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DAWN WIRE SERVICE
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Week Ending : 14 September, 1995 Issue : 01/36
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The DAWN Wire Service (DWS) is a free weekly news-service from
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CONTENTS
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Karachi
..........11 killed in city violence
..........Five killed, 5 vehicles set ablaze on protest day
..........Violence claims six lives
..........Three killed in city violence
..........Three more killed in violence
..........Younus Habib's wife murdered
Punjab Crisis
..........PML(J) splits Wattoo joins forces with Nawaz
..........Watoo expelled by Chattha
..........Leghari defends Punjab action
..........Chattha agrees to back PPP
..........PDF names Makhdoom Altaf as Punjab CM
..........Opposition claims support of 129 MPAs
..........Wattoo claims enough support to form govt
..........Makhdoom levels charges against Wattoo
..........Nawaz ready for PML reunification
..........Wattoo may be asked to seek fresh trust vote
..........Nawaz to back Chattha's candidate
..........Wattoo out in 10-minute PA session
..........Saroop has no powers to summon PA, says Wattoo
..........Arif Nakai of PML(J) new chief minister
Govt-MQM talks
..........Govt-MQM talks make headway
..........MQM calls for protest day tomorrow
..........MQM threatens indefinite strike
..........'One-point formula' controversy hits talks
Pak-Afghan relations
..........Ties with Kabul to remain unaffected
..........Attack on Pakistani Embassy discussed
..........Pakistan to shift its embassy from Kabul
..........Kabul must apologise, pay compensation, says Assef
..........Kabul rejects Pakistan's demand
..........Afghans hold rally against Pakistan
Sutlej flood washes away 2,500 houses
India kills 3 Kashmiris on LoC
Ambassador blames NA speaker for toning down speech
20% of Green Cards referred to US embassy found to be fake
India's defence deal with US to be opposed
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BUSINESS & ECONOMICS
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UK court refuses bail to BCCI man
UK court order used against local firm
$240m plan for pilgrims' accommodation
Cotton accord with Turkmenistan signed
30% jump in conservancy, water rates
CBR announces refund of custom duties
ECNEC approves projects worth Rs 3138.43m
Stock Exchange : Short covering prevents decline
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Khajjiloo Ardeshir Cowasjee
The politics of irrelevance Mazdak
Crossing the line Omar Kureishi
A nation of lawyers Ayaz Amir
Not as rosy as that Editorial Column
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Off to a good start Sarfaraz Ahmed
950908
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11 killed in city violence
Staff Report
KARACHI, Sept. 7: Three MQM workers, a widow and a boy were among 11
people shot dead in the city on Thursday.
Tension gripped Saeedabad and Baldia Town after two MQM workers were
killed during a raid on their houses early on Thursday morning.
Mohammad Yunus, 24, and Mohammad Rafiq, 25, of MQM Baldia Town sector,
were killed when their Turk Mohalla residence, was raided by members
of the law enforcement agencies.
The police came out with two different versions about the killings.
Initially, they claimed the two were "terrorists" and killed in an
"encounter". The police then changed their version and claimed that
their bullet-riddled bodies had been thrown in the area by
unidentified men.
DWS
950911
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Five killed, 5 vehicles set ablaze on protest day
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Ghulam Hasnain
KARACHI, Sept. 10: The MQM strike against alleged torture of its women
activists in illegal police detentions kept closed all major markets
and shopping centres, most of the city banks and financial
institutions and private businesses on Sunday.
Rangers and police, clad in bullet-proof jackets and helmets and
riding armoured personnel carriers and mobiles, patrolled the troubled
localities throughout the day.
In stray incidents of violence, five people were killed and seven
others wounded and five vehicles were set ablaze.
Deputy opposition leader Shoaib Bokhari claimed that 300 to 350 women
who were going in a procession to a police station in district Central
to demand the release of their children and men were detained by the
administration in Khwaja Ajmer Nagri.
The police, however, denied the charge and claimed that about 10 to 15
women were stopped from taking out a procession and were later dropped
at their homes.
The strike also badly hit the industrial production. All the five
industrial areas of the city wore a deserted look. In some of the
factories, where night shift was detained, production was carried out.
Factories' main entrances, were, however, locked.
Federal minister Naseerullah Babar told Dawn that he had also deployed
force at Tariq Road to boost the confidence of shopkeepers but said:
"They (people) have lost confidence in the system. It will take them
little time to understand. But it is not like a ghost city. The strike
is partial," he said.
DWS
950913
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Violence claims six lives
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Staff Report
KARACHI, Sept. 12: Six people, including a PPP activist and a brother
of MQM worker, were shot dead in the city on Tuesday, raising the
month's death toll to 48. Police accused the MQM of carrying out the
killings.
Police found the body of an unidentified man in a locked house in PIB
Colony. The victim, who rented the house just last week, had a
throttled neck.
Another unidentified body was found in Gulberg. The victim whose body
bore bullet injuries could not be identified.
Constable Barkat Ali , 30, who was wounded on Aug. 28 in Malir died of
his injuries on Tuesday.
DWS
950914
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Three killed in city violence
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Staff Report
KARACHI, Sept. 13: Three people were killed in scattered incidents of
violence on Wednesday, raising the month's death toll to 52.
Sohail Ahmed, 23, was shot dead in Surjani Town. His body was brought
to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital for autopsy. His father, Raees Ahmed,
is a supporter of Jamat-i-Islami.
In Orangi Town, police found the body of Imran Rana, 19, with a
chopped hand, a chopped leg and a bullet injury in the mouth. His
political affiliation could not be known.
DWS
950908
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Three more killed in violence
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Staff Report
KARACHI, Sept. 8: Three persons were killed in stray incidents of
shooting in the city on Friday.
Mehfooz, 40, an employee of the Anti-Corruption Establishment, and his
companion, a young man were standing outside their house when they
were caught in a sudden shooting in the locality. Mehfooz was brought
dead at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital while Asif, 20, died a couple of
hours later.
In Orangi Town, where rival MQM groups exchanged gunfire, police found
the body of an unidentified 25-year-old man.
DWS
950913
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Younus Habib's wife murdered
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Staff Report
KARACHI, Sept. 12: The 38 year old wife of jailed banker Younus Habib
was shot dead by a lone assassin in Clifton on Tuesday.
Zeba Habib, accompanied by her two younger brothers, Raees Baseer and
Naeem Baseer, was going to the Special Court for Offences in Banks to
meet her husband. Earlier this year, Younis Habib was sentenced to 17
years imprisonment and fine of Rs 2.2 billion for misappropriating
$37.6 million worth of State Bank's dollar bearer certificates.
A motorcyclist who had been chasing their car fired a shot in the air.
As their car suddenly stopped, the killer fired three more shots =97 all
aimed at Mrs Habib.
The murder occurred a quarter kilometre from the Clifton police
station. But the police learned about it after more than an hour from
the medico-legal officer of the hospital.
The couple had been married for the last 23 years. They have no
children.
Government officials were divided on whether the murder was the result
of an enmity or was politically motivated.
DWS
950908
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PML(J) splits Wattoo joins forces with Nawaz
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Ashraf Mumtaz
LAHORE, Sept. 7: The PML(J) on Thursday split into two factions with
the one led by Hamid Nasir Chattha deciding to remain in the PDF and
the other led by Mian Manzoor Wattoo forging an alliance with
erstwhile foe Mian Nawaz Sharif.
Wattoo and Sharif later said they would work together in and outside
the assembly against what they called the fascist policies of the
government.
The leader of the PML(N) and PML(J-W) claimed that 28 PML(J)
supporters had reached there and another seven were with them. The
reporters, however, counted 23.
Now, the PML(J) MPAs led by Wattoo and PML(N) supporters would jointly
act if Wattoo is asked to seek a fresh vote of confidence or if a no-
confidence motion is moved against him.
At the residence of Nawaz Sharif, the PML(J-W) leaders looked visibly
embarrassed during the encounter because they had been consistently
working against the PML(N) since April 1993. Wattoo regretted some of
his actions against the Sharif family, and dissociated himself from
some others which he alleged were taken by the federal government.
Sharif said he was forgetting whatever he had to face during the
Wattoo rule.
Sharif embraced Wattoo in the same room in which, fed up with
increasing victimisation at the hands of the government, he was once
heard saying that Wattoo could not even imagine the kind of fate he
would have to face. Wattoo introduced his colleagues as if he was a
foreign dignitary.
Addressing the ceremony, Sharif said unity in the PML was the need of
the hour and he was happy that it was taking place at a time when
Wattoo was not in power. "Had you been in power, I would have resisted
you as well as the PPP to the last, as I have been doing for the last
two days."
The opposition leader said he was against personal vendetta and had he
believed in this contemptible thinking, he would not have met Wattoo
today. "Anybody opposed to 'fascism' is my ally".
DWS
950908
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Watoo expelled by Chattha
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Bureau Report
LAHORE, Sept. 7: PML(J) President Hamid Nasir Chattha has expelled
former chief minister Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo from the party and
dissolved Punjab organisation of the party.
Wattoo, who was the president of the PML(J) Punjab has been replaced
by Dr Basharat Elahi who has been assigned the task of organising the
party in the province.
Talking to newsmen, Chattha said Wattoo had entered into an alliance
with the PML(N) which was a gross violation of party discipline. "He
(Wattoo) joined hands with Nawaz Sharif for personal interests and out
of lust for power".
DWS
950908
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Leghari defends Punjab action
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Anjum Niaz
President Farooq Leghari said that he had suspended the provincial
assemblies in the NWFP and Punjab with a heavy heart, but had to do so
in order to avert a "dangerous situation."
"I am not very happy that I have been obliged to do this and I hope I
will never have to do it ever again, because I always try to ward off
such actions as long as possible," President Leghari commented for the
first time since he had suspended the Punjab assembly on the eve of
his three-day visit to Turkmenistan last Tuesday.
