billion dollars Finance Sector Opening and Intermediation Project. Designed to consolidate and further expand the reforms process now underway in the country under the IMF's Financial Sector Adjustment Loan (FSAL) the World Bank will provide 216 million dollars, which is 21 percent of the entire project outlay and is spread over a period of five years. Another 100 million dollars is reported to have been committed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), while six Pakistani banks and financial institutions will arrange 300 million dollars in local. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950402 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Coal power plant to be set up at Keti Bandar ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Ihtasham ul Haque ISLAMABAD, April 1: The PPP government has resolved the long outstanding differences with the Hong Kong-based business tycoon Gordon Wu to invest massive six billion dollars in Pakistan and the agreement to this effect is expected to be signed in a day or so. Official sources told Dawn here on Saturday that Gordon Wu has finally agreed to use the indigenously produced coal at Thar for its proposed thermal power plant at Keti Bandar in Thatta District. "With the Hong Kong-based business tycoon agreeing to invest six billion dollars, the government has succeeded in arranging 4500 mw of power needed for the country," said an high official of the Ministry of Water and Power. Ministry of Water and Power, Private Power and Infrastructure Board(PPIB) and Sindh Coal Development had been engaged in negotiations with a three-member team of Consolidated Electric Power of Asia (CEPA) for the last one week. The government had offered to CEPA that it may start its power plant on the imported coal but then it should be switched over to local coal as and when coal extraction started from Thar. The CEPA delegation was not ready to accept the proposal. But now CEPA has agreed and plans to set up four power plant of which one at Keti Bandar. The issue of site selection was another impediment which had also been resolved in the negotiation concluded here on Thursday. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950401 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PS to buy Chinese technology ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Ihtashamul Haque ISLAMABAD, March 31: Finding it difficult to raise Rs 70 billion required for the proposed expansion of Pakistan Steel Mills, the Ministry of Industries and Production has suddenly decided to go for the Chinese technology against the time tested Russian steel technology, Dawn learnt here on Friday. The expansion programme has already created a stir in the higher quarters with many officials of the Ministry of Industries and Production opposing the deal that has just been struck with China during Minister Brig (Retd) Asghar's visit to Beijing. According to the programme, the expansion plan envisaged increasing production from 1.5 million tonnes to 3 million tonnes annually. Rs 37 billion were estimated for the programme in August 1993 which has now surprisingly increased to Rs 70 billion. The expansion programme, which was earlier discussed with the former USSR and then with the Russian Federation, has been stopped, and a decision was taken all of a sudden to approach the Chinese for the purpose. "How could we support the obsolete Chinese technology for the expansion of Steel Mills, knowing that it is inferior and cannot do good to the organisation," an official said, who vehemently opposed the Minister's decision to go for the Chinese technology. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950403 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 companies shortlisted in PTC sell-off ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Ihtasham ul Haque ISLAMABAD, April 2: The Privatisation Commission has shortlisted three international companies, to finally select a Financial Adviser for privatising 26 per cent strategic shares of the billions of dollars Pakistan Tele-communication Corporation (PTC). The shortlisting of three companies were made out of nine companies which were earlier shortlisted out of total of 26 companies of the international repute. "Now one company to act as a financial adviser will be selected through bids to facilitate the early privatisation of the PTC, chairman of the Privatisation Commission Syed Naveed Qamar told Dawn here on Sunday. He said the formal announcement for the selection of these three companies would be made in a day or so. The three international companies shortlisted are: Morgen Stanley (USA), Goldman Sachs(USA) and Morgen Grenfell (UK). It is expected that within this month the PTC will be converted into a Pakistan Tele-communication Corporation Limited (PTCL). This will be followed by the registration of the organisation as public holding company in June and the entire process of selling 26 per cent strategic shares will be completed by December. The Privatisation Commission expects to get 2.5 billion dollars to 3 billion dollars from the sale of 26 per cent shares. It has already received about Rs 30 billion on account of about 9.8 per cent of the total share capital of the proposed company. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950401 ------------------------------------------------------------------- The Business & Financial Week ------------------------------------------------------------------- +++IRAN has been seriously wooing Indian businessmen to use its Bandar Abbas Port in the Persian Gulf for trading with the newly formed central Asian countries. +++THE Federal Government is understood to be considering a proposal to set up a 'Market Support Fund,' for injecting some vigour into the stock market which has been sluggish for many months. +++SBP has announced the removal, of its 17.5 per cent cap or tending rates with immediate effect, thereby allowing commercial banks to charge market-based rates. +++A comprehensive portfolio of projects of major economic sectors have been identified for foreign investment is Balochistan for the PM's trip to the US next month. +++THE Pakistan-Kuwait Investment Company will soon sponsor an Islamic investment bank called Al Meezan Investment Bank with a paid up