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DAWN WIRE SERVICE

------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 23 May 1996 Issue : 02/21 -------------------------------------------------------------------

Contents | National News | Business & Economy | Editorials & Features | Sports

The DAWN Wire Service (DWS) is a free weekly news-service from Pakistan's largest English language newspaper, the daily DAWN. DWS offers news, analysis and features of particular interest to the Pakistani Community on the Internet. Extracts from DWS can be used provided that this entire header is included at the beginning of each extract. We encourage comments & suggestions. We can be reached at: e-mail dws@dawn.khi.erum.com.pk dws%dawn%khi@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 TO START RECEIVING DWS FREE EVERY WEEK, JUST SEND US YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS! (c) Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Ltd., Pakistan - 1996 DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS

CONTENTS

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NATIONAL NEWS

Vajpayee sworn in as premier BJP govt no threat to Pakistan AI team arrives to assess HR situation Corruption, rights situation in Pakistan upset US NGOs concerned over govt move Govt, MQM hopeful of breakthrough after talks Over half KMC parks annual budget spent on wall DMCs likely to begin working in July Body soon to probe existence of private jails, says minister US to clear citizenship cases backlog by November ---------------------------------

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Rupee sheds 35 paisa more against dollar Blanket GST not possible, IMF told Govt facing difficulties in meeting IMF terms Huge govt borrowing weakens rupee State Bank projects monetary expansion at 13-14 per cent American firm vying to own PTC equities Expert opinion sought on trade with India Islamic Equity Fund launched in Britain Stocks show fresh decline on panic selling Stock market remains under pressure 500 families own countrys wealth ---------------------------------------

EDITORIALS & FEATURES

The man of a hundred faces Ardeshir Cowasjee A government that refuses to grow up Ayaz Amir Half dead, or simply retired? Hafizur Rahman Droit de seigneur Mazdak -----------

SPORTS

Aqib, Basit dropped on disciplinary grounds Yawar Saeed, Nasimul Ghani named managers for tour Is it the end of Ramizs fine career? Intikhab expresses displeasure Burki for strengthening club cricket Another battle for Imran in London

