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DAWN WIRE SERVICE
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Week Ending : 05 April 1997 Issue : 03/14
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Presidents powers clipped
Benazir calls it a historic decision
Nawaz says he wont indulge in confrontation
President signs bill clipping his powers
Gang rape made capital offence
PM's farm package offers big incentives
Light-rail projects stone-laying soon
No improvement in human rights situation: HRCP
---------------------------------
Pakistan seeking $2.8bn from aid club
Taking realistic stock of our policy options
CDC to safeguard investors, stock brokers
WB official praises economic reforms
Committee proposed to suggest changes
Policy package for sick industrial units formulated
KSE 100-share index finishes with extended decline
---------------------------------------
The Dolly debate Kamil Siddiqi
Waiting for miracles Mazdak
Making a joke of the right to know Agha Faisal
Corruption is the core issue Sultan Ahmed
-----------
Pakistans hockey form needs improvement
Burki has no evidence on betting, match-fixing
Aamir Sohail episode sad & unfortunate
Democratic sports policy being framed
Pakistan team off to Emirates with confidence sky-high
Hanif calls for probe into betting charges
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970402
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Presidents powers clipped
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ISLAMABAD, April 1: Both houses of parliament stripped the president and
the governors of their powers to dissolve the assemblies with the unanimous
annulment of the controversial sections of the Eighth Amendment.
The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which was tabled in
parliament on Tuesday morning and passed without dissent within hours, not
only deletes Section 58 (2) (b), the most disputed part of the Eighth
Amendment, but also restores the prime ministers mandatory advice in the
appointment of armed services chiefs and governors.
In order to strengthen parliamentary democracy it has become necessary to
restore some of the powers of the prime minister which had been taken away
by the Constitutional (Eighth Amendment) Act 1985, the statement of
objects and reasons of the Thirteenth Amendment maintained.
The amendment, immediately welcomed by political parties of different
shades of opinion, was passed in a congenial atmosphere rarely seen in the
recent years, and it was the first time that a constitutional amendment
bill was passed both the houses on the same day. The bill will now go to
the president for his signature.
The 87-member Senate passed the bill by 79 to none and the 217-member
National Assembly later endorsed it by 190 to none.
Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub, who also holds the law portfolio, piloted the
bill in the upper house. Syed Zafar Ali Shah, a lawyer from Islamabad who
holds the office of the parliamentary secretary for law, moved it in the
lower house.
The draft bill was earlier approved by the cabinet in the wee hours of
Tuesday, and it was moved in the two houses later in the day and the entire
process was over by 2pm.
The federal cabinet had gone into session soon after Mr Nawaz Sharifs
speech on Monday night and approved the draft after consulting the ruling
partys allies in early morning. All requirements of the rules of procedure
and business of the house were duly observed during the passage of the
bill.
The Thirteenth Amendment comprises four amendments in different articles of
the Constitution. Mainly, it deletes sub-clause (b) of clause 2 of Article
58 which had given the president the power to dissolve the national
assembly at his discretion. Similarly, sub-clause (b) of clause 2 of
Article 112 has also been dropped. It had vested the governors with powers
to dissolve the provincial assemblies.
Clause 1 of Article 101 has also been amended to bind the president to
appoint governors on the advice of the prime minister. Thus far, the
president was bound only to consult the chief executive but now he would
have to appoint them on the advice of the prime minister.
Through the amendment, the presidents power to appoint the services chiefs
under Article 112 (2-B) has also been curtailed and instead of appointing
them with the consultation of the prime minister, he would appoint them on
the advice of the prime minister.
In an apparent expression of support to the government on the issue, former
prime minister Benazir Bhutto attended the Senate session and observed the
proceedings from the visitors gallery. Her presence in the visitors
gallery did not go unnoticed and the prime ministers adviser on law and
human rights, Khalid Anwar, specifically mentioned her presence in a vote
of thanks. The presence of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto is a proof that today
we all are acting as Pakistanis and not as party politicians, he
proclaimed.
A jubilant Nawaz Sharif thanked the treasury as well as the opposition
members for this achievement. This bill is not the unanimous bill of the
house but a unanimous bill of the entire nation and I congratulate both the
government and the opposition benches on its unanimous passage, Mr Sharif
told the National Assembly.
