DAWN WIRE SERVICE
Week Ending : March 30 1995 Issue : 01/12
The DAWN Wire Service (DWS) is a free weekly news-service from
Pakistan's largest English language newspaper, the daily DAWN. DWS
offers news, analysis and features of particular interest to the
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(c) Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Ltd., Pakistan - 1995
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C O N T E N T S
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Pakistan and US
..........US-Pakistan Defence Consultative Group likely to meet in May
..........Pakistan, US to study steps against terrorism
..........Benazir may find US supportive
..........Benazir pleads F-16 case
..........Pakistan to seek US mediation on Kashmir
..........Indian lobby steps up anti-Pakistan campaign in US
G.M. Syed
..........Doctors say 'no' to Syed's treatment abroad
..........G. M. Syed's chest infection improves
Opposition
..........Opposition invited to Hillary reception
..........PML, MQM to work together for peace in Karachi: Sartaj
..........140 MNAs to back no-trust move: Ajmal
Karachi
..........Army may be called back in Karachi, hints PM
..........Partial shutdown elsewhere : Complete strike in Karachi,
Lahore
Ordnance shortly to unseat defaulting legislators [NOTHING HERE]
Pakistan Day observed
Qadeeruddin laid to rest
Over 100 held in Hyderabad crackdown
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BUSINESS & ECONOMICS
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Latest survey : Thar coal proven reserves put at 641m tonnes
Biggest decline on record (Karachi Stock Excange)
Canada to cooperate in energy sector if Pakistan signs NPT
Package of incentives : Transmission policy for private sector approved
Pakistan, UK sign 2 accords
EEZ ban likely to go : Broad-based fishing policy on anvil
New transit trade pact proposed
Deregulation of the interest rate
SBP raises CDR-Rs 13 billion more to be available to borrowers
UK to positively invest in power generation
'Communication projects have rich potentials'
US officials finalise power deals
Foreign investment : UK team terms govt changes discouraging
+++The Business & Financial Week
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EDITORIALS & FEATURES
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Second thoughts on second term
Another introspective anniversary
Politics & economics of paranoia
Light lie the ashes of Pakistani pride
When legislators are in default
Karachi diary : Neither here nor there
Nawaz Sharif is back in business
*From the magazine pages
..........The viewpoints of embryonic artists
----- SPORTS
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Jansher Khan peerless in crushing Peter Marshall
Moin Khan to lead national cricket side in Asia Cup
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N A T I O N A L N E W S
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950323
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US-Pakistan Defence Consultative Group likely to meet in May
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*From Muhammad Ali Siddiqi
WASHINGTON, March 22: The US-Pakistan (Defence) Consultative Group is
likely to meet in May after Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's American
tour is over and some positive results are achieved, according to
diplomatic sources here.
The Group last met in 1990 shortly before the Pressler amendment went
into effect. It was revived in January when US Defence Secretary William
Perry visited Pakistan.
It is a measure of the current state of US-Pakistan relations that the
group carefully avoids "military" or "defence" in its nomenclature
because of the complexities created by the Pressler amendment even in
such matters as joint exercises and the use of US-made equipment in
peacekeeping operations. Originally, too, when set up in 1984, the name
of the Group was the same as it is today, but the military nature of the
relationship between the two then was too obvious.
During the Perry visit, the Americans proposed that the group meet in
March. However, the Pakistan side felt a March meeting would be too
close to the Prime Minister's visit. Besides, the Pakistani side pointed
out the Group's meeting would not produce any worthwhile results unless
"the contentious issues" were resolved at the highest political level by
the two governments.
At present, military equipment worth 1.2 billion dollars paid for by
Pakistan remains undelivered. This includes 38 F-16s and many submarine
hunter planes, besides crucial spare parts. Interpreted broadly, the
Pressler amendment bars Pakistani soldiers even from attending courses
in American military academies, except at a prohibitive cost of 100,000
dollars per course.
The revival of the Group is a pitiable attempt on America's part to have
some leverage with Pakistan, because the denial of loans for economic
development and of military sales under the Pressler amendment has
inhibited the United States from pursuing even its non-nuclear concerns
with Pakistan.
The situation in Afghanistan, America's continued obsession with Iran
and Iraq and the deteriorating scenario in Central Asia still provide
Pakistan and the United States with some common security perceptions.
However, Pakistanis feel the Pressler amendment, termed by Secretary
Perry as "a blunt instrument," has created a structural inpediment in
the normalisation of their relationship.
Senator Bob Dole, Majority Leader in the Senate and a presidential
hopeful for the 1996 Republican ticket, made a forceful plea in an
article published in the latest issue of Foreign Policy for American
leadership in the world when he referred to the hazardous situation in
the Middle East, the Gulf and South Asia.
While a "resurgent Russia" could aspire to fill the vacuum in Central
Europe, "with Iraq threatening the oilfields of Saudi Arabia," and a
"fundamentalist Iran seeking to dominate the Persian Gulf, a fourth
conflict between India and Pakistan could escalate into the world's
first nuclear war."
"American leadership," he added, "can overcome the challenges of
building a just and durable peace after the Cold War."
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950325
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Pakistan, US to study steps against terrorism
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*From Our Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 24: Pakistan and the United States will explore
avenues of cooperation in combating terrorism when Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto arrives here on a working official tour next month. This
was officially announced here.
The Prime Minister, who is due in the US capital on April 5, is
scheduled to have a meeting with President Clinton at the White House on
the 11th. Earlier, she will have talks with congressional leaders,
including chiefs and members of the Senate and House foreign relations
committees.
State Department Spokesperson Christine Shelly said during her noon
briefing on Wednesday that Pakistan "has been at the forefront of
nations working to combat this international menace," and said the issue
would be on the agenda during the Prime Minister's talks here. She
added, "We will be looking for more areas of cooperation in counter-
terrorism. "
Asked to comment on the Prime Minister's request for US help against
terrorists, Ms. Shelly said "We have been cooperating very closely with
Pakistani authorities in the detection, investigation and prosecution of
terrorists in and out of Pakistan."
Ms Shelly pointed out that assistance to Pakistan was barred under the
Pressler amendment. But "exceptions to the law allow limited counter-
narcotics and humanitarian assistance, but not help under our counter-
terrorism assistance programme.
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950326
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Benazir may find US supportive
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*From Masood Haider
NEW YORK, March 25: When Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto comes to the
United States in April on an eight-day visit, she is likely to find the
Clinton Administration and the Americans in general appreciative of her
predicament and are likely to be supportive.
The events in Pakistan, particularly those in Karachi, have already
determined the agenda for her talks with American officials and
lawmakers.
The State Department, the Defence Department and the lawmakers on
Capitol Hill, dominated by the Republicans, are looking at Ms Bhutto's
appeal for assistance to eradicate the terrorist bases operating in
Pakistan, which are involved in drugs and gun-running business.
Ms Bhutto managed to hit a raw weak, nerve of the American
administration, when she sought help for the elimination of terrorists
and the so-called armed groups left over as the consequence of Afghan
war.
While she enjoys clout with the Clinton administration, Ms Bhutto is
seemingly nervous about the reception she will get from her countrymen
settled here who are polarised in feelings about her government and the
country.
There there are several groups, of Pakistanis which include PPP groups
annoyed with the latest action by their leadership in Pakistan, MQM,
Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz Group), Shias and Sunnis. Some even intend
to release advertisements in the New York Times and the Washington Post,
protesting Ms Bhutto's policies and the situation in Karachi.
Given the situation in Karachi where hundreds of people have been killed
in riots recently, many groups have announced plans to hold
demonstrations and rallies against Ms Bhutto and they have been given
permission to hold such rallies in Washington and elsewhere.
The Muslim League intends to warn Ms Bhutto not to compromise Pakistan's
nuclear programme for the sake of American help. The MQM will protest
the killings in Karachi, the Shia and Sunni groups will seek assurances
of safety in Karachi.
The ousted president of Pakistan People's Party (North America), Shabbir
Shaikh, told newsmen on Pakistan Day: "There has been a great injustice
done to me. I intend to fight it tooth and nail. I have suffered for the
party, and the people who were never there are now in the forefront."
Mr Shaikh intends to hold a news conference here soon to announce his
future plan of action when Ms Bhutto comes here.
THE INFORMATION TEAM: The situation in New York and Washington vis-a-vis
the Pakistani community, the ethnic community media, and her own party
has become so untenable, that Prime Minister Benazir has sent a team of
information ministry officials here headed by Senator Jehangir Badar, to
pacify and contain the potential hostile atmosphere obtaining among the
various groups of Pakistan People's Party, and other community groups
and media.
Seemingly, the officials at the Pakistan embassy and mission level and
the Pakistan People's Party leadership and the officials who have
arrived here from Pakistan to facilitate Ms Bhutto's visit are working
at cross purposes, and are likely to create more confusion and problems.
THE PIGEONS WILL FLY: Mr A.R. Bhatti, the newly appointed head of
Pakistan People's Party, announced that he would release 600 pigeons at
the Andrews Airforce Base on Ms Bhutto's arrival. These homing pigeons
as they are known, are to be bought from the Disneyworld in Orlando
Florida. They cost a lot of money.
What Mr Bhatti, did not take into account was the fact that birds are
not allowed around the airport. And the tab for the pigeons which he was
going to release was around $100,000 (one hundred thousand), as that
pigeons had to be bought here from Florida.
Now that Mr Bhatti has learnt that he will not be allowed to release the
pigeons around the airport, he says he will release them "at an
appropriate time" during Ms Bhutto's visit.
CULTURAL SHOW: Then there is the controversial cultural programme, being
organised by Ms Rana Shaikh, the wife of the foreign secretary, to mark
the occasion. On the face of it the idea was good, but the finances of
the project are so overwhelming and the returns so diminutive that even
the officials at the Pakistan embassy are dead against it.
The Pakistan embassy officials who found themselves out of the loop from
the events, have made it known to the media that they do not embrace the
show being organised by Ms Shaikh, nor the gesture of goodwill as deemed
fit by Mr Bhatti.
ADVERTISEMENT BUDGET: But all that does not compare the $2.2 million tab
set aside by the Export Promotion Bureau to take out supplements in
expensive American Publications. The publications listed so fare are,
the New York Times, Time Magazine, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles
Times, The Daily News and the Chicago Tribune.
There are also unconfirmed reports here that in the supplement deal Ms
Bhutto's friend and lobbyist Marc Segal, is involved along with a
Pakistani advertisement firm.
As the news about the supplements being handed out to the American
publications spread, the Pakistani ethnic media in New York feel that
they should also be given the supplements or advertisement given to the
foreign media and be treated fairly if not at par with the American
media. The Pakistani television and radio station owners also want
sponsorships to mark the event.
When the reports of the apparent discontent among the ethnic media
spread to the information team presently based in New York, they
scrambled to pacify the owners and journalists working in the ethnic
media here. But, instead of working out things, they have ended up
making things worse.
Now that Information minister Khalid Kharal, is arriving here on Sunday
to supervise the show, so to speak, things are likely to get more heated
up.
Besides, the seven or eight-man information team is going to stay here
till the end of Ms Bhutto's American visit and as to what it is going to
cost Pakistan government is anybody's guess.
Each member of the information team is being given a handsome allowance
besides facilities of boarding and lodging with very little to do so
far.
During Ms Bhutto's visit the Public relations firm of Burston Marstellar
has been asked to organise meeting of the businessmen and entrepreneurs
in New York with Ms Bhutto on April 9 without realising that April 9 is
Palm Sunday, one of the holiest day in Christian calendar, very few
businessmen of consequence will make it.
Besides, in the same week the Jewish holiday of passover is due to
begin.
Ethnic newspapers here have published reports that Ms Bhutto's visit
would cost Pakistan exchequer over $5 million.
Several officials of Pakistan embassy here say: "We do not care how much
money is being spent on Prime Minister's visit, it will be worth it.
But, what we are worried about is the confusion compounded by the
innumerable politicians and extra officials who have arrived here to
supervise things."
For Ms Bhutto, the task of convincing the lawmakers on Capitol Hill and
the Clinton Administration to bypass the Pressler Amendment for once and
either give Pakistan the 38 F-16s or the money back, is enough.
Unfortunately, she will have to deal with the disarray within her own
party in particular and pacify her country people in general, that
Pakistan has not compromised its nuclear programme for the sake of
American aid.
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950327
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Benazir pleads F-16 case : Hillary lauds efforts for social
development
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ISLAMABAD, Mar 26: Pakistan asked the United States on Sunday to release
the held-up 38 F-16s or return the money which Islamabad had already
paid for the fighter planes. It also voiced concern over the Indian
atrocities being perpetuated on the innocent men, women and children in
the occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Official sources told Dawn that Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto briefed
American First Lady Hillary Clinton and the US officials on the agenda
of issues Pakistan wanted to raise during Ms Bhutto's forthcoming visit
to Washington.
Ms Clinton heard the prime minister with "interest", the sources said.
The 20-minute meeting took place prior to a ladies lunch in honour of
the guest from the US.
Prime Minister Bhutto was aided by Foreign Secretary Najmuddin Shaikh
and Additional Secretary Zaffar Hillaly while Ms Clinton was assisted by
Assistant Secretary of State Ms Robin Raphel and Ambassador John C.
Monjo.
"Ms Bhutto discussed the damage the discriminatory Pressler Law had
caused to the security of Pakistan and asked that either the US should
release the F-16s or return the money."
On Kashmir, the prime minister is reported to have detailed Ms Clinton
about the atrocities being carried out on the Kashmiri women by the
Indian security forces in the occupied valley. "The Kashmiri people must
be given the right of self determination as endorsed by the UN
resolutions."
LUNCHEON: Later at the luncheon, welcoming US guest, prime minister
Bhutto said: "Your glow and your presence warms us today and, on behalf
of 130 million Pakistanis, it is my honour to welcome you into our homes
and into our hearts. The name of Hillary Rodham Clinton has earned a
special place of honour in our history. Mrs Clinton is the symbol of all
women everywhere, both in the East and the West, that women - yes, they
can, they can run corporations and run households, they can be great
lawyers and still be great mothers."
Paying the highest tribute to Ms Clinton. Ms Bhutto said for over two
years she and the people of Pakistan have been utterly fascinated by the
US first lady's 'heroic efforts' to redefine the role of women in her
country and to provide care and sensitive leadership to social issues.
Quoting former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, Ms Bhutto: "If
a woman is tough she is strident, but if a man is tough he is a great
leader'. You are both tough and a great leader, a great leader for the
cause of health care, for cause of children, for investing in the future
and model for the girls."
Ms Clinton, in response to Ms Bhutto's speech, said she was especially
pleased to be here to reaffirm the partnership and friendship between
Pakistan and the United States. "There's much more in keeping us (women)
in common than keeping us separate. I find (that) so much keeps us in
common as we move together to find our lives and it is a great privilege
for me to be here with all of you."
Praising Ms Bhutto's emphasis on children, that every child will be
given an opportunity to live up to his or her potential, she said, "the
work you are doing from extension of primary schooling, to the
eradication of polio is being looked at with great interest and
admiration."
"On behalf of the women of our country, it is a great privilege to be
here and see opportunities. I wish my visit was longer, but I feel those
of us in this room, particularly as women, have been blessed with a full
range of opportunities and now we are here to listen and learn from what
the prime minister of this country can do for the women."
Expressing her delight to have met the 50 leading professional Pakistani
women, she said: "I am happy to meet some of the women who are breaking
new grounds and giving a new meaning to the opportunity."
Ms Bhutto, earlier in her welcome address, said: "On behalf of my
spouse, I also welcome you. The First Lady does not know it, but
according to our newspapers in Pakistan, Asif Zardari is the 'de facto
prime minister' and he (Asif) said only the First Lady can appreciate
that this is not true."
Fully reciprocating Ms Bhutto's sentiments, Ms Clinton said: "As a
political spouse I feel a great deal of identity with your husband."
Later in the evening, Ms Clinton hosted a reception at the American
Embassy where she welcomed everyone individually. She looked stunning in
a black velvet shalwar kameez with gold work on it.
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950323
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Pakistan to seek US mediation on Kashmir
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Bureau report
ISLAMABAD, March 22: The Jammu and Kashmir dispute will be 'high' on the
agenda of talks between Pakistan and the US during Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto's official visit to America starting April 5, a Foreign
Office spokesman said here on Wednesday.
Pakistan will emphasise the need for an urgent and just solution of the
Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN resolutions," he said adding "we
will also welcome US mediation for the resolution of this problem which
threatens peace and security in South Asia."
The nine-day visit of Ms Bhutto is aimed at revitalising the bilateral
traditional relationship in a rapidly changing world, the spokesman told
newsmen during the weekly briefing. "The visit comes at a time when
there has been fresh thinking in Washington on the nuclear issue - there
is now a better understanding in the US of our position and we are no
longer being pressured to roll back our nuclear programme unilaterally,"
he stated.
He said there was also a realisation that the Pressler Amendment was
counter-productive, and the US Defence Secretary William Perry had
called it a blunt instrument. The spokesman said that Pakistan would
seek the support of Clinton administration and the Congress to modify
this "country specific legislation which has not served its purpose."
Apart from discussions on defence and narcotic control cooperation
between the two countries, Ms Bhutto would brief her hosts on
strengthening of democratic processes in Pakistan and honouring her
commitment to win over the next battle - the battle for development,
observing that the Prime Minister would also hold discussions with a
number of officials from the Clinton administration including Energy
Secretary Hazel O'Leary, Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, Defence Secretary
William Perry and US Trade Representative Micky Cantour.
Her schedule includes detailed exchange of views with the Speaker of
House of Representatives, and Senate leader Bob Dole. She would also
address the US think tanks, members of Pakistani community, US
businessmen and the media, said the spokesman.
Continuing, he added: "our new relationship which we seek with the US
will focus on trade, not aid, emphasise partnership not dependence."
Pakistan's expectation from the visit is that the relationship which
started four decades ago, would reinvigorate to the benefit of both
countries.
To a question on Ms Bhutto's call to the US for help in dealing with the
"Islamic extremism", the spokesman said: "we have inherited this threat
>from the Afghan war of liberation which the prime minister wants to be
eradicated, because Pakistan it is a moderate Islamic state where women
are not treated as sex objects but are given the respect they deserve.
It is this equilibrium she wants maintained."
PAKISTAN - INDIA TIES: Referring to newspaper reports that the Indian
Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjees' suggestion to Pakistan for reopening
of its consulate-general in Bombay, the spokesman said: "the reported
suggestions of the Indian foreign minister following hard on the heels
of victory in Maharashtra of BJP-Shiv Sena combined and the swearing in
of Shiv Sena chief minister of Maharashtra indicates either a lack of
awareness of declared policy of these parties or on unnecessary
provocative position."
Recalling that the Government of Pakistan was obliged to close down its
consulate in Bombay following threats by extremists parties in
Maharashtra and the inability of the then government to guarantee the
security and normal functioning of the consulate, the spokesman said:
"we were compelled to ask Indians to close down its mission in Karachi
because of involvement of the diplomats in activities incompatible with
their status."
On Afghanistan, the spokesman said that the recently concluded ECO
summit endorsed the UN peace process in Afghanistan which reflected a
regional consensus in resolving the Afghan imbroglio through UN
mediation.
Foreign Minister Sardar Assef Ahmad Ali has expressed deep sympathy and
grief over the tragic death of Abdul Ali Mazari, leader of Hizb-i-
Wahdat, and has appealed to the Afghan leaders and military commanders
to exercise restraint and opt for a peaceful resolution through
political negotiations.
The spokesman said that an Afghan delegation was expected to arrive here
towards the end of March to hold discussions with a view to putting an
end to the misuse of Pakistan-Afghan transit trade agreement by a
handful of unscrupulous individuals. Mentioning a 1000per cent increase
in import of certain items to Afghanistan which were subsequently being
smuggled back to Pakistan, the spokesman said: "this has caused not only
a substantial loss of revenue to the government, but has adversely
affected local industries."
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950325
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Indian lobby steps up anti-Pakistan campaign in US
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*From Our Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 25 As Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's visit nears, the
Indian lobby seems to have redoubled its otherwise perennial effort to
malign Pakistan. Regrettably, a microscopic minority in Congress seems
willing to oblige.
Microscopic it may be, retains its nuisance value, though in the process
it does more to devalue itself than to advance its cause or influence
even a sizable section of Congressmen that between the two Houses number
over 550.
What has given a sense of urgency, even despair, to the Indian Embassy
and their lobbyists here are reports in Administration and congressional
circles that the Pressler Amendment may be on the way out. If not
repealed, it could be so changed as to render it impotent and strip it
of its country-specific character.
The repeated denunciation of the blatantly anti-Pakistan amendment by
some of the top men and women in the State Department and the Pentagon
at recent congressional hearings seems to have driven the Indian
lobbyists into frenzied, often pathetic attempts to lay their hands on
any issue that could be good enough for a bit of anti-Pakistan rhetoric
in Congress, if not in the form of speeches then at least through
insertions in Congressional Record of newspaper reports viewed damaging
to Pakistan.
There are three, at best four, done to death, over-commented and sterile
points on which the Indian lobby, prompted by New Delhi's embassy here,
is focusing - viz, blasphemy laws, especially because they recently
involved some Christians, the slaying of two employees of the American
Consulate in Karachi, and the Ramzi Yousef case (with its attendant
fundamentalist bogey).
To take up the last issue first, there are no two opinions about one
fact - that Ramzi Yousef, the alleged brains behind the World Trade
Centre bombing, was arrested in Pakistan and extradited to the United
States. There might have been a two-year gap between the New York deed
and the arrest and extradition. But Pakistan, nevertheless, arrested and
sent to the US the mastermind behind a case about which - disregarding
the fundamentalist obsession of sections of the media here - all
Americans feel strongly.
Nevertheless, the Indian lobby in Congress is making a pathetic attempt
to falsify reality and not only take the credit away from Pakistan but
indirectly accuse it of providing refuge to Ramzi. Basically, this takes
the form of one question and one assertion. First, the lobby asks, "What
was Ramzi doing in Pakistan?" Second, it, asserts that Ramzi was
arrested only when an FBI team went there and had him extradited.
Recently, four Congressmen, led by Eliot Engel (D,N.Y.) moved "a sense
of the House resolution" that would require the Secretary of State to
put Pakistan on the State Department's terrorism list and reverse his
1993 summer decision that took Pakistan off the "watch list."
The pro-Indian Congressmen based their plea on the claimed presence of
4,000 fundamentalist militants, Ramzi Yousef's "flight to Pakistan"
after the New York blast the murder of two Americans in Karachi and the
presumed involvement of ISI and the government of Pakistan in terrorist
activity.
In fact, one of the "whereas" says the "Islamic Republic of Pakistan is
frequently cited as a base for terrorist groups." About Ramzi, the draft
resolution said the Pakistan police arrested him only "when United
States government officials led them to Mr Ramzi Yousef's hideout." The
Congressmen's interpretation of facts goes directly against what
President Clinton and various Administration officials have said on the
issue.
The slaying of the two Americans in Karachi initially appeared a
windfall to the Indian lobby here. However, much to their chagrin, no
one in the Administration, from the President down, held the state or
the people of Pakistan responsible for the murders.
Immediately after news of the murders was received, President Clinton,
while expressing his shock and outrage, thanked Pakistan "for excellent
cooperation it has already provided." That very day, State Department
spokesperson Christine Shelly said Pakistan authorities were cooperating
with the US in investigating the crime, and told a questioner that an
isolated act could not justify placing a country on the terrorism list.
Two days later, when the bodies arrived in Washington, neither Deputy
Secretary of State Strobe Talbott nor National Security Council Director
Anthony Lake had hurtful things to say about Pakistan. Instead,
Secretary Talbott said the crime had taken place in a country "that is a
good friend of the United States."
New Delhi's lobbyists had also hoped that if not the Prime Minister
Benazir Bhutto's visit, then at least the First Lady's first-ever trip
to Pakistan would be put off Nothing of the sort happened, and in fact
on the very next day after the slaying both Shelly and White House Press
Secretary Mike McCurry made it clear the Hillary visit would go ahead as
planned.