capital of Rs 1 billion. +++FOREIGN Minister of the Republic of Zambia has invited Pakistani businessmen and industrialists to invest in his country and have joint ventures with their Zambian counter-parts. +++THE Board of Investment (BOI) will hold an investment conference in New York during the PM's visit to attract American private investment into Pakistan. +++THE monthly drain between December and February from the KSE by has been in the range of $50 million as foreigners are pulling out from the market. +++THE Punjab Government will spend Rs 1.42 billion on the improvement of services and facilities in the agricultural sector by the end of the current fiscal year. +++ALL Pakistan Gem Merchants and Jewellers Association have expressed the apprehension that smuggling of gold into the country will shoot up as a result of the revised policy of depositing $ 1,00,000 with the government for importing gold. +++ABOUT 30 Canadian firms are interested in the field of thermal and, hydel power, telecommunications, oil and gas in a bid to streamline a positive interaction between the Canadian and Pakistani business firms. +++NDFC has become the first DFI to voluntarily adopt the Prudential regulations of the SBP, thereby enabling it to become financially a strong and profitable institution. +++PAKISTAN steel mills has earned a profit of Rs 870 million during the current fiscal year, while its sales surpassed the target of 100 per cent in the first two months of the second half of the current fiscal year. +++ADB has provided a loan of Rs 941.028 million to meet 80 per cent of the cost of the Sindh forest development project. The remaining 20 per cent will be provided by the government of Sindh. +++THE KCCI has urged the CBR to direct the pre-shipment inspection companies to assess the value of goods according to the GATT code of valuation instead of the Brussels Nomenclature. +++THE government is formulating a fresh hydrocarbon policy with the assistance of the ADB infusing into it major changes to make the policy investor friendly to foreign investors. +++THE government has decided not to provide any physical or monetary subsidy to the industries in the country but, instead will provide all the necessary infrastructure to make them competitive in the international markets. ------------------------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIBE TO HERALD TODAY ! ------------------------------------------------------------------- Every month the Herald captures the issues, the pace and the action, shaping events across Pakistan's lively, fast-moving current affairs spectrum. This month in Herald 1) Who's Afraid of Imran Khan ? A Herald special report on Imran Khan's journey into the uncharted waters of pressure group politics... plus exclusive interviews with Imran Khan Sarfaraz Nawaz General Hameed Gul 2) The Empire Strikes Back The crisis in Chechnya and the Russian connection 3) Roadblocks on the Information Highway A look at how the country's entry into the rank of interacting nations is being hampered by short-sighted government policies.... ...and of course, much, much more..... Subscribe to Herald and get the whole story. Annual Subscription Rates : North America & Australasia US$ 72 Rs. 2,088 Africa, East Asia Europe & UK US$ 60 Rs. 1,656 Middle East, Indian Sub-Continent & CAS US$ 45 Rs. 1,200 Latin America & Caribbean US$ 90 Rs. 2,520 Please send the following information : Name, Postal Address, Telephone, Fax, e-mail address, and old subscription number (where applicable). Payments (payable to Herald) can be by crossed cheque ( for Pakistani Rupees), or by demand draft drawn on a bank in New York, NY (for US Dollars). Allow 45 days for first issue. Send payments and subscriber information to : G.M Circulation, The Herald P.O.Box 3740, Karachi, Pakistan DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS

EDITORIALS & FEATURES

=================================================================== 950331 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Proposed law disturbs many ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Izharul Hasan Burney KARACHI: Government's decision to make law for the disqualification of legislators defaulting in payment of bank loans and credits, utility and service bills, and taxes, duties, levies and charges for more than three months has left many parliamentarians high and dry and anxious inquiries are being made on the scope and implications of the move. Querries have been referred to constitutional experts and lawyers specialising in financial matters as the promised details of the proposed law are awaited. Knowledgeable sources however feel that if the aim is to launch the "moral crusade" from where law-making takes place, it will have to be a well diagnosed prescription that leaves no loopholes unplugged. The need for removing lecunae in the existing laws has been felt all along and this newspaper, for one, has pinpointed some of these since the first move by the caretaker government of Mr Moeen Qureshi on the eve of Election-93. The first ordinance on the subject came on August 19, 1993. It inter- alia provided that candidates for general election shall file declaration to the effect that no bank loan or credit was outstanding against him or in the name of his spouse or dependent (parents or children) for more than one year, and (ii) that no such loan or credit had been written off. As part of this exercise, the nomination papers determined the amount of unpaid for loans at Rs one million in both cases, and the cut off point was set as the partyless elections of 1985. The addition of arrears of the unpaid for bills of the utility and service agencies was on the eve of the Senate elections which took place in March 1994, and the period of default was six months "of an amount as may be prescribed." On the eve of the filing of the nomination papers, Pakistan Banking Council released voluminous lists of bank defaulters. Certain nomination papers were rejected, while many others were withdrawn. But PBC lists were neither complete nor flawless, and several leading politicians went to courts which upheld their plea. They contested, won and are now members of the assemblies. FIRST LESSON: The first lesson of the maiden exercise was that even the DFIs were