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NATIONAL NEWS

960517 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Vajpayee sworn in as premier ------------------------------------------------------------------- Umashanker Phadnis NEW DELHI, May 16: The leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was sworn in as the tenth prime minister of India with a compact ten-member cabinet for the time being. In choosing the members of his government, Mr Vajpayee has to tread the ground carefully at any rate till he is able to test out his strength in the house. Hence, in the initial round he has been cautious not to include too many hot heads which would be setting out signals of an aggressive government he heads. At the same time, he has had to bear in mind that he does not offend the radicals among the rank and file of his party and in its ally, the Shiv Sena, who have been waiting for this moment of triumph of their Hindutwa war cry. Thus, represented in his council of ministers is Murali Manohar Joshi, the former president of the party who had played the cheer leaders role in the run down to the events leading to Babri Masjid demolition. Mr Vajpayee has balanced this by including Mr. Jaswant Singh, a former army major from Rajasthan who is known for his sober approach and also for the rapport he was with Mr Vajpayee. He has also had considerable administrative and parliamentary experience and Mr Vajpayee will pay heed to his views and assessment of specific situations. The council of ministers has also a balanced composition of various straits of society and represented in it are the scheduled tribes and castes as well as those of the other backward castes. One reason why Mr Vajpayee has currently kept the council of ministers a small one may well be the scope he needs for expanding it to accommodate some of the BJP allies, namely, the Shiv Sena, the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Samata Party and if necessary the others who might join the coalition to provide the government with a stable majority. Mr Vajpayee appears to have excluded studiously in his council of ministers, Jag Mohan, the fire eating former governor of Jammu and Kashmir although he was a favourite with rank and file of the party for the ultra- chauvinistic line he has been projecting on the Kashmir issue. Nor has Mr Vajpayee taken in any of the prominent hard-liners like Sundar Singh Bhandari who were in the reckoning in party circles. With the sword of Democles hanging over him, Mr Vajpayee has been projecting the human face of Hindutwa, assuring minorities of a square deal although he has made it clear that the central thrust of his government would be the implementation of the commitments made to the electorate in the partys manifesto. He has made it clear that the temple would be constructed at the disputed site at Ayodhya but has said this would be done through a process of negotiations and talks with all concerned. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960519 ------------------------------------------------------------------- BJP govt no threat to Pakistan ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report LAHORE, May 18: Every government in India, irrespective of its party affiliation, has been hostile to Pakistan and so is true about the new BJP government, Defence Minister Aftab Shahban Mirani said. He dispelled the impression that the danger to Pakistans security had increased after the installation of the BJP government in India. Pakistan has a very strong defence and we are fully aware of developments across the border, the minister said However, Mr Mirani said, since Pakistan had a long border with India and there was turmoil and confusion in Afghanistan, Pakistan had to be fully vigilant. He said there was no question of a reduction in the defence budget unless the level of danger came down. To a query, the defence minister said Pakistan was fully aware that India had deployed mobile missiles near the border. But, he said, We know how to respond to the situation. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960518 ------------------------------------------------------------------- AI team arrives to assess HR situation ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, May 17: A three-member Amnesty International (AI) delegation, led by its Deputy secretary-general Here Berber, arrived here on a week-long tour. The delegation would hold meetings with various government officials and seek their opinion on some controversial issues pertaining to the alleged human rights abuses in Pakistan. Two months back, a Pakistani delegate at a human rights forum in Geneva had announced that his government was committed to abolish all forms of slavery, including the bonded labours, he added. Mr Berber said: The AI has a limited scope as it deals with cases of political prisoners. However, it usually exerts pressure through the UN on countries for provision of basic needs to their citizens. In Pakistan, he said, the delegation would hold meetings with the GO community, politicians and journalists to seek their opinion on the human rights situation in the country. The delegation, he said, would also visit homes of those who had reportedly been killed in police encounters, lock-ups and police custody. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960523 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Corruption, rights situation in Pakistan upset US ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shaken Serbia WASHINGTON, May 22: The US state department has expressed concern over some recent trends in Pakistan, including corruption and the human rights situation, and stated that US efforts to strengthen relations with Pakistan were based on a number of important considerations but are not a specific endorsement of any particular Pakistani government. These views have been conveyed to Democratic congressman James P. Morn, who had written a letter to the Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, in March, raising concerns about corruption and other domestic issues in Pakistan. In a reply sent on May 1 to Rep. Morn, on behalf of the secretary of state by a senior state department official, Barbara Lark, stated: Pakistan is a large, democratic, moderate Islamic state located in a dangerous and strategically important part of the world. To meet US national goals in South Asia (e.g. non-proliferation, regional stability, protection of human rights, counter-terrorism and narcotics control), the United States must remain closely engaged with Pakistan. The Brown Amendment provides the US government with new tools with which to build closer ties. Like you, we are troubled by some recent trends in Pakistan. As elsewhere in South Asia, corruption saps economic vitality and slows economic growth. As documented in our annual country reports on human rights practices, the human rights situation (in Pakistan) is worrisome. We remain concerned about proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in South Asia. But our best hope for making progress in each of these areas is to continue our dialogue with Pakistan. I hope this information is useful to you. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Rep Morn, a known supporter of Pakistan on the Hill and president of the Pakistan Day celebrations committee, had in his letter stated that the level of corruption in Pakistan had increased and become even more pervasive. He had also referred to the religious radicalisation in Pakistan, gross human rights violations and exploitation of children as well as the rush to develop nuclear capability. He had requested the state department to state the official policy on all these issues. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960522 ------------------------------------------------------------------- NGOs concerned over govt move ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, May 21: Some noted non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have scheduled a meeting with the Secretary, Social Welfare, Sindh, Amities Barakzai, to discuss the government actions which have created a scare among social welfare organisations throughout the province. The NGO representative said the majority of the social bodies did not know at all whether they had to submit an annual audit report to the department. However, the secretary was of the view that the government had done nothing in contravention of the set rules and those bodies had been issued notices who were violating the rules laid down at the time of their registration. He said any organisation getting registration had to provide an undertaking that it would always follow the guidelines, which also included submission of annual and audit reports. According to him, there are over 250 social bodies in interior Sindh and over 300 in Karachi which are untraceable. He said the social welfare department was fully prepared to extend the NGOs the help they needed for their interaction with other government departments. However, he made it clear that no NGO would go scot-free if it did not provide the department with the audit and annual reports. The NGOs have shown their concern in the wake of reports that the department has been setting up inquiry committees to initiate disciplinary actions against social welfare bodies which have not submitted a single annual report of their accounts ever since they were registered. According to the sources, the issuance of the notices is the first step towards de-registering all those organisations which are not maintaining their accounts properly and are not making appropriate utilisation of the funds they receive from the government or the donor agencies. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960521 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Govt, MQM hopeful of breakthrough after talks ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shamimur Rahman KARACHI, May 20: In dramatic moves MQM and the government held another direct, though informal, talks during which both sides expressed their desire for a negotiated and peaceful solution to the problems of Karachi and other parts of Sindh. The MQM delegation which met Sindh Governor Kamal Azfar, was led by its chief negotiator Ajmal Dehlavi and included the deputy opposition leader in the Sindh assembly, Shoaib Bokhari. After the talks the governor was quoted by official sources as having said no impediments be placed on the agenda and the talks be started unconditionally as soon as possible in order to build confidence and strengthen the ground conditions for the continuation of peace in Karachi. Before the talks, the PPP secretary general, Sheikh Rafiq Ahmed, also held discussions with the governor on the prevailing political situation in general and the relationship with the MQM in particular. This second informal contact between the government and the MQM in less than four days is being seen by observers here as part of the quiet diplomacy by the principal actors to remove the irritants before a formal dialogue. Briefing newsmen at an unscheduled news conference at Karachi Press Club shortly after the talks at the Governor House, Mr Dehlavi said the prime objective of the meeting was not only to discuss the resumption of talks, but also to appraise the governor of alleged extrajudical killings and the administrations policy of obstructing collection and disposal of hides and skins and the siege of the MQMs Khidmat-i-Khalq committee. Whenever some progress is made for the restoration of peace and normality, some hidden forces go into action to sabotage the process, he said without identifying these elements. He said the governor had promised to take up with the federal government the MQMs complaints about the alleged extrajudicial killings as well as its preconditions for the resumption of negotiations besides removal of its grievances with regard to collection and disposal of hides and skins of sacrificial animals. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960521 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Over half KMC parks annual budget spent on wall ------------------------------------------------------------------- Omar R. Quraishi KARACHI, May 20: More than half the KMCs budget for developing the citys parks and playgrounds has been spent on constructing a wall at the Bagh Ibne Qasim park in Clifton, it is reliably learnt. A high-level KMC source said that the annual budget of the KMCs Parks department was Rs 60 million. Out of this, he said, Rs 32.8 million had been set aside to pay for constructing this wall at the Clifton park. There are around 2000 parks and playgrounds in Karachi. Out of these seventy per cent or close 1400 are parks. Not more than 700 of these parks are fully developed, the source said. Fully developed means that there is at least a chowkidar and a gardener to look after the park, and that water and electricity supplies are assured. If you dont sanction staff and funds to develop a park it will die like a hospital with no doctors would, he said. The largest city park is the 400-acre Safari Park near Karachi University. Most of the others are smaller with areas going down to half an acre. The KMC Parks department, the source said, is seriously thinking of advising the government that if the parks budget is not increased, at least participation by the private sector should be encouraged. The government should introduce something like an adopt-a-park scheme you find in other countries. Multinational corporations or philanthropists should be targeted by the government for this, the source said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960523 ------------------------------------------------------------------- DMCs likely to begin working in July ------------------------------------------------------------------- Saghir Ahmed KARACHI, May 22: Except for the formal concurrence of Sindh Chief Minister Syed Abdullah Shah, all is now set for the functioning of the five newly- created district municipal corporations from July 1  the beginning of the new financial year  informed sources said. The tax-sharing formula between the KMC and the DMCs, finalised by the government committee on resource distribution, has already been sent to the chief minister for his consent by the secretary of the local government department, Nur Ahmad. Sources said the KMC finance department has begun preparation of statements of receipts and expenditure, i.e. the budget estimates for the KMC and draft budgets for five district municipal corporations (DMCs)  East, West, Central, South and Malir  year 1996-97, on the basis of the tax-sharing formula, anticipating approval of the recommendations by the Chief Minister. The committee, in its recommendations, has urged the government to notify the Unified Municipal Service Board (as provided in the Act) so that the question of service matters relating to seniority, promotion, transfer, posting and other benefits are dealt with jointly by the board, avoiding anomalies which were experienced during the period of the defunct ZMCs. Meanwhile, it is also learnt that the said committee is still engaged in the work of distribution of assets and liabilities between the KMC and the DMCs, including transfer of staff, equipment, movable and immovable property, etc. Inquiries show that as per the recommendations regarding revenue sharing, it has kept five taxes in the KMCs divisible pool i.e. octroi, fire, conservancy, drainage and slaughtering fee, providing collection of octroi and slaughtering fee by the KMC whereas fire and conservancy taxes by the KWSB as per existing practice. The KWSB will, however, transfer the collected amount on these counts to the KMC after deducting service charges at the rate of 15 per cent. As to the newly introduced drainage tax, the committee has recommended that the KMCs newly-elected council may decide its future i.e. its rate and time of its levy. The committee has declared advertisement tax, trade and licence fee, property tax, betterment tax, vehicle tax would be the DMC taxes which would be collected directly. It has suggested that all the eight development schemes under the Karachi Package (costing Rs 284.50 million) should be executed by the KMC, irrespective of any consideration of districts in which work is proceeding. The PMs Karachi Package includes widening of Lasbella Bridge, Liaquatabad flyover, construction of Clifton flyover, Lilly Road Bridge, link road between Tin Hatti and Shaheed-i-Millat Road, storm-water drain in Manzoor Colony, construction of truck stand at Hawkesbay and special development projects  Rashid Minhas Road flyover, Sharea Faisal overhead bridge and overpass at Christians Cemetery. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960518 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Body soon to probe existence of private jails, says minister ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Our Correspondent MIRPURKHAS, May 17: Federal minister for agriculture and food, Nawab Yousuf Talpur, has said that committees comprising peasants, representatives of human rights committee, landlords and journalists, would be set up at district level in Sindh to investigate into the existence of any private jail and to solve the problems of peasants and landlords. Speaking at a Press conference at the circuit house here, he said the foreign Press was busy in propaganda about the private jail of landlords. For jails have a boundary wall, cells and locks, but these were missing and hence these cannot be called jails, and advised the landlords should not be disturbed. However, he said ,stern action would be taken against those landlords who had private jails. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960521 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US to clear citizenship cases backlog by November ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Our Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON, May 20: The Clinton Administration has announced it would clear the backlog of hundreds of thousands of applications for US citizenship before the November presidential polls this year. Announcing the initiative, vice-president Al Gore said the process strengthens the nation and is one which the Administration wholeheartedly supports. Reports said on Monday hundreds of government servants from other departments were being transferred by the Administration to the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (INS) to help complete the job. Applications for US citizenship have increased manifold after Congress began discussing new anti-immigration laws and fears grew in the immigrant community that many privileges they now enjoy may be withdrawn. After the new curbs on immigrants were revealed in Californias Proposition 187, designed to deny social services to illegal immigrants, figures show the number of citizenship applications doubled in volume. In fiscal 1995, more than one million people applied for US citizenship  nearly twice as many as in 1994  and the INS was able to process only about half of them. In March this year the backlog was close to 900,000 applications, figures revealed. The INS has asked other federal agencies, specially in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago and New York, to detail their employees in the INS to clear the backlog which accounts for 75 per cent of the applications nation-wide, a report in Washington Times said. ******************************************************************* DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS ******************************************************************* INTERNET PROFESSIONALS WANTED * MS in computer science, with two years experience, or, BE with four years experience in the installation and management of an ISP. * Must be able to select equipment, configure, and troubleshoot TCP/IP networks independently. Preference will be given to candidates with proven skills in the management of a large network and security systems. * We have immediate openings in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. * Competitive salary and benefits, and an exciting work environment await the successful candidates. send your resume to by e-mail : ak@xiber.com by fax : +92(21) 568-1544 by post : Dr. Altamash Kamal, CEO Xibercom Pvt. Ltd 2nd Floor, Haroon House Dr. Ziauddin Ahmed Road Karachi 74200, Pakistan http://www.xiber.com