The Congressmen's draft resolution also focused on the blasphemy laws
but forgot the fact that the issue is behind us all: the death sentences
have been reversed, and in the blasphemy laws have been there since the
Zia days, when, as the Prime Minister put it to the International Herald
Tribune, the West chose to keep quite.
The same Congressmen, plus seven more, took another swipe at Pakistan
when they wrote a letter to the First Lady, asking her to take up the
blasphemy issue with Islamabad and tell Pakistanis to repeal the law.
This in spite of Mrs Clinton's frank statement to the CNN that she would
not talk politics in South Asia and would focus more on women's and
children's issues.
However, since one of the suspects in the blasphemy case was a boy, the
letter pleaded with Mrs Clinton to take up this question as a human
rights issue. In the CNN interview, the First Lady had already made
clear she would not take up specific human rights questions with
Pakistan, because Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto herself had made human
rights "one of her concerns."
While, undeniably, there is no dearth of unfriendly comments in
newspapers here, it is obvious to any observer of the US media scene
that the verbiage in favour of Pakistan far outweighs that against it.
Nevertheless, the Indian lobby is in a position to pick up the few ones
that suit it and recycle them through a dozen or so Congressmen in a
House of over 450, and perpetuate its shabby propaganda war that does
more to devalue the lobbyists than harm Pakistan.
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950323
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Doctors say 'no' to Syed's treatment abroad
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By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, March 22: A five member medical board, headed by Surgeon Prof
I. H. Bhatti, on Wednesday gave a decision against taking G.M. Syed out
of the country for treatment on account of his precarious condition.
The medical board observed that since the patient was in third degree
coma and continuously needed oxygen, he could not even be removed from
the intensive care unit of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre where
he is presently undergoing treatment.
Syed's lung infection has spread and he has also stopped receiving oral
fluids, according to doctors.
The JPMC medical board which gave its report on Wednesday included Dr
Mukhtiar Azeem Mirza, Dr Irshad Waheed, Dr Hamida Jamil and Dr Saghir
Hussein.
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950328
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G. M. Syed's chest infection improves
-------------------------------------------------------------------
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, March 27: G. M. Syed's chest infection improved at the Jinnah
Postgraduate Medical Centre on Monday, giving doctors hope that the
blood supply to his brain would increase and enable him to emerge from
his coma.
In anticipation of improvement in Syed's condition, Jeay Sindh Mahaz
Senior Vice Chairman Syed Ghulam Shah left for London on Monday morning
carrying the veteran leader's medical papers for consultation with
doctors. Mr Shah would be assisted by U.K.- based World Sindhi Congress
in arranging for Syed's treatment abroad.
Syed's grandson Dr Zia Shah told Dawn that on Monday the family filed
out an application to obtain a new passport for his grandfather.
The JPMC continued to be visited by people from interior Sindh, most of
whom sat on 'chadars' outside the Intensive Care Unit. Awami Tehrik
leader Rasool Baksh Palijo visited the JPMC on Sunday night and inquired
about Syed's health.
Meanwhile, on Monday Syed's lawyer Abdul Waheed Katpar filed a case
before the sub-divisional magistrate, Saddar, charging Sindh Chief
Minister Syed Abdullah Shah, Home Secretary Hamid Shah and Section
Officer Prisons-I Zamir Ahmed Qureishi under Section 302 Cr PC (murder)
and Section 307 (attempt to murder) for failing to provide timely
treatment to Syed.
The case, filed on behalf of Syed's son Imdad Mohammed Shah has been
fixed for hearing before district and sessions judge South, Amanullah
Abbasi on Tuesday.
In another petition filed before the Special Court for the Suppression
of Terrorist Activities-III on Monday, Mr Katpar sought the evacuation
of the bail order of Syed on the ground that the person offering the
bail surety, Shafy Mohammed Shah, was not known to the Syed family. Mr
Katpar maintained that since the person seeking bail on Syed's behalf
had committed "fraud", the bail order be cancelled.
The STA-III court presiding officer, Rafiq Awan, will hear another case
on Tuesday which has been filed under the contempt of court law by Mr
Katpar, maintaining that the government is bound to send under-trial
G.M. Syed abroad for treatment at its expense.
The application challenges the Home Department's order allowing Syed to
proceed abroad at his own expense in contravention of a plea taken on
March 15 by Syed's lawyer that the government was bound to pay for the
treatment of the undertrial prisoner.
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Opposition invited to Hillary reception
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, March 26: Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif has sent a bouquet
to U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton along with a personal letter
welcoming her to Pakistan, deputy opposition leader Gohar Ayub said.
Sharif was invited to the American Embassy on Sunday at a reception
which was attended by selected gathering of politicians, bureaucrats and
armed forces representatives. He had expressed his inability to attend
the reception because of his pre-occupations, Gohar said.
At the reception, the opposition was represented by Mr and Mrs Gohar
Ayub who had the honour to meet the visiting guest in a special room of
the embassy.
Syeda Abida Hussain, her husband Fakhr Imam and opposition MNA Tehmina
Daultana attended the reception outside while Gohar Ayub and his wife
were taken inside to meet Hillary.
Gohar Ayub said he welcomed Hillary Clinton to Pakistan on behalf of the
leader of the opposition and conveyed her good wishes on behalf of the
people.
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950325
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PML, MQM to work together for peace in Karachi: Sartaj
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From M. Ziauddin
ISLAMABAD, March 24: The secretary general of Pakistan Muslim League,
Sartaj Aziz, has described as "positive" the recent developments in the
country starting with the meeting of Nawaz Sharif and the Chief of the
Army Staff (COAS), General Abdul Waheed, and the understanding reached
between the PML and the MQM in London.
Asked to explain these heightened political activities in the light of
former Prime Minister's claim on Thursday in Lahore in front of a large
crowd of the PML workers that "a change was in the offing", the former
finance minister told Dawn on Friday that the PML and the MQM have
decided to work together to restore peace in Karachi and that his party
was mobilising support to bring about an "in House" change at the
earliest.
He, however, accused the government of trying to obstruct the will of
the people by arresting some opposition parliamentarians in order to
"deny us the required number of votes (109) for tabling a no-confidence
motion." He said that the government's inability to tackle the problems
facing the country, especially the law and order crisis in Karachi and
the deteriorating economic situation has rendered it morally unfit to
rule any more.
Referring to the Karachi situation, he said the government was occupied
with the symptoms rather than the causes of the crisis which has been
"further complicated by the underlying political, ethnic, sectarian,
subversive and terroristic dimensions of the problem."
He was highly critical of the government's attitude towards MQM which he
described as the genuine representative party of urban Sindh, "the local
bodies in Karachi and Hyderabad are suspended, half of the provincial
assembly members of the MQM are behind the bars and they do not have any
representation at the federal level."
This, he said, has brought the citizens of Karachi under an economic
squeeze because according to him they are being denied their share in
jobs and other economic benefits. On the other hand, he said the
government has alienated the business community at a time when according
to him the economy was in the worse ever shape in many years.
He blamed what he described as the "deflationary" policies of the
government for the current economic mess. "They have tried to mobilise
additional revenue of about Rs 40 billion in a bad year and failed in
both controlling the inflation and meeting the budgetary deficit
target."
In his opinion it was a question of loss of incomes, rather than tax
evasion, "they are arresting businessmen for no fault of theirs and are
branding religious elements as terrorists and drug traffickers."
Summing up, he said the 1993 election had thrown up a split mandate,
"now half of those parties with whose support Ms Bhutto was elected the
leader of House have left them. The political alignments have changed
and massive erosion in the grass root support of the ruling party has
taken place. They have lost the moral basis to rule."
He reiterated his party's commitment to democracy and to the present
system and said the PML had redoubled its efforts to implement the
formula of charge proposed at the conclusion of Tehrik-Nijat.
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950325
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140 MNAs to back no-trust move: Ajmal
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
LAHORE, March 24: ANP President Ajmal Khan Khattak has said a no-trust
motion against the Prime Minister is ready and will be moved in the
National Assembly as and when a decision about an alternate leadership
has been taken by allies.
Speaking at a Press conference here on Thursday, he said Mian Nawaz
Sharif and the ANP had withdrawn their candidature for the future prime'
ministership and asked the allies to nominate the leader of the house
>from among themselves. A decision was yet to be taken in this regard, he
added.
Mr Khattak claimed about 140 MNAs, including some from the ruling party,
had endorsed the proposed no-confidence motion and "we are hopeful that
more MNAs will support us in our effort to rid the country of an inept
government".
The ANP President said it was at Mr Altaf Husain's invitation that he
and Mian Nawaz Sharif had gone to London for talks and arrive at an
agreement with the MQM leader. "We strongly feel that Benazir Bhutto
government, apart from many other factors, is an impediment in the way
of restoring peace to Karachi".
The situation in Karachi, he said, was fraught with danger as it was now
the country's unity that was at stake. As such, the removal of the
present rulers was the main task for which a "mass movement will be
launched in the near future", he added.
He said Mr Altaf Husain "feels betrayed as his men have been kept out of
the National Assembly which has vitiated the political atmosphere". But,
he said, the MQM leader did not raise the question of his party's
representation in the National Assembly nor did the cases against him
come under discussion. "What Mr Altaf Husain said shows that he feels,
like any patriotic political leader, greatly concerned about the Karachi
situation which has put national unity in jeopardy", he said.
Mr Altaf Husain had shown willingness to sit with other Sindhi leaders
to resolve the urban-rural polarisation in the province. But, claimed Mr
Khattak, it was felt during the meeting that "it is we alone who can
restore peace to Karachi".
Another consensus arrived at the meeting was that if the situation was
not attended to immediately, foreign elements could exploit the
conditions and law and order could deteriorate further. The first step
he said, should be to remove the impediments which, according to him,
included the government's efforts to reduce the "mohajirs to political
non-entities."
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950325
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Army may be called back in Karachi, hints PM
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Our Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 24: Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has hinted at the
possibility of the Army being called in again to improve the law and
order situation in Karachi.
According to National Public Radio (NPR), a popular broadcasting service
here, the prime minister said the police in Karachi were "understaffed
and overwhelmed by the growing violence," and for that reason had failed
to arrest the murderers of two employees of the US Consulate in Karachi.
The Army, she said, might be called back "to patrol the city streets."
The prime minister said Pakistan was "a front-line state against
terrorism and religious extremism" and thought the murder of the two
Americans might have been in retaliation for the extradition of Ramzi
Yusuf to the United States.
It would be "a very good break and a very good augury" for her US visit,
she said, if the law enforcement authorities could identify and arrest
the killers. But, she added, "I think the Americans probably understand
that investigating such crimes takes time."
The NPR's reporter in Islamabad said while Ramzi Yusuf's extradition was
"swift," Pakistani investigators were "far less successful" in finding
the people responsible for killing the two Americans.
The radio said the entire episode was seen "as an embarrassment" for the
prime minister, due here on April 5. Ms Bhutto, he said, had been
criticised for her handling of the crisis in Karachi.
While Pakistan had become what the reporter called "an attractive haven
for" international terrorists, he quoted the prime minister as saying
Pakistan was "at the vanguard of the movement to uncover militant groups
that have been operating in different Muslim countries since the end of
the Afghan war."
According to the radio, during her US visit, Ms Bhutto is likely to
portray Pakistan "as an important US ally in the fight against
terrorism. By doing so, she will attempt to mend a relationship that has
deteriorated recently."
The NPR reporter referred to the US aid cutoff to Pakistan because of
its nuclear programme and said Pakistanis believed that they had been
"unfairly singled out." The prime minister, he said, believed that the
US decision had managed "to fuel the fire of fanaticism" in Pakistan.
To the criticism levelled against Pakistan because of the mandatory
death sentence for blasphemy, Ms Bhutto said her country was "a moderate
Islamic nation" and rejected any comparisons to more fundamentalist
states.
Earlier talking to newsmen after the investiture ceremony at the
presidency in Islamabad on Thursday, Ms Bhutto reaffirmed her
government's resolve "to gear up administration, for wiping out
proliferation of arms from the country," reports APP.
The prime minister declared that "display of arms would not be allowed
and anyone found involved in it would be brought to book, without any
loss of time."
The prime minister added, as far as Pakistan is concerned, it would give
no quarter to terrorists and anyone who had indulged in any terroristic
acts abroad and then took refuge in Pakistan. Such a terrorist would be
handed over to the country concerned for trial. Similarly, she said, if
any Pakistani had absconded to any other country, he would be brought
back to Pakistan for taking of a legal action against him.
The prime minister stressed that it was an effort of some terroristic
forces to pit Islam against Christianity and vice versa, after the fall
of communism against capitalism.
Ms Bhutto said these terroristic forces wanted to contain Muslim
countries and retard their economic development.
"It is high time," she said, that conspiracies of these terroristic
forces were foiled "once and for all."
To another question, the prime minister pointed out: "We have always
struggled and offered sacrifices for the upholding of principles."
"Our efforts to improve Pakistan-US relations are also based on
principles," she asserted. "There would be no compromise on principles,
under any circumstances," she emphatically stated.
On this auspicious day, (March 23) the prime minister declared, her
government would not only protect political independence but also spare
no effort to ensure economic growth and freedom of the Pakistani people.
She categorically said that there would be no compromise on the nuclear
issue, whatsoever.
Responding to a question, she said: "We have also to tackle poverty
through sound planning and proper implementation of projects." She
stated that poverty was an important problem which was being attached
due priority.
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950326
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Partial shutdown elsewhere : Complete strike in Karachi, Lahore
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Nasir Malick
ISLAMABAD, March 25: Partial strike was observed today throughout the
country, except for Karachi and Lahore where it was complete, at the
call of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry
(FPCCI) to protest against the deteriorating law and order situation in
Karachi, reports pouring in from our correspondents said.
Strike, on the eve of US First Lady Hillary Clinton's visit to Pakistan,
failed to make a strong impact because transport flowed normally in most
cities.
The Economic Committee of the Cabinet on Monday had declared the strike
illegal terming it politically-motivated, a charge denied by the FPCCI.
The opposition PML led by Mian Nawaz Sharif supported the strike call.
This was the second strike call given by the FPCCI on the visit of an
important dignitary to Pakistan. A two-day strike was observed over the
budget issue by the federation when US Secretary of Energy Hazel O'Leary
had visited Pakistan last year to sign contracts worth four billion
dollars with the private sector companies in the power sector.
Commerce Minister Ahmad Mukhtar told Dawn that the strike was aimed at
pushing away foreign investors.
He claimed that the deposed FPCCI president S.M. Muneer was close to Mr
Nawaz Sharif.
As a reprisal, the government suspended the FPCCI president and two
other office-bearers and announced plans to bifurcate the chambers of
commerce and industries.
In Islamabad, there was absolutely no sign of strike as the local
chamber of commerce and industry had disassociated itself from the call
and urged the people to open their businesses.
The adjoining city of Rawalpindi, too, witnessed a poor response to the
strike call as major markets like Barra Market, Raja Bazaar, Liaquat
Road and commercial centres in cantonment did not join the strike. A few
shops on main Murree Road were closed, many of them opened in the
afternoon.
According to reports, partial strike was observed in Peshawar where
majority of the markets remained open as the trade organisations had not
given any call to the shopkeepers.
Karachi, the hub of economic activity in Pakistan, is dominated by
Mohajir Qaumi Movement which recently renewed its ties with PML during
Mr Sharif's visit to London.
Lahore is the power base of Mr Sharif where the ruling Pakistan People's
Party was almost routed in the last elections.
The industrial areas in Karachi as well as Karachi Stock Exchange and
Karachi Cotton Market remained closed, as were the major shopping
centres and markets.
No untoward incident was reported from any area in Karachi. The deposed
FPCCI president and two other office-bearers, meanwhile, stayed
underground fearing their arrest.
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950325
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Pakistan Day observed
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ISLAMABAD, March 24: The nation celebrated Pakistan Day on Thursday with
a renewed pledge to make Pakistan a true democratic Islamic welfare
state.
The day dawned with 31 gun salute in the Federal Capital and 21 gun
salute in all provincial capitals.
Thanksgiving prayers were offered in all the mosques after the Fajr
prayers. Special prayers were offered for the glory of Islam,
solidarity, integrity and prosperity of the country and liberation of
held Kashmir and Palestine and resolution of all the problems
confronting to the Islamic Ummah in different parts of the world.
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950327
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Qadeeruddin laid to rest
-------------------------------------------------------------------
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, March 24: Former Sindh Governor Justice (retd) Qadeeruddin
Ahmed died here on Thursday at 3.30 am in the Aga Khan Hospital and was
laid to rest at the Naval Graveyard the same evening.
Justice Qadeeruddin, 86, had been under treatment for a month. He leaves
behind a widow, two sons and five daughters.
Justice (retd) Qadeeruddin Ahmed had served as a Chief Justice of the
West Pakistan High Court and after the end of the one unit he was the Chief Justice of Sindh High Court. He retired in 1971. He also
served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan for some time.
A number of famous cases were decided during his tenure. He wrote many
papers and books on important national issues.
President Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari and Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
have expressed profound grief and anguish over the demise of Justice
Qadeeruddin Ahmad.
Sindh Governor Mehmoud A. Haroon and Chief Minister Syed Abdullah Shah,
in their separate messages to the family, also condoled the death and
offered their sympathies to the bereaved family and lauded the services
of the deceased.
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950329
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Over 100 held in Hyderabad crackdown
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Aziz Malik
HYDERABAD, March 28: In a massive crackdown which started on Monday
night and continued on Tuesday morning, police arrested over 100
political activists of the MQM, Tarraki Pasand Party, Sipah-i-Sahaba
Pakistan and groups affiliated with Mir Murtaza Bhutto all over the
division.
During the operation, the houses of the MQM zonal committee members,
sector and unit incharges, including Anis Kaimkhani and others, and the
offices of PPP(SB), Sindh Peoples Youth Working Committee SPY(WC), Sindh
Peoples Student Federation Working Committee SPSF(WC), and Tarraki
Pasand Party were also raided.
Raids were also carried out on the MQM zonal office and Shahnawaz Bhutto
House the headquarters of the PPP(SB), youth and students wings.
Credible sources told this correspondent that among the arrested persons
were 44 MQM activists, seven Tarraqi Pasand Party leaders, two Sipah-i-
Sahaba workers and six SPSF(WC) leaders.
CONDEMNED: Meanwhile, the leaders of SPYWC Majeed Siyal, Niaz Memon,
Aijaz Molai and Shahid Kaimkhani have condemned the raid on Shahnawaz
Bhutto House in Qasimabad, raids on the houses of members and large
scale arrests of the followers of Mir Murtaza Bhutto.
They alleged that the police had ransacked Shahnawaz Bhutto House and
removed the records and Rs 20,000 in cash.
They alleged that arrests of the followers of Mir Murtaza Bhutto were
aimed at preventing them from attending the 16th death anniversary
observances of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto at Larkana on April 4.
Former MQM zonal organiser of Hyderabad, Mr Anis Ahmed Kaimkhani,
members of the defunct zonal committee and Haq Parast members of Sindh
Assembly Salahuddin, Maqbool Qureshi, Mobin Shaikh and Zafar Rajput have
condemned the raids on the homes of Anees Ahmed Kaimkhani, former deputy
mayor of Hyderabad Rasheed Ahmed Khan (bhayya), and hundreds of MQM
supporters.
In a joint statement issued here on Tuesday, they said that the sudden
raids and large scale arrests of their activists were a clear
demonstration of the fact that the PPP government had completely lost
its bearings.
Our Nawabshah Correspondent adds: Several police parties of Nawabshah
town led by the DSP of Saddar police station, surrounded the house of
Ghulam Mustafa Korai, Sindh chief of the PPP (SB) in Mehran Colony on
Monday, searched the house and took his brother Ghulam Sarwar Korai into
custody at A-Section police station. He was later released after
questioning and intervention of some local influential persons.
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950325
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Latest survey : Thar coal proven reserves put at 641m tonnes
-------------------------------------------------------------------
BY Mohiuddin Aazim
KARACHI, March 25: Pakistani experts are optimistic about the size of
the coal reserves in the Thar coal field as a latest survey puts the
figure of the proven reserves over 641 million tonnes - almost double
than the previously measured reserves.
Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) concluded a 43 well eight months
close-space drilling operations in one bloc of the field last month
which established presence of over 641 million tonnes of measured
reserves, a GSP source said.
"We carried out drilling of 43 wells in a selected area of 56 square kms
and the results confirmed over 641 million tonnes of proven coal
reserves," he told Dawn. He said the operation commenced in July last
year and concluded in February 1995.
A previous broad-space drilling of 38 wells had established proven
reserves of over 338 million tonnes of coal within about 4,320 square
kms area of the Thar field which is spread over 10,000 kms. The exercise
had, however, showed the presence of an estimated 78 billion tonnes of
coal within the selected area but this includesf"We both proven and
estimated reserves.
The entire Thar coal field has an estimated 150 billion tonnes of coal
reserves and GSP experts are optimistic that it might be even higher.
They link their optimism to the initial results of the recently
concluded close-space drilling.
A GSP official said four more blocs had been identified for carrying out
drilling operations but they declined to disclose the cost of the
project.
"The purpose behind it is to show to the world how rich the field is and
how definite is the availability of coal here," he said adding that the
move would help attract foreign investors interested in developing the
Thar coal reserves.
He, however, said it might take GSP a considerable time to make full
estimates of the Thar coal reserves taking into account calculations of
not only proven reserves but also inferred, indicated and hypothetical
reserves - technical terms to express unproven or estimated reserves.
The official said the wells bored under the first close-space drilling
were about 250 metres deep on the average adding that there was no
uniform standard about it.
When asked whether the quality of the coal found during closespace
drilling differed from the coal found during broad-space drilling, he
said a detailed analysis is currently under way to assess it. GSP
sources, however, said that according to initial analysis the two types
of the coal were very close to each other in quality.
Petroleum ministry sources said coal constitutes over 6.0 percent of
Pakistan's total energy supplies and added that the government wants to
increase this percentage with a view to diversifying energy resources.
===================================================================
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B U S I N E S S & E C O N O M I C S
===================================================================
950325
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Biggest decline on record
-------------------------------------------------------------------
STOCKS suffered one of the biggest declines ever as investors resorted
to in panic selling on rumours that the market could fall to further new
lows owing to economic and political uncertainty. The other contributory
bearish factor was that investors were not inclined to cover positions
even at the falling prices, fearing further decline.
The Karachi Stock Exchange index of share prices, therefore, fell to
1,613.61 as compared to 1,695.70 a week earlier, reflecting the weakness
of base shares. But most analysts believe the index has already hit the
bottom and might not break the barrier of 1,500 points, although the
near-term outlook continued to be bearish.
They said the MQM-PML understanding to restore peace in the city should
have a positive impact on the law and order situation but much will
depend how the government reacts to the new development and its helping
hands for those who will endeavour to restore peace.
However, the market will take quite some time to be back on the rails as
it has lost heavily in terms of erosions of values. It has lost about Rs
70 billion since January this year and about Rs 150 billion during the
last ended March 16, 1995.
The fall of 48 points in the index just in a session, which means wiping
out of the market capitalisation worth Rs 7 billion has sent shock waves
in the rings but no one could precisely predict how to react to the
protracted bearish spell.
Floor brokers said the market lost heavily during the current slump and
will that months to recoup the losses.
"The market capitalisation after having hit the peak level of Rs 442
billion last year in March fluctuated between Rs 370 billion and Rs 390
billion depending on investors outlook but it fell to Rs 316 billion on
Monday," they added.
Some leading brokerage houses are advising their clients to buy at the
falling prices but from where to line up funds is a big questions they
added.
The selling was, however, largely indexed and targeted at the base
shares apparently in bid to push the index sharply down and scareaway a
section of leading operators.
Share volume on the Karachi Stock Exchange soared to record level of
about 23 million shares thanks to massive activities in some of the
current favourites under the lead of PTC shares on heavy speculative
buying.
Floor brokers said the credit for revival of strong selective demand
largely went to PTC shares, which have assumed the role of trend setter.
But Sara Taseer, the analyst at the First Capital Securities said it was
strength of the PTC GDR on the world markets, which has revived strong
covering purchases in them.