not infallible. Experience also showed that not all the returning officers got the PBC lists and it was left to the objectors to raise the issue and prove the point. A third was that neither the objectors nor the ROs had time to pool information to challenge the nomination papers. During the course of the election process, another ordinance was promulgated requiring the successful candidates to file a return of their assets and liabilities and those of their spouse and dependents (parents and children). The winners did it; their election was duly notified by the Election Commission to pave way for taking oath as MNA or MPAs. The lecunae in this particular matter was, and is to this day, that no proforma was prescribed for such a declaration. Instead, the winners were asked to write it on a piece of plain paper and deliver it to the Election Commission. The other flaw was that the Election Commission was neither empowered to examine nor scrutinise the return. The document was placed securely in the vault and the keys remain in the custody of the Chief Election Commissioner. On an application of Malik Mohammad Qasim, Chairman of the Federal Anti- Corruption Committee, the Election Commission delivered a detailed judgement on the confidentiality of this document, restricting its availability only to the contestants from the constituency to which the winning legislator belonged. It is not a public document. LECUNAE LISTED: To sum up, the lacunas in the law may be listed as under: (a) Unreliability of bank loans and credits with particular reference to the period of default; (b) Absence of clarification to the effect that the default covered repayment of loan instalments rather than the full amount which the borrower may have obtained; (c) Non-fixation of the amount of arrears of over six months bills of the utility and service agencies; (d) Immunity from disqualification clauses once a person takes oath as legislator, and until he seeks a fresh election; In the case of returns of assets and liabilities, the lecunae could be summarised as under: (a) Non-prescription of any proforma for the filing of the returns; (b) Debarring the Election Commission or any other authority to study, examine or scrutinise the returns or hold inquiry or investigations as to their' correctness or otherwise; (c) Confidentiality of the returns except in the case of rival candidates; (d) No requirement of follow-up returns in each completed year of tenure as legislator. GOVT MEASURES: Announcing the decision of the Federal Cabinet on March 27 last, Information Secretary Hussain Haqqani, inter-alia listed the following measures "to end the culture that has developed in Pakistan that influential people do not pay their bank loans or taxes because of their political influence" (i) Yearly returns of assets and liabilities to the Chief Election Commissioner at the end of June; (ii) Scrutiny of the returns by the CEC and follow-up action, if necessary; (iii) Three months grace period to legislators to clear the arrears of loans, taxes, utility and service bills etc; (iv) Returns to be filed both by winners and losers of Election-93; and (v) Procedure for disqualification to be prescribed. Relevant circles assume that the proposed law would also plug the remaining holes to cover matters such as- (1) Proforma for filing returns of assets and liabilities (Election Commission had proposed one on the eve of Election-93. Another option is to adopt the Income Tax form for Wealth Tax returns, and yet another is the form devised by the authorities during the martial law). (2) Declaring the returns as a public document and its availability to any citizen of Pakistan on demand (as is the case with any other court document), instead of treating it as a highly classified document; (3) Empowering the Election Commission to scrutinise the return through a firm of chartered accountant or any government agency like the Auditor General of Pakistan. (4) Citizens right to question the correctness of the return at any time during the tenure of the legislators, instead of only 45 days prescribed for filing of appeal by a rival candidate before the Election Tribunal; (5) Arrangements in each bank, co-operatives, DFls etc to keep an uptodate record (on monthly basis) on an all-Pakistan basis so that, like the Electoral Rolls, the list of defaulters is made available promptly in the event of a by-election or snap elections. PROBLEM AREA: The most problematic area, however, will be the host of public sector organisations and utility and service agencies which would need to upgrade their accounting procedures for a correct and uptodate record of arrears of taxes, levies and duties on the one hand and the bills of electricity, gas, telephone etc on the other. These taxes are collected by federal agencies like Income Tax, Customs. Provincial governments collect the taxes like irrigation water, land revenue, Zakat and Ushr, land rent and host of other items. Local bodies taxes relate to water supply, sewerage, fire tax, general tax, property tax etc. Barring major agencies like Customs, Income Tax etc, accounts elsewhere are in a pathetic state. It is poorer still in the provincial government, and in a worst shape in the local bodies. Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation is improving; gas distribution companies are in good shape; but WAPDA and KESC remain far from public expectations. In the given situation, one wonders how the government expects honest enforcement of the disqualification law. Any slip or default on the part of the banks or the tax collecting agencies would of course be rectified when disqualification proceedings start, but by that time it would have already caused all kinds of misgivings including vendetta and political victimisation and will grossly undermine the credibility of the government. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950402 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Contempt of court ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ardeshir Cowasjee MY long entries (barring comments): Friday November 25, 1994: Column headed "The Defection Case" (case concerning the NWFP government and its defectors that had been heard and decided by the Supreme Court of Pakistan) published in Dawn. December 8, 1994: Received a notice (also sent to the editor, printer and publisher of this newspaper): "In the Supreme Court of Pakistan (Contempt Jurisdiction). Crl. Original No.... of 1994. Syed Masroor Ahsan, petitioner versus Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee and Others, Respondents. Registered Notice... Please take notice that I have today filed petition under Article 204 of the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 before the Supreme Court of Pakistan at Islamabad on behalf of the petitioner, in the above cited case. [signed by] Raja Abdul Ghafoor, Advocate on Record, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Islamabad, for the peititioner, 4-12-94." Prayer clause of this Petition: "Under the circumstances, it is therefore prayed that the respondents may kindly be punished for committing the contempt of this Court so that such irresponsible tendency is curbed in future." March 22: The 6 p.m. English news and 9 p.m. Khabarnama broadcast by the government controlled television, told viewers that contempt proceedings had been initiated against me, and the editor, printer and publisher of Dawn. Heard from the Dawn offices that a Press Note had been received by fax, issued by the Registrar of the Supreme Court: "Islamabad March 22- In the contempt petition filed by Syed Masroor Ahsan a Bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan comprising Mr Justice Manzoor Hussain Sial, Mr Justice Muhammad Munir Khan, and Mr Justice Mir Hazar Khan Khoso has initiated contempt proceedings against Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee, Ahmad Ali Khan, Editor, and Mr Ghulam Ali Mirza, Publisher, daily 'Dawn', Karachi directing them to appear on 9.4.95 before the Court and answer the charge....." March 23, March 25, March 27: News items regarding contempt proceedings published in the Press. March 29: Notice issued by the Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court at Karachi to Raja Abdul Ghafoor, AOR, to me, to Ahmad Ali Khan and to Ghulam Ali A. Mirza: "In the Supreme Court of Pakistan (Appellate Jurisdiction ) Crl. O.P.5/95. Syed Masroor Ahsan vs Ardeshir Cowasjee and Others. "Take Notice that the above noted case came up for hearing before the Court on 22.3.95 and the Court has been pleased to pass the following order:- 'After hearing Raja Mohammad Anwar, Sr. AOC learned counsel for petitioner and going through the article written by Mr Ardeshir Cowasjee, respondent, under the caption of "Defection Case" published in daily "Dawn" dated 25.11.1994, edited and published by Ahmad Ali Khan and Ghulam Ali A. Mirza, respondents respectively, it appears to us that there is sufficient ground for believing that the respondents have committed the contempt of court and it is necessary in the interest of effective administration of justice to proceed against them. The substance of the charge against them is that they, by writing and publishing the aforesaid article which tends to bring the authority of this Court into disrespect and disrepute, scandalises Judges in relation of their office and disturbs the decorum of the Court, have, prima- facie, committed offence punishable under Section 4 of the Contempt of Court Act read with Article 204 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973. "Let notice to issue directing the aforementioned respondents to appear before the Court on 9.4.1995 and answer the charge." "Take further notice that the above noted case is now fixed for hearing before the Court on 9.4.95 at 9.00 a.m. or soon thereafter as may be convenient to the Court in the Court House at Islamabad. "Islamabad 27.3.1995. "C.A. (Fixture)". Article 204 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973: "(1) In this Article, "Court" means the Supreme Court or a High Court. "(2) A Court shall have power to punish any person who" (a) abuses, interferes with or obstructs the process of the Court in any way or disobeys any order of the Court; "(b) scandalises the Court or otherwise does anything which tends to bring the Court or a Judge of the Court into hatred, ridicule or contempt; "(c) does anything which tends to prejudice the determination of a matter pending before the Court: "(d) does any other thing which, by law, constitutes contempt of the Court. "(3) The exercise of the power conferred on a Court by this Article may be regulated by law, and subject to law, by rules made by the Court." Section 4 of the Contempt of Court Act: "Punishment: Whoever commits contempt of Court or abets the commission of contempt of Court may be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with a fine which may extend to five thousand rupees or with both. "Provided that, on being satisfied that the accused, whether after defending himself or without offering any defence, has purged himself of the contempt of Court, the Court may discharge the accused or remit this sentence." March 31: My column headed 'Freedom of the Press' was considered by Dawn's editor to be inappropriate for publication that day and was not printed. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950403 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Front-line state syndrome ------------------------------------------------------------------- By M.B. Naqvi PRIME MINISTER Benazir Bhutto's Washington visit, beginning on April 5, has suddenly become extraordinarily controversial. In an interview to American media, she has visualised a new relationship between America and Pakistan based on American recognition of this country as a front-line state in the fight against Islamic fundamentalism and related causes. She is clearly aiming at American aid the way it was available during the 1980's for the Islamic Jihad against communism in Afghanistan. Americans are being urged to help her government as a matter of duty in the holy war against 'terrorism, militancy, extremism, fundamentalism and narcotics trade', in Pakistan - that are the fallout from the Afghan war (for which presumably the Americans bear some responsibility). There is no doubt that Pakistan is in a difficult and confusing situation. No one can doubt the importance of having good working relationship with America, the only superpower with overwhelming presence around us. These ties should be based on