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BUSINESS & ECONOMY

960523 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rupee sheds 35 paisa more against dollar ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mohammad Aslam KARACHI, May 22: The rupee shed another 35 paisa on the open market on Wednesday, breaching the psychological barrier of Rs38 to a dollar as rumours of an imminent official devaluation of the rupee triggered panic buying for the US currency. In late evening, the dollar was traded as high as Rs38.25 but it was in a terrible short supply. The rupee has fallen by seven per cent in kerb dealings during the last about two weeks or Rs2.60 to a dollar and Rs4 since July 1,1995, currency dealers said adding: The spread of Rs3.16 between the official and the kerb rates gives much-needed leverage to speculative traders. The spot buying and selling rates were quoted at Rs38.05 and Rs38.08 as compared to Tuesdays Rs37.70 and Rs37.75 in kerb dealings but official spot rates were held unchanged at Rs34.75 and Rs34.92 respectively. However, central bank officials were least worried over the virtual turmoil in the open currency market and an unprecedented squeeze on the US dollar telling investors that in a free market anything could happen at the risks of speculative traders. According to one estimate dollar worth about Rs8bn have been purchased during the last about one week and despite a steady inflow from the neighbouring markets, the dollar is in short supply. Strong demand from Islamabad dealers has generated a good bit of local speculative buying as signals from the capital mean some special significance for the currency dealers, financial analysts said. The US dollar is now worth Rs38.08 for selling and the rumoured target of Rs40 might not now be a distant possibility, said a leading currency dealer. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960523 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Blanket GST not possible, IMF told ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ihtashamul Haque ISLAMABAD, May 22: The five-month-old 600 million dollar IMF Standby Arrangement scheduled to conclude in March 1997 is in serious jeopardy, as the government, during on-going negotiations with the IMF, is reported to have expressed its inability to levy General Sales Tax (GST) across the board in the next budget. Informed sources said that the visiting IMF mission headed by its Regional Director Andre Hovaguimian, again held wide-ranging talks with Pakistani officials and called for implementing various conditionalities attached to the 600 million dollar Standby Loan. The Pakistani negotiating team is headed by V. A. Jafarey, the Prime Ministers Advisor on Finance and Economic Affairs. The government side is said to have refused to levy GST at any stage on food, fertilisers and medicines, and for the next year it has consented to withdraw GST exemptions from a limited number of other items. Also, it has asked the Fund to allow extension of full GST coverage up to the retail stage in a phased manner over the next three years. But the IMF, sources said, believes that without imposing GST across the board in the budget for 1996-97, the present revenue crisis could not be overcome and the process of documentation would be delayed unnecessarily. The issue of achieving 4 per cent GDP budget deficit target for the next fiscal year was another hot topic of discussion, with Pakistani authorities trying to convince the IMF not to insist on the issue. Mr V.A.Jafarey conveyed to them that the 4 per cent deficit target would mean imposition of at least Rs 50 billion of additional taxes on the one hand and slowing down of the economy to a snails pace on the other, which would cause serious stagflation. Officials of the Ministry of Finance were privately airing their views about the possible reaction among the masses over both, imposition of the GST and 4 per cent GDP budget deficit target, in case they were scrupulously implemented in the next budget. The impact of the taxation related to 4 per cent budget deficit was also discussed with the IMF and it was informed that the government would have to go for massive taxation to implement what is being termed a real hard task for the government. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960518 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Govt facing difficulties in meeting IMF terms ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Ihtashamul Haque ISLAMABAD, May 17: Pakistan is facing difficulties in implementing the conditionalities of the IMF in the next budget and the government has decided to arrange meetings between the Fund officials and the political representatives to ease out pressure from the Washington based organisation. Informed sources told Dawn that the visiting IMF mission met here with State Minister for Finance Makhdoom Shahabuddin and insisted that conditionalities relating to budget deficit, tariffs and monetary expansion should be implemented, failing which Pakistan would not be able to qualify for third tranche of 600 million dollars standby loan. However, the mission was told that there was a duly elected political government in Pakistan which has to take into account lot of political considerations while implementing various fiscal policies and that it could not blindly accept IMF conditionalities. A number of meetings will be arranged between the MNAs of both the government and the opposition with the visiting IMF mission with a view to convince it to be lenient towards Pakistan. He told Dawn that the IMF conditionalities were aimed at implementing structural reform programme with a view to improving socio-economic conditions of common man. Pakistan has agreed with the IMF that conditionalities like 4 per cent GDP budget deficit, reducing of tariff to 55 per cent and achieving 8 per cent rate of inflation will be achieved during 1996-97. Sources said that Pakistan has made it clear to the IMF that it was unable to reduce its defence budget keeping in view the security situation in the region. The IMF said that it was also asking India to reduce its defence budget and that the Fund was treating both the countries at par on the issue. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960523 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Huge govt borrowing weakens rupee ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mohiuddin Aazim KARACHI, May 22: The excessive government borrowing from banking channels is one of the factors behind the increase in money supply that in turn is weakening the rupee. The trend can hardly be reversed without the government slashing its borrowings. Money market analysts link the recent huge depreciation in rupee value in the kerb market to an unusual increase in the money supply that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has managed to contain only partially because of excessive government borrowing. The SBP Board of Directors that met on Tuesday at Islamabad asked the government to cut down its borrowing that is believed to have touched Rs 74 billion mark  more than double the Credit Plan limit of Rs 30 billion projected for the entire fiscal year 1995-96. In the kerb market, rupee lost 35 paisa against dollar on Wednesday and 23 paisa on Tuesday and market analysts fear the fall may continue. Although foreign exchange dealers say an official devaluation of rupee is imminent yet senior bankers and money market analysts think otherwise. Since the October 29 huge devaluation of 7.0 per cent that came in one go the SBP has made several downward revision in the value of rupee calling them corrective adjustments. Money market analysts say the money borrowed by the government finds it way back into the system in the form of various government payments. This vicious circle is hard to break. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960522 ------------------------------------------------------------------- State Bank projects monetary expansion at 13-14 per cent ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Our Staff Reporter KARACHI, May 21: The Board of Directors of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) asked the government on Tuesday to cut down its bank borrowing that is in excess of the 1995-96 credit plan target. It also approved a tentative credit plan for 1996-97 targeting to keep monetary expansion at 13-14 per cent. The government bank borrowing stood at Rs 66 billion by mid April  more than double the targeted Rs 28.1 billion for the entire fiscal year 1995/ 96 that ends on June 30. Containment of government borrowing is very vital for enforcing financial and monetary discipline and as such more than 100 per cent increase in the borrowing limit has to be taken serious by the central bank. The SBP release did not specify the 1996-97 target for bank borrowing. The government borrowing for budgetary support had bypassed the 1994-95 target of Rs 15 billion by a wide margin of Rs 12 billion as the figure stood at Rs 27 billion by the end of that fiscal year. The 1995-96 Credit Plan envisaged Rs 64.0 billion limit for credit to the private sector. Till mid-April the credit to the private sector stood at 52.6 billion. Finance managers of the country feel the figure was well within limits and the target would not be surpassed. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960520 ------------------------------------------------------------------- American firm vying to own PTC equities ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report LAHORE, May 19: A leading American telecom concern, GTE, is reported to have contacted the Privatisation Commission officials in Islamabad, this week to discuss prospects to purchase Pakistan Telecommunication Corporation shares. Reliable sources said that top officials of the GTE dashed to Islamabad a few days ago and held detailed interrogation about the PTCs current financial outlook and future viability, in case corporations 26 per cent holding was sold to the private sector. It is understood that the GTE is trying to make a syndicate with a German concern, which has been operating in Pakistan for the last three decades, to evaluate matters pertaining to PTCs privatisation. The PTC officials confirmed the GTE officials visit to Pakistan in connection with the corporations privatisation, and added that in fact the visitors also called on the PTC officials. Sources said that cash-rich US company was eagerly looking forward to making massive investment in Pakistan in different sectors, and the telecommunication is one such area in which it would initially do some business. It is understood that cash reserve of the American company stands at $8 billion at present. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960522 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Expert opinion sought on trade with India ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ihtasham ul Haque ISLAMABAD, May 21: The government has decided to formally take up the issue of bilateral trade with India and is seeking expert opinion from a group of local and foreign consultants, it is learnt. The ministry of commerce as well as other economic ministries are said to have given the go-ahead to open trade with India, saying that it would not harm the political or economic interests of Pakistan. Internal exercises conducted especially by the ministry of commerce suggested that the matter should not be delayed for a very long time. The businessmen of Punjab, particularly those of Lahore, the ministry officials claim, are eager to have trade with India as early as possible and that is why have established initial contracts with their counterparts in various places across the border, including New Delhi, Jalandher, Amritsar, Luddhiana and Hariana. The representatives of trade bodies and officials of the ministry of commerce are believed to have rejected the point of view of the intelligence agencies that trade with India would hurt Pakistans interests. The ministry has also rejected the objections of Pakistans ambassador in Delhi, Riaz Khokhar, terming them as being without substance or logic. Commerce Minister Chauhdary Ahmad Mukhtar, too, sees no harm and he is confident that Pakistan could beat India almost in every department of trade and industry. India, despite being so big, produces cotton which is almost equal to Pakistans level and similarly does no have any substantial edge on us in any particular field, he maintains. The government has also asked the experts group to advise it on the question of granting the status of Most Favoured Nation India which it had already offered to Pakistan. Here, too, we cannot linger on the issue for a very long time as it is against the rules of World Trade Organisation (WTO), Mr Mukhtar said. He pointed out that the issue was first discussed during the late Gen Ziaul Haqs period and was decided in principle by the government of Nawaz Sharif. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960521 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Islamic Equity Fund launched in Britain ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Athar Ali LONDON, May 20: Flemings, one of the largest UK-based international investment banks, which set up a world-wide Islamic equity fund in March this year, has now launched it in Britain for the benefit of more than 2 million Muslims living in the country. The worldwide response, said Mr Shane ORiordin, a Flemings spokesman, has already yielded $7 million investment. It is expected that the fund could bring in US$ 100-150 million internationally. The UK market is expected to result in $5-10 million investment. The fund is to be called Oasis and is to be supervised by a board of Islamic scholars, including Mr Justice Taqqi al-Usmani, former member of the Sharia Appellate Bench of the Pakistan Supreme Court who is currently vice-chairman of Dar-ul-Uloom, Karachi. The other two members are Dr Abdul Sattar Abu Gaddah and Dr Nazih Hammad, both associated with the Jeddah- based Islamic Fiqh Academy. These Muslim scholars will supervise the investment made by the equity fund and see that it conforms to the correct Islamic tenets with regard to interest-free financial dealings. At $9.63 per share, the fund will be open to investment with a minimum of $50,000. Mr ORiordin said that Flemings felt there was big equity market in which Muslim investors had a very small share. They have launched the fund in the hope that it will grow. Flemings have started investing in over 80 companies which were found to be Islamically correct. These include pharmaceuticals and electronic firms. Some names such as Roche (Swiss), Emerson Electronics (US), Myers Squibb (US) and Cable and Wireless are worth mentioning. The companies in which the fund will invest will be chosen so as to find approval with the committee of experts. Companies deriving income from gambling, distribution or sale of alcohol and partaking in promiscuity will not be chosen. Oasis, the Islamic equity fund, is incorporated in Luxembourg and its shares are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. Initial subscriptions will be accepted at the Net Asset Value per share plus an initial charge of 5% which will be reduced for larger orders. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960517 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Stocks show fresh decline on panic selling ------------------------------------------------------------------- Commerce Reporter KARACHI, May 16: Stocks showed fresh sharp decline on renewed hasty selling prompted by news of nomination of Atal Behari Vajpayee of BJP as the new prime minister of India. What seemed to have triggered panic selling was his statements on the Azad Kashmir and nuclear issues. The opening was distinctly easy as the index was about 50 points down and there were fears in some quarters that the Vajpayee factor could trigger fresh sellstops but institutional traders came to the rescue of the market and it managed to recover about 12 points till the final bell. However, in the process it lost seven billion and 14 billion during the last two sessions as the market capitalisation fell to Rs 371 bn. The KSE 100-share index breached the 1,700-point barrier and was last quoted at 1,698.06 as compared to 1,735.45 a day earlier, reflecting the relative weakness of the base shares. Opinions about the direction of the market are now divided as the leadership change in India could well mean a confrontation. Militants in the BJP might not like to ease tension between the two countries after Vajpayee managed to secure vote of confidence from the house. Minus signs, therefore, dominated the scene, although losses in most cases were fractional and reflected lack of support rather than large selling. Most of the indexed shares, however, remained under pressure and took the entire market along with them in the minus column, notable losers among them being ICP SEMF, Adamjee Insurance, Dewan Salman, Shell Pakistan and Engro Chemicals, which suffered fall ranging from Rs 3 to 3.50. Other prominent losers were led by National Fibre, Wellcome Pakistan, Pakland Cement, Citicorp, Faysal Bank, Askari Bank, Indus Motors and Pak- Suzuki Motors, but falls were modest. Some of the leading shares managed to put on fresh good gains under the lead of Lever Brothers and Rafhan Maize Products, , which rose by Rs 5 each followed by Central Insurance, Friends Spinning, MCB, Dawood Hercules, Quality Steel, and Mitchells Fruits, rising by one rupee to Rs 1.75. The most active list was topped by PTC vouchers, off Rs 1.70 on 13.071m shares on heavy weekend selling but there were buyers at the dips followed by Hub-Power, lower one rupee on 8.712m shares, Dhan Fibre, easy 55 paisa on 3.469m shares, Dewan Salman, sharply lower by Rs 4.50 on 1.739m shares and FFC-Jordan Fertiliser, easy 35 paisa on 1.232m shares. Lucky Cement was also actively traded, off Rs 1.35 on a million shares. Other actives were led by Faysal Bank, off Rs 1.40 on 0.507m shares, ICI Pakistan, down one rupee on 0.485m shares, LTV Modaraba, lower 10 paisa on 0.450m shares, and Sui Southern, easy Rs 1.25 on 0.293m shares. Trading volume rose further to 35.047m shares from the previous 34.817m shares as most of the current favourites were actively traded both ways. There were 292 actives, out of 206 shares fell, while 40 rose, with 46 holding on to the last levels. Dividend: The board of directors of Exide Pakistan has announced a cash dividend at the rate of 25 per cent for the year ended March 31, 1996, while Askari General Insurance Company and Arju Garments Accessories have omitted the dividend for their last financial years. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960523 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Stock market remains under pressure ------------------------------------------------------------------- Commerce Reporter KARACHI, May 22: Stocks remained under pressure as the new account buying failed to figure prominently on any of the blue chip counters. Turmoil in the free money market after a steep decline in the value of the rupee against the US dollar at Rs 38.08 for selling was the central point of discussion among the leading brokers. There might have been stray selling to buy the dollar but its evidence in the rings was not immediately confirmed by any of the leading dealers. The rupee might not be officially devalued as the last massive devaluation of about 10 per cent failed to boost exports, but the market now is in the tight grip of speculative forces and they are manipulating to their own advantage, they added. It was perhaps in this background the index lost another about 18 points at 1,685.97, making the total during the last two sessions to about 40 points, which means a market capitalisation loss of about Rs 9 billion at Rs 368 bn. The KSE 100-share index was last quoted at 1,685.97 as compared to 1,703.56, breaching the 1,700 points after about a week. Floor brokers said the near-term direction of the market is uncertain as investors are not inclined to make fresh commitments even at the falling prices. What has unnerved them is heavy selling in most of the pivotals under the lead of PTC vouchers and Hub-Power, which have prompted a good bit of sympathetic selling from other quarters. Minus signs, therefore, again dominated the list but losses in most of the cases were fractional and reflected lack of large selling from some of the big dealers. However, some of the local blue chips, which had risen sharply over the last few weeks came in for active selling and were quoted lower by Rs 3.40 to 5 for Dewan Salman, Gharibwal Cement and EFU. Other prominent losers were led by Askari Leasing, Atlas Leasing, Atlas Bank, Adamjee Insurance, Abbott Lab, Fauji Fertiliser, Highnoon Lab and Parke-Davis, falling by one rupee to Rs 1.50. Some of the leading shares managed to finish modestly higher on active short-covering under the lead of Al-Abid Silk, Quality Steel, and Dawood Hercules, rising by Rs 2 to 3. They were followed by ICP SEM, Polypropylene, and Quice Foods, but the biggest gain of Rs 11 was noted in Ideal Energy, which remained in strong demand apparently from the management. The most active list was again topped by PTC vouchers, sharply lower by Rs 1.75 on 13.745m shares followed by Hub-Power, lower 20 paisa on 5.525m shares, Dhan Fibre, easy 20 paisa on 2.00 m shares, Dewan Salman, off Rs 3.40 on 1.748m shares, and FFC-Jordan Fertiliser, of 95 paisa on 0.833m shares. Other actives were led by Faysal Bank, easy 50 paisa on 0.436m shares, Lucky Cement, off 30 paisa on 0.559m shares, Quice Foods, up Rs 1.25 on 0.404m shares, and LTV Modaraba, unchanged on 0.163m shares. There were some other actives also. Trading volume fell to 28.872m shares from the previous 34.307 m shares owing to the absence of leading sellers. There were 328 actives, out of which 211 shares fell, while 58 rose, with 59 holding on to the last levels. A dividend news from the Orient Insurance was disappointing as its directors have omitted the dividend for the last year. While others have came out with good announcements under the lead of Adamjee and EFU Insurance during the last three sessions and there were rumours that others might follow suit. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960519 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 500 families own countrys wealth ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON, May 18: A survey conducted by the influential US think-tank Freedom House says Pakistans economic wealth is held by a tiny, land- owning elite of 500 families. It has rated Pakistan as a mostly not free country by a worldwide economic standards and says corruption is a regular part of doing business and drain on the economy while state powers are being used against political rivals and judiciary is severely back-logged and prone to corruption. The survey also makes reference to bonded labour and says citizens are denied the freedom to buy, sell, trade and otherwise pursue economic opportunities. DAWNFacts*DAWNFacts*DAWNFacts*DAWNFacts*DAWNFacts*DAWNFacts*DAWNFacts* DAWN FACTS Another first from the DAWN Group of Newspapers --- the people who brought you the first on-line newspaper from Pakistan --- comes DAWN Facts, a new and powerful Fax-on-Demand service, the first service of its kind in Pakistan, giving you access to a range of information and services. Covering all spheres of life, the service arms you with facts to guide you through the maze of life, corporate and private, in Pakistan. With information on the foreign exchange rates, stock market movements, the weather and a complete entertainment guide, DAWN Facts is your one-stop source of information. DAWN Facts is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! DAWN Facts +92(21) 111-777-111 DAWNFacts*DAWNFacts*DAWNFacts*DAWNFacts*DAWNFacts*DAWNFacts*DAWNFacts* ------------------------------------------------------------------- SUBSCRIBE TO HERALD TODAY ! ------------------------------------------------------------------- Every month the Herald captures the issues, the pace and the action, shaping events across Pakistan's lively, fast-moving current affairs spectrum. Subscribe to Herald and get the whole story. Annual Subscription Rates : Latin America & Caribbean US$ 93 Rs. 2,700 North America & Australasia US$ 93 Rs. 2,700 Africa, East Asia Europe & UK US$ 63 Rs. 1,824 Middle East, Indian Sub-Continent & CAS US$ 63 Rs. 1,824 Please send the following information : Payments (payable to Herald) can be by crossed cheque (for Pakistani Rupees), or by demand draft drawn on a bank in New York, NY (for US Dollars). Name, Postal Address, Telephone, Fax, e-mail address, old subscription number (where applicable). 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EDITORIALS & FEATURES