Stock analysts at KASB and Company said, however that, revival of strong
support at the lower levels could hardly be pointer for the resumption
of a technical recount.
Adamjee insurance also followed the lead of other blue chips, falling
sharply and so did other shares but textile scraps fraction ally as
investors stayed away.
Synthetics shares were mass lively traded under the lead of Pakistan
Synthetics, Dewan Salman, Shah Fibre and so did sugar and cement shares
but mostly traded lower, major losers among them being Cherat, D.G. Khan
Pakistan Cement and Lucky Cement.
Energy shares suffered sharp setback under the lead of Ebrahim Energy,
PSO, National and Pakistan Reinforces, Sui Southern and Tri-Star power
and so did electricals barring Philips which rose sharply.
Auto shares also followed the market's general line of action but losses
were mostly fractional barring sharp setback in pivotals such as Al-
Ghazi Tractors, Balochistan Wheels, General Tyre and Pak Suzuki Motors.
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950325
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Canada to cooperate in energy sector if Pakistan signs NPT
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
LAHORE, March 24:Canada will be ready to help Pakistan develop its
energy sector if it signs the nuclear non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and
also makes an agreement with Ottawa about the use of nuclear technology
and its safeguards.
The conditional cooperation offer was made by Raymond Chan, Canada's
Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific, while talking to Dawn here on
Tuesday.
He was asked about the possibility of resumption of Canada's cooperation
with Pakistan in the nuclear field.
Canada had helped Pakistan set up its first 137-mw nuclear power plant
at Karachi (KANUPP), but had stopped supplying fuel for it in 70s. The
PAEC scientists and engineers developed a local fuel for the plant which
has been in use since then.
"We feel that Pakistan needs to sign the NPT and also make an agreement
with us about the use of nuclear technology and safeguards. If this
happens, we'll be ready to develop your energy sector," said Mr Chan.
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950326
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Package of incentives offered : Transmission policy for private sector
approved
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Ihtashamul Haque
ISLAMABAD, March 25: The government has approved a new Transmission
Policy for private sector offering a big package of incentives on Build,
Own and Maintain (BOM) basis, which is expected to attract huge local
and foreign investment in Pakistan.
Official sources told Dawn here on Saturday that the Transmission Policy
has been prepared to lessen the burden of WAPDA which was already over-
stretched and unable to inject resources for the expansion of a much
needed transmission system.
And according to Secretary Water and Power Mr Salman Faruqui, the new
Transmission Policy has been framed in line with the successful
launching of Energy Policy, a policy that received world-wide response
and helped issue Letters of Supports for 30 projects totalling 1087 mw.
"And now it is imperative that the existing transmission system is
augmntd and extended for connecting the new power stations to the North
South WAPDA Trunk Grid and the capacity of 500 KV Transmission System is
expanded by completing the construction in time of the fourth 500 KV
circuit from Jamshoro-Moro-R.Y.Khan Sahiwal-Lahore and between
Muzafargarh to Faisalabad, approximately 1440 km of transmission lines
and associated grid stations," he maintained.
The New Transmission Policy permits to power transmission companies to
issue Corporate Bonds, both bearer and registered. It gives permission
to issue shares at discounted prices to enable venture capitalists to be
provided higher rate of return proportionate to the risk.
The government has recommended to the State Bank of Pakistan to modify
Prudential Regulations to allow 80:20 equity ratio. It also calls for
removal/reform of Section 13 of 1947 Foreign Exchange Regulations act to
enable non-residents to purchase securities, issued by the Pakistanis
without State Bank permissions.
The power generation and transmission has been declared as an industry
and the companies are eligible for all other concessions which are
available to industrial projects.
The private transmission companies are exempted from corporate income
tax earned from power transmission line project. The companies are
allowed to import plant and equipment without payment of Custom Duties,
Sales Tax, Iqra, Flood Relief and other surcharges as well as Import
License Fee.
Similarly companies will be allowed to register anywhere in Pakistan to
avail reduction in stamp tax and registration fee for registration of
loan documents by Federal Government.
There will be complete permission for repatriation of equity along with
dividends. Exemption from income tax in Pakistan for foreign lenders to
such companies has been ensured. The service charges have been worked
out in US dollars and will be paid on that basis. The companies are free
to get insurance as per requirements of lenders and utilities. The
sponsors could raise local and foreign finance in accordance with
regulations applicable to industry in general.
The Private Power and Infrastructure Boards will be responsible for
coordinating with all the agencies and Ministries to ensure one window
operation. It will also be taking decisions, monitoring the performance
of private sector projects and accordance with the agreements, and
safeguarding the interest of the consumers.
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950327
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Pakistan, UK sign 2 accords
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Muhammad Ilyas
ISLAMABAD, March 26: Two agreements were signed between Pakistan and
Britain on Sunday for promoting cooperation between their private
sectors and establishment of National Electric Power Regulatory
Authority (NEPRA) in this country.
An agreement signed by Syed Mohibullah Shah, Secretary, Board of
Investment and Sir Christopher Macrae, British High Commissioner has
established the "Pak-UK Forum for Industry and Technology." A Founding
Committee comprising six companies each of Pakistan and UK has been set
up. Its Chairman/Chairperson will be elected by founding members from
Pakistan and UK by rotation.
The objectives of the Forum will be: (i) Identification of projects in
industrial and technology investments between the UK and Pakistan; (ii)
Identification of sponsors for implementation of such projects; (iii)
Developing linkage between project sponsors and funding sources and
institutional investors for development of financial packages for the
projects; (iv) Coordination with concerned quarters and agencies for
provision of infrastructural support and other facilities; (v)
Facilitation & Promotion of the projects; and (vi) Organising meetings,
conferences, exchange of delegations and such other activities as are
deemed necessary for furtherance of its objectives.
A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the Governments of
Pakistan and UK by Secretary for Petroleum and Natural Resources Salman
Faruqui and Mr Tony Baldry for provision of j "planned aid assistance"
by the latter in support of power sector development initiatives in
Pakistan.
Under another MOU, the Overseas Development Organisation (ODA) of UK
will: (a) prepare on an urgent basis the Transmission Service Agreement
and Implementation Agreement required for private sector investment in
transmission; and (b) establish NEPRA.
ODA, it was stated, would submit to GOP within the next few days a
project proposal for the preparation of legal documentation, including
terms of reference for implementation of consultancies. Meanwhile, the
ODA has begun the process of identifying UK consultancy companies who
might implement each proposal, according to MOU.
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950327
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Broad-based fishing policy on anvil
-------------------------------------------------------------------
By Aamir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI, March 26: The Federal Government is considering formulation of
a broad-based fishing policy aimed at boosting fishing activities in the
high seas besides opening new avenues for the fishermen to harness
resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Pakistan.
The policy, which is expected to become effective in a couple of months,
is now undergoing final review touches and the Ministry of Food,
Agriculture and Livestock has invited suggestions from the governments
of Sindh and Balochistan to accommodate their demands.
Sources in the fishing circles told Dawn on Sunday that the policy,
keeping in view decline in fish exports, would allow local fishermen to
utilise the EEZ, covering up to 200 nautical miles, which has remained
largely untapped because most of the fishing was done within 10 to 12
miles.
Sources said the government was also considering to allow local
fishermen the use of modern boats to improve their capability to operate
in deeper oceanic waters because prior to this the fishermen were using
ships having 10 Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) to 50 GRT which was only
capable of carrying 10 to 15 tons of fish and operate in shallow waters.
With the finalisation of this policy the fishermen having modern boats
could carry about 40 tons of fish depending on its designs and capacity.
They said that under new policy the government was likely to offer some
cutbacks on the import duty of modern fishing vessels. At present about
40 to 45 percent duty is charged on the import of fishing vessels.
Sources said that seafood exports from Pakistan in lS92-93 were $ 182
million which fell to $ 115 million in 1993-94 reflecting a decline of
around 58 percent.
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950328
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New transit trade pact proposed
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, March 27: Pakistan will put forward its version of a revised
transit trade agreement with Afghanistan during the two day discussion
starting on Tuesday with the visiting six-member Afghan delegation,
official sources said here on Sunday.
"Since the existing transit trade agreement with Kabul is 30 years old,
it requires updating keeping the new ground realities in mind," official
sources told Dawn adding after the birth of Central Asian Republics, a
revised treaty taking into account the extension of the transit trade
route beyond Afghanistan. They hoped that the Afghan delegation under
the leadership of Dr Hameedullah Tarzi, minister without portfolio,
would be amenable to Pakistani proposals for the revision of the treaty.
Independent observers say while there is no doubt that the Afghan
transit trade was being misused for smuggling of goods into :Pakistan,
the "unilateral and arbitrary" manner in which Islamabad banned the 15
items "without first initiating a dialogue with Kabul was unjustified."
It may be mentioned when Pakistan placed 15 items on the negative list
last month, the Islamic State of Afghanistan raised strong objections
with President Rabbani stridently criticising Islamabad's action at the
ECO summit recently.
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950328
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Deregulation of the interest rate
-------------------------------------------------------------------
YIELDING to pressure from the banks, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)
has authorised financial institutions (banks and DFIs) to fix their own
lending rates for all purposes except for those under export finance and
local machinery purchase schemes. These schemes will continue to enjoy
the confessional status at 13 per cent of interest. Within a year, this
is the third change in the interest rate, on March 3, 1994, the maximum
rate was lowered from 22 per cent to 19 per cent, on November 13, 1994,
it was further reduced to 17.5 per cent and now the ceiling has been
removed altogether. The SBP did not think it necessary to explain the
reasons for the reversal of the November 13 decision. What is important
about the latest change is that it is exclusively the decision of the
State Bank which seems to have asserted its independence in the matter.
The cabinet or the ministry of finance, it is said, was not consulted
about the measure.
The removal of the cap on lending rates is a major step in the direction
of complete liberalisation of the financial sector with the objective
of achieving a market-based monetary management. The banks would,
henceforth, be free to set their lending rates in the light of current
demand and supply position in the market. The immediate result of the
decision may be a spurt in interests rates, which may jump to 19 or 20
per cent although market sources do not rule out a rise up to 24 per
cent, in view of the running rate of inflation of 20 per cent. This
increase in interest rates would in the short run improve the financial
health of the banks which suffer from infected portfolios. On the other
hand, if the rates really rise as high as predicted, investment will be
discouraged, industrialisation will suffer a setback and other economic
activity will also slow down. This may, however, be a temporary phase of
adjustment. The pace at which the objective of the market economy is
intended to be achieved is too fast. Our industrialists have not yet
acclimatised themselves to the environment of free competition, having
been for far too long nurtured by subsidised prices of domestic raw
material, exchange rate, finance, utility services, etc. All these
subsidies are now being withdrawn virtually in one go and the change-
over is bound to be painful. But there seems to be no escape from it
except that the speed of change could be somewhat less hectic. The
economy is no more in a position to bear the burden of these subsidies
and the donors are in no mood to continue obliging us.
The only factor which remains highly competitive in the context of
Pakistani environment is labour, which is not being fully and properly
utilised. Their skills are not being upgraded. Because of various
subsidies and other advantages involved in imports, emphasis has been on
capital-intensive industries and automation. Now that all factors of
production will be priced at their real value, a right mix and an
appropriate technology suited to indigenous conditions should be evolved
and wastage eliminated.
The deregulation of the interest rate comes at a time when the
government is in deep trouble in respect of its strategic targets. The
pursuit of achieving the budget deficit target of 4 per cent of GDP has
been abandoned and the IMF has reconciled to the fact that the goal is
unachievable. It has now raised the deficit level for the current year
to 5.7 per cent of GDP. The government will have to take greater resort
to borrowing, both from the banks and the public, at higher rates of
interest. Already over 60 per cent of the total revenues of the state go
towards debt-servicing and repayment and of this 32 per cent are paid to
domestic lenders. With the rise in interest rates now, the burden of
debt-servicing on the budget will increase. At the same time, the
prospect of revenues hitting the target is virtually nil. The budget
deficit is likely to increase even beyond the newly set target of 5.7
per cent. This will push other goals, especially that of containing
inflation, beyond reach. Although raising the interest rate is one of
the tools of fighting inflation, it is not so in our conditions. While
there is hardly any controversy about deregulation once market economy
has been accepted as the ultimate goal, there are certainly doubts about
the hectic pace of the transition. Three years is too short a period for
such a basic transformation.
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950328
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SBP raises CDR: Rs 13 billion more to be available to borrowers
-------------------------------------------------------------------
By Mohiuddin Aazim
KARACHI, March 27: With a 2 percent increase in the credit ceiling of
scheduled banks announced by the State Bank, an additional amount of
about Rs 13 billion would be available for borrowers during April-June
this year. The SBP issued a circular on Monday giving effect to the
decision.
Officials of leading governmentrun and private banks said at present all
scheduled banks had a total deposits of about Rs 650 billion adding that
2 percent of this amount or Rs 13 billion would be available for
additional lending during the next quarter.
They said the Central Bank decision to increase credit ceiling from 34
percent to 36 percent for the next quarter, announced on Monday, would
help banks improve their fund management and make them competitive.
"The uncapping of maximum lending rates announced on Sunday and now an
increase in credit ceiling are two vital steps that would make both the
banker and the borrower competitive," said a senior banker.
Banks had long been demanding complete removal of the ceiling or at
least a substantial increase in it. The decision to raise CDR from 34
percent to 36 percent is in response to this request.
On Sunday the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) removed the 17.5 percent cap
on maximum lending rates to move towards market based monetary
management and on Monday it enhanced credit ceiling rates for the same
purpose.
Some leading bankers and fund brokers said an expected Rs 13 billion
expansion in the monetary system might also have its inflationary
impact.
"The market may see an inflationary impact of the expected expansion in
the monetary system but if the SBP continues to mop up excess liquidity
>from the market as it has been doing for the last few months it could be
checked," said an executive of a leading private bank.
Some other bankers and fund brokers said that the uncapping of maximum
lending rates might also affect the market of long-term securities like
the federal investment bonds (FIBs) which carry an annual return of 13
percent for three years, 14 percent for five years and 15 percent for 10
years.
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950328
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UK to positively invest in power generation
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Ihtasham Ul Haque
ISLAMABAD, March 27: Leader of the visiting high-powered British
business delegation, Sir Sydney Lipworth has said his country has
positive plans to heavily invest in power generation as well as other
infrastructure projects in Pakistan.
"Pakistan is an expanding economy where there are lot of incentives to
attract foreign investment," he maintained.
Speaking at a news conference he said a number of businessmen currently
visiting Pakistan with him have decided to invest in Pakistan because of
the very good trade and economic environment.
He pointed out that there existed fairly good chances for private
British investment in Pakistan.
To a question he said his country has also decided to invest in small
hydel power projects. "You have water resources in abundance which has
attracted many foreign investors to install hydro power projects in
Pakistan," he said adding that the Private Power Board will soon come
out with equally good hydel policy like that of the thermal policy.
He told a reporter that ICI of Pakistan will shortly invest 500 million
dollars for establishing new factories. Similarly, he said, Britain was
thinking to invest about 400 million dollars for Port Qasim project.
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950329
-------------------------------------------------------------------
'Communication projects have rich potentials'
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Ahmad Hasan Alvi
ISLAMABAD, March 28: Federal Secretary for Communications Mr Sher Khan
has said on Tuesday the communication projects have a rich potential for
the British investors in Pakistan.
Briefing the high level UK investors team who called on him, he said his
Ministry was strictly following the deregulation and liberalisation
policy of the government which envisages large-scale private sector
participation in its projects.
While giving the details about foreign investment opportunities,
Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation, Mian Muhammad Javaid
said three foreign companies namely Al-Catel (France), Erricson (Sweden)
and Siemen (Germany) had already gone into joint ventures for production
of telecom equipment.
He said that PTC could collaborate with British investors in the areas
of opticle fibre cablic, VHF/Microwave equipment and other outside
exchange equipment.
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950328
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Ord shortly to unseat defaulting legislators
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, March 27: The federal cabinet on Monday approved an ordinance
to disqualify parliamentarians who fail to pay their outstanding bank
loans and utility bills within three months from its promulgation.
The ordinance will be issued by amending the Representation of People's
Act 1976 governing the privileges and liabilities of the elected
representatives.
An official spokesman, who briefed reporters after the cabinet meeting,
said it was a part of the "moral crusade" which Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto had recently announced she would launch.
The amendment would bind the parliamentarians at the centre and in the
provinces to submit yearly statement of their assets and liabilities to
the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) at the end of each fiscal year (by
the end of June).
The CEC would scrutinise their assets and liabilities statements.
He said the parliamentarians would be given three months to clear their
outstanding bank loans, utility bills and taxes.
A similar ordinance was also promulgated by former caretaker prime
minister Moeen Qureshi but it lapsed after three months.
The spokesman said the ordinance issued by the caretaker government had
laid down no procedure for disqualifying the members who failed to pay
their tax or outstanding dues after election.
He said all those who had contested the 1993 election, both winners and
losers, would have to file their statements of assets and liabilities.
A source who asked not to be named said parliamentarians having 10 per
cent shares of any company, which is a defaulter of any bank or utility
service, would also be disqualified from being a member. The
disqualification under the ordinance issued by Moeen Qureshi in such
cases was applicable to those holding 51 per cent shares of any company.
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950329
-------------------------------------------------------------------
US officials finalise power deals
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Our Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 28: US Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary and Bill White,
her deputy, on Tuesday visited the Pakistan embassy to finalise details
about the power sector deals to be signed during Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto's coming visit.
Present during a 35-minute meeting from the Pakistan side were
ambassador Dr Maleeha Lodhi, minister for commerce Kamran Aslam,
economic minister at the embassy Mansoor Elahi, and Mr Vaqaar Masood,
additional secretary at the Prime Minister's secretariat.
This is the first time in recent history that a cabinet-level official
visited the Pakistan embassy.
A number of memorandums of understanding are to be signed on April 6,
and Ms O'Leary said she would attend them. MoUs are also to be signed in
non-energy sectors, especially telecommunication and shipping.
The commitments in energy sector will be in addition to $ 2.5 billion of
agreements signed by investors during Ms Hazel's visit to Pakistan last
year and another $ 2.5 billion during a follow-up visit by Deputy
Secretary Energy William White, adds APP.
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950329
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Foreign investment : UK team terms govt changes discouraging
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
LAHORE, March 28: Most members of the UK investment mission currently
visiting Pakistan expressed their keen interest on Tuesday in investing
in the country's private power sector.
Mr Gerard Rees of British Gas, which operates in 42 countries and owns
2600 MW of private power stations, told the participants that Pakistan
had been selected due to its good investment opportunities. He said
economic liberalisation was underway and the country had macro-economic
structural programme with free movement of foreign exchange and no
restriction on repatriation of principal, dividends on profits and no
limit on equity held by foreign companies. However, he warned that
political instability could lead to policy changes because Pakistan had
a politically volatile history with strong military influence where six
prime ministers had ruled within the last six years. He said the present
coalition government had a fragile majority and there was law and order
problem and incidence of violence in Karachi. However, he said, there
were stabilising influences as well because all political parties agreed
on liberalising economy and the bureaucracy and the army also supported
the liberalisation. The IMF and the World Bank also called for economic
reforms, he added.
He said Pakistan was in competition with other countries to attract
foreign investment and it needed not only liberalised policies but also
an environment which should minimise the economic and political risk to
international companies. Remaining risks must be rewarded by appropriate
premium on the rate of return.
Another investor Mr Philip Smith, Director of Treasury at National Power
who led the negotiations on financial arrangements for the Hub power
project, highlighted practical difficulties in making financial
arrangement for the project.
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950325
-------------------------------------------------------------------
+++The Business & Financial Week
-------------------------------------------------------------------
+++PAKISTAN and Bosnia have called for the expulsion of Yugoslavia from
the UN, if Belgrade refuses to accept the peace plan of an extension of
cease fire without any "quid pro quo."
+++MARITIME security agency rescued one Dubai-bound Indian cargo vessel
in distress inside Pakistan's territorial waters. The Indian vessel was
stranded in shallow water off Turshian creek.
+++THE condition of registration with trade bodies for obtaining import
and export licences, quotas and duty drawback refunds may be done away
with in order to reduce their influence on the business community.
+++COMMERCIAL banks, in order to fully utilise their work' force
productively and effectively, may start working in two shifts, for which
a point proposal is being submitted to the SBP.
+++A 25 member trade and investment delegation from Taiwan, has said
that the Taiwanese would be willing to invest in labour intensive small
fields on joint venture basis in Pakistan.
+++DURING the eight months of the current fiscal year, Pakistan exported
cotton fabrics worth US $660 minimum, indicating a 29.55 per cent
increase over the export figure of the corresponding period last year.
+++INTERNATIONAL fund for Agriculture Development will continue the
ongoing research and development on agriculture projects in Pakistan as
well as it support all the programmes and plans identified by the
government of Pakistan in the future.
+++ADB is to establish a North American representative office in
Washington D.C in mid-95 making the banks' first office in a donor
member country.
+++FAYSAL Bank Ltd, Faysal Islamic Bank of Bahrain and SBP will sign an
agreement to extend a credit of $100 million to the CEC.
+++THE shareholders of the defunct Mekran Bank has sent a legal notice
to the SBP challenging its amalgamation with NBP without obtaining their
prior consent.
+++THE Kuwait Oil Company's labour union said that they had embarked on
a strike aimed at halting the production of Kuwait's three per cent
share of global output to back demands on a labour dispute.
+++NCB's and DFI's have suffered looses in excess of Rs 130.14 million
owing to various cases of fraud and forgeries in the last two years, out
of which only Rs. 31.12 million have been recovered so far.
+++IN the span of just one year, Pak Suzuki, Motors have revised prices'
of locally manufactories vehicles' three times, and recently there has
been an upward revision of prices by 10 per cent which in not in line
with the appreciation of the yen.
PAKISTAN stationery exhibitors signed orders worth US $ 2 million and
registered 900 enquiries for stationery articles from European and South
American countries during the fair held at Frankfurt.
+++THE government intends to privatise all state enterprises in the
mineral sector relying entirely on private investment for mineral
exploitation and development.
+++MCB, in collaboration with two international banks of Japan and Saudi
Arabia will form of a venture capital company to float open ended mutual
funds in a bid to help new investors.
===================================================================
E D I T O R I A L S & F E A T U R E S
===================================================================
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950328
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Second thoughts on second term
-------------------------------------------------------------------
By Mushtaq Ahmad
ACCOUNTABILITY of government to the governed being a continuous process,
assessment of its record is a part of the exercise. In this exercise
political analysts are prepetually engaged in evaluating the performance
of a government in every field of national endeavour, especially the
role of prime ministers and their political parties in shaping the
course of events.
Ms Benazir Bhutto has now been in politics for nearly eleven years, a
period long enough for her to have matured into a seasoned politician.
Whether in exile in periods of dictatorship or in the wilderness of
opposition in democracies, politicians do not forsake the profession.
Once a politician, always a politician is the rule. When out of power it
is a period of planning for getting back into power, so irresistible is
the attraction of office. During this long period she has shown the
tenacity and toughness of her father, braving both the dictator and his
political successors. She and the party have won and lost elections,
exercised power and opposed its exercise by the opponents, giving her an
opportunity to learn a lesson for the future and unlearn the mistakes of
the past.
The first term of office was one of apprenticeship where the apprentice
had to watch every step to avoid the pitfalls that lay on the journey
ahead. The mandate was qualified since the electoral victory had not
given her an overall parliamentary majority. Benazir's second mandate
though considerably improved was far from unqualified. The PPP's lead at
the Centre over the Nawaz League was slightly better than in the
previous elections. Where the party did have an edge was in Punjab. The
lead was decisive but still short of an overall majority.
Nevertheless, the renewed tenure began on a more hopeful note since the
PPP was now comfortably placed to strike a deal with the lesser parties
both at Islamabad and Lahore. The Junejo League had not stuck with Nawaz
Sharif, who had run away with the parent organisation. Small though its
parliamentary following this it was nonetheless crucial in providing the
PPP with an overall majority both at the Centre and in Punjab, depriving
the opposition leader of a provincial card he had skilfully played in
her first term of office.