We had not made it (repeal of the Eighth Amendment) an election issue. We
have abolished it, he said, asserting that his government believed in
doing things instead of only making promises. He said with the restoration
of his powers his responsibilities had increased. Politicians and
parliament have earned enough bad name in the past. Today is an opportunity
where we can once again earn a good name for politicians and democratic
institutions, he said in reference to the unanimity shown by the house.
Opposition leader Benazir Bhutto congratulated the prime minister by saying
: My heartiest congratulations to Nawaz Sharif. This decision is a moral
victory of every political worker who had given sacrifices for the
supremacy of parliament.
National Assembly speaker Illahi Buksh Soomro said it was a historic day
and a momentous decision. Today is a beginning of real democracy in the
country, he remarked.
The parliamentary secretary for law, Zafar Ali Shah, termed the passage of
the bill a golden gift from the prime minister to the nation on the golden
jubilee of independence.
The following is the text of the bill: Further to amend the Constitution of
the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
WHEREAS it is expedient further to amend the Constitution of the Islamic
Republic of Pakistan for the purposes hereinafter appearing; It is hereby
enacted as follows:-
1. Short title and commencement - (1) This Act may be called the
Constitution (Thirteenth Amendment) Act, 1997.
(2) It shall come in to force at once.
2. Amendment of Article 58 of the Constitution - In the Constitution of the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan, hereinafter referred to as the Constitution,
in Article 58, in clause (2) sub-clause (b) shall be omitted.
3. Amendment of Article 101 of the Constitution - In the Constitution, in
Article 101, in clause (1) for the words after consultation with the
words on the advice of shall be substituted.
4. Amendment of Article 112 of the Constitution - In the Constitution, in
Article 112, in clause (2) sub-clause (b) shall be omitted.
5. Amendment of Article 243 of the Constitution - In the Constitution, in
Article 243, in clause (2) in sub-clause (c) the words in his discretion
shall be omitted.
STATEMENT AND OBJECTS OF REASONS:
In order to strengthen parliamentary democracy, it has become necessary to
restore some of the powers of the Prime Minister which were taken away by
the Constitution (Eighth Amendment) Act, 1985.
The Bill seeks further to amend the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan to achieve the aforesaid purpose.
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970402
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Benazir calls it a historic decision
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, April 1: The chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Benazir
Bhutto, has termed the scrapping of Article 58(2) b a moral victory for all
workers and leaders who had made sacrifices for parliamentary democracy in
the country.
It is an historic occasion and I congratulate the House for passing the
13th Amendment Bill, she said on the floor of the National Assembly.
Dispensation of Nature is strange. All those who have been striving for
parliamentary democracy for the last 20 years , in the end, turned against
it and supported presidential system; and the supporters of presidential
system for the last 20 years, in the end, strengthened the parliamentary
system, she said.
Ms Bhutto congratulated Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and said she had
forgotten all political differences and acrimonies of the past. She said
that without political stability economic development was not possible. If
we keep dissolving assemblies then the country cannot make a headway, she
added.
Ms Bhutto said that in the year of golden jubilee of the country, the
nation was reaffirming its pledge to follow the guidelines enunciated by
the Father of the Nation, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
Former caretaker prime minister Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi said that they had
struggled for parliamentary democracy and today the day had come when the
nation was getting rid of an indirect martial law. He called 8th Amendment
a black law and termed its scrapping a bold and courageous decision on
the part of Nawaz Sharif. He said the nation would support Mr Sharif as it
had done in the February 3 elections.
Mir Hazar Khan Bijrani also congratulated the House for taking the decision
to remove the sword of Damocles hanging on the head of parliament for the
last one decade. He hoped the goodwill generated between the opposition and
ruling party would be preserved and Mr Sharif would take along the
opposition in the same spirit.
He said the country could not afford confrontation any more and it was high
time to shun all political differences.
Asfandyar Wali, chief of ANP in the National Assembly, said he was not
finding the word to express himself at this historic decision.
He also lauded the services of all political workers and leaders who had
laid down their lives for the cause of democracy in the country. I salute
all those political workers, the young Wali said. He also called upon the
prime minister to bring in a constitutional reform package. He said certain
other portions of the Constitution also needed to be rectified.