Asked by Dawn to spell out the specifics, other than corruption which
had induced him to implement the federal government's advice for the
suspension of the Punjab assembly, President Leghari said: "The
corruption and the charge-sheet provided by PML (J) advisers were many
of the things I had seen for the first time. One had heard of the
(CM's) jet and other things, but the misuse of discretionary funds
convinced me that I should agree to the proclamation without referring
the case back to the federal government." He explained that under his
constitutional powers, he could only refer the case back once, but was
"obliged to follow the advice the second time."
When reminded that he had given the former chief minister of NWFP a
chance to show his majority in the house, why then did he not give a
similar chance to Wattoo," the president said that, according to his
sources, this was not the major factor: "there were very strong
rumours that in order to save himself from defeat, the chief minister
(Wattoo) was going to dissolve the assembly and thus it was necessary
to act swiftly."
DWS
950908
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Chattha agrees to back PPP
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Mahmood Zaman
LAHORE, Sept. 8: The PML (J) is learnt to have accepted to support the
PPP's nominee as the new Punjab chief minister if its candidate is
appointed senior minister.
A new working formula was under discussion at a PML (J) meeting which
was presided over by it's president Hamid Nasir Chattha.
According to sources, the PML(J) has asked the PPP leadership that it
should be given the ministries it held during the Wattoo government.
The PML(J) held portfolios of education, law and parliamentary
affairs, excise and taxation, communication and works in the previous
administration.
The PPP leadership, according to sources, is willing to accept the
PML(J) plea under an advice by the NWFP chief minister Aftab Ahmad
Khan Sherpao. He is stated to have played a "big role" in keeping the=
PDF intact as it has a direct bearing on his province where he is
heading a coalition government with the help of the PML(J).
DWS
950910
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PDF names Makhdoom Altaf as Punjab CM
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Ihtashamul Haque
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 9: Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto on Saturday called
on President Farooq Leghari and informed him about her decision to
nominate former senior minister Makhdoom Altaf as the new chief
minister of Punjab.
Sources said Ms. Bhutto told the president that the People's
Democratic Front (PDF) was in a very good position to form the
government in Punjab. In this regard she referred to her series of
meetings with other politicians, including Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan
and PML(J) President Hamid Nasir Chattha.
Sources said that Ms. Bhutto apprised the president about the power
sharing formula with the PML(J), according to which, the PML(J) will
be offered the ministries of Food and Agriculture, Local Government,
Education, Law and Justice, Sports and Tourism while the PPP will have
other portfolios, including the Home, Services and General
Administration.
It was said that one senior minister will also be taken from the
Junejo League and Mr. Ata Muhammad Manika and Chauhdry Sadaqat will be
the likely contenders in this behalf.
On the other hand PML(N) sources claimed that they have also finalised
their strategy to field Chauhdry Pervaiz Elahi as the new chief
minister. They said that they enjoyed the support of many MPAs and
that they would give a surprise by getting their nominee elected as
the leader of the house in the suspended Punjab Assembly.
DWS
950910
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Opposition claims support of 129 MPAs
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Bureau Report
LAHORE, Sept. 9: The opposition claimed on Saturday that it had
acquired the support of 129 MPAs in Punjab and that the strength would
rise to 140 during the next two days.
A spokesman said that 12 of the MPAs the government had flown to
Islamabad, would also vote for the opposition. He said that any
session of the Punjab Assembly, convened while its members were still
in "detention", would be illegal and the opposition would resist it.
Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, he said, had directed his party
leaders to prepare lists of all those officials playing into the hands
of the present government. Such officials, he said, would be held
accountable after a change of government.
Meanwhile, PML(N) candidate for the office of chief minister Chaudhry
Pervaiz Elahi has claimed that the party is fully united and reports
of differences are baseless.
DWS
950910
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Wattoo claims enough support to form govt
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Bureau Report
LAHORE, Sept. 9: Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo on Saturday alleged that
the government had taken away some of his supporters but claimed that
they would vote for him in the assembly.
He also claimed that he still enjoyed enough support to form a
government in the Punjab, where the power struggle continues unabated.
On the PPP's side, Makhdoom Altaf, who was senior minister in the
Wattoo cabinet, claimed at a news conference that the PDF would form
its government in the Punjab and its candidate, in case of a secret
ballot, would get a two-third majority in the house. The opposition,
in his words, would get less than 100 votes.
"They have taken some of my colleagues (to the other side) after
subjecting them to tremendous pressure. But they will vote for me if I
am asked to seek a confidence vote (to prove my majority) or if a no-
confidence is moved against me", Wattoo said. However, he did not
specify the number of those who have left him.
DWS
950910
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Makhdoom levels charges against Wattoo
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Bureau Report
LAHORE, Sept. 9: Former senior minister Makhdoom Altaf Ahmad claimed
on Saturday that suspended chief minister Mian Manzoor Wattoo had
conspired to dismiss his cabinet, break the PDF and form government in
the province in league with the PML(N).
Speaking at a news conference, he termed the plan a "London
conspiracy" under which Wattoo was to suddenly have a vote of
confidence on Sept. 4 with the help of the opposition during the last
Punjab Assembly session requisitioned by the PML(N). But he had to
drop the idea at the eleventh hour as he was not sure of his success.
"We came to know of the conspiracy and in the subsequent development
we had no choice other than steps under which the governor's rule was
imposed on Punjab", he added.
Altaf said Wattoo had, prior to his departure for the United States,
promised the Prime Minister that he would resign from his office on
his return home. But Wattoo had something else in his mind. He rushed
to London from the US and gave final touches to his "conspiracy" which=
he had been hatching in league with the PML(N) for about 20 months, he
added.
In reply to questions, Makhdoom claimed that given the secret ballot,
the PDF would form a government in Punjab with a two-thirds majority
and the support to the other side (PML(N)-Wattoo combine) in the
assembly would be even below one hundred.
He also claimed that Wattoo had, after the imposition of governor's
rule and after assessing his own strength, established contacts with
the PPP leadership four times, seeking forgiveness. But his request
had been turned down as "we have closed doors for him". When things
became clear to the MPAs who had gone with Wattoo, they started
deserting his (Wattoo's) camp and started joining either the PPP or
the PML(J). He said Wattoo had tried to turn his personal disputes
with his party as a conflict between the PPP and the PML(J). "I must
make it clear that there has been and never will be any conflict
between the two parties in the PDF which now stands more united than
ever before", he added.
DWS
950911
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Nawaz ready for PML reunification
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Bureau Report
LAHORE, Sept. 10: PML President Mian Nawaz Sharif, shunning past
rigidity, expressed his readiness for a merger of all factions of the
Pakistan Muslim League and said for this purpose he had written
letters to Hamid Nasir Chattha and Pir Pagara, president of the PML(J)
and the Functional Muslim League, respectively, inviting them to work
out the modalities of a merger.
He also gave a call to all political leaders, public opinion leaders,
intelligentsia and all sections of society to work together to resist
the government efforts to "impose a fascist one-party system" and
attempts aimed at demolition of the democratic process.
Sharif said the president owed an explanation to the nation why, at
the behest of the Prime Minister, he had allowed the floodgates of
horse-trading and black-mailing to open. "If the president does not
act to prevent these violations of the Constitution, then the people
of Pakistan will have reason to believe that he is not faithfully
discharging his duties as the constitutional head of state."
DWS
950911
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Wattoo may be asked to seek fresh trust vote
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Nasir Malick
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 10: The ruling alliance of Pakistan Democratic Front
(PDF) is set to bring its chief minister with a majority of 150
members after sending Wattoo out of office on Sept. 12.
The PDF displayed its strength in the Punjab House here at a joint
meeting of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League(J)
on Sunday.
According to the strategy chalked out today, it was decided that the
Governor would ask Wattoo to seek a fresh vote of confidence when the
assembly meets on Sept. 12.
Since he will not be able to take a vote of confidence, the PDF will
put up its own candidate on Sept. 13 who will seek a vote of
confidence, the source said.
The source, who chose anonymity, said the Governor's rule would be
lifted a day before the assembly session. "The Speaker can summon the
assembly at a short notice of 12 hours and probably this will be done
in this case and assembly will be summoned on Sept. 11."
A PPP source said the government wanted to resolve Punjab issue before
the National Assembly session which is beginning on Sept. 13 in the
afternoon so that the opposition should not get any point to score.
PPP members are confident that this time it will be their candidate
who will head the province. "Mr Hamid Nasir Chattha has been told by
the prime minister that the present power-sharing formula between the
PPP and the PML (J) is not workable and that the chief minister should
be from the majority party," the source said.
Hamid Nasir Chattha however told reporters after the meeting that it
was his desire that the chief minister should be from his party.
DWS
950912
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Nawaz to back Chattha's candidate
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Bureau Report
LAHORE, Sept. 11: In an unexpected move here on Monday, PML(N)
President Nawaz Sharif declared that his party would not nominate any
candidate for the office of the Punjab chief minister if the PML(J)
nominated its candidate for the post.
A message in this respect has been sent to Hamid Nasir Chattha with
the hope that because of his family background and his long
affiliation with the PML, he would make use of the offer and would not
deprive the PML of an opportunity to form its government in the
Punjab.
A party source told Dawn that in the changed situation, the PML(N)
wanted to make all possible efforts to prevent the PPP from coming
into power in the Punjab.
He said he had made the offer after taking into consideration the
prevailing situation and the supreme interests of the PML. He said his
party was ready to offer any sacrifice for the establishment of a PML
government in the Punjab.
DWS
950913
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Wattoo out in 10-minute PA session
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Ashraf Mumtaz
LAHORE, Sept. 12: Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo stood ousted as Punjab
chief minister on Tuesday when he failed to turn up at a special
session of the assembly called by the governor to seek a fresh vote of
confidence.
With the formal end of the Wattoo administration in Punjab, the
campaign first started by deputy speaker Manzoor Mohal in June through
anti-Wattoo statements, which escalated when four of the Wattoo's
advisers tendered their resignations, came to its logical conclusion.
The entire opposition as well as Wattoo boycotted Tuesday's session on
the plea that the whole exercise was "illegal and unconstitutional"
since the governor had not restored the chief minister's powers before
requiring him to show his majority in the House.