adequate understanding of each other's position, interests and purposes; areas of convergences - and consequent cooperation - should be as clearly spelled out just as those of divergences should be mapped out for agreeing to differ. That requires their working together with honesty to extend areas of convergence on the basis of equality and mutual goodwill. But it does not require the kind of helpless beseeching for aid that the Prime Minister has reduced herself to. She may have gravely damaged the cause she implicitly is espousing: human rights, democracy and modernism by asking the Americans for aid in fighting religious extremism and related evils in the domestic sphere. The force described as Islamic fundamentalism that takes extremist shapes, including sectarianism, is basically a home-grown thing, though the Afghan war may have exacerbated it. But the primary responsibility for dealing with it is Pakistan's own. It is not, fundamentally, for foreigners to fight the implications or consequences of religious fanaticism in a Muslim society. Calling it a fallout of Afghan war is only partially true. Americans only exploited existing sentiments and illusions and no more; they certainly did not create the passion that gives birth to holy warriors of any kind. Americans paid good money to the basically mercenary fighters, both of whom had their own axes to grind, not to mention Islamabad's own. Both were satisfied with each other at the time. By asking for American aid PM Bhutto would make fundamentalists the only champion of anti-imperialist sentiment and that would politically strengthen them no end. Clarity of thought is the primary need in order to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with the only superpower there is. That, however, ought not to compromise Pakistani state's sovereign equality despite its being relatively small and weak. Conduct of the present government has already compromised Pakistan's sovereignty by concedings privileges to official American agencies that are reminiscent of the "capitulations" granted by Ottoman Empire to, or "extra-territorial rights" that were imposed by, European colonial powers on India and China among others. Examples are multiplying: The way fugitives from American justice have been rounded up and hustled out of the country without so much as a token presence before a Pakistani court is a tell-tale; the way FBI is 'exclusively' investigating and interrogating suspects and witnesses in the murder of two American nationals in Karachi in which local police has not the slightest say is the latest example. Then, Ambassador John Monjo has propounded a doctrine that needs to be rejected about the American law being enforceable on Pakistani soil by American law enforcement agencies (such as has already begun to happen). This is a theory that implicitly assumes America, American law and Americans to be somehow superior to all; American interests override those of others. The Pakistan government has to clarify its position on this subject, unless, of course, we are happy to become and remain a vassal state. It is saddening to watch the misconceived pleadings by the Prime Minister about Pakistan emerging as a 'front-line state' against terrorism and in the vanguard of the 'movement to uncover militant groups that have been operating in different Muslim countries'. Her message to the Americans sounds pathetic: "One of the messages I will be taking to the US (is) that you are a fair nation, we have been allies, so help me strengthen the forces of moderation within Pakistan by taking away the factor that fuelled fanaticism". What it comes to is Islamabad's endeavour to join the glittering fraternity of King Hasan of Morocco, present regimes in Algeria and Tunisia, President Hosni Mobarak of Egypt and other moderates Gulf Shaikhs and Amirs. What these regimes can get away within their countries would scarcely be possible in Pakistan. Pakistan is not like any other country of West Asia. Islamabad may think it is the only feasible way of seeking American military or military-related economic aid. It is cold war thinking: it is the syndrome of front- line states being bolstered to remain in the front-line against a common enemy. We had better be realistic and look at the Pakistan-American ties from other angles. Some one should exercise his mind to visualise how American administration would view its ties with Pakistan in the light of its own priorities and purposes. Then, there might be a second exercise of looking at Pakistan's own long-term and immediate interests, without forgetting elementary truths such as preserving its own freedom of action. It is possible to sympathise with the predicament of the PPP government. But this can only be up to a point. It may have no option but to carry on a Kashmir policy that displeases Americans, Indians and some others and maintaining a nuclear stance that fails to satisfy the Americans and the West. The endeavour to please the Americans in other spheres - fighting religious extremist groups and their narcotics-loving friars - may be understandable but is fraught with bigger dangers than joining the anti Soviet Islamic Jihad in Afghanistan was. Islamabad's predicament lies in having, an over-sized military establishment, with commitments in Kashmir and Afghanistan that are beyond the financial capacity of the economy. But few outsiders can sympathise with this: not even all Pakistan is agree with the need to obtain American aid on no matter what terms or bases. Invoking the 'front-line state' syndrome is possibly the most dangerous line of least resistance that will land the country in God knows what troubles and where. This is not to say that those in Pakistan who see religious fanaticism and all its works to be destructive, not only of human freedoms of Pakistanis but also of Pakistan. State in a primary sense. They do need to galvanise themselves for a supreme effort against it. But religious bigotry cannot be fought with armies and para-military forces, even if its by-products might require to be tackled physically. But the latter is not the main war. Primary theatre of this war is the human mind; and knowledge, scientific mode of thinking and spirit of relaxed tolerance - born of the values of freedom and human