960517 ------------------------------------------------------------------- The man of a hundred faces ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ardeshir Cowasjee WHAT is the derivative of the name Saroop? I asked of another General. Its misspelt, I was told, it should be Sao (meaning a hundred) roop (faces). But, then, whats in a name? In October 1993, before the loyalists could completely devour and demolish the samosas and tea that was served to those who had graced the second swearing-in of Benazir as prime minister, she left with her nearest and dearest hangers-on to fly to Peshawar to topple the Sabir Shah provincial government and ensure the installation of acolyte Aftab Sherpao. This accomplished, Raja Saroop Khan, a former Lieutenant-General of the Pakistan Army, chairman of the newly formed Committee for Research and Analysis (COMREAN) set up in the Prime Ministers Secretariat, targeted Punjab. The Raja produced a Strategy Paper. It opens: Since the last meeting convened by the Prime Minister to discuss strategy regarding Punjab, a lot of water has passed under the bridge. The strategy requires to be reviewed as the contours of the political scenery have undergone certain changes. The current situation is as under: (i) The PPP is no longer locked in a stalemate in the NWFP. The federal government can now concentrate its energies and attention on Punjab. The bold manner in which the government has leapt over the political and judicial hurdles in the NWFP would definitely serve to discipline its coalition partner in Punjab. It continued: The PPP relations with Manzoor Wattoo have moved from the stage of total mistrust to muted suspicion... Wattoo has effortlessly stripped Makhdoom altaf off the writ of the post of senior minister established by Faisal Saleh Hayat... as a direct consequence thereof even minor issues cannot be resolved locally and all problems are transferred upwards to be settled at the level of the Prime Minister and President. This is an undesirable state of affairs as the highest pillars of the state structure, the PM/President, are losing their awe due to over-exposure. Wrote Saroop, the induction of Chaudhry Altaf Hussain as Governor of Punjab had provided a much needed power centre to the PPP but that his position needed to be strengthened by giving him effective powers over Wattoo, whose insecurities continue to condition his behaviour even now... demolishes this bulwark too. The Objective follows: In spite of the facts that Manzoor Wattoo has started masquerading as playing ball with us and we have also succeeded in distancing him from Mian Nawaz Sharif, our objective of ditching him should not be altered. Our real enemy lurks within our gates, as Mian Manzoor Wattoo has damaged the PPP more than its enemies General Zia-ul-Haq and Nawaz Sharif. He has snatched pride and hope from the partys workers. In case Wattoo continues in power, the PPP would be slow-poisoned to political demise. The PPPs political survivial depends upon Albatrosss removal. Then, the Strategy: Redefining of Roles... Our main shortcoming is that we have so far not been able to put our act together. The Prime Minister / President are single-handedly fighting the political battle... The biggest contribution of nine MPAs so far has been made by the Prime Ministers personal agency, the Intelligence Bureau... The political leadership of the Punjab is even not being able to retain the MPAs spoon-fed to them by the IB... The paper suggests that the Governor should head the partys team in the province and that he should be responsible for retaining the MPAs joining the PPP through the IB also. The major concentration of the Joint Director of the Lahore IB was to be on opposition MNAs. Once they, and any MPAs he may target, were ensnared, he was to pass them on to the Governor in the province and to Syed Ijlal Haider Zaidi in the Centre. As for multi-faceted Syed Ijlal Haider Zaidi: He may monitor the progress of targets assigned to federal ministers / MNAs and co-ordinate with Joint Director, IB, Lahore for fulfilment of promises in respect of MNAs joining through him. He may co-ordinate with Chief Minister, Punjab, on instructions of the Prime Minister in specific matters. Saroop recommended that power be moved imperceptibly to the Governors House. The Governors constitutional role was to be beefed up. He was to freely give interviews to victims of administrative excesses on their requests (arranged by IB) including Wattoos political victims... He was to build up written records that would lead to the imposition of Governors rule or the dissolution of the provincial assembly, involving himself in such matters as the price hike, corruption, Wattoos high handedness with his relatives and friends, the ineffectiveness of the administration, increase in crime, drug trafficking, hoarding, collapse of the education system, and so on. All was to be put on record to be used. The master-stroke was headed taming of the Judiciary: As early as possible the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court Justice Mehboob may be replaced with a judge loyal to the Prime Minister and President. Appointment of a pro-PPP Chief Justice would demoralise Mian Nawaz Sharif on the one hand and curb the initiative of Mian Manzoor Wattoo on the other. We would also attain the capability to humiliate / embarrass Wattoo in cases of political harassment of his opponents, corruption of his relatives, friends, agents, etc. Lastly, The Final Decisive Blow: Till the target number of MPAs have joined the PPP and the odds are 51 to 49 for the coup, we should continue hiding our iron fist in the velvet glove. The final assault may be made by abrupt resignations of PPP members from the cabinet and simultaneous directive of the Governor to the Chief Minister to take a fresh vote of confidence. In case the PPP is not sure of the majority of MPAs supporting it, the Governor may suspend the assembly on the pretext of collapse of the administrative machinery, rampant lawlessness and complaints of cabinet members against Wattoos highhandedness, corruption, nepotism, victimisation of political opponents, etc. Note: Secrecy is the essence of the plan. This may be kept from the Governor also at this stage. To update entrants into the political field, Raja saroop Khan of Jhelum learnt his soldiering at the Pakistan Military Academy (7th PMA, 1953), and possessing the requisite political ability, rose swiftly. He was Vice-Chief of General Staff, then he commanded an armoured division, went back to GHQ as Military Secretary, was promoted Lt-General and given command of the Multan Corps. Whilst at Multan, he attempted to paint Lahore red, was chastised but forgiven by the Mard-e-Momin. With leanings towards the right party, come Caretaker Moeen Qureshi, the then governor of Punjab and Saroops friend, General Iqbal, inducted him as provincial minister for local bodies. On Benazirs second arrival, his loyalty and prowess were acknowledged, he was made chairman of the PMs own COMREAN, and, in collaboration with Ijlal Haider Zaidi, worked and delivered. They destroyed the judiciary, got rid of Chief Justice Mehboob, and sent Wattoo to pasture. In 1995, Raja Saroop moved into Governors House, Lahore. He has not been well recently, and Lahoris have it that he may well be replaced by his tactical companion, the ever- surviving Ijlal. Our question: Has whatever Saroop done since his retirement been done in the interests of the country, or is he, and his cohorts, being supported at our expense to keep the PPP in power? He has at least been honest enough to term the IB as the Prime Ministers personal agency. Our just concern: Following the strategy, the Prime Minister exiled Chief Justice Mehboob of the LHC and Chief Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid of Sindh to the Andamans. Justice Zahid took the oath and went to the Federal Shariat Court. Justice Mehboob refused, chose to retire, and was supplanted by amenable Acting Chief Justice Ilyas, who gave way to more amendable Acting Chief Justice Irshad. Prior to the March 20 Supreme Court order Justice Irshad, sailing close to the wind, requested Chief Justice of Pakistan Sajjad Ali Shah that he be reassigned to his confirmed seat on the Supreme Court Bench. Subsequent to the March 20 order, Justice Khalilur Rahman was confirmed as Chief Justice of the LHC, and has now sent his recommendations regarding the confirmation of 31 judges of the LHC to Governor Saroop. Knowing Saroops mindset, CJ Sajjad Ali Shah would better serve Pakistan by completely disregarding the Governors recommendations. Those reading the above excerpts from Saroops Strategy Paper, would do well to also read Saroops second Paper, Implications of Local Bodies Elections in Punjab and Proposed Measures to Gain Favourable Results. Both Papers have been published in full by Aristoon Basit of the Idara Tehrik Qanoon, at Qanoon Manzil that stands behind the Lahore High Court. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960520 ------------------------------------------------------------------- A government that refuses to grow up ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayaz Amir REMEMBER that scene from Julius Caesar where an angry mob gets hold of Cinna the poet, thinking that he is Cinna the conspirator? When he tries to clear up the confusion, someone from the crowd shouts: Hang him for his bad verses. Quite apart from the contents of the reference filed by the government in the Supreme Court asking it to clarify some aspects of its judgement in the so-called judges case, the drafting of this peevish document (for peevish it is) is so bad that those grammarians who may have had a hand in it richly deserve the fate of Cinna the poet. Sloppy drafting usually indicates muddled thinking or mala fide intentions. In this instance it reflects both these characteristics. What is the government up to and what is it trying to prove? The occasion for the judges case would not have arisen if the government had kept to some minimum standards while appointing judges to the Sindh and Punjab high courts and if, later on, its functionaries in Sindh (no doubt because of instructions from Islamabad) had not been so zealous in getting on the wrong side of his lordship the Chief Justice of Pakistan. But the original folly having been committed, and the Supreme Court having delivered its verdict, wisdom lay in putting the best possible face on something which the government, short of annulling the Constitution, could do nothing about. If one must rant and rave it should be over things one can influence and change. But disregarding something which would have been pretty obvious to most people, Prime minister Benazir Bhutto, employing anger and ridicule as her weapons and picking a leaf from Don Quixotes book of strategy, chose to pick a fight with the windmills. In doing so she caused no damage to the windmills. She merely drew attention (certainly not for the first time) to her own lack of judgment. Even then, despite these hectic efforts to manufacture an artificial crisis, the dust raised by the Supreme Court verdict has settled. Permanent chief justices have started working in Lahore, Karachi and Quetta and they in turn, wherever necessary, seem almost to have finalised their recommendations about the ad hoc judges whose fate was affected by the Supreme Court judgment. There is no constitutional crisis in the country. The phrase judicial activism has come into great favour after the Supreme Court verdict but the Supreme Court is not threatening the government. If the government faces any threat, it is from its own incompetence and (lest we forget) the insatiable cupidity of its leading field commanders. But it is a measure of the wisdom that is currently on offer that this government is once again trying to stoke the embers of a dead fire. The reference it has filed in the Supreme Court is a quibbling document whose aim seems more to settle scores with the Chief Justice than to gain elucidation on any point of law. Of the six questions that the government has put to the Supreme Court, two are almost wholly of an academic nature, two take a jab at the Chief Justice, one attempts to make a virtue of hair- splitting while only one relates to anything serious. Question number 1 asks as to what is the test for determining the existence of constitutional conventions in a country governed by a written constitution? and can ...the convention, if any, be read in the written constitution in alteration of its express provisions? Question number 5 seeks to clarify, in a convoluted manner, the doctrine of necessity. Important as these points may be they relate to no pressing problem facing the government. Where Ms Bhutto should get on with the business of governing, she seems more obsessed with getting her own back from Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah. Had her government been dedicated to strengthening the rule of law, its zeal in seeking clarifications from the Supreme Court on points of law would have been understandable. But since that is hardly the case, what are the people to make of its new-found passion? Questions 3 and 6 which are aimed at the Chief Justice are of a piece with the petulance which has been the hallmark of the governments attitude towards the Supreme Court ever since the latter took up the original petition in the judges case. Question 3, proceeding from the assumption that the Chief Justices own appointment is sub judice, asks as to ...What is the course appropriate in law for the federal government to adopt, for the appointment / confirmation of judges in the (superior courts)...? Question number 6, again basing itself on the premise that the appointment of the Chief Justice is disputed, asks as to how the verdict in the judges case may have been affected by the constitutional provisions which prohibit a judge from acting in a case involving his own interest...? First of all, the mere filing of a writ petition by a private citizen against the appointment of the Chief Justice does not make his appointment disputed. Just as a writ petition filed by me against the President or the Prime minister would not make their appointments disputed. If, on the other hand, anything pertaining to the CJ was pending before the Supreme Judicial Council, the only forum which can take action against members of the superior judiciary, then of course we would be left with no recourse except to say that his appointment had become controversial. Certainly in view of the Supreme Courts ruling that the senior-most judge in a high court can legitimately expect to be made the chief justice when a vacancy occurs, the propriety of Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shahs own elevation is all called into question because he was not the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court when the position of CJ became vacant. But if anything, this is a moral dilemma for him to resolve. Having been confirmed in his position by the very government which is now calling his appointment into question, he faces no legal disqualification which makes his appointment disputed. Question 4 is too clever by half: What is the position of the judges, who were