Wattoo, who had first become Punjab chief minister after a no-
confidence motion against the late Ghulam Haider Wyne on April 25,
1993, declared at a news conference later that he would go to court
against the "illegal proceedings" of the session.
He maintained that under the Constitution, the governor could ask a
chief minister, and not a suspended chief minister, to seek a vote of
confidence.
DWS
950913
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Saroop has no powers to summon PA, says Wattoo
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Bureau Report
LAHORE, Sept. 12: Former Punjab chief minister Manzoor Wattoo has
disputed governor Saroop Khan's powers to summon the assembly session
and ask him to seek a fresh vote of confidence without restoring his
government, suspended on Sept. 5 by President Farooq Ahmed Leghari
under Article 234 of the Constitution.
"Without my restoration as chief minister, I cannot be asked to obtain
a vote of confidence because Article 109/130(5) of the Constitution
postulates that the Punjab governor can only require the chief
minister to seek such a vote and not an ordinary member of the
assembly. At any rate the Punjab governor, having not been so mandated
by the president, could not issue the order and create a
constitutional crisis," Wattoo said in a letter he faxed on Tuesday to
the president, the governor and Punjab Assembly Speaker Haneef Ramay.
Wattoo also announced that they would boycott the "unconstitutional
and illegal" assembly session. "I cannot attend a session which is
wholly illegal and emanates from an order that is ab initio void," the
former chief minister said.
He said they had completed their preparations to move the courts
against the illegal summoning of the assembly session and the
presidential proclamation, in a couple of days. He expressed the hope
that he would get relief from the court and the proclamation would be
set aside.
In his letter, Wattoo has also questioned the "legality" of the
presidential proclamation denuding him and his cabinet of executive
powers. He dubbed the proclamation order illegal and motivated.
Wattoo said the federal government was using the electronic media and
the entire state machinery to "persecute and malign" him and his
cabinet colleagues, by levelling accusations against them, to browbeat
them into submission since the suspension of his government.
The administrative machinery, he charged, had been massively mobilised
by the governor during the last five days and government officials,
who had relatives in the assembly, were asked to force the MPAs
concerned to indulge in the worst kind of horse-trading to switch
their loyalties. Such acts of the government had "destroyed democratic
norms and the constitutional system".
"I was not asked by the governor to obtain a vote of confidence on my
return home on Sept. 3 because he knew I would get one. Instead, the
federal government and the governor managed the proclamation for
ulterior considerations." Wattoo concluded: "I and my colleagues are
shocked over the misuse of state powers flowing from the apex, in
ruthless violation of all norms, law and ethics, and call upon your
conscience to revoke all the illegal and unconstitutional orders and
acts. We hope that you will serve the people of Pakistan by restoring
me and my cabinet by rising above your selves and thus uphold
constitutional rule in the largest province of the country."
DWS
950914
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Arif Nakai of PML(J) new chief minister
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Mahmood Zaman
LAHORE, Sept. 13: Sardar Mohammad Arif Nakai, a PML(J) MPA from Kasur
and a member of the deposed Wattoo cabinet, was elected leader of the
house on Wednesday to head the next PDF government in Punjab
As many as 152 votes were recorded in favour of the 66 year old Nakai,
whose nomination by the PDF coalition took most people by surprise.
Those voting in his favour included six PML(N) dissidents. The PML(N)
as a party abstained from taking part in the count.
Before the election of the new chief minister began in a specially
convened Punjab Assembly session, it was announced that Nakai was the
PDF's candidate, and the other nominees =97- including the man most
tipped to be chief minister, the PPP's Makhdoom Altaf =97 then withdrew=
their nominations. Acting opposition leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi,
after ascertaining that only the PML(J)'s candidate was left in the
field, announced that he was also withdrawing from the contest, Nakai
was thus elected unopposed.
An immediate problem for the PDF would be the restoration of
administrative powers to the new chief minister. The powers were taken
over by the governor on Tuesday and the PML(J) would like them to be
restored to Nakai. This may result in an immediate tug of war between
the PDF partners as well as between the PML(J) and the governor.
DWS
950908
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Govt-MQM talks make headway
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Shamim-ur-Rahman
KARACHI, Sept. 7: The government-MQM peace talks apparently crossed
the psychological threshold on Thursday as they "moved closer" to each=
other in "forging an understanding" that may lead to a "political
accord".
Both sides appeared relaxed and optimistic at the end of the seventh
round of talks which lasted about three hours at the Governor's House
but parried questions in a bid to save the process from running into
snags.
The "crucial and important" eighth round would be held at the
Parliament House in Islamabad on Sept. 13 in which both sides have
agreed to discuss each others point of view as spelt out in 18 and 21
points of the MQM and the government, respectively.
The two sides also agreed to continue "silent and quiet efforts to
defuse tension" and for "improving the law and order situation in
Karachi," Mr Khan said.
The MQM had observed a day of strike last week to protest against the
alleged humiliation of Mohajir women, encirclement of the Mohajir
localities, end of mass arrests and alleged extra-judicial killings.
DWS
950908
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MQM calls for protest day tomorrow
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Staff Report
KARACHI, Sept. 8: The MQM coordination committee announced on Friday
that it would observe Sept. 10 as a "protest day" against what it
alleged was "continuing arrest of its women workers and their torture
in interrogation cells".
In a statement, the committee appealed to transporters, traders and
shopkeepers to join the protest by closing their businesses on the
day.
It further said that "unless arrest and torture" of its workers was
not stopped, the MQM would continue its protest against the government
and its agencies.
DWS
950910
-------------------------------------------------------------------
MQM threatens indefinite strike
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Shamim-ur-Rahman
KARACHI, Sept. 9: Prospects for the resumption of the eighth round of
talks between the government and the Mohajir Qaumi Movement on Sept.
13 appear to be bleak because the latter has threatened "indefinite
strike" if any harm came to its activists during Sunday's strike,
party sources said on Saturday.
"If the strike continues beyond Sunday, we will not be able to go to
Islamabad as we cannot violate the party discipline," said the chief
MQM negotiator, Ajmal Dehlavi. He also expressed the view that the
talks could not go on indefinitely without any progress.
DWS
950914
-------------------------------------------------------------------
'One-point formula' controversy hits talks
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 13: The MQM negotiating team on Wednesday presented a
one-point formula that Ajmal Dehlavi termed a "short cut" to a
negotiated settlement of the Karachi crisis.
While the government chief negotiator, N. D. Khan, refuted MQM's
claim. "It is totally baseless and ill-founded statement," he said
when asked by reporters to give details of the formula.
Khan said that the government had the one-point agenda and that was
the restoration of peace in Karachi. He said during today's talks they
focused on the 18 and 21 points presented earlier by the MQM and
government respectively.
Dehlavi, who refused to elaborate the formula, said the initial
response of the government's negotiating team was very positive and
they welcomed it.
At the joint briefing held shortly after the conclusion of 8th round,
both the sides made no mention of the formula. However, Dehlavi said
at the briefing that the onus of making the talks a success was now on
the government.
He said the formula presented at the end of 8th round of the MQM-
government negotiations, had been framed in the light of MQM chief
Altaf Hussain's directive not to prolong the talks.
To another question whether the MQM would suspend their weekly
strikes, he said the MQM stance on the issue was very clear. "Wherever
there is suppression there will be some reaction", he remarked.
Regarding the ban on the MQM to function as a political party, he said
it was his party's constitutional right and they could get this right
>from the court. Lifting of the ban, he maintained, would not be a
favour to the MQM.
DWS
950908
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ties with Kabul to remain unaffected
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Report
RAWALPINDI, Sept. 7: In a statement to the press Foreign Secretary,
Najmuddin Shaikh, said that Pakistan had taken strong exception to the
statements and attitude of Yunus Qanoni, head of Kabul's security
commission. Adding however that the incident will not effect the
relations between the two country's.
Shaikh said the Afghan government was warned earlier about the rumours
of a large demonstration, but no precautions were taken. He said that
the fact that "the demonstrators gathered at a central place and
arrived at the embassy in buses suggests that they were under a
central command."
He said virtually all the embassy personnel were injured besides which
they all went through a traumatic experience. On the other hand, he
said, the Pakistan government, had made adequate security arrangements
at the Afghan consulate and other buildings.
Refuting the allegations by the Afghan government of supporting the
Taliban, Shaikh said, President Rabbani had himself acknowledged
financing the Taliban movement. Accordingly, Pakistan had always acted
neutral in disputes among various Afghan groups.
The MQM accused the PPP and PPI (Punjabi-Pukhtoon Ittehad) activists
of killing the two, with the "support of law enforcement agencies."
DWS
950910
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Attack on Pakistani Embassy discussed
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Nasir Malick
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 9: The President, Prime Minister and Chief of the
Army Staff met to discuss the attack on the Pakistan embassy in
Afghanistan, an official source said.
The attack in which almost all embassy staff, including Ambassador
Qazi Humayun were injured, is being considered as an "engineered
attack" by the Pakistan government.
The source said the three leaders discussed the recent provocative
statements of some Afghan government leaders in which they had tried
to involve Pakistan in their internal affairs by accusing Islamabad of
supporting Talibans, who recently captured the western city of Herat.
The Foreign Minister, Sardar Assef Ali, told the meeting that the
Pakistan Embassy had been informed about the attack from its own
sources a day before and immediately the Foreign Office took up the
matter with President Rabbani with a request to provide additional
force to protect the lives and properties of the Pakistani staff
stationed in Kabul. He reportedly told the meeting that only 10 guards
were provided which were insufficient to deal with such an unruly mob.
DWS
950911
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pakistan to shift its embassy from Kabul
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 10: Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto said on Sunday that
Pakistan will shift its embassy to some safer place in Afghanistan
because of repeated attacks on its staff and building in Kabul.
At least 25 members of the Pakistan Embassy in Kabul, including the
Ambassador, were seriously injured in an attack by around 5,000 people
last week. The demonstrators, protesting against Pakistan's support to
Taliban, also killed a staff member and set the embassy on fire.
Pakistan had demanded an apology from the Kabul government as well as
compensation. Ms. Bhutto said the government had also considered
breaking diplomatic relations with Afghanistan but decided not to do
so.