equality - constitute the ammunition. Maybe the Americans will help in this all-important war by suitable means. Maybe they won't. Let us leave it to them. Who can forget that Pakistan is the main intellectual centre of all kinds of Islamic revivalist ideas. The Islamic Ideology that was propounded by Jamaat-i-Islami here has had a big impact on the rest of the Islamic world and has in fact furthered the work of Akhwanul Muslimeen in the Arab world. This has had, however, its own vicissitudes and now Islamic Ideology faces its own come uppance in the shape of a multiplicity of religious orthodoxies staking out their own exclusivist claims on the allegiance of the faithful. This proliferation of internally-quarrelling Islamic extremist movements may be dangerous to others as well. But it is primarily a danger to our own state and society: it is basically our business. If there are outsiders who sympathise with those Pakistanis who are countering religious fundamentalist movements, let them come and ask what help they can render. Their help should be tailored to the task in hand. It is primarily a political and theoretical task and not one of finance or military strength or even better policing, though they might be important for other purposes. Tackling Islamic extremism does not entitle Islamabad to a flow of dollars that would only fatten the elite groups. The Americans and others know their own minds, they are unlikely to be impressed by clever talking points. Let Islamabad worry over the issues that keep South Asia divided and at war with itself. Local solutions, rather than alliance-seeking with the US (under whatever nomenclature) should be our quest. If we can do that, ties with America can be expected to change in a radical fashion. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950403 ------------------------------------------------------------------- ANP-PML allegations say nothing new ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From A.S. Yousufi PESHAWAR: True to the age-old habit of Pakistan politicians the defeated candidates of the ANP and PML and local leaders of the two parties have refused to accept the people's verdict in the two by- elections on PF-63 and PF-70 and have called upon the Election Commission to withhold the results and order recounting of the votes. The charges levelled against the government party and its candidates are just usual. They said nothing new when they claimed at their Press conferences that the results were manipulated during counting and that bogus votes were cast in large numbers. There was no third argument which they could advance. In one of the Press conferences addressed by the ANP-PML office- bearers Farid Toofan and Haji Mohammad Javed, both former ministers and both holding responsible offices of provincial general secretary of their respective parties as well as the two defeated candidates made some irresponsible statements which not only tarnish the image of the country's judiciary but also of the government the provincial administration and the Election Commission. Such sweeping remarks should have been avoided for the sake of parties credibility. How easily they forgot the results of the earlier two by-elections in Kohat and Nowshera in which the ANP candidates defeated those of the PPP was amusing. At that time the elections for them were transparent and the results correct; and it was so because the opposition ANP had emerged victorious. It goes to the credit of the PPP that despite losing the by-elections of Kohat and Nowshera its leadership did not indulge in invectives and accusations and accepted the results though it had lost the Nowshera seat which it had captured in the election. At the Press conferences on Saturday the two general secretaries and their defeated candidates from Buner and Swat justified their claim that results were manipulated during counting on the ground that announcement of results was delayed till about 2 am because in earlier countings the opposition candidates had an edge over the PPP's. The argument does not hold good because results of both the constituencies had landed in newspaper offices in Peshawar by 10.30 pm and correspondents of national dailies had filed their reports latest by 11.15 pm after due verification from various sources. As regards the charge of bogus voting this too does not stand to reason. To avoid ghost votes and to maintain complete peace during polling the local administration in Buner and Swat had taken some very effective precautionary measures. All the roads to Buner had been blocked by law-enforcers and even journalists from outside Buner found it impossible to cross any of the barriers. There were no skirmishes at the polling stations and no hot words were exchanged between the candidates or their supporters. Both at Buner and in Swat the ANP and PML along with the PPP had posted hundreds of their workers some of whom had been brought from outside the constituency before the blockade was enforced on the morning of March 30. The agents of the candidates were present at the counting counters in Buner and Swat. None of them raised any objection and everything went on smoothly till the following day the ANP and PML had second thoughts and changed their posture. To put the record straight leaders of both the parties had accepted defeat on the evening of the polling day. So at least they told the newsmen who rang them up on the evening of March 30. The most unfortunate aspect of the negative approach of the opposition leadership is that even a straightforward Begum Nasim Wali Khan who is party leader in the Provincial Assembly could be influenced to express her doubts about the polling results suspecting manipulation in counting. Another unfortunate aspect is that at the Press conference the ANP's Toofan was for the first time joined in by the PML's Haji Javed when both of them passed defamatory remarks against the judiciary. While Mr Toofan has been in the habit of maligning the judiciary for his own good reasons he found another person in PML's Haji Javed to the his line. At the Press conference both reportedly ruled out moving the courts in this regard as they were of the view that they did not expect justice from such courts where jialas were appointed as judges." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950404 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Leghari's effort to solve Karachi issue ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From M. Ziauddin ISLAMABAD: On the last Thursday of March in the morning President Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari resumed, on behalf of the government, the on-again and off-again negotiations with the MQM in Karachi while in the evening on the same day, Prime Minister Ms Benazir Bhutto addressing the nation over TV and radio reiterated her resolve to punish terrorists and wipe out terrorism from the country. The seeming contrast in the approach of the two towards the Karachi problem, however, is said to be part of a single policy with two-tracks which it is learnt was approved on March 27 at a meeting of the President, the Prime Minister and the Chief of the Army Staff General Abdul Waheed-the troika. With the unfolding of this two-track policy, things are expected now to move rapidly on the Karachi front. While keeping the pressure on the terrorists, possibilities are likely to he probed to make arrangements under which the MQM would be allowed, say within the next 90 days, to test their representative character at the local level and also join the provincial government. But all this is easier said than done. Look at the predicament of PML which has recently developed an understanding with the MQM. A stormy scene ensued as soon as the Central Working Committee of the party was informed of the decision to ask National Assembly members from urban Sindh to resign to enable MQM to return to the political mainstream through by-elections. The Karachi MNAs of the PML were afraid that the move would wipe out the Party from Pakistan's largest city, while the CWC members from the interior of the province were certain that such a step would adversely affect the growing popularity of the party in rural Sindh. And Nawaz Sharif who does not draw his political clout from Sindh as much as the prime minister does, had had to postpone a decision on the matter. Nawaz has the support of Punjabi settlers in the province. With the help of the MQM, he can in any future elections give Ms Bhutto a run for her money in her home province. But still, he would fall short of the numbers needed to make a government in the province if he fails to take rural Sindh with him. So the last minute dithering by Nawaz on the issue of translating the understanding reached with the MQM into a political reality. By contrast the political price Ms Bhutto will have to pay in rural Sindh for accomodating the MQM at the local and provincial levels would be much more devastating for her. Sindhis live in the perpetual fear of being turned into Red Indians by the never ending migration into urban part of the province from not only up country but also from India, Bangladesh, Burma, Iran, Afghanistan and many such places. Sindhis have also come to believe that if they concede political dominance of Karachi to the MQM today, tomorrow the ethnic organisation would stake its claim over the entire province. The MQM has not done anything so far to assuage the dread of Sindhis. In fact, their irresponsible members have done everything to reinforce these fears by loose talk of turning Karachi into a Hong Kong and demanding the holding of census under the UN. Therefore it is almost certain that the nationalist Sindhis would make a successful bid to oust Ms Bhutto from her base the minute she is perceived to be making some concessions to the MQM. So, the troika probably thought that the President rather than the prime minister was better placed politically to talk the MQM back into the country's mainstream politics while getting, in return ,the MQM to allay the fears of Sindhis by publicly renouncing the drivel of dividing the province on ethnic lines and the gibberish of getting urban Sindh to secede from Pakistan. The office of the President does not empower Mr Leghari to play a role in this particular matter. But he can perhaps without seeming to be interfering in the provincial matters, help turn the administrative Babel there into a single authoritative voice to be obeyed by all the agencies and departments now working at cross purposes and coming in each other's way. While the political track is to be followed by the President, the prime minister probably has been given a totally free hand by the troika to pursue the criminal track and deal sternly with the terrorists and terrorism. It was, therefore, necessary that while the President was trying his hand at healing the political wounds, the terrorists, lest they get the wrong signal, were told at the same time in unambiguous terms that they cannot hide behind their political affiliations any longer. And it was also necessary perhaps to clear off the distracting impression that the army had given Nawaz Sharif some kind of assignment vis-a-vis the MQM. The prime minister's address to the nation took care of these two things effectively. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950405 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Beyond exchanging letters ------------------------------------------------------------------- IF the letters that Ms Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif have written to each other are even published, it will be an anthology unlikely to set the oceans on fire. Petty point-scoring and empty rhetoric are the most outstanding characteristics of these literary exchanges. Do their latest letters regarding the situation in Karachi contain the promise of anything different? Mian Nawaz Sharif, it will be remembered, wrote to the Prime Minister after returning from London where he had held talks with the MQM chief, Mr Altaf Hussain, offering to cooperage with the government in finding a solution to the problems of Karachi. In his letter he had suggested that the government should withdraw all 'false' cases against Mr Altaf Hussain, announce an amnesty for his colleagues and facilitate the MQM leader's early return to the country. In her reply the Prime Minister, without committing herself to anything specific, has welcomed Mian Nawaz Sharif's offer of co-operation and said that she would like to meet him at a mutually convenient time on her