Hasil Bezinjo of Balochistan National Party said both the Houses of
Parliament - the National Assembly and the Senate- had done a historic job.
The nation and the Parliament have been liberated today, he added.
MQM MNA Kunwar Khalid Younus said the 8th Amendment , in the past, had
acted as a safety valve . He also called it as a historic event. The 8th
Amendment, after the induction of Nawaz Sharif government, was no more
required, he said. Democracy is being liberated from dictatorship, he
said, adding that the country would also get rid of an invisible
government.
Earlier, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, parliamentary secretary, PML, initiated
suspension of rules and introduce the Bill as passed by the Senate. He said
that after 20 long years, democracy was being liberated which had been in
shackles of the 8th Amendment.
He also paid tributes to those political workers and leaders who had
struggled for parliamentary democracy and made sacrifices for it. He said
the elections had been held in the country and people had voted but with
doubts and fear whether their mandate would be honoured or not.
Mr Shah said that the 13th Amendment Bill would also deal a severe blow to
the corrupt machinery. The decision of the House will be written in golden
letters in the history of Pakistan, he said. On the occasion of golden
jubilee of the country Mian Nawaz Sharif is handing over a golden gift to
the nation by purging the Constitution of the dictatorial amendment, he
added.
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970402
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Nawaz says he wont indulge in confrontation
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, April 1: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Tuesday the repeal
of the controversial parts of the Eighth Amendment would lead to political
consensus on major issues and bring about economic stability.
He said the repeal of the 8th Amendment was the victory of the whole nation
and would strengthen parliamentary democracy in the country.
Speaking after the adoption of the 13th Amendment Bill that stripped the
president of the powers to dissolve the NA, the prime minister said he
would not indulge in confrontation and his agenda was to bolster the
economy.
The prime minister thanked all the political parties and their leaders for
extending support to the government in scrapping the controversial parts of
the 8th Amendment and particularly praised former prime minister Benazir
Bhutto for her cooperation. He hoped that the move would establish the
supremacy of parliament.
He said he was pleased to witness consensus in the Senate and said: I am
delighted to have the support of so many important people for annulling the
8th Amendment.
Mr Sharif said it was his commitment to make Pakistan an economically
strong country with a view to providing relief to the people. He said he
was aware that the people were facing hardships on account of price hike.
I do not want to make tall claims but assure you that I will sincerely
work for solving the pressing economic problems of the country, Mr Sharif
said.
He said it was high time that unnecessary criticism on each other should be
stopped. He said he would welcome positive criticism aimed at resolving
conflicting issues. Let us all pledge today that we will give good
governance to our people, he said adding that he would run the affairs of
the government by taking with him the opposition parties.
The prime minister praised the president for not opposing the repeal of the
8th Amendment. He said he had met the president in Choti on Monday and
informed him that he had decided to do away with the controversial
amendment. He said politicians had been maligned in the past due to their
differences over petty issues and that they should not provide opportunity
to anyone to criticise them.
Earlier, speaking in the Senate after the adoption of the 13th Amendment he
said he would try to remove other controversial articles from the
constitution. For this purpose, he said, a committee would soon be formed
which would also have members of the opposition parties on it.
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970405
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President signs bill clipping his powers
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, April 4: President Farooq Leghari has signed the 13th
constitutional amendment bill, clipping his own powers to dissolve the
assemblies, appoint governors and armed forces chiefs, a presidential
spokesman said on Friday.
The President had signed the bill on Thursday and sent it to the Law and
Justice ministry for issuing an official notification, his spokesman said.
The two houses of the parliament, on Tuesday, had unanimously scrapped the
presidential powers by amending certain portions of the controversial 8th
amendment incorporated in the constitution by the former military dictator
President Gen Ziaul Haq in 1985. Since then three presidents had used this
amendment to pack up four assemblies in eight years.
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970403
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Gang rape made capital offence
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, April 2: The National Assembly amended the Offence of Zina
(Enforcement of Hudood) Ordinance 1979 to award death penalty to those
involved in gang rape.