Ms Bhutto said that she was personally reluctant to reopen the embassy
in Kabul after it was attacked by demonstrators protesting at the
killing of three Afghan gunmen who had hijacked a bus load of school
children from Peshawar and brought to Afghan embassy. The gunmen were
killed by Pakistani commandos.
However, Ms Bhutto said the attack on Pakistan embassy would not
affect more than two million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan. She
said the attack was a deliberate act to provoke Pakistan to abandon
its neutrality and openly support some group. "We do not wish to be
provoked and that is why we have been restrained (from taking any
action)," the prime minister said.
DWS
950911
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Kabul must apologise, pay compensation, says Assef
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hasan Akhtar
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 10: Foreign Minister Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali warned
the Kabul regime on Sunday that Pakistan would not reopen its embassy
in Kabul unless Afghan President Rabbani made an unqualified apology
to the government and people of Pakistan and agreed to fully
compensate this country for the losses and damage caused by thousands
of Afghans during their attack on the Pakistan embassy and its
diplomatic and non-diplomatic personnel on Wednesday last.
The foreign minister accused the Afghan authorities of ignoring
Pakistan government's frantic appeal to take measures for protecting
the embassy and its personnel from a pre-planned attack by Afghans.
The injured Pakistani staff, including ambassador Kazi Humayun, had
been airlifted on Thursday aboard a chartered PAF plane and admitted
in the Combined Military Hospital and other government hospital. The
body of the embassy watchman who was killed in the attack was also
brought by the aircraft. The embassy is now virtually closed.
Ali, who was speaking at a Press conference at the Foreign Office,
ruled out at this stage snapping of diplomatic ties with Kabul,
pointing out that Pakistan would not like to forsake and punish the
people of Afghanistan with whom, by and large, this country's
relations had remained friendly and close. It was precisely for that
reason, he pointed out, that Pakistan missions in several other Afghan
cities, including Mazar Shariff, Herat and Jalalabad, would keep
functioning as before.
He said "that (the attack) was definitely a reprehensible act on the
part of Kabul regime and was certainly not a spontaneous protest or
act by the Afghan people." He claimed " (By this attack) they wanted
to please somebody. This is to provoke Pakistan into taking certain
(retaliatory) acts" to serve the ends of those interested quarters.
DWS
950913
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Kabul rejects Pakistan's demand
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Report
KABUL, Sept. 12: The Afghan government has declined to apologise over
a mob attack on the Pakistan embassy which left one Pakistani dead and
several others injured, an official statement said.
It also countered a demand by Pakistan for the restoration of its
embassy, which was gutted in the attack, and for full protection for
diplomats and staff, claiming that a Pakistani diplomat had fired on
the crowd sparking the attack.
According to a statement made by the Afghan foreign ministry, "first
of all the Pakistan authorities should apologise for the bullets fired
by their diplomat and the murder of an Afghan".
DWS
950914
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Afghans hold rally against Pakistan
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
KABUL, Sept. 13: In another show of protest, the Afghan government
renewed its attacks on Pakistan at a mass rally in Kabul with each
speaker accusing it of "direct interference in Afghan internal
affairs."
Most of the speakers claimed that Pakistan was using the Taliban
militia as a front to camouflage what they called a de facto invasion
of Afghanistan.
"However they might try, Pakistan will never succeed in their ambition
to make slaves out of their Afghan brothers," Kabul security
commission chief and acting defence minister Younis Qanouni told the
gathering.
"Whatever their propagandists might whisper in your ear, whatever they
might say about other Mujahideen (Islamic fighters) defecting, you
must stand united against Taliban," he said.
The rally was held almost a week after over 4000 Afghans protesting
against Pakistan's alleged assistance to Taliban, ransacked and burned
down the Pakistan embassy killing an embassy employee and injuring 28
others, including the ambassador and military attach=E9.
Pakistan denies helping Taliban and has asked for an apology for the
attack. Kabul dismissed the demand.
DWS
950908
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Sutlej flood washes away 2,500 houses
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
LAHORE, Sept. 7: The "super flood" in the Sutlej on Thursday washed
away as many as 2,500 houses in some 40 villages in the Kasur region.
In Lahore, several low-lying localities in Shahdara were inundated by
the flood waters of the Ravi.
On Wednesday night a protective bund near Shakargarh was swept away by
the Ravi, flooding residential areas and agricultural land there.
According to reports, the super flood peak of more than 300,000 cusecs
in the Sutlej entered Pakistan early on Thursday morning. No
casualties had been reported till the evening.
There was, however, no immediate danger to Kasur city, the
administration said, adding that efforts had been made to evacuate
marooned people. It did not say anything about casualties, saying
communications were disrupted.
The report said district administration had started evacuation of
people from the affected villages late on Wednesday night. On
Thursday, many families were still trapped in their marooned houses
and army jawans were removing them to safer places by ferry.
DWS
950908
-------------------------------------------------------------------
India kills 3 Kashmiris on LoC
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Report
MUZAFFARABAD, Sept. 8: According to officials, at least three people
were killed and four injured when Indian troops opened fire on
civilians from across the border.
Indian troops resorted to "unprovoked" shelling on a border township
in Neelum Valley, some 50 kilometres from the state capital,
Muzaffarabad.
Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir, Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan, said the
situation in the Neelum Valley was tense. With frequent skirmishes
along the Line of Control.
DWS
950910
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ambassador blames NA speaker for toning down speech
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Masood Haider
NEW YORK, Sept. 9: Ambassador of Pakistan to the United Nations, Ahmad
Kamal, has made an all-out effort to absolve himself of any
responsibility in vetting the Pakistani Speaker's speech given at the
International Parliamentary Council's meeting here last week, by the
Indian mission.
Ambassador Kamal has suggested to the Pakistan Foreign Secretary in a
letter that the onus and responsibility for any change or deletion of
the paragraphs 'offensive' to the Indians rests solely with the
Speaker of the National Assembly, Yusuf Raza Gilani.
The speech was eventually toned down by deleting references against
India's human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir, but the Indians
still raised objections and lashed out at Pakistan.
DWS
950912
-------------------------------------------------------------------
20% of Green Cards referred to US embassy found to be fake
-------------------------------------------------------------------
M. Ziauddin
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 11: Twenty per cent of the suspect green cards
referred to the US Embassy by the Pakistan International Airlines
(PIA) for verification before booking seats for the return journey of
the holders were found to be fake, sources close to the embassy said
here on Monday.
The overwhelming majority of these card holders, trying to leave for
the US from Pakistani airports, are said to be Afghans living in
Pakistan.
However, PIA which only three years back had enjoyed the dubious
distinction of being ranked at the very top of the list of world
airlines carrying illegal immigrants to the US has now lost this
coveted position, the sources maintained.
The airline had been heavily fined in 1993 by the US for carrying
illegal immigrants to New York and it lost even more because it had to
carry back these illegal immigrants at its own cost. Things had gone
so bad that at one point in time, the airline was about to lose its
landing rights in the US.
DWS
950912
-------------------------------------------------------------------
India's defence deal with US to be opposed
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Shaheen Sehbai
WASHINGTON, Sept. 11: Pakistan would raise strong objections if the
United States tried to make a deal with the Indians for sale of
sophisticated US defence technology in return for release of
Pakistan's arms and equipment blocked under the Pressler Amendment,
competent sources said on Monday.
Reports of such a possible deal were published in some Indian
newspapers as Indian Defence Secretary K.A. Nambiar flew to Washington
to resume dialogue on defence matters, suspended last June.
"We don't know if these Indian reports are correct or form part of a
disinformation campaign, but Pakistan would certainly not agree to the
sale of sophisticated technology to India while the sanctions under
the Pressler law are intact," a diplomat said.
But state department officials tried to dispel the impression that
these talks would focus on the Pressler Amendment or Pakistan-US
relations.
He was asked about any possible offer of a trade-off to New Delhi in
which hi-tech technology could be sold in return for softening of
Indian position on release of equipment to Pakistan.
The talks, to be held under the umbrella of the Indo-US Consultative
Group, were called off by New Delhi in June when Washington announced
a new policy and made all hi-tech military sales to New Delhi
conditional on removal of discrimination against Pakistan, enforced by
the Pressler sanctions.
Diplomatic sources said the United States was expected to raise the
issue of the Indian missiles programmes in talks with Nambiar,
specially after recent statements of Indian Prime Minister Narasimha
Rao that Prithvi could be deployed on Pakistan borders.
According to one newspaper, the exclusion of the vice chiefs of the
three Indian services, who are chairpersons of their respective
military steering committee groups, is a clear indication that
military to military cooperation will not figure high on the agenda.
950910
-------------------------------------------------------------------
UK court refuses bail to BCCI man
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Athar Ali
LONDON, Sept. 9: A former official of the closed Bank of Credit and
Commerce International (BCCI), Ziauddin Ali Akbar, was refused bail at
the Bow Street Magistrates' Court and remanded in custody until Oct. 6
when a request from the New York District Attorney for his extradition
would be considered.
Akbar, a former head of BCCI treasury office, was rearrested on Sept.
1 after his release from prison on completion of his sentence on
charges of defrauding the BCCI.
He is now wanted by the United States for trial on two charges of
grand larceny and extortion by unfair means. The US has been fighting
for his extradition since he was detained in France in Sept. 1991,
having run away from UK where he had been restricted by the
authorities from going abroad following his conditional release on
completion of an 18 months prison sentence for drug money laundering.
The British authorities were able to prevail upon the French that
since Akbar had escaped from the UK and was also wanted here in
connection with BCCI investigations, he should be extradited to
Britain first. February last, he was sentenced at the Central Criminal
Court, Old Bailey to six years imprisonment after pleading guilty to
16 charges of false accounting and defrauding the BCCI of an estimated
500 million pounds.
DWS
950913
-------------------------------------------------------------------
UK court order used against local firm
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mohammad Malick
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 12: In the first ever move of its kind to recover
debts through the implementation of an English court's decree in
Pakistan, the liquidators of the defunct Bank of Credit & Commerce
International (BCCI) have obtained a restraining order against the
chief executive of Highnoon Laboratories for the recovery of a loan of
279,154 pounds sterling.