For this support Ms Bhutto had to pay a high price. The price was high
enough in Punjab itself where she had to surrender the party's claim to
the chief ministership to a junior partner in the condition. With all
the limitations the Prime Minister still had control of the federal
government and of the two major provinces, Sindh and Punjab. It was the
largest party in the Frontier but not in a position to form a government
where the ANP and the ML(N) had joined hands to manipulate a majority
and form a coalition. With its candidate elected as the President, the
PPP had no apprehensions of action against its government in the
Presidency.
The sword of the Eighth Amendment which had been used by Ghulam Ishaq to
trim her first term had been put back in its sheath.
The opposition majority in the Senate and its Chairman posed no serious
problem of the government.
But, for a parliamentary government to have a smooth sailing a mere
majority was not an adequate guarantee. Both the majority and the
minority in the National Assembly had to have a firm commitment to the
principles of parliamentary system in which neither seemed to have a
firm faith. Nawaz Sharif had not accepted his defeat in good grace to
let the majority exercise its constitutional powers. The role the
opposition adopted was not just critical of the policies of the
government. It was destructive of the government. And to the government,
it furnished an opportunity to settle old scores with the opposition.
Most of the parliamentary time was consumed in the exchange of charges
and counter-charges, of threats of legal action for misappropriation of
government funds for personal and party ends and the misuse of huge
loans borrowed from nationalised banks and written off by Nawaz Sharif
and his colleagues when they were in power. Nawaz Sharif in turn
resorted to the exposure of Benazir and her colleagues for similar
charges when they were in office.
This acrimonious exchange rather than accountability became a continuous
process which cast its ominous shadow on the working of the National
Assembly. It led to arrests and detention of opposition members and the
government's refusal to produce them before the Assembly despite a
ruling of the Speaker that the privileges of the members were beyond
judicial determination. It was not a new technique which the Benazir
government had used. Previous governments had also employed it but it
had never happened before on such a scale. The Chairman of the Senate
who belonged to the Opposition and the Speaker of the National Assembly
who was a PPP candidate, were of one mind. The option open before the
government was to elect a new Speaker, a course from which it desisted
probably for fear of a rift in the party or, at any rate, defection of
some of its members to the other side. Prime Minister, attempt to build
her image abroad at a fabulous cost to the public exchequer has only
diminished her stature at home, where her presence was desperately
needed to put the country's house in order, which was showing signs of
cracking up for lack of control at the top and consequent indiscipline
and inefficiency at the base side. The altercation which went on for
weeks eventually culminated in riotous scenes and rowdyism in the
Chamber, unheard of in the history of parliamentary government in this
country and perhaps in other countries as well.
There is a predominant element of the feudals on the Treasury Benches.
Benazir assembled in the party politicians who had been disowned by her
father for their disloyalty in an attempt to reinforce the majority. The
members who were handsomely paid for the services that was their
constitutional obligation to perform were further rewarded by their
inclusion in her entourage on the frequent foreign trips. Even heads of
governments of affluent states do not have such large contingents of men
and women in their delegations. Suhrawardy who was probably the most
widely travelled prime minister had visited less than a dozen countries
in his thirteen months tenure. Benazir in twelve months of her second
term has gone on as many as two dozen foreign trips.
Prime Minister's attempt to build her image abroad at a fabulous cost to
the public exchequer has only diminished her stature at home, where her
presence was desperately needed to put the country's economic,
administrative and political house in order, which was showing signs of
cracking up for lack of control at the top and consequent indiscipline
and inefficiency at the base. The administration which never had a
reputation for integrity, had become incorrigibly corrupt. Preoccupied
with the advancement of their own interests, the heads of departments
were heedless to public complaints and at the lower rung of the ladder,
harassment and extortion was the rule against which hearings and appeals
provided no remedy or redress. The highups are under pressure of the
political activists of the ruling party. At the bottom the unions insist
on more than their pound of flesh.
What is true of services, is no less true of goods. On the pricing of
commodities there is no check or control of any kind. The utility stores
of the Benazir administration like the Juma bazaars of Zia-ul-Haq, are
publicity gimmicks and by no means price control measures which only an
equitable distribution of scarce supplies can make effective to meet the
demand backed by effective purchasing power. After all the assurances of
giving the economy a new look, the country's economic outlook appears to
be bleak.
Pakistan's two major food and cash crops which are the pride of its
agriculture, industry and foreign trade, are in a bad shape with more
than two and half million tons of deficit in wheat and overnight
disappearances of its large exportable cotton surpluses, reducing the
country to a net importer of silver fibre, thanks to the allotment of
quotas on political grounds and its hoarding by the gainers in
anticipation of high prices in the local market hitting the country's
key industry. It was a repetition of Nawaz Sharif's blundering in the
yellow cab scheme. The cotton lobby has always been a powerful force in
the Assembly. It was reputed to have as many as sixty members in the
Bhutto period. The recent lobbying shows that far from declining, its
strength has greatly increased.
Although the consumption of power is a yardstick to measure the
country's progress, power by itself can achieve little if it is not
geared to a productive apparatus, which the power obsessed government
has blissfully ignored from its economic calculations. There is marked
tendency among the overenthusiastic foreign investors to overvalue their
projects for overdrawing on the resources of the local banks and an
almost equal reluctance on the part of local entrepreneurs to reapply
the loans they hope to have written off in course of time. They run
their industries on borrowed funds, retaining their liabilities at home
and repatriating their assets abroad.
The country has consequently become precariously dependent on foreign
aid and amenable to heavy pressure from the IMF and the World Bank in
the formulation of its financial and fiscal policies from federal to
local level. We seem to have lost our initiative in the formulation of
economic policy with which is inextricably linked the direction of our
foreign policy. In the field of politics and administration our freedom
is hamstrung by the lust for power and weakness for things material and
mundane. Where money is the measure of all things, Thomas Moore had very
correctly observed in his Utopia centuries ago, there is no true
happiness, and in our times where power is the end of all politics peace
can only be a utopian dream.
Politicians religiously believe that it is heretical to part with it and
that the longer they stick to it the better it is for their own and the
country's survival. An innate conviction of indispensibility determines
their attitude towards political institutions and personalities. It is
also true both for politicians in power and politicians out of it. It is
true to large parties like, the PPP and the Nawaz League, and small
parties like the MQM. Party animosity is carried to a point where the
fundamental interests of the nation are jeopardised. From being the art
of compromise politics has degenerated to a game of no-compromise.
Although the breach of peace cannot be attributed entirely to the spirit
of intolerance that pervades the body politic for which all parties in
varying measures must share the blame, the PPP cannot be exonerated from
it nor can the MQM be given a clean certificate.
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950323
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Another introspective anniversary
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WHEN will that happy day arrive when on a national anniversary we have
something cheerful and uplifting to write about instead of looking
inwardly in a morose manner? This anniversary is no exception because
even optimists, out to put a gloss on things, would have little to
report which could lift the national mood of depression. What the
country's largest city, Karachi is going through is before us. For the
last few days there has been a respite in the killings which have
recently shaken it. But knowing how the cycle of violence has a habit of
recurring who can say that this respite will last? But even forgetting
Karachi for a moment, the rest of the national scene too is painted in
sombre colours. Where are we headed as a nation? Is there a direction to
our affairs? These are the questions which thinking Pakistanis ponder.
That we face enormous problems - from a depressed economy to a growing
disrespect for the rule of law - is not the point. These problems by
themselves would not dismay most Pakistanis if they could sense even the
faintest resolve or commitment on the part of their rulers to tackle
them. It is the selfishness, greed, uncaring attitude and extravagance
at their expense in their rulers that afflict them with a feeling of
hopelessness.
The people of this country also know, from their own experience as much
as from anything else, that their salvation lies in democracy. But over
the last ten years they have also seen democracy being made a mockery of
by their chosen representatives. Before what altar then should they
carry their flickering despair? While national problems multiply and
become more complicated, the essence of governance and administration in
Pakistan has been reduced to the sounding of empty rhetoric, the use of
an ever more copious supply of words divorced from reality. Against this
backdrop, what does it matter that there is no working relationship
between the government and the opposition or that Parliament with its
hollow and raucous noises no longer claims the public's attention? The
concern of the people has moved to more basic questions. And why should
it not when such evils as sectarianism, urban terrorism and a visible
breakdown of law and order have moved to the centre of the political
stage? The first duty of any state is to provide security and justice to
its people. With this duty increasingly unfulfilled, how can the people
occupy themselves with what, in comparison, look like trifles?
Not that this country has been shorn of its strength and what is good in
it. That is far from being true. With a bit of care and effort the
mainsprings of national life can be revitalised and hope again kindled
in the hearts of a basically optimistic people. But only if there is
someone to give them a sense of direction. The green passport may have
become a thing to be viewed with suspicion in other countries. But
consider, at the same time, the high achievement of Pakistanis in
foreign climes when their energies are released. Our people have
strengths that others can envy: frugality, a capacity for hard work,
family values, respect for the elderly. If the dream that was dreamt by
the country's founders on this day forty-five years ago has gone sour,
it is not because there is anything wrong with the inhabitants of this
land but because they have been unfortunate in those charged with the
guidance of their destiny. It is a change in that quarter that the
people look for as they move from one gloomy anniversary to another.
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950325
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Politics & economics of paranoia
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By Mazdak
WHEN historians and strategists sift through the causes of the defeat of
the mighty German Wehrmacht, one major reason they cite is Hitler's
decision to attack the Soviet Union.
Already embroiled in war on the Atlantic and in the Middle East this was
one front too many. indeed, one of the first lessons taught in war
colleges around the world is that the wise (and victorious) general does
his best to limit operations to one front at a time.
Pakistani politicians should frame this axiom in their homes. Time and
again, we find governments making and taking on a host of enemies
simultaneously for no good reason. Even Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, despite his
brilliance, finally antagonised too many disparate vested interests and
ultimately, they managed to combine for long enough to drag him down.
Zia, with all his cunning, could not resist the temptation to kick
Junejo's government out, together with a pliant parliament, thereby
alienating virtually all the mainstream political parties. Had he not
taken that totally unnecessary step, he might still have been King of
the Hill. Nawaz Sharif, too, managed the amazing feat of pushing the
Presidency and the GHQ into the PPP corner when earlier they had been
totally on his side, having placed him in power in the first place.
It seems that hubris and the illusory invincibility conferred on them by
the power of the state lulls leaders into a false sense of security,
making them think they can do whatever they like to those they dislike.
Another common feature among those afflicted with this syndrome is their
blind conviction that they were justified in their decisions. It is as
though they had suddenly and simultaneously discovered endless
violations of the rule of law in all the actions of those not on their
side, and being law-abiding citizens, they were naturally obliged to
throw the book at these "criminals".
For them, expedience, compromise and caution become meaningless concepts
as soon as they assume power. Above all, a sense of "them versus us"
grips those in power: everybody who is not for the government is
perceived to be part of the conspiracy to bring it down. This paranoia
translates into shrill denunciations of the opposition and the liberal
Press which is seen to be its partner. A siege mentality develops that
distorts the perspective of the government's leadership, and blinds it
to reality.
The present government has proved to be no exception to the general rule
that those in power will, sooner or later, shoot themselves in the foot.
During her earlier stint in power, Ms Benazir Bhutto started her term
with the most powerful forces in the land arrayed against her from day
one. Both Ghulam Ishaq Khan and General Aslam Beg made no secret of
their dislike for the young Prime Minister, and did all they could to
destabilise her government. And given its inexperience, this was not
such a difficult thing to do.
This time around, with a loyal President, a supportive army chief and an
initially cooperative MQM, as well as the experience of a dismissed
government behind her, one had hoped that Ms Bhutto would try to defuse
the acute tension that had developed after years of polarisation. To be
fair, the olive branch she had earlier held out to Nawaz Sharif was
spurned. But progressively, the government has managed to antagonise
broad sections of the business community as well as some powerful
political groupings. Some of this disenchantment was inevitable with
certain individuals and parties for whom Benazir Bhutto is anathema for
being a woman, a Sindhi and the leader of the PPP. For them, she can do
nothing right. It is enough that she is who she is.
With these built-in "handicaps", it would have been prudent for the
Prime Minister to tread carefully in the minefield of Pakistani
politics. And yet, 18 months after returning to power, a powerful
segment of the business community has turned against her government. In
a sense, they were never for her, as the PPP is still perceived as being
anti-business, even two decades after the wave of nationalisation during
the first PPP government.
There can be little doubt that there are strong political overtones to
the FPCCI's strike call. Much of the business community is Nawaz
Sharif's constituency, and has resorted to public agitation at the
slightest pretext. While the trade body's demand that the army be called
in with powers under article 245 of the Constitution and Sindh's Chief
Minister and Governor be sacked may strike a responsive chord among most
people living in Karachi, there should be no doubt that this is an
overtly political call.
However, the situation should not have been allowed to deteriorate to
this point. The Karachi situation should have been addressed much
earlier, and the business community not unnecessarily anatagonised by
such red-handed acts like the arrest of Nawaz Sharif's ailing and aged
father and the incarceration of Riaz Shafi, respected businessman in his
cities with a heart condition. When you discuss these and other
decisions with supporters of the government, you get the same spiel
about "nobody being above the law".
Considering that Pakistan probably has the highest number of lawbreakers
per capita running about loose, this is a somewhat difficult argument to
accept. If you venture to suggest that in politics, a certain amount of
flexibility and pragmatism are needed to avoid constant confrontations,
you are likely to be told that the government has ways of "fixing the
crooks". Back to square one.
Certainly, the opposition has a responsibility to work out a mature
relationship with the government, but the primary burden must rest with
those in power. By giving Nawaz Sharif and the various disaffected
elements an endless supply of ammunition, the government is only
strengthening the impression that it is impulsive and vindictive. It
also helps its enemies garner undeserved public sympathy.
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950327
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Light lie the ashes of Pakistani pride
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayaz Amir
SOMETHING happens to Pakistani leaders when they are about to go to
Washington. They lose their heads. This has happened before and as Prime
Minister Benazir Bhutto with her winning ways prepares to descend on
Washington this is happening again.
Since the time of General Zia, that trail-blazer in so many things,
Pakistani leaders have fallen into the habit of visiting Saudi Arabia
and performing the umra at the drop of a hat and at the people's
expense. But their real pilgrimages are those that they are able to make
to the United States where, for reasons best known to them but not so
clear to their people, they think their true salvation lies.
Remember the last time Ms Bhutto visited the US in 1989? In a speech
which still rings with its fatuous sounds she informed the American
Congress that it was a time to perform miracles in Pakistan. The
miracles she performed then and continues to perform ever since have not
been lost on the Pakistani people. What is her sales pitch this time?
That Pakistan is a force for moderation in the Islamic world, that it is
in the frontline in the fight against terrorism and narcotics and
deserves international help in this struggle.
It has been Pakistan's burning desire always to be in the frontline of
something or the other. In the fifties and sixties it stood in the
frontline against the spread of world communism. In the eighties in the
front trenches of the Afghan jihad. In the nineties in the frontline in
the war against terrorism and narcotics. Each of these frontline
engagements has been ruinous for the country, impinging upon its
national sovereignty and fostering deep habits of dependency which
remain with the country's rulers despite the actions of the Pressler
amendment. But it is foolish to think that Pakistani leaders, arrogant
at home and ingratiating abroad, will ever learn or ever get their
priorities right.
If Pakistan faces any crisis today it is a domestic crisis compounded by
the maladministration and corruption that are eating into its vitals and
destroying the last shreds of hope in its people. Terrorism and drugs
are the spinoffs of this crisis, not the source of it. If Pakistan,
accordingly needs any international help, is to root out corruption and
knock some sense into its leaders. International help to give Pakistan a
better set of leaders: that is more like it than carrying a begging bowl
to Washington.
What isn't Bhutto administration doing to curry American favour? Making
a mockery of the country's own laws by handing over an alleged terrorist
(Ramzi Yousaf) to American authorities within 24 hours of his arrest
which must be something of a record even in the annals of Latin
America's banana republics. Making a frenzied pitch about terrorism and
asking the US to help us fight its domestic manifestations. Does Israel,
the most allied of America's allies, ask for American help to fight
Palestinian terrorism? It gets American aid, and plenty of it too, but
it does the dirty work itself. Countries that cannot set their own
houses in order and mortgage their sovereignty when they ask foreigners,
as the Benazir administration is currently doing, to help ease their
domestic problems.
But even if this sales pitch about terrorism and drugs is successful,
what is the best that Benazir Bhutto can hope to achieve from her
American visit? A few sops thrown the country's way, some nice photo
opportunities, warm words of encouragement. None of these things will
make the problems of Pakistan disappear when Ms Bhutto, having spent
millions of dollars of public money on the build-up and the staging of
her visit, reluctantly wings her way home.
Gratuitous discourtesy is not a foreign policy virtue. But if only
Pakistani's leaders could distinguish between what is consistent with
national dignity and what amounts to excessive kow-towing before a
foreign power. A case could even be made for servility if it brought any
lasting benefits. But it never does. If there are any doubts on this
score ask Boris Yeltsin. In our own case do we need any reminders of
what the nation has reaped from its Afghan involvement in the eighties?
There were voices even then cautioning that when the euphoria subsided,
the West's attention would turn to other things and Pakistan would be
left holding the wreckage. As Pakistan wrestles with the drugs and-guns
legacy of that jihad those predictions have turned out to be all too
true but no lessons have been learnt by the succession of leaders
charged with the managing or rather the ruining of the nation's destiny.
There is no discussion of Pak-American relations today which does not
come sooner or later to the iniquitous provisions of the Pressler
amendment which stopped the flow of American military and economic
assistance to Pakistan in 1990. To hear Pakistani leaders hold forth on
the subject it would appear as if the nation's future depended upon the
unravelling of this amendment. But if only we were to calmly consider
the matter, the invocation of the Pressler law in 1990 handed Pakistan a
superb opportunity to discover the paths of self-reliance, of which
Pakistani leaders never tire of talking, and break the shackles not so
much of the country's physical as of its psychological dependence upon
the United States.
After all, in the intervening years, hasn't Pakistan survived quite well
without American assistance? Have our national defences been ruined,
have we gone under without the help that formerly used to come to us in
return for allowing the country to be turned into a staging-post for the
CIA when it bankrolled and masterminded the jihad in Afghanistan? Even
the stoppage of the F-16s for which Pakistan has paid has not been as
traumatic an experience for the country as was first portrayed.
Certainly, Pakistan needs to assured supply of weapons and spare parts
for its military. But the price for such support is too high when it
fosters mental habits of dependency or when it reinforces the impression
in the minds of Pakistani leaders that foreign assistance can be a
substitute for tackling the nation's domestic agenda.
Consider what officials of the Clinton administration have said before
Congress about the Pressler amendment: that as an anti-proliferation
tool it has proven a blunt instrument and that it has reduced American
leverage in Pakistan. That may be a bad thing for the United States but
is it so for us? Throughout our history have we not had more than our
share of American leverage and if the Pressler amendment has given us a
enhance to reduce if not eliminate it, should we not be seizing the
opportunity with both hands instead of going on interminably about the
one-sidedness of this law and the blackness of American ingratitude? The
Pressler amendment is therefore a favour to Pakistan but only if we have
the resolve to turn an apparent weakness into a source of strength.
Consider also a few comparisons with some other countries. Malaysia and
Singapore are not Bolshevik strongholds. These are countries western in
outlook and ethos to their hilt. But they do not kowtow to the world's
only superpower. They pursue their national interest, are jealous about
gardening their national honour and take no nonsense from the United
States or any other western power. Not that they are uninterested in
maintaining cordial ties with the United States but can you imagine
Mahathir Mohammad of Malaysia or a prime minister of Singapore making
such a song and dance, as the Bhutto administration is doing, of an
upcoming visit to the United States? Can you imagine even for a moment
Lee Kuan Yew (the architect of the Singapore city state asking for
American help to tackle his country's domestic problems?
Or take the case of Syria. If it had been a banana republic and Hafez
Al-Assad a tinpot dictator, the Americans would have kicked both the
country and him around. But since Assad runs a tight ship and is devoted
to the preservation of his country's honour it is not he who woos the
Americans but they who come to pay attendance at his court. Every now
and then Warren Christopher goes to Damascus and if anything higher is
in order the US President takes the trouble of meeting the Syrian despot
halfway in Geneva. An empty visit to Washington devoted to the making of
polite noises and not substantive things, Assad would treat with scorn.
While we are on the subject, imagine Assad or Mahathir Mohammad or Lee
Kuan Yew staging fashion shows in the American capital. The very thought
would stagger them.
Nothing of the above means that Benazir Bhutto, who has given a new
meaning to the concept of foreign travel. But is it too much to ask that
the thing be kept at a sober, businesslike level instead of turning it
into a tamasha and making it appear as if it is going to be the grandest
and most portentous event for this country this side of the 21st
century?
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950330
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When legislators are in default
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UNSEATING of any member of the federal or provincial legislature who
meets the criteria for election under the Representation of the People
Act 1976 would on the face of it appear to be too drastic a measure.
However, if public accountability at various levels has to be
established, there is no reason why the elected representatives of the
people should not be called upon to face the consequences of any default
on their part in the repayment of outstanding bank loans or in meeting
their liabilities for public utilities made available to them. The
federal government's decision to promulgate an ordinance to disqualify
any parliamentarians who fail to meet their obligations on these counts
would thus seem a logical, though not necessarily popular, move in the
prevailing context of acute political polarisation. The proposed
ordinance would fill a gap in the existing constitutional provisions
which do not stipulate disqualification of an elected member on the
specific ground of non-payment of bank loans or utility bills. The
federal government also proposes to make it binding on the legislators
to submit yearly statements of their assets and liabilities to the Chief
Election Commissioner for scrutiny. So far, only members of the cabinet
and other ministerial incumbents and certain categories of senior
officials are required to do so.
*From what the Law Minister, Mr N.D. Khan, has disclosed, it appears that
a significantly large number of present legislators at the Centre and in
the provinces have been defaulting on the payment of their loans and
other liabilities. The only possible explanation perhaps is that many of
them, once elected, put themselves outside the pale of public
accountability. The ordinance, as and when promulgated, will remove a
glaring anomaly and put the MNAs and MPAs on a par with the common
citizens. Only the other day that the minister of state for finance,
Makhdoom Shahabuddin, disclosed that the amount of outstanding loans
advanced by banks and the DFIs is staggeringly high, over Rs 80 billion.
The need to recover the dues, if necessary by a resort to drastic
measures, is unquestionable. Makhdoom Shahabuddin also let it be known
that loans amounting to Rs 10 million or more each were outstanding
against 1,415 persons, representing unpaid loans of Rs 61.1 billion. The
appointment of tribunals and liquidators as part of the machinery which
the government proposed to set up for the recovery of the dues and for
necessary action against the defaulters has, however, not received the
priority that it deserves, for reasons not publicly stated. Equally
incomprehensible was the decision of the chairman of the Agricultural
Development Bank in February to write off loans amounting to Rs 700
million. This was done at a time when the government would have the
public believe that it was serious about the business of loans
recoveries.
One hopes that the legal framework for the implementation of the
government's latest decision against parliamentarians who happen to be
defaulters would be in place without any undue delay and not be allowed
to drag on indefinitely, for political or any other expedient
considerations, and that the proposed three-month time limit for
repayments would be strictly adhered to, regardless of party
affiliations or other links of the defaulters. Indeed, it would be
patently wrong to use the proposed legislation for promoting any
political or partisan interests, or as a weapon of vendetta or
intimidation against members of the opposition. Even the slightest doubt
about selectivity or partisanship would undermine the government's
credibility on this score and make the whole idea suspect in the public
eye. In fact, to ensure the credibility of the intended process of
accountability, the government should consider publishing the name of
legislators who have met, or failed to meet, their liability on the
expiry of the three-month grace period after the promulgation of the
proposed ordinance. Only thus can the government establish the bona
fides of its action in this delicate matter.
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950330
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Karachi diary : Neither here nor there
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Rifaat Hamid Ghani
It would be rather a fun thing to compile the sayings of Pir Pagara. The
latest is one to the effect that there will soon be a nation-wide
address on TV that begins "Merey aziz humwatanon".