return from the United States. What Mr Nawaz Sharif makes of this reply remains to be seen. If past experience is any guide, he could well lament the fact that Ms Bhutto has said nothing about the specific points he had raised. It would be unfortunate, however, if he were to make this an excuse for ridiculing or rejecting Ms Bhutto's offer of talks. Regardless of whether the Prime Minister and the principal opposition leader are capable of behaving in a statesmanlike manner, it is imperative that they should meet and talk about important national issues. Mr Sharif must, therefore, give a positive response to the Prime Minister's letter. To expect that both would be able to agree on a common set of proposals for Karachi, or on a common approach to the MQM, would under the circumstances be too much to expect. Their widely differing perceptions, as much as their mutual animosity, preclude such a possibility. Even so, the mere fact that they get together, if only to be photographed smiling at each other, will be a positive development. It can also hopefully set a precedent for the future. The tendency of throwing bricks at each other and adopting a confrontationist stance on every matter has harmed the political system and also brought both leaders into public disrepute. It is high time this tendency was checked and new standards of political behaviour established. Regardless of the agenda, therefore, a meeting between the Prime Minister and the opposition leader is called for. Who knows after they have shed some of the loathing that they bear for each other they might go on to tackle substantive issues. But it is the situation in Karachi which forms the backdrop to the current exchange of letters and since this also happens to be the most important issue confronting the nation, it is on this that their attention must be focused. Their public positions on this issue are widely divergent, with Ms Bhutto, as in her recent speech, vowing to give no quarter to criminal elements and Mr Nawaz Sharif advocating a policy of conciliation with the MQM leadership. But it is not too far- fetched to visualise common ground emerging between them if Ms Bhutto could be persuaded to temper some of her rigidity and Mr Nawaz Sharif persuaded to tone down some of the demands he has made on behalf of the MQM. It is clear that the MQM must be brought back into the political mainstream and its victimisation brought to an end. At the same time, there is the question of the criminal cases against Mr Altaf Hussain and his followers not all of which are a figment of the government's imagination. What is to be done about them? Mr Nawaz Sharif should have a realistic answer to this question as well. In any event, the important thing is for them to meet. Once that happens other things can follow.

SPORTS

=================================================================== 950406 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pressure on Pakistan captain ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Special Representative SHARJAH, April 5: If the pressure on him was not so obviously known to the world, one could never have guessed it from Moin Khan's manner. The new captain of Pakistan, only 23, is unafraid to smile, and does not mind answering prickly queries either. "My understanding is that this team has been chosen purely on form and I see no reason to think otherwise," he said, looking relaxed in his hotel room this morning, when he could have actually been fretting and fuming. Only the previous night, star all-rounder Wasim Akram had threatened to pull out of the tour, and before that Pakistan have lost the services of Salim Malik, Ijaz Ahmed Sr, Basit Ali and Rashid Latif. Most young players would have forsaken the captaincy to preserve sanity. But Moin looks and talks tough. "He will certainly come," he said of Akram, "it's only a minor misunderstanding which will be resolved." By the end of the day, Moin had been proved right. On the other issues, Moin was circumspect, but not silent. "I don't know whether Malik and a few others were not selected for any reason apart from cricketing form. If they shape up well, they can make a comeback." Moin, who had been out of favour for a couple of years, also sees this appointment as a chance to redeem his career. " If the selectors see me as a stop-gap captain, it is their prerogative. I know that if I perform well, then I am here to stay." He has, of course, a challenging task ahead of him. Pakistan have never come here under so much pressure. He leads a side shorn of some key players, and also obviously in turmoil. "But that's the way this game is played," he states bravely, "Pressure adds to the thrill and satisfaction. I am convinced that Pakistan will win this Asia Cup." Most critics are not. Moin Khan's biggest challenge yet begins on Friday. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 950406 ------------------------------------------------------------------- A welcome gesture by Wasim ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Our Sports Reporter KARACHI, April 5: The Pakistan Cricket Board, under its active Chief Executive known for his diplomatic skills, finally resolved the Wasim Akram dilemma. Wasim Akram, had earlier decided to opt out of the Asia Cup after the PCB informed him that he would not be allowed to share his hotel room with his wife, although she could otherwise accompany the team. Wasim had consequently dropped out of the team and hence had not left with the Pakistani squad. It was early Wednesday morning that Mr Arif Ali Abbasi, was able to convince Wasim Akram, the Pakistani speedster, of the need to reverse his decision in the interest of the country and the team. Pakistan has to be a forceful side, especially in bowling, if at all it has to at through the batting line-up of rich-rivals, India, in their match on Friday. Wasim, a former captain of the national squad, had to accede to the request of the board after further talks with Mr Abbasi in Karachi. He flew on to the Gulf sheikhdom on Wednesday to rejoin the team on what was the last day for submitting the names of the squad to the management of the Asia Cup. ============================== E N D ================================

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