The restraining order passed by an additional district and session
judge of Lahore, has restrained Tariq Jawaid Khan from transferring
his shares in the companies mentioned in the application of the
liquidators. Mr Khan's holdings include the Highnoon Laboratories,
Highnoon Chemicals, Highnoon Antibiotics, Denpak Enterprises, Pakistan
Guarantee Insurance and International Multi-Leasing Corporation. His
shares in Highnoon Labs alone are estimated to be worth over Rs 2.5
crore.
The relatively small amount of the loan notwithstanding, the move is
being viewed as very significant by the business circles because it is
the first instance of the BCCI liquidators actually going for the
recovery of the defunct bank's loans.
The BCCI liquidators have already obtained similar decrees against a
number of other Pakistani businessmen as well but it could not be
ascertained whether similar moves for their execution through
Pakistani courts would be made in the immediate future or not.
DWS
950908
-------------------------------------------------------------------
$240m plan for pilgrims' accommodation
-------------------------------------------------------------------
M. Ziauddin
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 7: The government is considering a $240 million plan
proposed by a private sector consortium to buy land in Makkah and
build two multi-storeyed buildings to overcome the problem of shortage
of accommodation during Haj season which has been causing immense
hardships to thousands of Pakistani pilgrims for a number of years.
The project envisages acquisition of two plots of land =97 one measuring
2,500 square metres near Haram Sharif costing $102 million and the
other measuring 7,500 square metres (1,500 metres away) and costing
$70 million=97 and constructing buildings to house some 20,000 of the
90,000 pilgrims who go for Haj every year on an average.
Those who know the layout of Makkah Mukarramah well feel intrigued as
only two kilometres away from Haram Sharif in the Aziziyah locality,
there are a number of decent multi-storeyed buildings which offer
rooms at economical rents along with buses for commuting in groups
between Haram Sharif and the lodgings.
The most intriguing part of the whole scheme, however, is its
financial plan under which the sponsors have offered to arrange a loan
in foreign exchange to meet the entire cost of the project with
sovereign guarantee of the government of Pakistan at a rate of 2.5%
over seven-libor fixed or 2.7%t over one-year libor floating. The
normal interest rate for such loans is a maximum of 1.5% over libor.
The sponsors have also offered to lease the two buildings completed at
Pakistan's cost to the Pakistan government for 99 years when the Saudi
government regulations do not permit lease arrangements at all.
The outline financial plan submitted by the sponsors carry the
following assumptions:
a) The rent of the building located near Haram Sharif per pilgrim will
be SR1,500 and for the building located at 1,500 metres from Haram
Sharif it will be SR1,350 per pilgrim.
b) The building near Haram Sharif would also be used for Umrah
pilgrims at an estimated rent of SR250 per room per day for 10 months
a year at 90 per cent occupancy.
c) Ten per cent of the total rental income will be spent on
maintenance,
d) The annual escalation of rent is estimated at 5 per cent.
DWS
950908
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Cotton accord with Turkmenistan signed
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Report
ASHKHABAD (Turkmenistan), Sept. 8: Pakistan and Turkmenistan have
signed an agreement for expanding trade in cotton. Turkmenistan is a
significant regional producer of high quality and long staple cotton.
Last year when Pakistan had a shortfall of cotton and while many
countries in Central Asia and elsewhere were approached by the Cotton
Export Corporation of Pakistan, only Turkmenistan responded positively
by signing a contract for sale of 31,000 tons of the commodity.
Turkmenistan agreed to set aside as a matter of priority between 5 to
15 thousand tons of cotton to be exported to Pakistan, on an annual
basis for the next five years subject to mutually acceptable terms and
conditions on price and delivery period.
DWS
950914
-------------------------------------------------------------------
30% jump in conservancy, water rates
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Saghir Ahmed
KARACHI, Sept. 13 : The Sindh government has approved enhanced water
tariff, entailing an average increase of 30% and a consequential
increase in sewerage rates, with immediate effect, official sources
disclosed here on Wednesday.
The increased tariff was proposed to the government by the KWSB to
fulfil the legal covenants of the World Bank, which funds billions of
rupees worth of the KWSB's major water and sanitation projects, as
well as to lessen its financial crisis.
A notification has now been issued by the secretary of the local
government department, directing the municipal commissioner to notify
the "new water tariff with 30% average increase" and "consequential=
increase in sewerage tariff on a differential slab basis" with
immediate effect but it makes no mention whether or not it would be
given retrospective effect from July, as had been done in the case of
similar increases in the past. Conservancy charges are recoverable at
the rate of 75% of the water tariff.
Officials said the increase in the water and sewerage tariff was a
"cross subsidisation" phenomenon for the cost recovery of water by
imposing increase in water tariff and conservancy rates on percentage
basis, in the present case, causing a rise of 30% on an average.
The KWSB's consumer base is 914,000. The board hopes to bring on
record at least 100,000 properties on its billing record during 1995-
96 and another 100,000 by reclassifying them from "unconnected" to
"connected" category. It is still in the mid of finalising its plans
for the early implementation of the World Bank's "Action Plan" which
aims at improving its financial performance.
DWS
950914
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CBR announces refund of custom duties
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Parvaiz Ishfaq Rana
KARACHI, Sept. 13: In a major move to boost exports of non-traditional
items the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has announced to refund
customs duties and sales tax on raw materials to be used in a variety
of items, notably toys and other plastic products.
Encouraged by the last year's spectacular performance of the non-
traditional sector, which contributed about $2 bn to the total export
proceeds of $8.2 bn, the Government appears to be all-out to
supplement the efforts of this sector by providing a number of tax
relief's and other concessions.
To achieve the target of $9.2 bn set for the year 1995-96, the
Government seems to have again pinned its hope for earning substantial
amount of foreign exchange through the export of non-traditional
items.
The imported raw materials used for the manufacture of various
categories of toys and allowed repayment of customs duties and refund
of sales tax include PVC Resin 3 (Plastic assorted), DOP D 2E, HL
(soft toys), LDPE EX/2 Inj grade (plastic poly dolls with hair),
pigment, packing film, ink etc.
The repayment of customs duties and refund of sales tax are admissible
in respect of the goods exported on or after December 12, 1993.
DWS
950914
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ECNEC approves projects worth Rs 3138.43m
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Report
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 13: The Executive Committee of the National Economic
Council (ECNEC) has approved projects in education, manpower, health
and water sectors costing Rs 3138.43 million.
In education sector the project the committee approved the improvement
of equipment at the Institute of Educational Technology of Allama
Iqbal Open University. The project envisages the replacement and
strengthening of obsolete equipment.
A programme for training in technical trades and domestic services
with an aim to reducing unemployment, meeting skilled workers'
requirements of industries, help in self-employment and facilitating
the export of manpower. The project will provide training to 50,000
persons per year.
The upgradation of PAEC's Nuclear Medical Centres in various cities in
Pakistan, which will provide accommodation for more patients, better
medical facilities for malignant diseases, training of doctors and
research of radio diagnosis.
And in agriculture, a project to improve surface drainage of
agriculture lands and to provide protection against surface run off.
DWS
950908
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Stock Exchange : Short covering prevents decline
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Muhammad Aslam
The holiday curtailed week saw equities fall across a broad front last
week as investors continued to take profits at the available margins
fearing further slashing, but major decline was averted thanks to
short covering at the dips.
But the market could run into deeper recession during the next week as
the sacking of the coalition chief minister of Punjab could have a
negative bearing in the centre, if the PDF members are not pacified in
time.
The Karachi Stock Exchange index of prices, therefore, finished with
an extended decline about 40 points at 1,773.86 as compared to
1,772.97 a week earlier, as most of the local base shares suffered
fresh setbacks.
The weekly delivery, which was shifted to the next week should have
prompted a lot of speculative buying and bargain hunting, but some
other factors weighed heavily against the investors mind, who
undertook only guarded commitments.
There was, however, a welcome change in the market psychology after
the advent of foreign buying, and there was a perception that the
market might be back on track as it was on Tuesday.
Institutional traders were active and there were predictions that
foreign buying could gain in stature at the still attractively lower
levels, but change in the Punjab after the removal of the chief
minister
created an uncertain atmosphere in the rings, prompting selling by
jobbers and day-traders.
Floor brokers said foreign fund buying was not affected by the
political developments, and it continued to figure prominently on most
of the low-priced.
Opinions differ from broker to broker, but all agree that this is now
the buyers market and those who could take some calculated ones might
be the ultimate gainers.
The opening was distinctly easy, what the dealers called, an extension
of Sunday's weakness, but the new account buying came in a big way
lifting prices of blue chips substantially higher.
"This seems to have lent support to the perception that foreign buying
is in the rings may cause steep rise in prices of some MNCs scrips",
dealers said.
"A big rise in prices of MNCs, notably in the pharmaceutical sector
provided the much-needed boost to the market but the city situation is
not very conducive for making larger commitments", said an analyst.
But the satisfying feature is that selling was not that aggressive, as
to cause major dents on any of the counters, as was reflected by a
mostly fractional fall.
ICP mutual funds performed well under the lead of those which have
good portfolios on news of higher earnings but modarabas and leasing
shares fell fractionally barring some exceptions including NDLC,
Pilcorp and Orix Leasing.
Bank shares followed them, falling fractionally but attracted a lot of
support at the lower levels on news of higher interim earnings.
Platinum, Faysal, Askari Bank and Bank of Punjab and some others were
actively traded, finishing with modest to good gains. The volume
leaders among them were Faysal Bank and the Bank of Punjab.
Among the insurance companies, Adamjee Insurance continued to drift
lower on stray selling, but some others managed to end modestly higher
under the lead of ALICO, Central, Century and Silver Insurance.
Textiles lacked normal trading interest as investors were not inclined
to make fresh commitments even at the attractively lower levels, owing
partly to higher lint prices and partly to problems on the yarn export
front. News of some financial relief to the sick units failed to
enthuse investors.