A sub-section was added to Section 10 of the existing law to punish those
involved in gang rape. When zina-bil-jabr (rape), liable to taazir, is
committed by two or more persons in furtherance of common intention of all,
each of such persons shall be punished with death, the new sub-section (4)
inserted in the law said.
The Bill, piloted by Parliamentary Secretary for Law Syed Zafar Ali Shah,
was welcomed by religious as well as liberal groups in the house.
Stating the objective and reasons for the law , a statement issued on the
occasion said that for the past some time there had been a tendency towards
gang rape. There is, therefore, a need for creating a deterrence for
such heinous offence through prescribing death penalty for this offence,
it added.
The present sub-section 3 of Section 10 of the law prescribes punishment
for an individual involved in the rape which prescribes a punishment of
four to 25 years and up to 30 whips to an individual involved in rape.
The mover of the Bill, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, said the incidents of gang
rapes were increasing day by day and death penalty has been prescribed for
the offence to discourage such incidents. He said women of the country had
to be protected against crime. This was their right and it could not be
denied to them and the government would take all steps to ensure the safety
of women, adds APP.
Syed Zafar Ali Shah said nobody should ever think that the bill violated
the tenets of Islam. The bill was seeking protection for the women against
crime. How could it be then against the teachings of Islam? he asked.
Maulana Muhammad Khan Sherani opposed the bill on the ground that the
members of the Assembly should be given adequate time to study it. He said
the bill should first be examined by the Islamic Ideology Council (IDC). He
said the House should take it up later.
Naveed Qamar of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) also opposed the bill for the
same reason. He said it should not be passed in haste. Rather, the House
should be given sufficient time to discuss and study the bill.
It may be mentioned that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in his first address
to the nation after taking over the government had said that law would be
enacted against gang rape. He had said the persons found guilty of having
indulged in this crime would be awarded death sentence. He said that the
government would provide protection to all citizens. He said it was the
duty of the government to create such conditions so that the people could
live with honour, peace and dignity.
The Prime Minister had said it in his second address to the nation that
every measure would be adopted against lawlessness. He had expressed his
dissatisfaction over the law and order in the country. He had told the
people they need not hold any apprehension, the government was well aware
of their problem and the situation would be reversed.
According to Press reports, last year 28 women fell victim to gang rape.
Some of the accused after committing the crime murdered their victims to
destroy the evidence. It has also been reported in the Press, that in some
cases of rape, the victims were teenagers.
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970404
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PM's farm package offers big incentives
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, March 3: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif unfolded a wide-ranging
agriculture package at a farmers convention, substantially increasing the
support prices of wheat, rice and oil seed, and abolishing the general
sales tax (GST) on certified cotton seed.
The package is based on the recommendations of nine committees formed
earlier by the prime minister, to suggest measures for boosting farm
output. These committees were headed by MNAs representing the landed
gentry.
The packages reduces the duty on used and re-conditioned harvesters from 35
to 10 percent. The prices of inputs have also been decreased. However, the
package is silent on the issue of taxing the agricultural income.
SUPPORT PRICES: The support price of wheat has been increased to Rs240 per
40 kg, from Rs185 per 40 kg. It would be sold to the mills at Rs260 per 40
kg. Since the government has not announced any subsidy on wheat and only
increased its support price, the consumers may have to pay at least two
rupees extra per kg.
The government officials privately said the increased amount was announced
to discourage smuggling of wheat to Afghanistan and India as the new price
would be more or less the same as prevailing in those countries.
The support price for IRRI rice has been increased by Rs20 per 40 kg.
Canola support price has been increased to Rs450 per 40 kg from Rs 400, and
the sunflower price to Rs450 per 40 kg from Rs385.
GST REDUCTION: The prime minister said the reduction in the GST announced
earlier on harvesters, tractors and other farming equipment had helped in
reducing the prices of locally-manufactured tractors by between Rs30,000
and Rs50,000, while the cost of imported tractors, too, had been reduced by
up to Rs65,000.
"We would be further reducing the prices of locally manufactured tractors
and agricultural machinery," Mr Sharif assured.