Despite the non-fulfilling aspects of the prophesying, and the clarity
of his crypticism, he has continued as eminently quotable and popular in
the role of a delphic oracle down the years. Something in the aphorisms
captures the mood of the times, and lends the implicit diagnosis, if not
the prognosis, the compelling aspect of a truth: the mood of the times
is a kind of variant of the voice of the people.
Neither seems to weigh for much with most of our politicians and
legislators, though it was an interaction of the two that brought them
to this euphoric intoxication. The addictive (and stupefying) aspects of
power are as relevant to our maladies as the addictive properties of the
poppy. Now what would an oracle pronounce effective detoxification
procedure? Opposition scarcely seems to be a sobering state; deprivation
induces a manic-depressive response.
There are so many ways of looking at things that perhaps the best thing
to do is close one's eyes. One gets a rather pronounced feeling that the
three monkeys' condition hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil is
what the executive, the legislature and forget it, one is contemptibly
scared would recommend as a suitable frame of mind for columnists in
approaching their duly allotted spaces.
It's all a point of view. N.D. Khan's criterion for normality seems to
be a loaf of bread, a cup of milk, and the morning's papers. He is on
record observing that things were completely normal despite the FPCCI
strike call because he got his morning delivery of those three
commodities: bread, milk, and the newspaper. Breakfast may not be
complete without them, but they do not really constitute the fabric of
the working day. Perhaps ministers have very long working breakfasts
that encompass the day's work.
Perhaps, too, the FPCCI President has been ex-ed not axed, because the
strike was such a fiasco they couldn't have him lowering the striking
standards the government sets itself.
The All Parties Conference also took place. Its guest list reads like a
directory of parties peripheral to the issue. The hosts, the PPP duo of
CM past and present are very germane; but without the MQM and PML to
confer with, it must have been a rather airy-fairy kind of dialogue. Any
emerging consensus could hardly be meaningful. It is one way to approach
solving a problem though: exclude what it's all about. Are we a nation
of ostriches? And are ostriches an endangered or protected species?
There is a meaningful and durable consensus about one thing: visiting
royalty, crowned or uncrowned, does not come to Karachi. Lady Di passed
us by, and Hillary Clinton too. Well, what does Karachi have to show for
itself? Only the kind of problems that would lacerate the social
consciousness for which both ladies are known all over the world. Come
to think of it though, Karachi does have the Quaid's mausoleum.
Will it become a mausoleum of some of his dreams as well?
A public servant who loved Pakistan, who even when under sedation at
hospital raved in concern for the country, died on Pakistan Day. It was
Justice Qadeeruddin, a former governor, with that rarest of gifts the
common touch and common concern. And so there were a lot of common
people to mourn him. It is sometimes easier to come by Presidential
wreaths and prime ministerial condolence messages, and VIP condolence
visits than that kind of tribute. Common humanity, retained through a
life showered with recognition and honours, has become, in our
degenerate culture, the hallmark of a vanished aristocracy.
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950330
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Nawaz Sharif is back in business
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*From M. Ziauddin
ISLAMABAD: A 150-minutelong meeting with the Chief of the Army Staff
(COAS), General Abdul Waheed, and Nawaz Sharif is again on the centre
stage of Pakistan politics. He has resumed his favourite game of
'comings and goings'. At one time he is in London meeting Altaf Hussain
and on the other in Mingora conferring with the Rehbar. The objective:
Get the government.
Former caretaker prime minister Moeen Qureshi is said to have helped
arrange the crucial meeting with the COAS on the request of former
finance minister Sartaj Aziz. Remember, Sartaj was the one who had
recommended the name of Moeen Qureshi to the PML leadership when the
Establishment was looking for a consensus caretaker prime minister to
replace Nawaz Sharif. Sartaj was probably asked to ask his friend to
return the favour.
Another story has it that the meeting was arranged at the behest of the
COAS to restate his neutrality and clear the growing impression of
Army's 'tilt' towards the ruling party. The Army also perhaps felt it
necessary to create a visible distance at this juncture between itself
and the 'ongoing persecution' of some of the opposition stalwarts as
well as the family of Nawaz Sharif in the name of accountability. The
photograph of the meeting released by the ISPR showed the two Waheed and
Nawazu smiling at each other. Beyond the telltale photograph nothing has
been divulged by either the Army or the PML so far, as to what
transpired between the two in the meeting.
Irrespective of what was discussed during the meeting, history was made
when the COAS met the leader of the opposition. From day one in Pakistan
anybody who disagreed with the policies of the government of the day and
opposed it was branded a traitor. High civil and military officials
sometime in their own personal interest and sometime since they
themselves were behind this propaganda did not even socialise with those
in the opposition. Late General Asif Nawaz caused a sensation by
attending a dinner hosted by a Senator friend at which Ms Benazir
Bhutto, who was in Opposition in those days, was also a guest. Next, his
successor, General Waheed caused greater sensation when he met Ms Bhutto
at the GHQ to request her to call off her second long march.
However, the circumstances under which the meeting between Gen Waheed
and Nawaz Sharif took place were totally different. Therefore, one can
easily describe it as historic heralding a new and certainly a welcome
tradition in Pakistan.
The PML camp, however, has used the meeting and the photograph to create
the impression that Nawaz-Altaf understanding reached in London had the
blessings of the Army. And the Army itself, by not making any effort to
counter the impression, has lent it a certain credibility and thereby
indirectly damned the government's MQM policy.
But who in God's name is the architect and incharge of MQM policy in
this country?
There is no question in anybody's mind today as to who stopped the MQM
>from participating in 1993 National Assembly elections and w ho told
them to participate in the provincial assembly elections and who told
them to vote for Leghari in the Presidential elections and who stopped
them from voting for the PPP candidate in the Senate Chairman's
elections. All through this period, the Army had total physical sway
over the constituency of the MQM. Nawaz Sharif has denied time and again
that he had had anything to do with the decision to deploy the Army in
June 1992. Remember, he was in a meeting with Altaf Hussain at the
Pakistan High Commission in London when he heard, as the story goes,
>from Altaf Hussain himself that Markaz and other MQM centres had been
attacked by the Haqiqis allegedly in the company of armed-to-teeth
troops. Muzaffar Hussain Shah, who was the Chief Minister of Sindh in
those days, was clearly out of the picture and probably was not even
consulted when the Army. The police and the Haqiqis were chasing the MQM
activists and leaders and instituting cases against them.
Those people who are now talking the loudest against the MQM, refusing
to give any room to the so-called terrorists and pretending to be the
architects of the MQM policy were not even there in those days when this
policy was actually being formed. In those days they were themselves
being branded traitors and chased all over the place by the then
government of Nawaz Sharif. It seems to be a clear case of owning up to
a sin you have not committed perhaps mistaking it to be virtue. But this
unnecessary and seemingly irrelevant stupidity of the present government
has distorted the whole issue making it impossible to find a solution to
the Karachi problem.
Pakistan is a great country in many ways. Part of its greatness lies in
the contrasts it represents. It is an Islamic Republic, but Muslims kill
their co religionists here without any compunction. It practices
democracy, but its elected leadership abhors elections at the party or
at the grassroots levels.
The present government, since it came to power, has been tirelessly
prospecting for increased flow of foreign investment. On the other hand,
it has worked harder to erect one political hurdle after the other in
the way of successful consumption of these efforts.
Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif and MQM
Chief Altaf Hussain, who among themselves hold total sway over 99 per
cent of the population, have each vowed on separate occasions to lay
down his/her life for Pakistan, but refuse to accommodate each other to
save the country from the current chaos.
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950328
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The viewpoints of embryonic artists
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By Marjorie Husain
Karachi's cultural future looks bleak at present. The programmes of
several foreign cultural centres, hitherto responsible for a significant
share of the cultural activities of the city, are postponed, if not
cancelled. And when programmes bravely did take place, public turnout
was poor and no wonder.
The exhibition of paintings Art by Women, to be held at the American
Centre commemorating International Women's Day, in which most of the
leading women painters of the city took part, was not able to open as
scheduled. What did take place as planned was an unassuming display by
seven young women who arranged an exhibition of their work at the
Gallery Sadequain.
All young and unknown, the artists combined a variety of talents
encompassing ceramics by Sabena Bengali, drawings and prints by Amina
Farhat, cast metal relief and etchings by Saba Iqbal, sculpture by Alia
Hasan Khan and oil paintings by Bani Abedi, Farina Alam and Ayesha
Qureshi.
Until a short while ago art students, Farina and Saba began their art
education at the National College of Art, Lahore, and completed it as
recent graduates from Karachi's Indus Valley School. Bani is a graduate
of NCA while Amina, Sabena and Alia were trained at the Indus School.
Ayesha, studied art with Nayyer Jamil.
Each artist added a piquant individual touch to the show, while
complementing the others' work. A strong unifying factor was their
efforts to escape the 'decorative' aspects of art.
Farina Alam whose understanding of line was evident in work shown
previously at the Indus Gallery, is currently involved in the analysis
of oil paint.
Without the distraction of a varied palette, she chose to work largely
in one colour, finding variety in the shaded tones of texture. Implying
a sense of loss of purpose, Farina fragments the human form into
different entities. As she explained, the emphasis placed on the more
defined 'head', offered the viewpoint that the elements were
dysfunctional alone.
Two of the artist's six pieces showing full length, though faintly
outlined forms, were removed following the initial opening. A pity as
the group of six paintings together, detailed her development of her
explorations. She appeared to reach important conclusions in the smaller
canvases which, showing heads only, survived censorship. In this work,
Farina explores the theory of "lost fraternity", encouraged as she said,
by the rich density of the medium. It is interesting to view her efforts
to attempt images "opening up the inherent qualities of line in a
different arena."
Amina Farhat's large, charcoal drawings on paper, gave her ample
opportunity to experiment with a diversity of patterns interlining lines
of varying strength and delicacy. Taking inspiration from the human
form, Amina had separated minute areas into unrecognisable patterns. The
corner of the yields with lashes and surrounding folds of skin, was
intensely scrutinised by the artist in an attempt to come to terms with
the ultimate miracle of cosmic space. Quoting from Baudelaire's
Journause intimes, Amina explains her philosophy by stating:
"In certain almost supernatural inner states, the depth of life is
entirely revealed in the spectacle, however ordinary, that we have
before our eyes, and which becomes the symbol of it." She envisions this
work as a development towards a stage when parts of the body lose their
literal associations.
Painter Bani Abedi and sculptor Alia Hasan Khan both chose organic
symbols as metaphors for their work. For the next eighteen months Alia
has been working in wood, trying to develop a sculptural idiom using
plant forms and germinating seeds, using the cycle of nature as
reference. Her most recent work ranges from inanimate household objects
as part of her aesthetic grammar to 'more overt figurative allusions'.
Recently involved with constructing rather than carving, the sculptor is
in the process of enjoying the experience and excitement of exploring
various mediums.
Bani Abedi used organic symbols as puns in four striking paintings.
Split, pulpy matter which resembled ripe fruit or a torn heart was
encased in a iron cage. A second canvas showed a pod form, soft outer
covering torn and skewered to the soil by cruel hooks, disclosing the
vibrantly surviving, heavy seeds within. A mutant sea organism, plant
matter suggesting intelligent thinking ability. Tiny, chilling
tentacles, lay dormant, but with undisclosed powers. Bani's imaginative
work is open to individual interpretation.
The cast metal wall based reliefs, of Saba Iqbal cleverly balanced the
interaction between shapes and depths, creating numerous layers and
scenarios. Shown against smooth wooden panels, the work showed a high
standard of professional ethos. Even the hooks which held the work,
oxidised by the artist, spoke of a formulating aesthetic idiom.
Sabena Bengali has chosen the thorny path of ceramics as artistic
expression. It is an art form which has been vastly neglected in recent
years. Although Pakistan can boast of a handful of outstanding artists
in this field, it is a hard, often hazardous branch of art. Showing the
results of her work at the Art Council where she works with Tariq Javed,
Sabena displays fifteen pieces, sculptured in forms that show the
beginning of a true individuality.
Ayesha Qureshi avoids exhibitions and discussions on her work, a quality
she shares with many notable historic painters. Yet, her presence is
strongly felt in the esoteric topography she creates, areas of
understated colour interest, painted on grainy, photographic paper.
There is a suppressed violence in the deeply etched lines added to the
paper. Perhaps the pieces are landscapes of our times.
It is seldom that one finds a group show is so 'en rapport' in
philosophy. There was no overt feminist statement to be seen. I asked
the artists if there was a reason why no male artist had contributed to
the show. The answer was that there are no young artists in their group.
As Bob Dylon might say ..."Where have all the young men gone?"
===================================================================
S P O R T S
===================================================================
950328
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Jansher Khan peerless in crushing Peter Marshall
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Dicky Rutnagur
CARDIFF, March 27: Jansher Khan played what he himself believed to be
the best squash of his life to beat Englishman Peter Marshall, 15-4,15-
4, 15-5, in the most one-sided final in the Leekes British Open
Championship since Jahangir Khan beat an ageing Qamar Zaman at Wembley,
eleven years ago.
Jansher's triumph in this, the world's premier tournament, was his
fourth in a row and this brilliant achievement complements six World
Open titles. Still only 26, Jansher is young enough to aspire to
equalling Jahangir Khan's record of 10 British Open wins.
The scoreline of the 42 minute final might suggest that Marshall was
resigned to defeat by his invincible opponent and did not offer his
utmost or that he was off his form.
Nothing was further from the truth. The hapless youngster remained
undaunted by his plight, which became increasingly desperate by the
minute, and fought to the very last.
Although Jansher finished the job so swiftly, his squash on the day was
not brutal or explosive as Jahangir's could be, sometimes. He rather
teased and tormented Marshall with variations, lobs, volley drops and
gentle clingers till he had him out of position and then coaxed the ball
into the gap.
Marshall, as he showed against Brett Martin on the previous day, is a
tireless runner and a great retriever, even at high pace but, time and
again in this final, he was left groping for the ball. Jansher's touch
as much as precision of placement had the ball dying out of Marshall's
reach.
All but five of Jansher's points came from winners or winning shots. For
Marshall's part, he could put the ball away only six times and two of
those occasions were when Jansher was only a couple of points from
victory and had relaxed.
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950330
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Moin Khan to lead national cricket side in Asia Cup
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Ilyas Beg
LAHORE, March 29: In a major reshuffle and a surprise, Test wicketkeeper
Moin Khan was named captain and Test opener Saeed Anwar vice-captain of
the 14-member Pakistan cricket team for the Asia Cup cricket tournament
to be held in Sharjah from April 5. Moin Khan will be in the l9th
captain of the country.
Former Test paceman Saleem Altaf will be the Team Manager former Test
opener Khalid Ibadullah the Cricket Manager.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the newly-constituted Pakistan
Cricket Board (PCB), Mr Arif Abbasi, while announcing the team stated
that "indiscipline and negative attitude of some of the players during
the last three years" had been taken into consideration while finalising
the team.
Salim Malik, Ejaz Ahmad Senior, Akram Raza, Rashid Latif, Basit Ali,
Kabir Khan and Waqar Younis are not included in the team, while
youngsters like Ijaz Ahmad Junior, Chaudhry Zafar Iqbal and Naeem Ashraf
have booked their places in the Pakistan senior cricket side for the
first time.
Aamir Nazir, Ghulam Ali, Nadeem Khan have also been included.
The 14 members of the Pakistan team are:
Captain Moin Khan, Vice-Captain Saeed Anwar, Aamer Sohail, Waseem Akram,
Inzamamul Haq, Asif Mujtaba, Aquib Javed, Chaudhry Zafar Iqbal, Aamer
Nazir, Ghulam Ali, Naeem Ashraf, Ijaz Ahmad Junior, Arshad Khan, Nadeem
Khan, Team Manager: Saleem Altaf; Cricket Manager: Khalid "Billy"
Ibadullah.
The CEO also answered a barrage of questions for ignoring seasoned and
good Test cricketers like Ramiz Raja while selecting the captain. The
mediamen also pointed out that Ejaz Ahmad Senior has also been "axed"
>from the team despite his excellent performance on the twin-tour South
Africa and Zimbabwe. Mr. Abbasi said that the statement of the PCB
answers all your questions. That is: "The PCB has been looking into the
performance and behaviour of the Pakistan Cricket Team. It has been
fully briefed by the Ad-hoc Committee and has had the benefit of the
Committee's investigations into instances of indiscipline and violations
of the Code of Conduct on the part of the members of the Pakistan team.
The PCB is resolved to root out from Pakistan cricket attitudes and
behaviour which are not conducive to team spirit in general and
reputation of Pakistani cricket in particular. It will not condone
players who show indiscipline and do not have the interests of the
country and the team at heart. Such indiscipline and negative attitudes
been exhibited by some of the player's during the last three years. It
is time to take action.
The PCB have, therefore, directed the Selection Committee to ensure that
players who have consistently exhibited such undesirable attitudes and
behaviour are not considered for selection. We must start with a clean
slate and develop a team in which skill is combined with honesty of
purpose and intent and a willingness to subordinate self to the greater
good of the team and Pakistani cricket. With this end in view the PCB
has decided to appoint Moin Khan as Captain of the team for the Asia Cup
and Saeed Anwar as Vice-Captain. The PCB has also decided to appoint
Saleem Altaf as Team manager and Khalid (Billy) Ibadullah as Cricket
Manager."
-------------------------------------------------------------------
D A W N W I R E S E R V I C E
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Week Ending : March 30 1995 Issue : 01/12
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The DAWN Wire Service (DWS) is a free weekly news-service from
Pakistan's largest English language newspaper, the daily DAWN. DWS
offers news, analysis and features of particular interest to the
Pakistani Community on the Internet.
e-mail dws%dawn@sdnpk.undp.org
fax +92 (21) 568-3188 & 568-3801
mail Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Limited
DAWN Group of Newspapers
Haroon House, Karachi 74400, Pakistan
(c) Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Ltd., Pakistan - 1995
===================================================================
C O N T E N T S
===================================================================
----------------------------
N A T I O N A L N E W S
----------------------------
Pakistan and US
..........US-Pakistan Defence Consultative Group likely to meet in May
..........Pakistan, US to study steps against terrorism
..........Benazir may find US supportive
..........Benazir pleads F-16 case
..........Pakistan to seek US mediation on Kashmir
..........Indian lobby steps up anti-Pakistan campaign in US
G.M. Syed
..........Doctors say 'no' to Syed's treatment abroad
..........G. M. Syed's chest infection improves
Opposition
..........Opposition invited to Hillary reception
..........PML, MQM to work together for peace in Karachi: Sartaj
..........140 MNAs to back no-trust move: Ajmal
Karachi
..........Army may be called back in Karachi, hints PM
..........Partial shutdown elsewhere : Complete strike in Karachi,
Lahore
Ordnance shortly to unseat defaulting legislators
Pakistan Day observed
Qadeeruddin laid to rest
Over 100 held in Hyderabad crackdown
--------------------------------------
B U S I N E S S & E C O N O M I C S
--------------------------------------
Latest survey : Thar coal proven reserves put at 641m tonnes
Biggest decline on record (Karachi Stock Excange)
Canada to cooperate in energy sector if Pakistan signs NPT
Package of incentives : Transmission policy for private sector approved
Pakistan, UK sign 2 accords
EEZ ban likely to go : Broad-based fishing policy on anvil
New transit trade pact proposed
Deregulation of the interest rate
SBP raises CDR-Rs 13 billion more to be available to borrowers
UK to positively invest in power generation
'Communication projects have rich potentials'
US officials finalise power deals
Foreign investment : UK team terms govt changes discouraging
+++The Business & Financial Week
-----------------------------------------
E D I T O R I A L S & F E A T U R E S
-----------------------------------------
Second thoughts on second term
Another introspective anniversary
Politics & economics of paranoia
Light lie the ashes of Pakistani pride
When legislators are in default
Karachi diary : Neither here nor there
Nawaz Sharif is back in business
*From the magazine pages
..........The viewpoints of embryonic artists
------------
S P O R T S
------------
Jansher Khan peerless in crushing Peter Marshall
Moin Khan to lead national cricket side in Asia Cup
===================================================================
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N A T I O N A L N E W S
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950323
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US-Pakistan Defence Consultative Group likely to meet in May
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Muhammad Ali Siddiqi
WASHINGTON, March 22: The US-Pakistan (Defence) Consultative Group is
likely to meet in May after Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto's American
tour is over and some positive results are achieved, according to
diplomatic sources here.
The Group last met in 1990 shortly before the Pressler amendment went
into effect. It was revived in January when US Defence Secretary William
Perry visited Pakistan.
It is a measure of the current state of US-Pakistan relations that the
group carefully avoids "military" or "defence" in its nomenclature
because of the complexities created by the Pressler amendment even in
such matters as joint exercises and the use of US-made equipment in
peacekeeping operations. Originally, too, when set up in 1984, the name
of the Group was the same as it is today, but the military nature of the
relationship between the two then was too obvious.
During the Perry visit, the Americans proposed that the group meet in
March. However, the Pakistan side felt a March meeting would be too
close to the Prime Minister's visit. Besides, the Pakistani side pointed
out the Group's meeting would not produce any worthwhile results unless
"the contentious issues" were resolved at the highest political level by
the two governments.
At present, military equipment worth 1.2 billion dollars paid for by
Pakistan remains undelivered. This includes 38 F-16s and many submarine
hunter planes, besides crucial spare parts. Interpreted broadly, the
Pressler amendment bars Pakistani soldiers even from attending courses
in American military academies, except at a prohibitive cost of 100,000
dollars per course.
The revival of the Group is a pitiable attempt on America's part to have
some leverage with Pakistan, because the denial of loans for economic
development and of military sales under the Pressler amendment has
inhibited the United States from pursuing even its non-nuclear concerns
with Pakistan.
The situation in Afghanistan, America's continued obsession with Iran
and Iraq and the deteriorating scenario in Central Asia still provide
Pakistan and the United States with some common security perceptions.
However, Pakistanis feel the Pressler amendment, termed by Secretary
Perry as "a blunt instrument," has created a structural inpediment in
the normalisation of their relationship.
Senator Bob Dole, Majority Leader in the Senate and a presidential
hopeful for the 1996 Republican ticket, made a forceful plea in an
article published in the latest issue of Foreign Policy for American
leadership in the world when he referred to the hazardous situation in
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pakistan Day observed
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ISLAMABAD, March 24: The nation celebrated Pakistan Day on Thursday with
a renewed pledge to make Pakistan a true democratic Islamic welfare
state.
The day dawned with 31 gun salute in the Federal Capital and 21 gun
salute in all provincial capitals.
Thanksgiving prayers were offered in all the mosques after the Fajr
prayers. Special prayers were offered for the glory of Islam,
solidarity, integrity and prosperity of the country and liberation of
held Kashmir and Palestine and resolution of all the problems
confronting to the Islamic Ummah in different parts of the world.
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950327
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Qadeeruddin laid to rest
-------------------------------------------------------------------
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, March 24: Former Sindh Governor Justice (retd) Qadeeruddin
Ahmed died here on Thursday at 3.30 am in the Aga Khan Hospital and was
laid to rest at the Naval Graveyard the same evening.
Justice Qadeeruddin, 86, had been under treatment for a month. He leaves
behind a widow, two sons and five daughters.
Justice (retd) Qadeeruddin Ahmed had served as a Chief Justice of the
West Pakistan High Court and after the end of the one unit he was made
the Chief Justice of Sindh High Court. He retired in 1971. He also
served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan for some time.
A number of famous cases were decided during his tenure. He wrote many
papers and books on important national issues.
President Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari and Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto
have expressed profound grief and anguish over the demise of Justice
Qadeeruddin Ahmad.
Sindh Governor Mehmoud A. Haroon and Chief Minister Syed Abdullah Shah,
in their separate messages to the family, also condoled the death and
offered their sympathies to the bereaved family and lauded the services
of the deceased.
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950329
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Over 100 held in Hyderabad crackdown
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Aziz Malik
HYDERABAD, March 28: In a massive crackdown which started on Monday
night and continued on Tuesday morning, police arrested over 100
political activists of the MQM, Tarraki Pasand Party, Sipah-i-Sahaba
Pakistan and groups affiliated with Mir Murtaza Bhutto all over the
division.