Synthetic shares were massively traded under the lead of Dhan and
Dewan Salman, but then late selling pushed them modestly lower.
Cement, Energy and Auto shares remained in active demand at the lows,
though gains and losses were fractional as investors played on both
sides of the fence amid alternate bouts of buying and selling. Leading
shares among them managed to finish modestly higher.
Most of the MNCs in the pharmaceutical sector including Parke-Davis,
Ciba-Geigy, Nestle Milkpak, Abbott Lab and Highnoon Lab remained in
active demand, and ended sharply higher. But Brooke Bond, Cyanamid
Pakistan, and some others remained under pressure, falling modestly.
Owing to the shortened week, the turnover figure fell to 27 million
shares as against last week's million shares, bulk of which went to
the credit of a few current favourites, notably Hub-Power, PTC
vouchers and Faysal Bank which was massively traded in each session.
They were followed by Dhan Fibre, Maple Leaf Cement, ITV Modaraba,
KASB Premier Fund, Platinum Bank, Tri-Pack Films, Schon Bank and after
the news of good interim profits, Adamjee Paper, Dewan Salman, etc.
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950908
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Khajjiloo
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Ardeshir Cowasjee
LAST week I finally met a man I had been wanting to meet for quite a
few months =97 the Victor of Khajjiloo, Major General Naseerullah Babar,
our Interior Minister. As a man, as far as I am concerned, he is a
veritable enigma.
Arriving at the initially appointed hour at his Head Quarters, the
State Guest House, I was told by the gatekeeper that the General had
left at 0500 hours. My first thought was that he had departed at dawn
to survey the Karachi scene, perhaps to lay another siege. On second
thoughts, I asked if he had flown away. bag and baggage. No one knew,
as his habit is to arrive and leave alone, without luggage as such,
with just his toothbrush and razor in a brief case, balancing his
injured arm with his swagger stick.
He travels around on his own, unarmed, unaccompanied by the inevitable
bevy of flunkies. In this he is so vastly different from our swarm of
ministers who surround themselves with gunmen, policemen, bag-carriers
and hopeful sycophants. He has no motorcades, no gun-toters, he moves
in a small white Japanese car flying the flag of his country. He does
not fly the party flag, the alien banner. His car was there, waiting
for him.
Later in the day, I discovered that on an impulse he had flown off to
Quetta that morning to be amongst the throng of partymen at an
Achakzai wedding. In the evening, when he returned, he rang. Again,
unlike his fellow ministers, he had the good manners and courtesy to
call and apologise for not having managed to let me know he had to
postpone our meeting. He invited me and my G-1 to meet him for lunch
the following day.
I told him that he was an enigma, that all our mutual friends, some
his contemporaries some who had served under him, had always insisted
that he was an extremely brave man, and an honourable straightforward
soldier. Being so, I asked, how was it that he was so closely
connected with, and able to work with, a party and government so
highly corrupt, dishonest, greedy, selfish, insecure and
dishonourable. He told me of his association with Bhutto, way back in
the seventies, how Bhutto had opened up the tribal areas, how he had
done things for the tribesmen that no one had done before, how Bhutto
had offered him the governorship of the NWFP, forcing him to choose
between his army career and politics, and how he had chosen the latter
because he felt he could do some good. My conclusion: his loyalty to
the man has merely been extended to the daughter.
I asked how he reacted to his nicknames: 'blunderbuss', 'bull in a
china shop', 'madman', 'barbaric Babar'. He laughed. "Let them
call me
what they like. I have a job to do. I am doing it in my way, I am
trusted, I have been given a free hand, and that is all there is to
it".
I questioned the methods of his Karachi campaign. His answer was
simple: the end will justify any means. Did that mean, I asked, that
he went along with the theory of the Butcher of Bengal and
Balochistan, about whom Yahya used to say "My Tikka, he shoots first
and questions afterwards"? He laughed. But, I said, what about
alienation, what about all the non-terrorist innocents who are being
rounded up, subjected to humiliation and torture? Are you not
converting them to hard-core followers of Altaf Bhai and his group? No
chance, said he. All has been taken care of, Altaf is losing his grip
and day by day is being recognised for what he is =97 a man with feet of
clay.
What about your own government, its inept corrupt ministers and
hangers-on, its ambitious unscrupulous bureaucrats-turned-politicians?
Why do you concentrate on the opposition? Why do you do nothing about
the stench on your own doorstep? In true military fashion, he
deflected the question. But, he has a clear head. His judgment, to me,
appeared sound, for when I mentioned certain names uncomfortably close
to his 'Mohtarma' (as he unfailingly refers to Benazir). He agreed
with me and said they should not be where they are, they should have
been dumped long ago. Why were they not? I asked. He shrugged his
shoulders. It seems he does not mind enduring what he cannot cure. He
is clued up, has a hearty Frontier sense of humour, enjoys doing what
he is doing, and is satisfied in otherwise remaining blinkered.
I zeroed in on appointments in Karachi. Babar can do what he likes
with the administration, chop and change here and there, but as far as
ministers and party cronies are concerned, he has no mandate. But
should the party have no regard for maintaining "essential services",=
should they at least not be saved, preserved and headed by men of
merit? What about the country's principal port of Karachi, for
instance? He well knew all about the 'disaster', the begging for the
job and the nagging that had gone on, even how the influence of the
powerful Pir of Mohra-Sharif, who Benazir frequents, had been brought
into play. The General is not a pir-murid player. He is very much his
own Pir.
Babar is loyal to his subordinates, knows them for what they are,
tolerates and uses them well. Rahman Malik, the notorious head of the
FIA, whose operations day by day grow to resemble those of the old
hated FSF, is to him a successful officer who one way or another
delivers.
What about the 250-odd cases filed against Altaf Bhai, I asked? Would
any man with a modicum of sense facing so many allegations, fair or
foul, allow himself to be arraigned in Pakistan? Would he return and
risk it? Has the British Home Secretary not heard of the hospitalised
Unnar against whom, whether he be guilty or not, the 54th case was
registered that morning? No response.
The General may well have felt that Altaf Hussain was being cut to
size. But two days after our meeting, Altaf gave a strike call and
life and work in the city were effectively and efficiently suspended,
billions of rupees were lost, lives were lost, buses were burnt. We
were at a standstill. I know of eight businessmen, who normally
disregard strikes, who did not go to their place of work simply
because of Babar's announcement in that morning's Press that people
were liable to be shot at sight were they to be found disturbing the
peace. On the day after the strike yet another FIR was filed against
Altaf.
Karachi remained half-closed on Thursday August 31, closed on Friday,
half-closed again on Saturday, strike-closed on Monday, holiday-closed
on Wednesday, will again be half-closed on Thursday, closed on Friday,
half-closed on Saturday, and again closed on Monday the 11th, mourning
the death of Jinnah the Founder. Does nobody care for the economy of
Pakistan? The occupancy of the better hotels of Karachi, during the
month of August, was rated at 28 per cent!
According to police reports, the body score for June and July was 610
killed, 135 of whom were activists (42 MQM, 17 Haqiqi, 11 PPP, 65
unclear), plus 404 innocent passers-by, and 71 security personnel.
These being police figures, one can safely estimate the bag at 1,000.
How many mothers, fathers, wives, children, sisters and brothers were
left in mourning or distress? How many thousands of parents had to pay
ransoms ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000 to recover innocent young
men abducted by the police? Should the government, or what passes for
government, not have some concern?
As this goes to Press, Babar and the scene shift to Lahore. Wattoo's
Assembly has been suspended. The Prime Minister's action is by any
standards unconstitutional. Wattoo is worth no tears, but his
fundamental right, under Article 18, his "right to enter upon any
lawful profession or occupation" has been violated. There are now more
MPAs to be 'fixed'. The heat has been turned on, the deserving, and
undeserving are under pressure. Trading is frantic, buying and selling
is the order of the day, in harmony, and at the expense of the country
and the people. Is this a dress rehearsal for Sindh?
Any suggestions as to how to shame the shameless?
DWS
950908
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The politics of irrelevance
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Mazdak
Mr Manzoor Wattoo is no longer Chief Minister of Punjab, at least for
two months. Since some kind of a change was very much on the cards,
suspension of Punjab Assembly may not have surprised many. Can Mr
Wattoo weather the storm and still be in the saddle? Who knows?
Apart from the growing tribe of aspirants for the job and their
hangers-on, the only other people to whom a change in Punjab kept
preoccupied are Lahore-based journalists who seemed to be in a feeding
frenzy. For months, we have been regaled ad nauseam with stories of
imminent change. Political pundits had analysed every smile and frown
on Wattoo's and Governor Saroop's faces. Columnists sifted through the
comments of the rival groups as though they were examining the
entrails of a beast slaughtered for the purpose of foretelling the
future. "Confidential", "reliable" and "impeccable" sources have all
been invoked to predict the ouster or retention of the present CM,
depending on whether the writer wants him to stay or go.
The entire tedious exercise underlines yet again the bankruptcy of a
system in which parties and politicians have become totally
irrelevant. We have come to a point where politicians are part of the
problem, not the solution. Whether it is Wattoo or Chattha who occupy
the chief minister's house in Lahore has become a matter of supreme
indifference to everybody excepting, perhaps, the supporters of the
two gentlemen who may stand to gain or lose by a change. Indeed,
politics in Pakistan is now only about personal gain, so which
particular politician occupies a particular slot is relevant only to
those who are on his gravy train. For the rest of us, it does not
really matter which mugger is skulking around the corner: since it is
our fate to get mugged anyway, why should we care who is doing the
mugging?
We should care for the simple reason that the greed and rapacity of
our ruling elite's will grow exponentially if we do not stand up and
say "enough"! The problem is that under the present system, we only
get a chance to sack those in power once every five years; by then,
they have made their pile, and the next lot shove their snouts in the
trough. OK, so here the cycle is a bit briefer with one party getting
turned out sooner than the Constitution envisages. But this only puts
pressure on the ruling party to make their fortunes in two or three
instead of five years. Stop me if you've heard this one before, but
this unchanging scenario reminds me of a story. Passing through a
forest, a man saw a fox with a swarm of flies feeding from an open
wound. This Good Samaritan shooed the insects away and was walking
off, when the fox piteously asked him to put it out of its misery.