appointed / confirmed as judges in the superior courts by the acting chief justices during the period of martial law (1977-85) and during 1986- 88? Governments must live in the present and solve the problems for which they have been elected instead of fighting the battles of the past. General Zia did not behave kindly with the judiciary but when for that matter neither did Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who got several constitutional amendments passed whose sole purpose was to bend the judiciary to the will of the executive. How far back should we go in our history in order to settle the quarrels of the past? Question 2 touches an important point: Whether all provisions of the Constitution, which were enacted by the framers of the Constitution, prevail over those which were incorporated by the chief martial law administrator? This is relevant in view of the Supreme Courts ruling in the judges case that Article 209 of the constitution (which speaks of security of tenure for members of the superior judiciary) takes precedence over Article 203-C (which allows the government to transfer judges to the Federal Shariat court) because the first was part of the original 1973 Constitution while the second was incorporated into it by a military ruler. Consequently, what is the status of other amendments made by the military regime? The common sense answer to this question of course is that in view of the Supreme Court ruling, where two such conflicting provisions occur, what exists in the original Constitution should take precedence over what was arbitrarily added to it by General Zia-ul-Haq. But this rule cannot extend to provisions which are no longer part of the Constitution. The Supreme Court can interpret the Constitution but it cannot restore to life parts of the Constitution which no longer exist. This is not to say that the Supreme Court verdict in the judges case is in all respects perfect. At places reliance has been placed on less-than- complete analogies from Islamic history. In part it is also inconsistent because whereas at one point it disputes the validity of amendments passed by a martial law dictator, at another point it presses into service the Objectives Resolution which was made a substantive part of the Constitution by a flourish of the same dictators pen. The government has every right to seek clarification of these points. But its intentions become suspect when seen against the peevishness and petulance which permeate the reference it has filed. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960522 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Half dead, or simply retired? ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hafizur Rahman I heard a nice expression the other day. We were talking about the retirement of government officers and their re-employment, one of the favourite topics for gossip in Islamabad. The talk turned to a re-employed gentleman who would count senior even among senior citizens. A wag among us used the idiom of second- hand tyres to describe him. He has been re- treaded after the bypass and is now good for another five years, he said. Long superannuated and now re-employed officers are not inclined to be flippant about themselves. For them the words used to obtain the Prime Ministers approval for extension in service are sacred words: invaluable experience, proven ability, unimpeachable integrity, definitely irreplaceable and similar other epithets culled from Rogets Thesaurus. They are not just ordinary expressions. For the officer concerned they are golden testimonials (even if untrue) which may win him a further year or two in service, because, failing that, he would be shoved into the limbo of powerlessness and oblivion. Not that all officers who get extensions really need them, financially speaking that is. It is rare that an officer has no house of his own to live in, or his children are not yet out of college. Nine out of ten retired officers are fairly well-off and have no money problems to speak of. There are cases of bachelor or childless federal secretaries retiring in the highest scale that the government can give, with nobody to spend their gratuity on. But they still crave for extra service after superannuation, and even after superfluity, and would be willing to give five years of their lives for another year in service. The reason is that most of them do not know what to do with themselves after they have been sent home. For the government officer, service has been the be-all and end-all of existence. He knows nothing apart from the business of government service. His whole thinking, the language he uses, the outlook he displays even in domestic problems, the entire idiom of his life style, all are derived from the routine daily drudgery of office work, of meetings and discussions, of minutes and agendas, of budgets and accounts. Since these are of no use to him in after-life  retirement for him is almost after-life  and he has no hobby, no pastime, no other vocation, he becomes a lost cow, to use a Punjabi expression. No wonder he will beg, borrow or steal to get as much extra time as he can. The evil day when he must vacate his office chair and lose the company of his PA and his naib qasid must be put off somehow. A good half of him dies when he finally goes home. There are sound reasons for this. The truth is that today, notwithstanding the development of big business and industry and modern methods of agriculture and the arts and the sciences, the non-official genius is still counted lower in status and prestige than the official mediocrity. He may have made a name for himself at the international level in any one of these fields, yet he is not a patch on the higher- grade wallah in government service. Tangible respectability in social life is still for the so- called senior officer. A Faiz Ahmed Faiz or a Sadequain or a Dr Abdus Salam are denied admittance into the VIP lounge at our airports, and the flunkey in charge will feel indignant at their temerity if they dared to consider themselves entitled to this facility. But see how he welcomes an Additional Secretary, bowing and scraping before him, even though intrinsically he may not be fit to be a medical salesman. Private organisations, philanthropic bodies and social welfare agencies would rather cancel a function than be obliged to invite as chief guest a public figure not connected with the government of the day. They know that if they ask the Director General of Animal Husbandry for the purpose, they are likely to get a better Press and a larger turnout of guests and invitees, and may even have the PTV cameraman around if they know the ropes, than if they are silly enough to request Seth Ahmed Dawood to do the honours. The organisers would fare no better if in place of the Seth they were to ask a retired officer, even though he were a pharoah in his time, to be the guest of honour. The guests would be there but the honour would be sadly missing. The most pathetic aspect of this state of affairs is that the poor retired officer does not even command the respect and attention of his erstwhile colleagues who are still in office. His visit to his old place of work is termed a nuisance, and any requests that he may have to make, either about his pensionary dues or to obtain help in other personal matters, are faced with ill-concealed annoyance. It is then that he gets an entirely different view of the world, but completely forgets that this is exactly how he too used to behave. I can vividly recall a lecture I heard by a retired federal secretary, a terrible snob in his time, but now considerably chastened, advising the audience of government servants to treat the public with consideration, patience and sympathy, something he had never done himself while in office. The only administrative reform needed in a democratic Pakistan is to stop the concentration of power and authority in a comparatively small number of officers, to involve political cadres in ever greater numbers at all levels of the administration and to privatise whatever government activity can be possibly given up. No amount of harangues and homilies and courses in NIPA and the Administrative Staff College can serve the same purpose. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960518 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Droit de seigneur ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mazdak WHENEVER a particularly unsavoury aspect of life in Pakistan is uncovered and makes headlines locally and internationally, the first reaction is not to do something about it, but to blame somebody, anybody, for maligning us. This knee-jerk reaction was in evidence when the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan sent a task force into rural Sindh to identify private jails being maintained by waderas, and free bonded haris who were being kept there, often in chains. In a series of raids, HRCP volunteers accompanied by journalists released around a thousand haris, some of whom had been in bondage for 24 years. Foreign reporters and TV crews flew in to cover this scandalous story, and initially, officials helped the HRCP team, and even registered some FIRs against the feudals and their managers, something unheard of in the rural areas. So far, so good. Then the backlash set in. A chorus of statements, articles and letters to editors have appeared, all aimed at informing us that we are ignorant of rural realities, and the practice of literally tying haris to the land was actually a partnership between tenant and landlord. The whole thing was a plot to reduce Sindhs agricultural output, and thus weaken Sindhis as a whole vis-a-vis non-Sindhis. Some defenders of this system have even justified enslaving haris on the grounds that they had taken loans from feudals and therefore should be restrained from leaving their lands until they had paid their debts back. If we extend this argument a little further, all those feudals, politicians and businessmen who have taken loans from banks should be held captive by bankers until they have cleared their debts. A friend suggested that they be locked up in bank vaults. Instead, they default on their loans and then grace obscenely opulent houses, parliament buildings and corporate boardrooms. Thus, those who welsh on loans worth billions of rupees are rewarded, while poor haris who take advances worth a few thousand rupees have to be locked up until they have repaid these small amounts, something they can seldom do because of the burden of the crippling compound interests. In theory, these unfortunate haris are supposed to get a third of the produce they grow. Although this compares poorly with the fifty per cent their counterparts in upper Sindh retain, they are denied even this pittance in the districts of lower Sindh where these recent incidents have occurred. According to some of the haris who have been freed from captivity, their families were lucky to get a hundred rupees a month. Basically, all they received was a minimum of simple food. Thus, most of their legitimate share is being forcibly expropriated by their feudal masters, and this helps to explain the indolent and dissolute lifestyle of so many of this class. A sad but unsurprising aspect of the whole affair is the fact that virtually all the enslaved haris are Bheels, Kohlis and Meghwars  Hindu tribes that have inhabited lower Sindh long before the advent of Islam. They are true aboriginals in the sense that they are very close to nature, and have passively resisted the advance of our so-called civilisation. Gentle, self- effacing folk, they have seen their land, their very world, encroached and expropriated by outsiders. No longer able to live free, they have been subjected to the ultimate indignity of slavery. No politician raises his voice on their behalf because they are effectively disenfranchised. In any case, their plight counts for nothing when compared with the dictates of the wadera. To make matters worse, there are people who are saying that because of the recent uproar, members of the scheduled castes should no longer be given work. The relationship between feudal and tenant, loaded in favour of the former, is even more lopsided in Sindh. Here, the droit de seigneur  that revolting medieval practice of giving the feudal landlord the right to take any new bride on his lands to his bed on her marriage  is still alive. No daughter of a tenant is safe, and Hindus are specially vulnerable to these depredations. The Bheels, Kohlis and Meghwar of lower Sindh are regularly subjected to this institutionalised rape by waderas and their underlings. The role of the Sindh government during this furore has been highly equivocal. Initially, police and district authorities paid no heed to the letters sent by HRCPs Hyderabad representative, Shakeel Pathan. But after he took a group of journalists with him to release scores of imprisoned haris, the Deputy Commissioners of Hyderabad and Badin districts were supportive, and FIRs were registered against some of the offending farm managers. However, there has since been a volte face: the few people who had been arrested have been released, and the two DCs have been transferred. It seems that the feudals have triumphed again. Despite progress in other parts of the world and in our own region, the stranglehold of feudalism has been strengthened in Pakistan with the shaky return of democracy. the present government, of course, has a strong feudal base, but even Nawaz Sharif depended heavily on the support of Punjabi landlords. Thus, despite the chronic fiscal crunch successive governments have faced, no agricultural tax has ever been imposed. Similarly, no leader has been able to push through meaningful land reforms aimed at redistributing land and political power. Although the Sindh Chief Minister has stated that his government is against bonded labour, his actions belied his words. By transferring officials who had helped to free the enslaved haris, he has sent a clear signal to their colleagues in the field not to move against the interests of the landlords. Shakeel Pathan, the courageous chief of the HRCP task force, has received many death threats. An MPAs sidekicks have forcibly released detained employees from police custody in Shakeels presence, and to date, no action has been taken against them. Some of the released haris were given shelter in a Christian mission. These missionaries are now being criticised for aiding and abetting those who want to see the present system abolished; some voices have been raised in favour of closing down the mission altogether. As I.A. Rehman said at a recent HRCP Press conference, instead of doing something ourselves to help the released haris, we are carping at those who are assisting them. So what else is new? Nobody knows how many more haris are living in shackles, brutalised for paltry sums they borrowed years ago, and have repaid many times over through their hard work. Although a law banning this cruel practice was enacted in 1992, it is observed in the breach by powerful waderas who know that neither the federal nor the provincial government will move against them. When the chips are down, class interests are much stronger than convictions