During the operation, the houses of the MQM zonal committee members,
sector and unit incharges, including Anis Kaimkhani and others, and the
offices of PPP(SB), Sindh Peoples Youth Working Committee SPY(WC), Sindh
Peoples Student Federation Working Committee SPSF(WC), and Tarraki
Pasand Party were also raided.
Raids were also carried out on the MQM zonal office and Shahnawaz Bhutto
House the headquarters of the PPP(SB), youth and students wings.
Credible sources told this correspondent that among the arrested persons
were 44 MQM activists, seven Tarraqi Pasand Party leaders, two Sipah-i-
Sahaba workers and six SPSF(WC) leaders.
CONDEMNED: Meanwhile, the leaders of SPYWC Majeed Siyal, Niaz Memon,
Aijaz Molai and Shahid Kaimkhani have condemned the raid on Shahnawaz
Bhutto House in Qasimabad, raids on the houses of members and large
scale arrests of the followers of Mir Murtaza Bhutto.
They alleged that the police had ransacked Shahnawaz Bhutto House and
removed the records and Rs 20,000 in cash.
They alleged that arrests of the followers of Mir Murtaza Bhutto were
aimed at preventing them from attending the 16th death anniversary
observances of Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto at Larkana on April 4.
Former MQM zonal organiser of Hyderabad, Mr Anis Ahmed Kaimkhani,
members of the defunct zonal committee and Haq Parast members of Sindh
Assembly Salahuddin, Maqbool Qureshi, Mobin Shaikh and Zafar Rajput have
condemned the raids on the homes of Anees Ahmed Kaimkhani, former deputy
mayor of Hyderabad Rasheed Ahmed Khan (bhayya), and hundreds of MQM
supporters.
In a joint statement issued here on Tuesday, they said that the sudden
raids and large scale arrests of their activists were a clear
demonstration of the fact that the PPP government had completely lost
its bearings.
Our Nawabshah Correspondent adds: Several police parties of Nawabshah
town led by the DSP of Saddar police station, surrounded the house of
Ghulam Mustafa Korai, Sindh chief of the PPP (SB) in Mehran Colony on
Monday, searched the house and took his brother Ghulam Sarwar Korai into
custody at A-Section police station. He was later released after
questioning and intervention of some local influential persons.
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950325
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Latest survey : Thar coal proven reserves put at 641m tonnes
-------------------------------------------------------------------
BY Mohiuddin Aazim
KARACHI, March 25: Pakistani experts are optimistic about the size of
the coal reserves in the Thar coal field as a latest survey puts the
figure of the proven reserves over 641 million tonnes - almost double
than the previously measured reserves.
Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP) concluded a 43 well eight months
close-space drilling operations in one bloc of the field last month
which established presence of over 641 million tonnes of measured
reserves, a GSP source said.
"We carried out drilling of 43 wells in a selected area of 56 square kms
and the results confirmed over 641 million tonnes of proven coal
reserves," he told Dawn. He said the operation commenced in July last
year and concluded in February 1995.
A previous broad-space drilling of 38 wells had established proven
reserves of over 338 million tonnes of coal within about 4,320 square
kms area of the Thar field which is spread over 10,000 kms. The exercise
had, however, showed the presence of an estimated 78 billion tonnes of
coal within the selected area but this includesf"We both proven and
estimated reserves.
The entire Thar coal field has an estimated 150 billion tonnes of coal
reserves and GSP experts are optimistic that it might be even higher.
They link their optimism to the initial results of the recently
concluded close-space drilling.
A GSP official said four more blocs had been identified for carrying out
drilling operations but they declined to disclose the cost of the
project.
"The purpose behind it is to show to the world how rich the field is and
how definite is the availability of coal here," he said adding that the
move would help attract foreign investors interested in developing the
Thar coal reserves.
He, however, said it might take GSP a considerable time to make full
estimates of the Thar coal reserves taking into account calculations of
not only proven reserves but also inferred, indicated and hypothetical
reserves - technical terms to express unproven or estimated reserves.
The official said the wells bored under the first close-space drilling
were about 250 metres deep on the average adding that there was no
uniform standard about it.
When asked whether the quality of the coal found during closespace
drilling differed from the coal found during broad-space drilling, he
said a detailed analysis is currently under way to assess it. GSP
sources, however, said that according to initial analysis the two types
of the coal were very close to each other in quality.
Petroleum ministry sources said coal constitutes over 6.0 percent of
Pakistan's total energy supplies and added that the government wants to
increase this percentage with a view to diversifying energy resources.
===================================================================
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B U S I N E S S & E C O N O M I C S
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950325
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Biggest decline on record
-------------------------------------------------------------------
STOCKS suffered one of the biggest declines ever as investors resorted
to in panic selling on rumours that the market could fall to further new
lows owing to economic and political uncertainty. The other contributory
bearish factor was that investors were not inclined to cover positions
even at the falling prices, fearing further decline.
The Karachi Stock Exchange index of share prices, therefore, fell to
1,613.61 as compared to 1,695.70 a week earlier, reflecting the weakness
of base shares. But most analysts believe the index has already hit the
bottom and might not break the barrier of 1,500 points, although the
near-term outlook continued to be bearish.
They said the MQM-PML understanding to restore peace in the city should
have a positive impact on the law and order situation but much will
depend how the government reacts to the new development and its helping
hands for those who will endeavour to restore peace.
However, the market will take quite some time to be back on the rails as
it has lost heavily in terms of erosions of values. It has lost about Rs
70 billion since January this year and about Rs 150 billion during the
last ended March 16, 1995.
The fall of 48 points in the index just in a session, which means wiping
out of the market capitalisation worth Rs 7 billion has sent shock waves
in the rings but no one could precisely predict how to react to the
protracted bearish spell.
Floor brokers said the market lost heavily during the current slump and
will that months to recoup the losses.
"The market capitalisation after having hit the peak level of Rs 442
billion last year in March fluctuated between Rs 370 billion and Rs 390
billion depending on investors outlook but it fell to Rs 316 billion on
Monday," they added.
Some leading brokerage houses are advising their clients to buy at the
falling prices but from where to line up funds is a big questions they
added.
The selling was, however, largely indexed and targeted at the base
shares apparently in bid to push the index sharply down and scareaway a
section of leading operators.
Share volume on the Karachi Stock Exchange soared to record level of
about 23 million shares thanks to massive activities in some of the
current favourites under the lead of PTC shares on heavy speculative
buying.
Floor brokers said the credit for revival of strong selective demand
largely went to PTC shares, which have assumed the role of trend setter.
But Sara Taseer, the analyst at the First Capital Securities said it was
strength of the PTC GDR on the world markets, which has revived strong
covering purchases in them.
Stock analysts at KASB and Company said, however that, revival of strong
support at the lower levels could hardly be pointer for the resumption
of a technical recount.
Adamjee insurance also followed the lead of other blue chips, falling
sharply and so did other shares but textile scraps fraction ally as
investors stayed away.
Synthetics shares were mass lively traded under the lead of Pakistan
Synthetics, Dewan Salman, Shah Fibre and so did sugar and cement shares
but mostly traded lower, major losers among them being Cherat, D.G. Khan
Pakistan Cement and Lucky Cement.
Energy shares suffered sharp setback under the lead of Ebrahim Energy,
PSO, National and Pakistan Reinforces, Sui Southern and Tri-Star power
and so did electricals barring Philips which rose sharply.
Auto shares also followed the market's general line of action but losses
were mostly fractional barring sharp setback in pivotals such as Al-
Ghazi Tractors, Balochistan Wheels, General Tyre and Pak Suzuki Motors.
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950325
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Canada to cooperate in energy sector if Pakistan signs NPT
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
LAHORE, March 24:Canada will be ready to help Pakistan develop its
energy sector if it signs the nuclear non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and
also makes an agreement with Ottawa about the use of nuclear technology
and its safeguards.
The conditional cooperation offer was made by Raymond Chan, Canada's
Secretary of State for Asia-Pacific, while talking to Dawn here on
Tuesday.
He was asked about the possibility of resumption of Canada's cooperation
with Pakistan in the nuclear field.
Canada had helped Pakistan set up its first 137-mw nuclear power plant
at Karachi (KANUPP), but had stopped supplying fuel for it in 70s. The
PAEC scientists and engineers developed a local fuel for the plant which
has been in use since then.
"We feel that Pakistan needs to sign the NPT and also make an agreement
with us about the use of nuclear technology and safeguards. If this
happens, we'll be ready to develop your energy sector," said Mr Chan.
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950326
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Package of incentives offered : Transmission policy for private sector
approved
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Ihtashamul Haque
ISLAMABAD, March 25: The government has approved a new Transmission
Policy for private sector offering a big package of incentives on Build,
Own and Maintain (BOM) basis, which is expected to attract huge local
and foreign investment in Pakistan.
Official sources told Dawn here on Saturday that the Transmission Policy
has been prepared to lessen the burden of WAPDA which was already over-
stretched and unable to inject resources for the expansion of a much
needed transmission system.
And according to Secretary Water and Power Mr Salman Faruqui, the new
Transmission Policy has been framed in line with the successful
launching of Energy Policy, a policy that received world-wide response
and helped issue Letters of Supports for 30 projects totalling 1087 mw.
"And now it is imperative that the existing transmission system is
augmntd and extended for connecting the new power stations to the North
South WAPDA Trunk Grid and the capacity of 500 KV Transmission System is
expanded by completing the construction in time of the fourth 500 KV
circuit from Jamshoro-Moro-R.Y.Khan Sahiwal-Lahore and between
Muzafargarh to Faisalabad, approximately 1440 km of transmission lines
and associated grid stations," he maintained.
The New Transmission Policy permits to power transmission companies to
issue Corporate Bonds, both bearer and registered. It gives permission
to issue shares at discounted prices to enable venture capitalists to be
provided higher rate of return proportionate to the risk.
The government has recommended to the State Bank of Pakistan to modify
Prudential Regulations to allow 80:20 equity ratio. It also calls for
removal/reform of Section 13 of 1947 Foreign Exchange Regulations act to
enable non-residents to purchase securities, issued by the Pakistanis
without State Bank permissions.
The power generation and transmission has been declared as an industry
and the companies are eligible for all other concessions which are
available to industrial projects.
The private transmission companies are exempted from corporate income
tax earned from power transmission line project. The companies are
allowed to import plant and equipment without payment of Custom Duties,
Sales Tax, Iqra, Flood Relief and other surcharges as well as Import
License Fee.
Similarly companies will be allowed to register anywhere in Pakistan to
avail reduction in stamp tax and registration fee for registration of
loan documents by Federal Government.
There will be complete permission for repatriation of equity along with
dividends. Exemption from income tax in Pakistan for foreign lenders to
such companies has been ensured. The service charges have been worked
out in US dollars and will be paid on that basis. The companies are free
to get insurance as per requirements of lenders and utilities. The
sponsors could raise local and foreign finance in accordance with
regulations applicable to industry in general.
The Private Power and Infrastructure Boards will be responsible for
coordinating with all the agencies and Ministries to ensure one window
operation. It will also be taking decisions, monitoring the performance
of private sector projects and accordance with the agreements, and
safeguarding the interest of the consumers.
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950327
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pakistan, UK sign 2 accords
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Muhammad Ilyas
ISLAMABAD, March 26: Two agreements were signed between Pakistan and
Britain on Sunday for promoting cooperation between their private
sectors and establishment of National Electric Power Regulatory
Authority (NEPRA) in this country.
An agreement signed by Syed Mohibullah Shah, Secretary, Board of
Investment and Sir Christopher Macrae, British High Commissioner has
established the "Pak-UK Forum for Industry and Technology." A Founding
Committee comprising six companies each of Pakistan and UK has been set
up. Its Chairman/Chairperson will be elected by founding members from
Pakistan and UK by rotation.
The objectives of the Forum will be: (i) Identification of projects in
industrial and technology investments between the UK and Pakistan; (ii)
Identification of sponsors for implementation of such projects; (iii)
Developing linkage between project sponsors and funding sources and
institutional investors for development of financial packages for the
projects; (iv) Coordination with concerned quarters and agencies for
provision of infrastructural support and other facilities; (v)
Facilitation & Promotion of the projects; and (vi) Organising meetings,
conferences, exchange of delegations and such other activities as are
deemed necessary for furtherance of its objectives.
A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the Governments of
Pakistan and UK by Secretary for Petroleum and Natural Resources Salman
Faruqui and Mr Tony Baldry for provision of j "planned aid assistance"
by the latter in support of power sector development initiatives in
Pakistan.
Under another MOU, the Overseas Development Organisation (ODA) of UK
will: (a) prepare on an urgent basis the Transmission Service Agreement
and Implementation Agreement required for private sector investment in
transmission; and (b) establish NEPRA.
ODA, it was stated, would submit to GOP within the next few days a
project proposal for the preparation of legal documentation, including
terms of reference for implementation of consultancies. Meanwhile, the
ODA has begun the process of identifying UK consultancy companies who
might implement each proposal, according to MOU.
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950327
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Broad-based fishing policy on anvil
-------------------------------------------------------------------
By Aamir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI, March 26: The Federal Government is considering formulation of
a broad-based fishing policy aimed at boosting fishing activities in the
high seas besides opening new avenues for the fishermen to harness
resources in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Pakistan.
The policy, which is expected to become effective in a couple of months,
is now undergoing final review touches and the Ministry of Food,
Agriculture and Livestock has invited suggestions from the governments
of Sindh and Balochistan to accommodate their demands.
Sources in the fishing circles told Dawn on Sunday that the policy,
keeping in view decline in fish exports, would allow local fishermen to
utilise the EEZ, covering up to 200 nautical miles, which has remained
largely untapped because most of the fishing was done within 10 to 12
miles.
Sources said the government was also considering to allow local
fishermen the use of modern boats to improve their capability to operate
in deeper oceanic waters because prior to this the fishermen were using
ships having 10 Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) to 50 GRT which was only
capable of carrying 10 to 15 tons of fish and operate in shallow waters.
With the finalisation of this policy the fishermen having modern boats
could carry about 40 tons of fish depending on its designs and capacity.
They said that under new policy the government was likely to offer some
cutbacks on the import duty of modern fishing vessels. At present about
40 to 45 percent duty is charged on the import of fishing vessels.
Sources said that seafood exports from Pakistan in lS92-93 were $ 182
million which fell to $ 115 million in 1993-94 reflecting a decline of
around 58 percent.
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950328
-------------------------------------------------------------------
New transit trade pact proposed
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, March 27: Pakistan will put forward its version of a revised
transit trade agreement with Afghanistan during the two day discussion
starting on Tuesday with the visiting six-member Afghan delegation,
official sources said here on Sunday.
"Since the existing transit trade agreement with Kabul is 30 years old,
it requires updating keeping the new ground realities in mind," official
sources told Dawn adding after the birth of Central Asian Republics, a
revised treaty taking into account the extension of the transit trade
route beyond Afghanistan. They hoped that the Afghan delegation under
the leadership of Dr Hameedullah Tarzi, minister without portfolio,
would be amenable to Pakistani proposals for the revision of the treaty.
Independent observers say while there is no doubt that the Afghan
transit trade was being misused for smuggling of goods into :Pakistan,
the "unilateral and arbitrary" manner in which Islamabad banned the 15
items "without first initiating a dialogue with Kabul was unjustified."
It may be mentioned when Pakistan placed 15 items on the negative list
last month, the Islamic State of Afghanistan raised strong objections
with President Rabbani stridently criticising Islamabad's action at the
ECO summit recently.
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950328
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Deregulation of the interest rate
-------------------------------------------------------------------
YIELDING to pressure from the banks, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)
has authorised financial institutions (banks and DFIs) to fix their own
lending rates for all purposes except for those under export finance and
local machinery purchase schemes. These schemes will continue to enjoy
the confessional status at 13 per cent of interest. Within a year, this
is the third change in the interest rate, on March 3, 1994, the maximum
rate was lowered from 22 per cent to 19 per cent, on November 13, 1994,
it was further reduced to 17.5 per cent and now the ceiling has been
removed altogether. The SBP did not think it necessary to explain the
reasons for the reversal of the November 13 decision. What is important
about the latest change is that it is exclusively the decision of the
State Bank which seems to have asserted its independence in the matter.
The cabinet or the ministry of finance, it is said, was not consulted
about the measure.
The removal of the cap on lending rates is a major step in the direction
of complete liberalisation of the financial sector with the objective
of achieving a market-based monetary management. The banks would,
henceforth, be free to set their lending rates in the light of current
demand and supply position in the market. The immediate result of the
decision may be a spurt in interests rates, which may jump to 19 or 20
per cent although market sources do not rule out a rise up to 24 per
cent, in view of the running rate of inflation of 20 per cent. This
increase in interest rates would in the short run improve the financial
health of the banks which suffer from infected portfolios. On the other
hand, if the rates really rise as high as predicted, investment will be
discouraged, industrialisation will suffer a setback and other economic
activity will also slow down. This may, however, be a temporary phase of
adjustment. The pace at which the objective of the market economy is
intended to be achieved is too fast. Our industrialists have not yet
acclimatised themselves to the environment of free competition, having
been for far too long nurtured by subsidised prices of domestic raw
material, exchange rate, finance, utility services, etc. All these
subsidies are now being withdrawn virtually in one go and the change-
over is bound to be painful. But there seems to be no escape from it
except that the speed of change could be somewhat less hectic. The
economy is no more in a position to bear the burden of these subsidies
and the donors are in no mood to continue obliging us.
The only factor which remains highly competitive in the context of
Pakistani environment is labour, which is not being fully and properly
utilised. Their skills are not being upgraded. Because of various
subsidies and other advantages involved in imports, emphasis has been on
capital-intensive industries and automation. Now that all factors of
production will be priced at their real value, a right mix and an
appropriate technology suited to indigenous conditions should be evolved
and wastage eliminated.
The deregulation of the interest rate comes at a time when the
government is in deep trouble in respect of its strategic targets. The
pursuit of achieving the budget deficit target of 4 per cent of GDP has
been abandoned and the IMF has reconciled to the fact that the goal is
unachievable. It has now raised the deficit level for the current year
to 5.7 per cent of GDP. The government will have to take greater resort
to borrowing, both from the banks and the public, at higher rates of
interest. Already over 60 per cent of the total revenues of the state go
towards debt-servicing and repayment and of this 32 per cent are paid to
domestic lenders. With the rise in interest rates now, the burden of
debt-servicing on the budget will increase. At the same time, the
prospect of revenues hitting the target is virtually nil. The budget
deficit is likely to increase even beyond the newly set target of 5.7
per cent. This will push other goals, especially that of containing
inflation, beyond reach. Although raising the interest rate is one of
the tools of fighting inflation, it is not so in our conditions. While
there is hardly any controversy about deregulation once market economy
has been accepted as the ultimate goal, there are certainly doubts about
the hectic pace of the transition. Three years is too short a period for
such a basic transformation.
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950328
-------------------------------------------------------------------
SBP raises CDR: Rs 13 billion more to be available to borrowers
-------------------------------------------------------------------
By Mohiuddin Aazim
KARACHI, March 27: With a 2 percent increase in the credit ceiling of
scheduled banks announced by the State Bank, an additional amount of
about Rs 13 billion would be available for borrowers during April-June
this year. The SBP issued a circular on Monday giving effect to the
decision.
Officials of leading governmentrun and private banks said at present all
scheduled banks had a total deposits of about Rs 650 billion adding that
2 percent of this amount or Rs 13 billion would be available for
additional lending during the next quarter.
They said the Central Bank decision to increase credit ceiling from 34
percent to 36 percent for the next quarter, announced on Monday, would
help banks improve their fund management and make them competitive.
"The uncapping of maximum lending rates announced on Sunday and now an
increase in credit ceiling are two vital steps that would make both the
banker and the borrower competitive," said a senior banker.
Banks had long been demanding complete removal of the ceiling or at
least a substantial increase in it. The decision to raise CDR from 34
percent to 36 percent is in response to this request.
On Sunday the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) removed the 17.5 percent cap
on maximum lending rates to move towards market based monetary
management and on Monday it enhanced credit ceiling rates for the same
purpose.
Some leading bankers and fund brokers said an expected Rs 13 billion
expansion in the monetary system might also have its inflationary
impact.
"The market may see an inflationary impact of the expected expansion in
the monetary system but if the SBP continues to mop up excess liquidity
*from the market as it has been doing for the last few months it could be
checked," said an executive of a leading private bank.
Some other bankers and fund brokers said that the uncapping of maximum
lending rates might also affect the market of long-term securities like
the federal investment bonds (FIBs) which carry an annual return of 13
percent for three years, 14 percent for five years and 15 percent for 10
years.
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950328
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UK to positively invest in power generation
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Ihtasham Ul Haque
ISLAMABAD, March 27: Leader of the visiting high-powered British
business delegation, Sir Sydney Lipworth has said his country has
positive plans to heavily invest in power generation as well as other
infrastructure projects in Pakistan.
"Pakistan is an expanding economy where there are lot of incentives to
attract foreign investment," he maintained.
Speaking at a news conference he said a number of businessmen currently
visiting Pakistan with him have decided to invest in Pakistan because of
the very good trade and economic environment.
He pointed out that there existed fairly good chances for private
British investment in Pakistan.
To a question he said his country has also decided to invest in small
hydel power projects. "You have water resources in abundance which has
attracted many foreign investors to install hydro power projects in
Pakistan," he said adding that the Private Power Board will soon come
out with equally good hydel policy like that of the thermal policy.
He told a reporter that ICI of Pakistan will shortly invest 500 million
dollars for establishing new factories. Similarly, he said, Britain was
thinking to invest about 400 million dollars for Port Qasim project.
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950329
-------------------------------------------------------------------
'Communication projects have rich potentials'
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Ahmad Hasan Alvi
ISLAMABAD, March 28: Federal Secretary for Communications Mr Sher Khan
has said on Tuesday the communication projects have a rich potential for
the British investors in Pakistan.
Briefing the high level UK investors team who called on him, he said his
Ministry was strictly following the deregulation and liberalisation
policy of the government which envisages large-scale private sector
participation in its projects.
While giving the details about foreign investment opportunities,
Chairman Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation, Mian Muhammad Javaid
said three foreign companies namely Al-Catel (France), Erricson (Sweden)
and Siemen (Germany) had already gone into joint ventures for production
of telecom equipment.
He said that PTC could collaborate with British investors in the areas
of opticle fibre cablic, VHF/Microwave equipment and other outside
exchange equipment.
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950328
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ord shortly to unseat defaulting legislators
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, March 27: The federal cabinet on Monday approved an ordinance
to disqualify parliamentarians who fail to pay their outstanding bank
loans and utility bills within three months from its promulgation.
The ordinance will be issued by amending the Representation of People's
Act 1976 governing the privileges and liabilities of the elected
representatives.
An official spokesman, who briefed reporters after the cabinet meeting,
said it was a part of the "moral crusade" which Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto had recently announced she would launch.
The amendment would bind the parliamentarians at the centre and in the
provinces to submit yearly statement of their assets and liabilities to
the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) at the end of each fiscal year (by
the end of June).
The CEC would scrutinise their assets and liabilities statements.
He said the parliamentarians would be given three months to clear their
outstanding bank loans, utility bills and taxes.
A similar ordinance was also promulgated by former caretaker prime
minister Moeen Qureshi but it lapsed after three months.
The spokesman said the ordinance issued by the caretaker government had
laid down no procedure for disqualifying the members who failed to pay
their tax or outstanding dues after election.
He said all those who had contested the 1993 election, both winners and
losers, would have to file their statements of assets and liabilities.
A source who asked not to be named said parliamentarians having 10 per
cent shares of any company, which is a defaulter of any bank or utility
service, would also be disqualified from being a member. The
disqualification under the ordinance issued by Moeen Qureshi in such
cases was applicable to those holding 51 per cent shares of any company.
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950329
-------------------------------------------------------------------
US officials finalise power deals
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Our Staff Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 28: US Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary and Bill White,
her deputy, on Tuesday visited the Pakistan embassy to finalise details
about the power sector deals to be signed during Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto's coming visit.