When the man pointed out that he had helped the fox, it replied: "You
cruel man, the flies you shooed away were well fed. The ones which
will now settle on my wound will be hungry, and will surely finish me
off."
So how to break out of this unending cycle of corruption and poor
governance? Having tried out just about every political system under
the sun =97 from dictatorship to parliamentary democracy, every ideology
and every kind of politician, =97 it seems that we have come to a dead-
end. I have often been accused of being a cynic, but I refuse to
believe that a country of 120 million is incapable of producing honest
and reasonably efficient leadership. The problem is that the people
who fit the job description can neither finance an election campaign,
nor would they wish to rub shoulders with those currently in
occupation of our assemblies. Indeed, they would never be given
tickets by the mainstream parties to start with.
To a great extent, the Election Commission and the major political
parties share the responsibility for this state of affairs. Through
its inability to enforce the statutory spending limit on electoral
expenses, the Election Commission has permitted these costs to reach
the stratosphere. And yet when politicians file their expenses, they
fudge them to stay within the (derisory) ceiling. It is common
knowledge that candidates spend at least ten million to mount a
serious campaign, and yet blatantly and routinely lie about their
actual expenses in the statement they provide to the Commission which
accepts them without demur. And yet, considering the three-ring circus
that national and provincial elections have been transformed into,
even a blind man can tell that millions have been poured into the
exercise.
In the 1990 elections, a very dear friend was in danger of being
awarded a PPP ticket for the National Assembly, and some of us did a
costing exercise to determine how much he would have to raise to have
a reasonable chance of winning. We discovered that just for hiring
transport, setting up temporary election offices and providing food
for his supporters would cost him about three million rupees. This was
five years ago, and this figure was the rock-bottom minimum. Luckily
for him, the ticket went to somebody else, and he was spared the
necessity of selling some land to finance his campaign. And yet, the
current limit on electoral spending is a million for the National
Assembly, and Rs 600,000 for the Provincial Assembly. Even these sums are
prohibitive for most of us, and prevent many people from challenging
the hegemony of the two mainstream groupings. Indeed, independent
candidates or a serious third party are virtually precluded from
politics by the sheer expense involved. Given these financial
realities, it is understandable (if inexcusable) why feudals, drug-
dealers and crooked businessmen are awarded party tickets. These
people can finance their own campaigns, and have a vested interest in
preserving a status quo that is rotten to the core.
So how do we break out of this vicious cycle? There are voices in the
wings urging an extra-constitutional change. But clearly, this option
is unacceptable to those of us who have witnessed the ravages
dictatorship has caused over the years. Although democracy is not an
end in itself, its one abiding redeeming feature is that it allows us
to change our rulers periodically, even though this may not be much
more than a cosmetic change. I have long advocated the full-time TV
coverage of assembly proceedings so that voters can see how their
representatives are performing: each fist-fight, curse and quorum bell
should be broadcast live nationally on a separate channel. This might
put some pressure on our parliament members to at least behave in a
reasonably civilised manner, and actually attend the proceedings once
in a while.
Also, senior officers deputed to the Election Commission should be
posted in each constituency for the duration of an election campaign
to monitor expenses, and any candidate exceeding the official limit
should be debarred. As a double check, representatives of NGOs like
the Human Rights Commission should monitor the campaign as well as the
actual election.
I realise that none of these suggestions by themselves will improve
things unless there is an overwhelming public desire to make the
system work.
DWS
950910
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Crossing the line
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Omar Kureishi
NO MAN is a hero to his valet. That is why the general perception of
our security agencies was that they tended to be hamfisted and when
they were not being sinister, they had something of Inspector Clouseau
of Pink Panther about them.
One had vaguely suspected that over the years they had acquired a
measure of sophistication and reached a level of competence abroad
though alas, at home, they were associated with political dirty
tricks. One had no idea that they possessed such an awesome
omnipotence that they were able to operate with impunity in far
corners of the world and especially in India. To have the Indian
propagandists tell it, Pakistan's not-so-hidden hand is behind every
dastardly act in that country.
The day cannot be far off, if the present level of accusations is
maintained, that even death from natural causes will be attributed to
some Pakistani jantar-mantar. As matters stand, as of now, Pakistan is
behind the uprising in Occupied Kashmir, the latest outrage being the
kidnapping of four Westerners and holding them hostage. Al-Faran which
claims to have carried out the kidnapping is supposed to be linked to
Harkat-ul-Ansar which is supposed to be based in Pakistan. The fact
that the kidnappings have been strongly condemned by the Pakistan
Government including the Prime Minister and Harkat-ul-ansar has denied
any ties with Al-Faran has not cooled the ardour of the Indian
propagandists. Pakistan too was blamed for the 1993 Bombay blasts. And
the latest is that Pakistan is being accused of staging the
assassination of the high-profile chief minister of Punjab Beant
Singh, a man loved by few and hated by many.
The Federal Home Minister Shankarao Chavan has told The Economic Times
that the gruesome killing of Beant Singh was masterminded by the Inter
Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan. Mr Chavan, a close confidant
of Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao pulled no punches. "I can say
without any fear of any contradiction that the ISI is behind the bomb
blast," he thundered and added that the Sikh separatists wanted by
Indian authorities were taking refuge in Pakistan. There is an
interesting and intriguing side-light to this. Within hours of the
assassination of Beant Singh, the Indian High Commissioner in London
was talking to BBC and he said much the same thing as Chavan has said,
that Pakistan was behind the bomb blast and that Sikh separatists were
being trained and given sanctuary in Pakistan. The question is: how
could the Indian High Commissioner sitting in London make such a
categorical accusation within hours of the assassination? Did he have
foreknowledge? Or was he simply parroting a standard Indian line,
almost as if he had made a tape-recording of it and was playing it
back?
The Babbar Khalsa has taken the responsibility for the bomb blast. Is
it the Indian position that this is a Pakistan-front organisation?
Give them time I say and the Indians may yet prove that the Pakistani
ISI was behind the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. And sell the
proposition to Senator Pressler. More grist to the mill of the India
lobby in Washington D.C.
The Indian Government has admitted that there had been serious
security lapses. The Internal Security Minister Rajesh Pilot has gone
so far as to refer to it as "a total security failure." There had also=
been a security failure in the assassination of Indira Gandhi as well
as Rajiv Gandhi. Rather than blame outsiders for their own negligence
if not incompetence, the Indians would do well to get their act
together. There are, as they say, wheels within wheels in Indian
politics and a good rule of thumb would be to apply the principle of
cui bono =97 a question of who stands to gain and therefore was likely
to be responsible. When Mahatma Gandhi was killed, a Hindu
fundamentalist group was held responsible. But the air was thick with
rumours and there were suspicions that much more was involved. A high-
profile politician, a pillar of the government was being mentioned as
being the brains of the conspiracy. It is too easy and too convenient
to rush to judgment.
There has been a noticeable stepping up of anti-Pakistani propaganda
in the Indian media. It appears to be orchestrated, emanating from a
central source. I am wondering whether the Indians have adopted Dr.
Goebbels as a patron-saint. The creator and administrator of Nazi
propaganda made a distinction between "two truths." He believed: "We=
are only helping the public when we call the imagination to our aid in
certain cases where the record of facts is for some reason
incomplete." Dr Goebbels was Minister for Public Enlightenment and
Propaganda. It is the public enlightenment aspect of his job that is
compelling and which no doubt fascinates the men and women who worked
for the Truth Ministry in New Delhi.
Then there is the ranting of someone like Bal Thackeray. He cannot now
be dismissed as a member of the lunatic-fringe because his party now
controls Maharashtra and they have already started to flex their
muscles on the national scene. The inmates appear to have taken over
the asylum. His particular fixation seems to be the Pakistan cricket
team and his statements carry a nastiness that is extreme even by his
usual standards. Not only is he not going to allow the Pakistan
cricket team to play in India, he is targeting Coca Cola which will
sponsor the Pakistanis in the World Cup. Thackeray says that Coca Cola
will be thrown out. He says scornfully and menacingly: "let Coca Cola
restrict to selling soft drinks otherwise they will find it very hard
to gulp the consequences." Given his track-record, this cannot be
considered an idle threat. Mr Jimmy Moghul, an executive of Coca Cola
in India has simply passed the buck to his counterpart in Pakistan.
That's not good enough.
I am trying to find out whether there is any method in the madness of
the propaganda onslaught. I don't find any. It betrays a certain
amount of desperation. There is a thin line between propaganda and
outright hostility. Has the line been crossed?
DWS
950911
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A nation of lawyers
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Ayaz Amir
WHEN a government, federal or provincial, is sent home in this
country, what do the nation's pundits and other wiseacres do? They
rush to their constitutional textbooks for enlightenment and, instead
of grasping the reality of the situation, expend bile, energy and
eloquence in legal hair-splitting and in passing moral judgements.
There is no question about it that the presidential proclamation
dismissing the Wattoo government in Punjab is a high-handed measure
and a gross misuse of Article 234 of the Constitution. But then
politicians just as much as martial law administrators live in the
real world. What is important for them is the end not the means.
Wattoo had to be got rid of and given his come-uppance. The PPP had
arrived at this conclusion a long time ago. His presence, his regal
ways and the manner in which he was running Punjab were galling both
to the PPP's hungry legislators in the province as well as to their
masters in Islamabad. When Benazir Bhutto's own position was weak she
suffered Wattoo and bided her time. But with the PML(N) still on the
defensive and still trying to digest the failure of its agitation last
summer, the Frontier safely in the hands of Aftab Sherpao and the army
willy-nilly going along with General Babar's offensive in Karachi, it
was only a matter of time before Ms Bhutto, her great incompetence
surpassed by her good fortunes, got her claws into Manzoor Ahmed
Wattoo.