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SPORTS

960522 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Aqib, Basit dropped on disciplinary grounds ------------------------------------------------------------------- Samiul Hasan KARACHI, May 21: All the floodgates of criticism were opened here on Tuesday by the Pakistan Cricket Board when they announced three uncapped players, retained Ataur Rahman and instead bowled out Ramiz Raja, Aqib Javed and Basit Ali from the 17-member England-bound team announced at the National Stadium. The three uncapped players include Shadab Kabir, Shahid Nazir and Shahid Anwer without any notable performance in the season. Paceman Ataur Rahman succeeded in getting into the team through the back door, courtesy Wasim Akram. Asif Mujtaba, former Pakistan vice-captain, fought his way back into the national squad due to hard work and performance in the field by scoring a record eight centuries on his way to score 1,350 runs in the just concluded 1995-96 circuit. Former first choice wicketkeeper, Moin Khan, also managed to safeguard his position. Wasim Akram, of course, was an automatic choice after he resumed his duties as captain after making himself available for the prestigious but quite a difficult tour. The team named by the Chief Executive of the PCB, Arif Abbasi, is: Aamir Sohail (vice-captain) (ABL), Saeed Anwar (ADBP), Shahid Anwer (NBP), Shadab Kabir (Karachi), Salim Malik (HBL), Ejaz Ahmad (HBL), Inzamamul Haq (UBL), Asif Mujtaba (PIA), Wasim Akram (captain) (PIA), Waqar Younis (ABL), Mohammad Akram (ABL), Ataur Rahman (ABL), Shahid Nazir (Faisalabad, Rashid Latif (ABL), Moin Khan (PIA), Mushtaq Ahmad (UBL) and Saqlain Mushtaq (PIA). The nine reserves are: Basit Ali (UBL), Sohail Jaffar (PNSC), Salim Elahi (UBL), Aqib Javed (ABL), Aamir Nazir (ABL), Sajid Shah (PNSC), Azhar Mahmood (UBL), Arshad Khan (ABL) and Wasim Yousufi (UBL). The PCB official tried all the tricks he had in his bag to justify the selections and ousters, though he was apparently unconvincing. Abbasi, who tried to handle a crowded Press conference alone, didnt answer most of the queries, saying: This question should be directed to the Chairman Selection Committee or this information can be sought from the Chief Selector. However, Arif Abbasi admitted that the reasons for the ouster of Ramiz Raja, Aqib Javed and Basit Ali was indiscipline, lack of commitment and a lax attitude towards the game and team. The Selection Committee has given significant importance to discipline and from now on, it has become a policy decision. Any of the players found misbehaving on the England tour and onwards, will simply be handed over the return ticket. There will be no hanky panky now, he said. The players dont seem to realise that it is because of this country that they are respected the world over. Had it not been Pakistan, they would have not seen a cricket ground, let alone playing on it. It is very sad that they are doing this to this country, Abbasi, in an emotional tone, asserted. Abbasi was, nevertheless, dumbfounded when asked if only Basit, Aqib and Ramiz came in the bracket of discipline. If the PCB starts the scrutiny of players involved in misbehaviour or indiscipline, well, then half of the team members would be dropped including skipper Wasim Akram himself. Interestingly, Abbasi accused Aqib, Basit and Ramiz of violating players Code of Conduct, but no specific incidents were mentioned. In the just concluded season none of the three players was either warned, reprimanded or disciplined by the cricket board or even by the cricket manager. It is believed that the ouster of the trio is on the recommendation and insistence of skipper Wasim Akram. According to well placed sources, a couple of selectors were in favour of Basit and Aqib but surrendered before the whims of the skipper. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960523 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Yawar Saeed, Nasimul Ghani named managers for tour ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Reporter KARACHI, May 22: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named Yawar Saeed, having experience of English county cricket, and Nasimul Ghani, former Test spinner, as managers for the tour of England. The decision, having been approved by the Council, was announced by Chief Executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Arif Abbasi. Saeed is to be the tour manager while Ghani will be the cricket manager. Abbasi stated that the two were the best choices the board had under the present circumstances. The board official stated that stress of the two managers will be on discipline. The Chief Executive further emphasised that the list of nine standbys should be considered very seriously since they may be sent on any emergency. The two managers were not at the National Stadium on Wednesday afternoon but they along with skipper Wasim Akram have an appointment with the Chief Executive at 11:00 a.m. The trio is expected to be briefed about their respective assignments on the most difficult tours. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960522 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Is it the end of Ramizs fine career? ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Reporter KARACHI, May 21: When a player at the age of 34 is dropped and not placed in standbys also, does it not indicate that the international career of that cricketer has ended? Ramiz Hasan Raja, born on Aug 14, 1962 at Faisalabad, finds himself in that awkward position after he was not considered for selection for the England tour and even failed to get into the list of nine reserves. Since making his Test debut in 1983-84 against David Gowers Englishmen, Ramiz Raja played 55 Tests and scored 2,747 runs from 91 innings. He averaged 31.94. In his 13-year career, Raja could reach the three figures only twice but managed to scored 32 half centuries. He held 32 catches. However, Ramiz Raja earned the reputation of a brilliant batsman in one-day internationals in which he represented the country in 177 games scoring 5,386 runs at a healthy average of 33.04. Raja scored nine centuries which is an all time record for Pakistan. Saeed Anwar (8), Javed Miandad (8) and Zaheer Abbas (7) are the other main century scorers. Raja is Pakistans only the third batsman to have scored more than 5,000 runs in one-day cricket. Javed Miandad (7,381) and Salim Malik (5,833) are the two other batsmen. Ramiz Raja, who modelled himself into his childhood idol Majid Khan, remained one of the most respected, scandal-free and noncontroversial figures. Raja, who was dropped after the 1993 tour of the West Indies, achieved the distinction which every cricketer wants to havecaptain his team in a Test when he was appointed to lead Pakistan in the home series against Sri Lanka. However, it was a bitter experience as evident from the result, Pakistan lost both the Test and one-day series 1-2. To rub salt to the wound, Rajas team failed to qualify for the Champions Trophy final last October. Raja was removed from captaincy but no one figured out that Raja was leading a team which was a depleted one. Raja didnt have Wasim Akram, Waqar played only one Test, Salim Malik and Ejaz Ahmad were not considered because of betting and match-fixing allegations and Basit was considered only for the Sialkot Test. Even then, Raja emerged as the second leading scorer for Pakistan with 208 runs in five innings behind Moin Khan. In the same series, Raja became the first Pakistan skipper to win a Test by an innings in his debut as skipper. Rajas handling of the ball tampering issue at Lords one-day game on the 1992 tour will be long remembered. Raja was incharge when Javed Miandad and Salim Malik were in the dressing room because of injuries. During his fine career, Raja played three World Cups and his most memorable moment should be the catch of Dermott Reeve at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 25, 1992 which gave Pakistan a historic World Cup triumph in the final over England. Raja has been a great ambassador for cricket and of his country. His role and services to the sport will be long remembered. But no one knows if he will make another miraculous comeback to the national team as he did earlier in the season. No one but the selectors actually know the reasons for Ramizs ouster from the England tour after he scored 504 runs with five half centuries from 13 Test innings. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960523 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Intikhab expresses displeasure ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Reporter KARACHI, May 22: Outgoing Pakistan cricket manager Intikhab Alam on Wednesday expressed his disappointment that he was not considered for the job for the coming tour of England. Speaking from Lahore, the former manager said: Yes, I am disappointed. I think I have always rendered my services when the country needed me. I always made myself available when either the team or management was in crisis. The former Pakistan captain stated that his last tenure was not as bad as presented. We won the Singapore tournament and the performance of the team was also not bad on the tour Down Under. We lost the Sharjah Cup and the World Cup because certain leading players were unfit. It is not the right way to proceed. Will the board change the newly appointed manager if the team lost either in England or Canada or Kenya? Intikhab questioned. The former Surrey and PIA captain commenting on his future association with Pakistan cricket said he thought it was time to settle down. I have had a long innings with Pakistan cricket and I must thank my wife who always stood alongside me under very trying situations and circumstances. Intikhab maintained that if it is alleged that he couldnt handle the players how come he remain manager for 16 years. It has got to do more with professional jealousy than other things. Managership is basically a very thankless job. When the team wins, all credit goes to the skipper but if the team loses, manager is on the receiving end. Nevertheless, I have thoroughly enjoyed my 16 years as manager, Intikhab said. The former leg-spinner made it clear that he never recommended that Aqib Javed or Basit Ali be dropped on disciplinary grounds. I have never mentioned in my report that I faced any disciplinary problems on my last two tours. Intikhab congratulated the new management, saying: My best wishes are with them. I pray that they come up to the expectations of the country. England is a very difficult tour but I am hopeful that they (managers) will be able to give their best and the team will return triumphant. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960517 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Burki for strengthening club cricket ------------------------------------------------------------------- A. Majid Khan KARACHI, May 16: Mr Javed Burki, Adviser to President Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari on cricket affairs, said here today several attempts had been made for stabilising the system and even the existing one, under which Pakistan Cricket Board is being run, is aimed at achieving the desired objective. Former Pakistan captain Javed Burki, who had been associated with the board directly or indirectly for considerably long time, stated that no less than three times the ad hoc committees were appointed to improve the affairs. The prevailing system for running the cricket board, with a council of elected representatives, according to the former Pakistan captain, reflects democracy. The Adviser to the President who is Patron of the PCB, underlined the imperative need of strengthening club cricket, the foundation and base of national cricket. He expressed his dissatisfaction over the affairs of club cricket and in this connection he praised Sri Lanka and Australia where club cricket is the real base. Sri Lanka has a systematic and strong club cricket, highly competitive producing talented youngsters for further polishing and grooming at the international level despite the fact that they have no first class tournaments. Now Sri Lanka is the World Cup champions in a short span of time, he stressed. Similarly he was all praise for the grade cricket in Australia and the talented and promising youngsters on their performance make their mark in Test sides as well as in one day internationals, Mr Javed Burki opined. However, he called England club cricket as gymkhana cricket, friendly encounter and the gentlemens game lacking high competitive spirit as compared to Australias grade cricket and Sri Lanka club competitions. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 960522 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Another battle for Imran in London ------------------------------------------------------------------- *From Qamar Ahmed LONDON, May 21: In 1977 when the Australian millionaire Kerry Packer took the authorities at Lords to court to defend and win the rights to employ cricketers for his privately-organised World Series Cricket, it had come as a shock t6o the cricketing world. Nearly a two decades on, now libel cases, involving cricketers and cricket, is a sort of common occurrence. The recent being the case between former Pakistan fast bowler Sarfraz Nawaz and his Northamptonshire county colleague, the South African born Allan Lamb. The case in London court challenging Lambs accusation of ball tampering by the Pakistanis fizzled out mid-way when Sarfraz for personal reasons decided to withdraw and back out fearing enormous costs in case he lost. In another case of that sort, the Derbyshire and England fast bowler Devon Malcolm of West Indian extract won substantial damages against `Wisden Cricket Monthly for an article published last year by a freelance journalist which implied that the black cricketers playing for England do not give their hundred percent to the team as do the homebred Englishmen. Early this year former England captain Mike Gatting received apology in writing from the former captain of Pakistan, Imran Khan, and five-figure damages and apology from the writer Ivo Tennant and the publishers Cassells for slurs in Imrans latest biography. The utterances in the book such as, Gatting epitomised and brought to the England game the outlook of a racially prejudiced Englishmen, and that Gatting had been responsible for stripping from international cricket any remaining veneer of honour and decency, had prompted Gatting to take the libel action against the writer and the publisher. Imran was not sued but had apologised in writing to Gatting stressing that he held the former England captain in great respect as a sportsman. The offending sections in book was later removed before the paperback edition of Imrans biography published in 1994 was brought back to the shelves. For Imran, the battle is not yet over because another court case is to be heard on July 15, only 10 days before the first Pakistan Test against England at Lords this summer. Not far from the home of cricket, both Ian Botham and Allan Lamb will be claiming damages and an apology by the former Pakistan captain Imran Khan in separate actions alleging libel over interviews published in `India Today which is in circulation in England as well and an Imran interview in `The Sun following the publication of his biography in which he had; admitted that he gouged the ball 11 with a bottle top in a game involving Sussex and Warwickshire and that the practice of raising the seam was practised by many other bowlers in county cricket. Both the cricketers have not sued the offending papers but have brought their court action against Imran personally. Neither of them is backing out of it nor is Imran who is adamant to see it through. Ian Botham after Imrans interview in The Sun had retorted: I have never cheated nor, to the best of my knowledge, did the England guys with whom I played in Tests and one-day international cricket for 16 years. Imrans allegations that ordinary county cricketer is `fairly racist has also prompted the two, Botham and Lamba to take the legal action. In `India Today, in an answer to a question by Shehkar Gupta about the hype about balls tampering, Imran had allegedly replied, It is the English media and a section of cricketers who have blown it out of all proportions. There is a lot of racism here. When Bob Willis or Freddie Trueman were tearing the heart out of Indian or Pakistan batting, we never heard an outcry about short-pitched bowling. How come the noise started when the West Indies and the Pakistanis began winning matches with their fast bowlers? How come we never heard about slow over-rates until the West Indies fast bowlers came along? The Australians can get away with anything because they are whites. There is a lot of racism in this society. Look at people such as Lamb and Botham making statements like: `Oh, I never thought much of him anyway and now it has been proven he is a cheat. Where is this hatred coming from? You remember the way Bishen Bedi was victimised in the Vaseline incident because he dared to question John Lever, for cheating in Delhi. In an answer to a question about whether English cricket suffers from class problem, Imran had replied: Yes look at people who have taken a rational side in the controversy. Tony Lewis, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Derek Pringle. They are all educated, Oxbridge types. Look at the others, Lamb, Botham, Trueman. The difference in class and upbringing makes a difference. There are the sorts of comments which are likely to be probed by the lawyers of Botham and Lamb. There will be a lot of cricketers involved as witnesses for both the parties. Derek Pringle who once wrote on his retirement that, Any seam bowler worth his salt picks the seam of a ball, has however reported to have declined a request from Imran to support his statement. This is a squabble that should be sorted out over a drink or a cup of tea. It is not a fitting way to conclude their rivalry, he had said. Imrans solicitor, Howard Cohen is however sure that the announcement of Imrans political aspirations will not have any impact on the case: He is very determined to defend this action and I have not heard anything to suggest that these events have affected his determination, he had said.

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