Present during a 35-minute meeting from the Pakistan side were
ambassador Dr Maleeha Lodhi, minister for commerce Kamran Aslam,
economic minister at the embassy Mansoor Elahi, and Mr Vaqaar Masood,
additional secretary at the Prime Minister's secretariat.
This is the first time in recent history that a cabinet-level official
visited the Pakistan embassy.
A number of memorandums of understanding are to be signed on April 6,
and Ms O'Leary said she would attend them. MoUs are also to be signed in
non-energy sectors, especially telecommunication and shipping.
The commitments in energy sector will be in addition to $ 2.5 billion of
agreements signed by investors during Ms Hazel's visit to Pakistan last
year and another $ 2.5 billion during a follow-up visit by Deputy
Secretary Energy William White, adds APP.
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950329
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Foreign investment : UK team terms govt changes discouraging
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
LAHORE, March 28: Most members of the UK investment mission currently
visiting Pakistan expressed their keen interest on Tuesday in investing
in the country's private power sector.
Mr Gerard Rees of British Gas, which operates in 42 countries and owns
2600 MW of private power stations, told the participants that Pakistan
had been selected due to its good investment opportunities. He said
economic liberalisation was underway and the country had macro-economic
structural programme with free movement of foreign exchange and no
restriction on repatriation of principal, dividends on profits and no
limit on equity held by foreign companies. However, he warned that
political instability could lead to policy changes because Pakistan had
a politically volatile history with strong military influence where six
prime ministers had ruled within the last six years. He said the present
coalition government had a fragile majority and there was law and order
problem and incidence of violence in Karachi. However, he said, there
were stabilising influences as well because all political parties agreed
on liberalising economy and the bureaucracy and the army also supported
the liberalisation. The IMF and the World Bank also called for economic
reforms, he added.
He said Pakistan was in competition with other countries to attract
foreign investment and it needed not only liberalised policies but also
an environment which should minimise the economic and political risk to
international companies. Remaining risks must be rewarded by appropriate
premium on the rate of return.
Another investor Mr Philip Smith, Director of Treasury at National Power
who led the negotiations on financial arrangements for the Hub power
project, highlighted practical difficulties in making financial
arrangement for the project.
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950325
-------------------------------------------------------------------
+++The Business & Financial Week
-------------------------------------------------------------------
+++PAKISTAN and Bosnia have called for the expulsion of Yugoslavia from
the UN, if Belgrade refuses to accept the peace plan of an extension of
cease fire without any "quid pro quo."
+++MARITIME security agency rescued one Dubai-bound Indian cargo vessel
in distress inside Pakistan's territorial waters. The Indian vessel was
stranded in shallow water off Turshian creek.
+++THE condition of registration with trade bodies for obtaining import
and export licences, quotas and duty drawback refunds may be done away
with in order to reduce their influence on the business community.
+++COMMERCIAL banks, in order to fully utilise their work' force
productively and effectively, may start working in two shifts, for which
a point proposal is being submitted to the SBP.
+++A 25 member trade and investment delegation from Taiwan, has said
that the Taiwanese would be willing to invest in labour intensive small
fields on joint venture basis in Pakistan.
+++DURING the eight months of the current fiscal year, Pakistan exported
cotton fabrics worth US $660 minimum, indicating a 29.55 per cent
increase over the export figure of the corresponding period last year.
+++INTERNATIONAL fund for Agriculture Development will continue the
ongoing research and development on agriculture projects in Pakistan as
well as it support all the programmes and plans identified by the
government of Pakistan in the future.
+++ADB is to establish a North American representative office in
Washington D.C in mid-95 making the banks' first office in a donor
member country.
+++FAYSAL Bank Ltd, Faysal Islamic Bank of Bahrain and SBP will sign an
agreement to extend a credit of $100 million to the CEC.
+++THE shareholders of the defunct Mekran Bank has sent a legal notice
to the SBP challenging its amalgamation with NBP without obtaining their
prior consent.
+++THE Kuwait Oil Company's labour union said that they had embarked on
a strike aimed at halting the production of Kuwait's three per cent
share of global output to back demands on a labour dispute.
+++NCB's and DFI's have suffered looses in excess of Rs 130.14 million
owing to various cases of fraud and forgeries in the last two years, out
of which only Rs. 31.12 million have been recovered so far.
+++IN the span of just one year, Pak Suzuki, Motors have revised prices'
of locally manufactories vehicles' three times, and recently there has
been an upward revision of prices by 10 per cent which in not in line
with the appreciation of the yen.
PAKISTAN stationery exhibitors signed orders worth US $ 2 million and
registered 900 enquiries for stationery articles from European and South
American countries during the fair held at Frankfurt.
+++THE government intends to privatise all state enterprises in the
mineral sector relying entirely on private investment for mineral
exploitation and development.
+++MCB, in collaboration with two international banks of Japan and Saudi
Arabia will form of a venture capital company to float open ended mutual
funds in a bid to help new investors.
===================================================================
E D I T O R I A L S & F E A T U R E S
===================================================================
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950328
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Second thoughts on second term
-------------------------------------------------------------------
By Mushtaq Ahmad
ACCOUNTABILITY of government to the governed being a continuous process,
assessment of its record is a part of the exercise. In this exercise
political analysts are prepetually engaged in evaluating the performance
of a government in every field of national endeavour, especially the
role of prime ministers and their political parties in shaping the
course of events.
Ms Benazir Bhutto has now been in politics for nearly eleven years, a
period long enough for her to have matured into a seasoned politician.
Whether in exile in periods of dictatorship or in the wilderness of
opposition in democracies, politicians do not forsake the profession.
Once a politician, always a politician is the rule. When out of power it
is a period of planning for getting back into power, so irresistible is
the attraction of office. During this long period she has shown the
tenacity and toughness of her father, braving both the dictator and his
political successors. She and the party have won and lost elections,
exercised power and opposed its exercise by the opponents, giving her an
opportunity to learn a lesson for the future and unlearn the mistakes of
the past.
The first term of office was one of apprenticeship where the apprentice
had to watch every step to avoid the pitfalls that lay on the journey
ahead. The mandate was qualified since the electoral victory had not
given her an overall parliamentary majority. Benazir's second mandate
though considerably improved was far from unqualified. The PPP's lead at
the Centre over the Nawaz League was slightly better than in the
previous elections. Where the party did have an edge was in Punjab. The
lead was decisive but still short of an overall majority.
Nevertheless, the renewed tenure began on a more hopeful note since the
PPP was now comfortably placed to strike a deal with the lesser parties
both at Islamabad and Lahore. The Junejo League had not stuck with Nawaz
Sharif, who had run away with the parent organisation. Small though its
parliamentary following this it was nonetheless crucial in providing the
PPP with an overall majority both at the Centre and in Punjab, depriving
the opposition leader of a provincial card he had skilfully played in
her first term of office.
For this support Ms Bhutto had to pay a high price. The price was high
enough in Punjab itself where she had to surrender the party's claim to
the chief ministership to a junior partner in the condition. With all
the limitations the Prime Minister still had control of the federal
government and of the two major provinces, Sindh and Punjab. It was the
largest party in the Frontier but not in a position to form a government
where the ANP and the ML(N) had joined hands to manipulate a majority
and form a coalition. With its candidate elected as the President, the
PPP had no apprehensions of action against its government in the
Presidency.
The sword of the Eighth Amendment which had been used by Ghulam Ishaq to
trim her first term had been put back in its sheath.
The opposition majority in the Senate and its Chairman posed no serious
problem of the government.
But, for a parliamentary government to have a smooth sailing a mere
majority was not an adequate guarantee. Both the majority and the
minority in the National Assembly had to have a firm commitment to the
principles of parliamentary system in which neither seemed to have a
firm faith. Nawaz Sharif had not accepted his defeat in good grace to
let the majority exercise its constitutional powers. The role the
opposition adopted was not just critical of the policies of the
government. It was destructive of the government. And to the government,
it furnished an opportunity to settle old scores with the opposition.
Most of the parliamentary time was consumed in the exchange of charges
and counter-charges, of threats of legal action for misappropriation of
government funds for personal and party ends and the misuse of huge
loans borrowed from nationalised banks and written off by Nawaz Sharif
and his colleagues when they were in power. Nawaz Sharif in turn
resorted to the exposure of Benazir and her colleagues for similar
charges when they were in office.
This acrimonious exchange rather than accountability became a continuous
process which cast its ominous shadow on the working of the National
Assembly. It led to arrests and detention of opposition members and the
government's refusal to produce them before the Assembly despite a
ruling of the Speaker that the privileges of the members were beyond
judicial determination. It was not a new technique which the Benazir
government had used. Previous governments had also employed it but it
had never happened before on such a scale. The Chairman of the Senate
who belonged to the Opposition and the Speaker of the National Assembly
who was a PPP candidate, were of one mind. The option open before the
government was to elect a new Speaker, a course from which it desisted
probably for fear of a rift in the party or, at any rate, defection of
some of its members to the other side. Prime Minister, attempt to build
her image abroad at a fabulous cost to the public exchequer has only
diminished her stature at home, where her presence was desperately
needed to put the country's house in order, which was showing signs of
cracking up for lack of control at the top and consequent indiscipline
and inefficiency at the base side. The altercation which went on for
weeks eventually culminated in riotous scenes and rowdyism in the
Chamber, unheard of in the history of parliamentary government in this
country and perhaps in other countries as well.
There is a predominant element of the feudals on the Treasury Benches.
Benazir assembled in the party politicians who had been disowned by her
father for their disloyalty in an attempt to reinforce the majority. The
members who were handsomely paid for the services that was their
constitutional obligation to perform were further rewarded by their
inclusion in her entourage on the frequent foreign trips. Even heads of
governments of affluent states do not have such large contingents of men
and women in their delegations. Suhrawardy who was probably the most
widely travelled prime minister had visited less than a dozen countries
in his thirteen months tenure. Benazir in twelve months of her second
term has gone on as many as two dozen foreign trips.
Prime Minister's attempt to build her image abroad at a fabulous cost to
the public exchequer has only diminished her stature at home, where her
presence was desperately needed to put the country's economic,
administrative and political house in order, which was showing signs of
cracking up for lack of control at the top and consequent indiscipline
and inefficiency at the base. The administration which never had a
reputation for integrity, had become incorrigibly corrupt. Preoccupied
with the advancement of their own interests, the heads of departments
were heedless to public complaints and at the lower rung of the ladder,
harassment and extortion was the rule against which hearings and appeals
provided no remedy or redress. The highups are under pressure of the
political activists of the ruling party. At the bottom the unions insist
on more than their pound of flesh.
What is true of services, is no less true of goods. On the pricing of
commodities there is no check or control of any kind. The utility stores
of the Benazir administration like the Juma bazaars of Zia-ul-Haq, are
publicity gimmicks and by no means price control measures which only an
equitable distribution of scarce supplies can make effective to meet the
demand backed by effective purchasing power. After all the assurances of
giving the economy a new look, the country's economic outlook appears to
be bleak.
Pakistan's two major food and cash crops which are the pride of its
agriculture, industry and foreign trade, are in a bad shape with more
than two and half million tons of deficit in wheat and overnight
disappearances of its large exportable cotton surpluses, reducing the
country to a net importer of silver fibre, thanks to the allotment of
quotas on political grounds and its hoarding by the gainers in
anticipation of high prices in the local market hitting the country's
key industry. It was a repetition of Nawaz Sharif's blundering in the
yellow cab scheme. The cotton lobby has always been a powerful force in
the Assembly. It was reputed to have as many as sixty members in the
Bhutto period. The recent lobbying shows that far from declining, its
strength has greatly increased.
Although the consumption of power is a yardstick to measure the
country's progress, power by itself can achieve little if it is not
geared to a productive apparatus, which the power obsessed government
has blissfully ignored from its economic calculations. There is marked
tendency among the overenthusiastic foreign investors to overvalue their
projects for overdrawing on the resources of the local banks and an
almost equal reluctance on the part of local entrepreneurs to reapply
the loans they hope to have written off in course of time. They run
their industries on borrowed funds, retaining their liabilities at home
and repatriating their assets abroad.
The country has consequently become precariously dependent on foreign
aid and amenable to heavy pressure from the IMF and the World Bank in
the formulation of its financial and fiscal policies from federal to
local level. We seem to have lost our initiative in the formulation of
economic policy with which is inextricably linked the direction of our
foreign policy. In the field of politics and administration our freedom
is hamstrung by the lust for power and weakness for things material and
mundane. Where money is the measure of all things, Thomas Moore had very
correctly observed in his Utopia centuries ago, there is no true
happiness, and in our times where power is the end of all politics peace
can only be a utopian dream.
Politicians religiously believe that it is heretical to part with it and
that the longer they stick to it the better it is for their own and the
country's survival. An innate conviction of indispensibility determines
their attitude towards political institutions and personalities. It is
also true both for politicians in power and politicians out of it. It is
true to large parties like, the PPP and the Nawaz League, and small
parties like the MQM. Party animosity is carried to a point where the
fundamental interests of the nation are jeopardised. From being the art
of compromise politics has degenerated to a game of no-compromise.
Although the breach of peace cannot be attributed entirely to the spirit
of intolerance that pervades the body politic for which all parties in
varying measures must share the blame, the PPP cannot be exonerated from
it nor can the MQM be given a clean certificate.
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950323
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Another introspective anniversary
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WHEN will that happy day arrive when on a national anniversary we have
something cheerful and uplifting to write about instead of looking
inwardly in a morose manner? This anniversary is no exception because
even optimists, out to put a gloss on things, would have little to
report which could lift the national mood of depression. What the
country's largest city, Karachi is going through is before us. For the
last few days there has been a respite in the killings which have
recently shaken it. But knowing how the cycle of violence has a habit of
recurring who can say that this respite will last? But even forgetting
Karachi for a moment, the rest of the national scene too is painted in
sombre colours. Where are we headed as a nation? Is there a direction to
our affairs? These are the questions which thinking Pakistanis ponder.
That we face enormous problems - from a depressed economy to a growing
disrespect for the rule of law - is not the point. These problems by
themselves would not dismay most Pakistanis if they could sense even the
faintest resolve or commitment on the part of their rulers to tackle
them. It is the selfishness, greed, uncaring attitude and extravagance
at their expense in their rulers that afflict them with a feeling of
hopelessness.
The people of this country also know, from their own experience as much
as from anything else, that their salvation lies in democracy. But over
the last ten years they have also seen democracy being made a mockery of
by their chosen representatives. Before what altar then should they
carry their flickering despair? While national problems multiply and
become more complicated, the essence of governance and administration in
Pakistan has been reduced to the sounding of empty rhetoric, the use of
an ever more copious supply of words divorced from reality. Against this
backdrop, what does it matter that there is no working relationship
between the government and the opposition or that Parliament with its
hollow and raucous noises no longer claims the public's attention? The
concern of the people has moved to more basic questions. And why should
it not when such evils as sectarianism, urban terrorism and a visible
breakdown of law and order have moved to the centre of the political
stage? The first duty of any state is to provide security and justice to
its people. With this duty increasingly unfulfilled, how can the people
occupy themselves with what, in comparison, look like trifles?
Not that this country has been shorn of its strength and what is good in
it. That is far from being true. With a bit of care and effort the
mainsprings of national life can be revitalised and hope again kindled
in the hearts of a basically optimistic people. But only if there is
someone to give them a sense of direction. The green passport may have
become a thing to be viewed with suspicion in other countries. But
consider, at the same time, the high achievement of Pakistanis in
foreign climes when their energies are released. Our people have
strengths that others can envy: frugality, a capacity for hard work,
family values, respect for the elderly. If the dream that was dreamt by
the country's founders on this day forty-five years ago has gone sour,
it is not because there is anything wrong with the inhabitants of this
land but because they have been unfortunate in those charged with the
guidance of their destiny. It is a change in that quarter that the
people look for as they move from one gloomy anniversary to another.
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950325
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Politics & economics of paranoia
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By Mazdak
WHEN historians and strategists sift through the causes of the defeat of
the mighty German Wehrmacht, one major reason they cite is Hitler's
decision to attack the Soviet Union.
Already embroiled in war on the Atlantic and in the Middle East this was
one front too many. indeed, one of the first lessons taught in war
colleges around the world is that the wise (and victorious) general does
his best to limit operations to one front at a time.
Pakistani politicians should frame this axiom in their homes. Time and
again, we find governments making and taking on a host of enemies
simultaneously for no good reason. Even Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, despite his
brilliance, finally antagonised too many disparate vested interests and
ultimately, they managed to combine for long enough to drag him down.
Zia, with all his cunning, could not resist the temptation to kick
Junejo's government out, together with a pliant parliament, thereby
alienating virtually all the mainstream political parties. Had he not
taken that totally unnecessary step, he might still have been King of
the Hill. Nawaz Sharif, too, managed the amazing feat of pushing the
Presidency and the GHQ into the PPP corner when earlier they had been
totally on his side, having placed him in power in the first place.
It seems that hubris and the illusory invincibility conferred on them by
the power of the state lulls leaders into a false sense of security,
making them think they can do whatever they like to those they dislike.
Another common feature among those afflicted with this syndrome is their
blind conviction that they were justified in their decisions. It is as
though they had suddenly and simultaneously discovered endless
violations of the rule of law in all the actions of those not on their
side, and being law-abiding citizens, they were naturally obliged to
throw the book at these "criminals".
For them, expedience, compromise and caution become meaningless concepts
as soon as they assume power. Above all, a sense of "them versus us"
grips those in power: everybody who is not for the government is
perceived to be part of the conspiracy to bring it down. This paranoia
translates into shrill denunciations of the opposition and the liberal
Press which is seen to be its partner. A siege mentality develops that
distorts the perspective of the government's leadership, and blinds it
to reality.
The present government has proved to be no exception to the general rule
that those in power will, sooner or later, shoot themselves in the foot.
During her earlier stint in power, Ms Benazir Bhutto started her term
with the most powerful forces in the land arrayed against her from day
one. Both Ghulam Ishaq Khan and General Aslam Beg made no secret of
their dislike for the young Prime Minister, and did all they could to
destabilise her government. And given its inexperience, this was not
such a difficult thing to do.
This time around, with a loyal President, a supportive army chief and an
initially cooperative MQM, as well as the experience of a dismissed
government behind her, one had hoped that Ms Bhutto would try to defuse
the acute tension that had developed after years of polarisation. To be
fair, the olive branch she had earlier held out to Nawaz Sharif was
spurned. But progressively, the government has managed to antagonise
broad sections of the business community as well as some powerful
political groupings. Some of this disenchantment was inevitable with
certain individuals and parties for whom Benazir Bhutto is anathema for
being a woman, a Sindhi and the leader of the PPP. For them, she can do
nothing right. It is enough that she is who she is.
With these built-in "handicaps", it would have been prudent for the
Prime Minister to tread carefully in the minefield of Pakistani
politics. And yet, 18 months after returning to power, a powerful
segment of the business community has turned against her government. In
a sense, they were never for her, as the PPP is still perceived as being
anti-business, even two decades after the wave of nationalisation during
the first PPP government.
There can be little doubt that there are strong political overtones to
the FPCCI's strike call. Much of the business community is Nawaz
Sharif's constituency, and has resorted to public agitation at the
slightest pretext. While the trade body's demand that the army be called
in with powers under article 245 of the Constitution and Sindh's Chief
Minister and Governor be sacked may strike a responsive chord among most
people living in Karachi, there should be no doubt that this is an
overtly political call.
However, the situation should not have been allowed to deteriorate to
this point. The Karachi situation should have been addressed much
earlier, and the business community not unnecessarily anatagonised by
such red-handed acts like the arrest of Nawaz Sharif's ailing and aged
father and the incarceration of Riaz Shafi, respected businessman in his
cities with a heart condition. When you discuss these and other
decisions with supporters of the government, you get the same spiel
about "nobody being above the law".
Considering that Pakistan probably has the highest number of lawbreakers
per capita running about loose, this is a somewhat difficult argument to
accept. If you venture to suggest that in politics, a certain amount of
flexibility and pragmatism are needed to avoid constant confrontations,
you are likely to be told that the government has ways of "fixing the
crooks". Back to square one.
Certainly, the opposition has a responsibility to work out a mature
relationship with the government, but the primary burden must rest with
those in power. By giving Nawaz Sharif and the various disaffected
elements an endless supply of ammunition, the government is only
strengthening the impression that it is impulsive and vindictive. It
also helps its enemies garner undeserved public sympathy.
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950327
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Light lie the ashes of Pakistani pride
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Ayaz Amir
SOMETHING happens to Pakistani leaders when they are about to go to
Washington. They lose their heads. This has happened before and as Prime
Minister Benazir Bhutto with her winning ways prepares to descend on
Washington this is happening again.
Since the time of General Zia, that trail-blazer in so many things,
Pakistani leaders have fallen into the habit of visiting Saudi Arabia
and performing the umra at the drop of a hat and at the people's
expense. But their real pilgrimages are those that they are able to make
to the United States where, for reasons best known to them but not so
clear to their people, they think their true salvation lies.
Remember the last time Ms Bhutto visited the US in 1989? In a speech
which still rings with its fatuous sounds she informed the American
Congress that it was a time to perform miracles in Pakistan. The
miracles she performed then and continues to perform ever since have not
been lost on the Pakistani people. What is her sales pitch this time?
That Pakistan is a force for moderation in the Islamic world, that it is
in the frontline in the fight against terrorism and narcotics and
deserves international help in this struggle.
It has been Pakistan's burning desire always to be in the frontline of
something or the other. In the fifties and sixties it stood in the
frontline against the spread of world communism. In the eighties in the
front trenches of the Afghan jihad. In the nineties in the frontline in
the war against terrorism and narcotics. Each of these frontline
engagements has been ruinous for the country, impinging upon its
national sovereignty and fostering deep habits of dependency which
remain with the country's rulers despite the actions of the Pressler
amendment. But it is foolish to think that Pakistani leaders, arrogant
at home and ingratiating abroad, will ever learn or ever get their
priorities right.
If Pakistan faces any crisis today it is a domestic crisis compounded by
the maladministration and corruption that are eating into its vitals and
destroying the last shreds of hope in its people. Terrorism and drugs
are the spinoffs of this crisis, not the source of it. If Pakistan,
accordingly needs any international help, is to root out corruption and
knock some sense into its leaders. International help to give Pakistan a
better set of leaders: that is more like it than carrying a begging bowl
to Washington.
What isn't Bhutto administration doing to curry American favour? Making
a mockery of the country's own laws by handing over an alleged terrorist
(Ramzi Yousaf) to American authorities within 24 hours of his arrest
which must be something of a record even in the annals of Latin
America's banana republics. Making a frenzied pitch about terrorism and
asking the US to help us fight its domestic manifestations. Does Israel,
the most allied of America's allies, ask for American help to fight
Palestinian terrorism? It gets American aid, and plenty of it too, but
it does the dirty work itself. Countries that cannot set their own
houses in order and mortgage their sovereignty when they ask foreigners,
as the Benazir administration is currently doing, to help ease their
domestic problems.
But even if this sales pitch about terrorism and drugs is successful,
what is the best that Benazir Bhutto can hope to achieve from her
American visit? A few sops thrown the country's way, some nice photo
opportunities, warm words of encouragement. None of these things will
make the problems of Pakistan disappear when Ms Bhutto, having spent
millions of dollars of public money on the build-up and the staging of
her visit, reluctantly wings her way home.
Gratuitous discourtesy is not a foreign policy virtue. But if only
Pakistani's leaders could distinguish between what is consistent with
national dignity and what amounts to excessive kow-towing before a
foreign power. A case could even be made for servility if it brought any
lasting benefits. But it never does. If there are any doubts on this
score ask Boris Yeltsin. In our own case do we need any reminders of
what the nation has reaped from its Afghan involvement in the eighties?
There were voices even then cautioning that when the euphoria subsided,
the West's attention would turn to other things and Pakistan would be
left holding the wreckage. As Pakistan wrestles with the drugs and-guns
legacy of that jihad those predictions have turned out to be all too
true but no lessons have been learnt by the succession of leaders
charged with the managing or rather the ruining of the nation's destiny.