The morally high-minded are of course entitled to exclaim that the
democratic course for the federal government would have been to ask
Wattoo to prove his majority in the Punjab assembly. Or else the PPP
could have moved a vote of no-confidence against him. Those holding
such opinions are to be admired for their rectitude and their sense of
moral outrage but not for their knowledge of Pakistani politics. With
the powers of incumbency and the engines of patronage on his side, and
the province's DCs and SPs answering to his call, is there anyone so
foolish as to think that Wattoo would not have been able to prove his
majority or that the PPP had even half a chance of successfully
pushing a vote of no-confidence against the maestro, now sadly
humbled, of Wasaiywala?
In 1989 President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Mian Nawaz Sharif who was chief
minister of Punjab, General Aslam Beg, head of the army, and Lt-Gen
Asad Durrani in charge of the sharp instruments of the ISI were all
out to get Ms Bhutto. But despite this vast array of forces ranged
against her, she survived the motion of no-confidence moved in the
National Assembly because the prime minister's office was still hers
to command. With Wattoo occupying the chief minister's chair no one
should be under the illusion that any 'constitutional' move against
him =97 a move in accord with the sensibilities of the nation's
moralists =97 would have had any chance of being successful. If Wattoo's
removal was the desired end, the only effective means to achieve it
was by clearing the field through his dismissal.
The argument that this move is violative of the spirit of the
Constitution would carry greater weight if we were living in a
democratic paradise. But that we are not should be plain to the
meanest intelligence. We have the trappings of democracy but who is
there to say that there is any ingrained respect for the law or
democratic traditions in this country where every ruler behaves like a
Mughal despot and where the favoured instruments of governance, so
many years after independence, are the deputy commissioner and the
superintendent of police? Is it surprising then if the first move of
any incoming government is to post the officials of its choice in key
places. The wholesale transfer of officials in Punjab under the
direction of the province's new gauleiter, Brigadier Aslam Qureshi, is
thus wholly in keeping with the character and temperament of Pakistani
politics.
Nor is this state of affairs going to change in a hurry.
Arbitrariness, disrespect for the law and a greed which knows no
bounds have become the dominant characteristics of the national elite.
If this be the case, how is it to be expected that governments should
not be susceptible to the same characteristics or that in the exercise
of power they should respect the pristine tenets of democracy? Or
consider another example. All political parties in Pakistan, barring
the Jamaat-i-Islami are one-man or, in the case of the PPP and begging Mr
Zardari's pardon, one-woman shows. The very idea of introducing democracy
into their ranks is abhorrent to them. Is it reasonable to expect then that
once in power they will transcend their authoritarian bearings and be
converted to the cause of democracy?
We must note in passing that the prattle to be read about in Pakistani
newspapers and the fulmination's of the civic-minded citizenry of the
country (including various NGOs, women's organisations and retired
military and civil officials who after their retirement are consumed
by the desire to save the nation's soul) do no service to the cause of
realism because what they preach has precious little relevance to the
country's real conditions. The branches or organs of the state the
common citizen comes into contact with in his everyday existence are
police stations, the courts, the tehsil offices which control the
revenue record of their respective areas, hospitals and state-run
schools. How much democracy or respect for the law do we find in these
institutions where as a rule nothing can be done and not a step taken
nowadays without bribery or sifarish? It is here that the changes that
we all desire in Pakistani society must begin. If they do not, all
talk about democracy and the various freedoms is so much useless
indulgence.
There is, of course, another way of looking at the phenomenon of
Pakistani democracy. If corruption, ostentation, the cutting of sordid
deals, the amassing of wealth by any means become second nature to the
ruling elite, is it not the height of absurdity to expect the same
ruling elite to show a high-minded regard for the Constitution when it
comes to something like dismissing a difficult chief minister? It is
like expecting a habitual criminal to behave morally in a particular
situation, the very idea of which is ludicrous.
No tears, therefore, need be shed at the manner of Wattoo's sacking.
Right from Ghulam Mohammed's dismissal of the first constituent
assembly down to the present day, the preferred method of governmental
change in Pakistan has been through resort to arbitrariness. With this
legacy so well established, and with politics as an art being more
debased today than at any time during the past, it is too much to
expect that when President Leghari and Prime Minister Bhutto put their
heads together about how best to get rid of Wattoo they should have
opened the Constitution and consulted its phantom spirit. Had they
done anything of the sort the Punjab MPAs, who must be among the
world's greatest realists, would soon have taught them to rue their
temerity.
The only question worth putting in the circumstances is whether Ms
Bhutto instead of being able to complete what she has set out to do,
has succeeded merely in turning, in the words of that legendary
policeman Qurban Ali Khan, a grade II problem into a grade I problem.
A day after Wattoo's dismissal I told Abida Hussain, doughty fighter
>from Jhang, that the Pipliyas would have to strive hard to create
their majority in Punjab. She, with a knowledge of practical politics
greater than mine, retorted, "Just you wait, they will do it in two
days." When I demurred and raised objections she relented to the
extent of saying, "All right, if not in two days then in four."
The next morning after having re-evaluated in my mind the supple
qualities of the Punjabi lota I called her up to concede that I had
been wrong. With a bit of striving and wooing and cajoling Ms Bhutto
would get her majority because for the waverers and fence-sitters in a
Punjab Assembly to defy the force of a presidential proclamation
amounts to rebelling against the entire thrust of their province's
long and obedient history.
DWS
950908
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Not as rosy as that
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Editorial Column
THE fact that Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's keynote address at the
women's conference in Beijing was well received by the delegates at
the meeting should not obscure the reality of the status of women in
Pakistan. Ms Bhutto was perfectly correct when she pointed out that it
was a misconception actively promoted in the West, that the problems
of women in Muslim societies stemmed from their faith. Islam forbids
injustice and recognises the identity of women and grants them equal
rights. If women have been denied their rights in Muslim societies it
is to be attributed to social prejudices rather than religious
injunctions. In that context, the Prime Minister numerated the steps
her government has taken to improve the lot of women in the country.
But the fact is that much more needs to be done than was admitted by
Ms Bhutto. The position of women in Pakistan today is more dismal than
in any Third World countries. Not only is the gender gap more
pronounced here (this points to he discrimination against women). In
absolute terms too, the vital indicators for women make sorry reading.
Only 25% of women are literate. Barely 30% of primary school-age girls
are enrolled in schools. Less than 12% of women are in the organised
labour force. Maternal mortality rate is exorbitantly high (500 per
100,000 births), while contraceptive prevalence is exceedingly low
(12%). These are quantifiable indicators. Social prejudices and taboos
cannot always be reduced to bare statistics but they are often more
damaging than is realised. In this respect, the government could have
done more but has failed to do enough, notwithstanding the fact that
the Prime Minister is a woman.
Paradoxically, the nascent women's movement in Pakistan, if one can
describe it as such, has failed to grow after the end of military
dictatorship in the country. The activists who had struggled for
women's rights have somewhat relaxed their efforts once the male chauvinist
grip represented by General Ziaul Haq was loosened. This has proved to
be detrimental to the women's cause. Many of the issues which Ms
Bhutto mentioned in her address have been neglected. For instance, the
evil of dowry which has been the bane of women in our society has
continued to grow unchecked. The campaign to create social awareness
about its negative aspects has been more or less abandoned. The rate
at which female primary school enrolment had been growing has slowed
down considerably - the increase in percentage point was only 0.1 this
year when it grew by 1.2 and 4.5 percentage points in the two previous
years - and the participation ratio of women in the labour force has
not grown at all.
Ms Bhutto would do well to address the priorities of the education
sector in real earnest. If education - both of men and women - is
expanded sufficiently, it would help dispel the back-wardisation that
comes with the prevalence of obscurantism and superstition. It would
also help women achieve financial independence which Ms Bhutto
correctly believes is important as a vital underpinning for their
status. It would also make it possible to help emancipate them from
the clutches of demeaning customs like dowry which reduces them to the
status of chattels in matrimonial contracts. These are issues the
government must take up if it really wants to improve the status of
women. There are also the discriminatory laws which militate against
the rights of women that need to be changed. This could prove quite
problematic because of the political factors that operate and restrain
any government in office. But there is nothing to stop a government
that cares from spreading enlightenment and education if it wants to.
950912
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Off to a good start
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Sarfaraz Ahmed
THE FIRST Test of the three-Test series ended under four days' play.
Ramiz won the maiden Test in his new capacity as a demonstrative
captain. Wasim blew out the Lankans with his ability and adequacy.
Ranatunga-Tillekeratne partnership turned out to be the best
resistance for their team in the match. D=E9butante Saqlain Mushtaq, the
off-spinner, impressed with his potential. Aamir aided Pakistan in his
role of a change bowler seemingly ascending to a regular one in the
absence of a left-armer with a career best figure.
There was not much else in the match played at the slow track of the
Arbab Niaz Stadium of Peshawar staging a Test match for the first
time. The struggling Lankans have, however, made their point that with
some better understanding of the circumstances after Pakistan declared
their first innings with 400 plus on the scoreboard they could have
given a tough fight to the hosts had they not been wayward and wavered
in the use of the willow.
What Arjuna Ranatunga and Hasan Tillekeratne did was only the mean of
their performance they have been producing over the years against such
oppositions. They had always banked on their batting prowess -- be they
are playing one-dayers or the highest level of cricket, Test matches.
`They've got a dangerous batting line-up' was the concern of an
England team manager in a match at Sharjah a few years ago. Their
batting capability enabled them to register a crucial victory over
Pakistan in the last Asia Cup, which was later won by India.
Nevertheless, playing the trio of Waqar, Wasim and Aaqib could be the
best test of any batsman's nerves in today's cricket. Their
proficiency and workmanship is no secret. They are skilful in
exploiting conditions on any land or in any country. Their record
speaks for them.
What must have come precious for the Lankans is their pre-World Cup
drill which they have been afforded by the best pair of fast bowlers
at the cost of a Test match, however. Regardless of the outcome of the
two more matches, playing against the one of the best teams would be
much more than a mere consolation for the experienced Arjuna
Ranatunga.
With Arvinda de Silva joining his folks, thereby strengthening the
batting base of the Sri Lankan team, one could expect from him a
similar performance he gave for his county, Kent, against the West
Indians recently.
Dawn issues