There is no discussion of Pak-American relations today which does not
come sooner or later to the iniquitous provisions of the Pressler
amendment which stopped the flow of American military and economic
assistance to Pakistan in 1990. To hear Pakistani leaders hold forth on
the subject it would appear as if the nation's future depended upon the
unravelling of this amendment. But if only we were to calmly consider
the matter, the invocation of the Pressler law in 1990 handed Pakistan a
superb opportunity to discover the paths of self-reliance, of which
Pakistani leaders never tire of talking, and break the shackles not so
much of the country's physical as of its psychological dependence upon
the United States.
After all, in the intervening years, hasn't Pakistan survived quite well
without American assistance? Have our national defences been ruined,
have we gone under without the help that formerly used to come to us in
return for allowing the country to be turned into a staging-post for the
CIA when it bankrolled and masterminded the jihad in Afghanistan? Even
the stoppage of the F-16s for which Pakistan has paid has not been as
traumatic an experience for the country as was first portrayed.
Certainly, Pakistan needs to assured supply of weapons and spare parts
for its military. But the price for such support is too high when it
fosters mental habits of dependency or when it reinforces the impression
in the minds of Pakistani leaders that foreign assistance can be a
substitute for tackling the nation's domestic agenda.
Consider what officials of the Clinton administration have said before
Congress about the Pressler amendment: that as an anti-proliferation
tool it has proven a blunt instrument and that it has reduced American
leverage in Pakistan. That may be a bad thing for the United States but
is it so for us? Throughout our history have we not had more than our
share of American leverage and if the Pressler amendment has given us a
enhance to reduce if not eliminate it, should we not be seizing the
opportunity with both hands instead of going on interminably about the
one-sidedness of this law and the blackness of American ingratitude? The
Pressler amendment is therefore a favour to Pakistan but only if we have
the resolve to turn an apparent weakness into a source of strength.
Consider also a few comparisons with some other countries. Malaysia and
Singapore are not Bolshevik strongholds. These are countries western in
outlook and ethos to their hilt. But they do not kowtow to the world's
only superpower. They pursue their national interest, are jealous about
gardening their national honour and take no nonsense from the United
States or any other western power. Not that they are uninterested in
maintaining cordial ties with the United States but can you imagine
Mahathir Mohammad of Malaysia or a prime minister of Singapore making
such a song and dance, as the Bhutto administration is doing, of an
upcoming visit to the United States? Can you imagine even for a moment
Lee Kuan Yew (the architect of the Singapore city state asking for
American help to tackle his country's domestic problems?
Or take the case of Syria. If it had been a banana republic and Hafez
Al-Assad a tinpot dictator, the Americans would have kicked both the
country and him around. But since Assad runs a tight ship and is devoted
to the preservation of his country's honour it is not he who woos the
Americans but they who come to pay attendance at his court. Every now
and then Warren Christopher goes to Damascus and if anything higher is
in order the US President takes the trouble of meeting the Syrian despot
halfway in Geneva. An empty visit to Washington devoted to the making of
polite noises and not substantive things, Assad would treat with scorn.
While we are on the subject, imagine Assad or Mahathir Mohammad or Lee
Kuan Yew staging fashion shows in the American capital. The very thought
would stagger them.
Nothing of the above means that Benazir Bhutto, who has given a new
meaning to the concept of foreign travel. But is it too much to ask that
the thing be kept at a sober, businesslike level instead of turning it
into a tamasha and making it appear as if it is going to be the grandest
and most portentous event for this country this side of the 21st
century?
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950330
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When legislators are in default
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UNSEATING of any member of the federal or provincial legislature who
meets the criteria for election under the Representation of the People
Act 1976 would on the face of it appear to be too drastic a measure.
However, if public accountability at various levels has to be
established, there is no reason why the elected representatives of the
people should not be called upon to face the consequences of any default
on their part in the repayment of outstanding bank loans or in meeting
their liabilities for public utilities made available to them. The
federal government's decision to promulgate an ordinance to disqualify
any parliamentarians who fail to meet their obligations on these counts
would thus seem a logical, though not necessarily popular, move in the
prevailing context of acute political polarisation. The proposed
ordinance would fill a gap in the existing constitutional provisions
which do not stipulate disqualification of an elected member on the
specific ground of non-payment of bank loans or utility bills. The
federal government also proposes to make it binding on the legislators
to submit yearly statements of their assets and liabilities to the Chief
Election Commissioner for scrutiny. So far, only members of the cabinet
and other ministerial incumbents and certain categories of senior
officials are required to do so.
*From what the Law Minister, Mr N.D. Khan, has disclosed, it appears that
a significantly large number of present legislators at the Centre and in
the provinces have been defaulting on the payment of their loans and
other liabilities. The only possible explanation perhaps is that many of
them, once elected, put themselves outside the pale of public
accountability. The ordinance, as and when promulgated, will remove a
glaring anomaly and put the MNAs and MPAs on a par with the common
citizens. Only the other day that the minister of state for finance,
Makhdoom Shahabuddin, disclosed that the amount of outstanding loans
advanced by banks and the DFIs is staggeringly high, over Rs 80 billion.
The need to recover the dues, if necessary by a resort to drastic
measures, is unquestionable. Makhdoom Shahabuddin also let it be known
that loans amounting to Rs 10 million or more each were outstanding
against 1,415 persons, representing unpaid loans of Rs 61.1 billion. The
appointment of tribunals and liquidators as part of the machinery which
the government proposed to set up for the recovery of the dues and for
necessary action against the defaulters has, however, not received the
priority that it deserves, for reasons not publicly stated. Equally
incomprehensible was the decision of the chairman of the Agricultural
Development Bank in February to write off loans amounting to Rs 700
million. This was done at a time when the government would have the
public believe that it was serious about the business of loans
recoveries.
One hopes that the legal framework for the implementation of the
government's latest decision against parliamentarians who happen to be
defaulters would be in place without any undue delay and not be allowed
to drag on indefinitely, for political or any other expedient
considerations, and that the proposed three-month time limit for
repayments would be strictly adhered to, regardless of party
affiliations or other links of the defaulters. Indeed, it would be
patently wrong to use the proposed legislation for promoting any
political or partisan interests, or as a weapon of vendetta or
intimidation against members of the opposition. Even the slightest doubt
about selectivity or partisanship would undermine the government's
credibility on this score and make the whole idea suspect in the public
eye. In fact, to ensure the credibility of the intended process of
accountability, the government should consider publishing the name of
legislators who have met, or failed to meet, their liability on the
expiry of the three-month grace period after the promulgation of the
proposed ordinance. Only thus can the government establish the bona
fides of its action in this delicate matter.
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950330
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Karachi diary : Neither here nor there
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Rifaat Hamid Ghani
It would be rather a fun thing to compile the sayings of Pir Pagara. The
latest is one to the effect that there will soon be a nation-wide
address on TV that begins "Merey aziz humwatanon".
Despite the non-fulfilling aspects of the prophesying, and the clarity
of his crypticism, he has continued as eminently quotable and popular in
the role of a delphic oracle down the years. Something in the aphorisms
captures the mood of the times, and lends the implicit diagnosis, if not
the prognosis, the compelling aspect of a truth: the mood of the times
is a kind of variant of the voice of the people.
Neither seems to weigh for much with most of our politicians and
legislators, though it was an interaction of the two that brought them
to this euphoric intoxication. The addictive (and stupefying) aspects of
power are as relevant to our maladies as the addictive properties of the
poppy. Now what would an oracle pronounce effective detoxification
procedure? Opposition scarcely seems to be a sobering state; deprivation
induces a manic-depressive response.
There are so many ways of looking at things that perhaps the best thing
to do is close one's eyes. One gets a rather pronounced feeling that the
three monkeys' condition hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil is
what the executive, the legislature and forget it, one is contemptibly
scared would recommend as a suitable frame of mind for columnists in
approaching their duly allotted spaces.
It's all a point of view. N.D. Khan's criterion for normality seems to
be a loaf of bread, a cup of milk, and the morning's papers. He is on
record observing that things were completely normal despite the FPCCI
strike call because he got his morning delivery of those three
commodities: bread, milk, and the newspaper. Breakfast may not be
complete without them, but they do not really constitute the fabric of
the working day. Perhaps ministers have very long working breakfasts
that encompass the day's work.
Perhaps, too, the FPCCI President has been ex-ed not axed, because the
strike was such a fiasco they couldn't have him lowering the striking
standards the government sets itself.
The All Parties Conference also took place. Its guest list reads like a
directory of parties peripheral to the issue. The hosts, the PPP duo of
CM past and present are very germane; but without the MQM and PML to
confer with, it must have been a rather airy-fairy kind of dialogue. Any
emerging consensus could hardly be meaningful. It is one way to approach
solving a problem though: exclude what it's all about. Are we a nation
of ostriches? And are ostriches an endangered or protected species?
There is a meaningful and durable consensus about one thing: visiting
royalty, crowned or uncrowned, does not come to Karachi. Lady Di passed
us by, and Hillary Clinton too. Well, what does Karachi have to show for
itself? Only the kind of problems that would lacerate the social
consciousness for which both ladies are known all over the world. Come
to think of it though, Karachi does have the Quaid's mausoleum.
Will it become a mausoleum of some of his dreams as well?
A public servant who loved Pakistan, who even when under sedation at
hospital raved in concern for the country, died on Pakistan Day. It was
Justice Qadeeruddin, a former governor, with that rarest of gifts the
common touch and common concern. And so there were a lot of common
people to mourn him. It is sometimes easier to come by Presidential
wreaths and prime ministerial condolence messages, and VIP condolence
visits than that kind of tribute. Common humanity, retained through a
life showered with recognition and honours, has become, in our
degenerate culture, the hallmark of a vanished aristocracy.
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950330
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Nawaz Sharif is back in business
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*From M. Ziauddin
ISLAMABAD: A 150-minutelong meeting with the Chief of the Army Staff
(COAS), General Abdul Waheed, and Nawaz Sharif is again on the centre
stage of Pakistan politics. He has resumed his favourite game of
'comings and goings'. At one time he is in London meeting Altaf Hussain
and on the other in Mingora conferring with the Rehbar. The objective:
Get the government.
Former caretaker prime minister Moeen Qureshi is said to have helped
arrange the crucial meeting with the COAS on the request of former
finance minister Sartaj Aziz. Remember, Sartaj was the one who had
recommended the name of Moeen Qureshi to the PML leadership when the
Establishment was looking for a consensus caretaker prime minister to
replace Nawaz Sharif. Sartaj was probably asked to ask his friend to
return the favour.
Another story has it that the meeting was arranged at the behest of the
COAS to restate his neutrality and clear the growing impression of
Army's 'tilt' towards the ruling party. The Army also perhaps felt it
necessary to create a visible distance at this juncture between itself
and the 'ongoing persecution' of some of the opposition stalwarts as
well as the family of Nawaz Sharif in the name of accountability. The
photograph of the meeting released by the ISPR showed the two Waheed and
Nawazu smiling at each other. Beyond the telltale photograph nothing has
been divulged by either the Army or the PML so far, as to what
transpired between the two in the meeting.
Irrespective of what was discussed during the meeting, history was made
when the COAS met the leader of the opposition. From day one in Pakistan
anybody who disagreed with the policies of the government of the day and
opposed it was branded a traitor. High civil and military officials
sometime in their own personal interest and sometime since they
themselves were behind this propaganda did not even socialise with those
in the opposition. Late General Asif Nawaz caused a sensation by
attending a dinner hosted by a Senator friend at which Ms Benazir
Bhutto, who was in Opposition in those days, was also a guest. Next, his
successor, General Waheed caused greater sensation when he met Ms Bhutto
at the GHQ to request her to call off her second long march.
However, the circumstances under which the meeting between Gen Waheed
and Nawaz Sharif took place were totally different. Therefore, one can
easily describe it as historic heralding a new and certainly a welcome
tradition in Pakistan.
The PML camp, however, has used the meeting and the photograph to create
the impression that Nawaz-Altaf understanding reached in London had the
blessings of the Army. And the Army itself, by not making any effort to
counter the impression, has lent it a certain credibility and thereby
indirectly damned the government's MQM policy.
But who in God's name is the architect and incharge of MQM policy in
this country?
There is no question in anybody's mind today as to who stopped the MQM
*from participating in 1993 National Assembly elections and w ho told
them to participate in the provincial assembly elections and who told
them to vote for Leghari in the Presidential elections and who stopped
them from voting for the PPP candidate in the Senate Chairman's
elections. All through this period, the Army had total physical sway
over the constituency of the MQM. Nawaz Sharif has denied time and again
that he had had anything to do with the decision to deploy the Army in
June 1992. Remember, he was in a meeting with Altaf Hussain at the
Pakistan High Commission in London when he heard, as the story goes,
*from Altaf Hussain himself that Markaz and other MQM centres had been
attacked by the Haqiqis allegedly in the company of armed-to-teeth
troops. Muzaffar Hussain Shah, who was the Chief Minister of Sindh in
those days, was clearly out of the picture and probably was not even
consulted when the Army. The police and the Haqiqis were chasing the MQM
activists and leaders and instituting cases against them.
Those people who are now talking the loudest against the MQM, refusing
to give any room to the so-called terrorists and pretending to be the
architects of the MQM policy were not even there in those days when this
policy was actually being formed. In those days they were themselves
being branded traitors and chased all over the place by the then
government of Nawaz Sharif. It seems to be a clear case of owning up to
a sin you have not committed perhaps mistaking it to be virtue. But this
unnecessary and seemingly irrelevant stupidity of the present government
has distorted the whole issue making it impossible to find a solution to
the Karachi problem.
Pakistan is a great country in many ways. Part of its greatness lies in
the contrasts it represents. It is an Islamic Republic, but Muslims kill
their co religionists here without any compunction. It practices
democracy, but its elected leadership abhors elections at the party or
at the grassroots levels.
The present government, since it came to power, has been tirelessly
prospecting for increased flow of foreign investment. On the other hand,
it has worked harder to erect one political hurdle after the other in
the way of successful consumption of these efforts.
Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif and MQM
Chief Altaf Hussain, who among themselves hold total sway over 99 per
cent of the population, have each vowed on separate occasions to lay
down his/her life for Pakistan, but refuse to accommodate each other to
save the country from the current chaos.
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950328
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The viewpoints of embryonic artists
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By Marjorie Husain
Karachi's cultural future looks bleak at present. The programmes of
several foreign cultural centres, hitherto responsible for a significant
share of the cultural activities of the city, are postponed, if not
cancelled. And when programmes bravely did take place, public turnout
was poor and no wonder.
The exhibition of paintings Art by Women, to be held at the American
Centre commemorating International Women's Day, in which most of the
leading women painters of the city took part, was not able to open as
scheduled. What did take place as planned was an unassuming display by
seven young women who arranged an exhibition of their work at the
Gallery Sadequain.
All young and unknown, the artists combined a variety of talents
encompassing ceramics by Sabena Bengali, drawings and prints by Amina
Farhat, cast metal relief and etchings by Saba Iqbal, sculpture by Alia
Hasan Khan and oil paintings by Bani Abedi, Farina Alam and Ayesha
Qureshi.
Until a short while ago art students, Farina and Saba began their art
education at the National College of Art, Lahore, and completed it as
recent graduates from Karachi's Indus Valley School. Bani is a graduate
of NCA while Amina, Sabena and Alia were trained at the Indus School.
Ayesha, studied art with Nayyer Jamil.
Each artist added a piquant individual touch to the show, while
complementing the others' work. A strong unifying factor was their
efforts to escape the 'decorative' aspects of art.
Farina Alam whose understanding of line was evident in work shown
previously at the Indus Gallery, is currently involved in the analysis
of oil paint.
Without the distraction of a varied palette, she chose to work largely
in one colour, finding variety in the shaded tones of texture. Implying
a sense of loss of purpose, Farina fragments the human form into
different entities. As she explained, the emphasis placed on the more
defined 'head', offered the viewpoint that the elements were
dysfunctional alone.
Two of the artist's six pieces showing full length, though faintly
outlined forms, were removed following the initial opening. A pity as
the group of six paintings together, detailed her development of her
explorations. She appeared to reach important conclusions in the smaller
canvases which, showing heads only, survived censorship. In this work,
Farina explores the theory of "lost fraternity", encouraged as she said,
by the rich density of the medium. It is interesting to view her efforts
to attempt images "opening up the inherent qualities of line in a
different arena."
Amina Farhat's large, charcoal drawings on paper, gave her ample
opportunity to experiment with a diversity of patterns interlining lines
of varying strength and delicacy. Taking inspiration from the human
form, Amina had separated minute areas into unrecognisable patterns. The
corner of the yields with lashes and surrounding folds of skin, was
intensely scrutinised by the artist in an attempt to come to terms with
the ultimate miracle of cosmic space. Quoting from Baudelaire's
Journause intimes, Amina explains her philosophy by stating:
"In certain almost supernatural inner states, the depth of life is
entirely revealed in the spectacle, however ordinary, that we have
before our eyes, and which becomes the symbol of it." She envisions this
work as a development towards a stage when parts of the body lose their
literal associations.
Painter Bani Abedi and sculptor Alia Hasan Khan both chose organic
symbols as metaphors for their work. For the next eighteen months Alia
has been working in wood, trying to develop a sculptural idiom using
plant forms and germinating seeds, using the cycle of nature as
reference. Her most recent work ranges from inanimate household objects
as part of her aesthetic grammar to 'more overt figurative allusions'.
Recently involved with constructing rather than carving, the sculptor is
in the process of enjoying the experience and excitement of exploring
various mediums.
Bani Abedi used organic symbols as puns in four striking paintings.
Split, pulpy matter which resembled ripe fruit or a torn heart was
encased in a iron cage. A second canvas showed a pod form, soft outer
covering torn and skewered to the soil by cruel hooks, disclosing the
vibrantly surviving, heavy seeds within. A mutant sea organism, plant
matter suggesting intelligent thinking ability. Tiny, chilling
tentacles, lay dormant, but with undisclosed powers. Bani's imaginative
work is open to individual interpretation.
The cast metal wall based reliefs, of Saba Iqbal cleverly balanced the
interaction between shapes and depths, creating numerous layers and
scenarios. Shown against smooth wooden panels, the work showed a high
standard of professional ethos. Even the hooks which held the work,
oxidised by the artist, spoke of a formulating aesthetic idiom.
Sabena Bengali has chosen the thorny path of ceramics as artistic
expression. It is an art form which has been vastly neglected in recent
years. Although Pakistan can boast of a handful of outstanding artists
in this field, it is a hard, often hazardous branch of art. Showing the
results of her work at the Art Council where she works with Tariq Javed,
Sabena displays fifteen pieces, sculptured in forms that show the
beginning of a true individuality.
Ayesha Qureshi avoids exhibitions and discussions on her work, a quality
she shares with many notable historic painters. Yet, her presence is
strongly felt in the esoteric topography she creates, areas of
understated colour interest, painted on grainy, photographic paper.
There is a suppressed violence in the deeply etched lines added to the
paper. Perhaps the pieces are landscapes of our times.
It is seldom that one finds a group show is so 'en rapport' in
philosophy. There was no overt feminist statement to be seen. I asked
the artists if there was a reason why no male artist had contributed to
the show. The answer was that there are no young artists in their group.
As Bob Dylon might say ..."Where have all the young men gone?"
===================================================================
S P O R T S
===================================================================
950328
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Jansher Khan peerless in crushing Peter Marshall
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*From Dicky Rutnagur
CARDIFF, March 27: Jansher Khan played what he himself believed to be
the best squash of his life to beat Englishman Peter Marshall, 15-4,15-
4, 15-5, in the most one-sided final in the Leekes British Open
Championship since Jahangir Khan beat an ageing Qamar Zaman at Wembley,
eleven years ago.
Jansher's triumph in this, the world's premier tournament, was his
fourth in a row and this brilliant achievement complements six World
Open titles. Still only 26, Jansher is young enough to aspire to
equalling Jahangir Khan's record of 10 British Open wins.
The scoreline of the 42 minute final might suggest that Marshall was
resigned to defeat by his invincible opponent and did not offer his
utmost or that he was off his form.
Nothing was further from the truth. The hapless youngster remained
undaunted by his plight, which became increasingly desperate by the
minute, and fought to the very last.
Although Jansher finished the job so swiftly, his squash on the day was
not brutal or explosive as Jahangir's could be, sometimes. He rather
teased and tormented Marshall with variations, lobs, volley drops and
gentle clingers till he had him out of position and then coaxed the ball
into the gap.
Marshall, as he showed against Brett Martin on the previous day, is a
tireless runner and a great retriever, even at high pace but, time and
again in this final, he was left groping for the ball. Jansher's touch
as much as precision of placement had the ball dying out of Marshall's
reach.
All but five of Jansher's points came from winners or winning shots. For
Marshall's part, he could put the ball away only six times and two of
those occasions were when Jansher was only a couple of points from
victory and had relaxed.
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950330
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Moin Khan to lead national cricket side in Asia Cup
-------------------------------------------------------------------
*From Ilyas Beg
LAHORE, March 29: In a major reshuffle and a surprise, Test wicketkeeper
Moin Khan was named captain and Test opener Saeed Anwar vice-captain of
the 14-member Pakistan cricket team for the Asia Cup cricket tournament
to be held in Sharjah from April 5. Moin Khan will be in the l9th
captain of the country.
Former Test paceman Saleem Altaf will be the Team Manager former Test
opener Khalid Ibadullah the Cricket Manager.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the newly-constituted Pakistan
Cricket Board (PCB), Mr Arif Abbasi, while announcing the team stated
that "indiscipline and negative attitude of some of the players during
the last three years" had been taken into consideration while finalising
the team.
Salim Malik, Ejaz Ahmad Senior, Akram Raza, Rashid Latif, Basit Ali,
Kabir Khan and Waqar Younis are not included in the team, while
youngsters like Ijaz Ahmad Junior, Chaudhry Zafar Iqbal and Naeem Ashraf
have booked their places in the Pakistan senior cricket side for the
first time.
Aamir Nazir, Ghulam Ali, Nadeem Khan have also been included.
The 14 members of the Pakistan team are:
Captain Moin Khan, Vice-Captain Saeed Anwar, Aamer Sohail, Waseem Akram,
Inzamamul Haq, Asif Mujtaba, Aquib Javed, Chaudhry Zafar Iqbal, Aamer
Nazir, Ghulam Ali, Naeem Ashraf, Ijaz Ahmad Junior, Arshad Khan, Nadeem
Khan, Team Manager: Saleem Altaf; Cricket Manager: Khalid "Billy"
Ibadullah.
The CEO also answered a barrage of questions for ignoring seasoned and
good Test cricketers like Ramiz Raja while selecting the captain. The
mediamen also pointed out that Ejaz Ahmad Senior has also been "axed"
>from the team despite his excellent performance on the twin-tour South
Africa and Zimbabwe. Mr. Abbasi said that the statement of the PCB
answers all your questions. That is: "The PCB has been looking into the
performance and behaviour of the Pakistan Cricket Team. It has been
fully briefed by the Ad-hoc Committee and has had the benefit of the
Committee's investigations into instances of indiscipline and violations
of the Code of Conduct on the part of the members of the Pakistan team.
The PCB is resolved to root out from Pakistan cricket attitudes and
behaviour which are not conducive to team spirit in general and
reputation of Pakistani cricket in particular. It will not condone
players who show indiscipline and do not have the interests of the
country and the team at heart. Such indiscipline and negative attitudes
been exhibited by some of the player's during the last three years. It
is time to take action.
The PCB have, therefore, directed the Selection Committee to ensure that
players who have consistently exhibited such undesirable attitudes and
behaviour are not considered for selection. We must start with a clean
slate and develop a team in which skill is combined with honesty of
purpose and intent and a willingness to subordinate self to the greater
good of the team and Pakistani cricket. With this end in view the PCB
has decided to appoint Moin Khan as Captain of the team for the Asia Cup
and Saeed Anwar as Vice-Captain. The PCB has also decided to appoint
Saleem Altaf as Team manager and Khalid (Billy) Ibadullah as Cricket
Manager."
d
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