SOFT LOANS: Mr Sharif said Rs3 billion had been allocated for disbursement
among small farmers as soft loans bringing the total amount allocated by
the government for this purpose to Rs15 billion. "We are enhancing the loan
limit to Rs one million," he said. "We have also decided to write off 50
percent interest on loans received by the farmers prior to 1992," he added.
The prime minister also said a bank would be established for farmers on the
pattern of the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh.
IRRIGATION & DRAINAGE: Announcing new measures about irrigation and
drainage, Mr Sharif said wastage of water would be stopped by cementing the
water courses and at least 8,000 channels would be cemented annually
instead of the 4,000 being done now. He said an emergency programme would
be launched for the dredging of water courses. "More dams will be
constructed in the barani areas and new projects started for drip and
sprinkler irrigation.
The prime minister accepted the farmers' demand that the power rate for
tubewells be brought at par with that charged for industrial units. The
details, he said, would be announced shortly. He said new laws would be
enacted for discouraging spurious insecticides, pesticides and fertilisers.
He warned the people to stop manufacturing fake pesticides otherwise the
government would give them exemplary punishment. "We would bring in a
constitutional amendment if the need arises," he added.
About the livestock sector, the prime minister said the Agricultural
Development Bank had been directed to help in the purchase of 25,000 cows
and 50,000 sheep for landless people for breeding. He criticised the
performance of the livestock department and said he would be announcing a
separate package for poultry breeders.
RESEARCH: Nawaz Sharif called for research in the agriculture sector and
said the government would generate Rs500 million through a research cess
which would be spent on the improvement of research institutions. He said
the government would give agricultural awards to researchers who had
rendered services in their respective fields. The award would include 50
acres of free land.
The prime minister told the convention that Rs25 billion was spent annually
on the import of wheat which, he added, was very alarming. Declaring 1997-
98 as the "Year of Wheat", he said his government would bring an additional
half a million acres of land under wheat cultivation.
WHEAT IMPORT: The prime minister showed his extreme displeasure about the
import wheat worth Rs 25 billion at a time when the new crop was about to
be harvested. He said all those involved in ordering such huge quantities
of wheat would be brought to books.
The prime minister recalled that he had distributed land among the landless
haris in Sindh during his previous tenure. "Now this state land
distribution will not be limited to Sindh but would also be distributed in
other provinces as well".
OTHER MEASURES: The prime minister also announced various measures which
included: no limit on possession of agricultural land for the registered
agricultural companies sponsoring provisions of agriculture implements and
raising production on commercial basis; special concession and loans for
increasing tea production; special loans and concessions for raising
vegetable production, including pulses and spices; a special campaign to
popularise inland fisheries and fish-rearing and promote cattle breeding,
and training facilities; construction of underground water channels and
water courses and plantation of trees along the roads.
He said the motorway will be constructed from Peshawar to Karachi and farm-
to-market roads would be built on priority basis. "We are also considering
special flights for the Northern Areas to export fruit and vegetables to
the Middle East and other countries", he said explaining that his
government planned to earn a substantial amount in foreign exchange through
this programme. He said he had originally intended launching a green
tractor and tubewells scheme, but that was not possible at this stage owing
to limited resources. He said as soon as the economy improved, he would
announce this scheme.
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970331
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Light-rail projects stone-laying soon
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Reporter
KARACHI, March 30: The rapid increase in population of the city has created
numerous problems, including the main problem of traffic hazard.
Mr Jatoi at a meeting said there was a need for providing an improved
transport system for the better travel facilities to the common man.
Mr Lamare informed the chief minister about the salient features of the
project. He said the report for construction and implementation of
Corridor-I of the Karachi light-rail transit system comprising 13.5 km from
Mereweather Tower to Karimabad with a 3.7 km bus service to shuttle LRT
bound passengers from Sohrab Goth to Karimabad has been prepared. He said
duration of travel from Sohrab Goth to Mereweather Tower will be 30 minutes
with comfortable, safe, clean and reliable service.
Mr Lamarre said the Ministry of Communications had signed an agreement with
Indus Mass Transit Company to design, build and operate the LRT system
along with the corridor form Mereweather Tower to Sohrab Goth. He said the
system will be constructed from 1997 to 2001 and will be operated by Indus
Mass transit company for a period of 30 years. He further added that total
cost of project is US $586 million, which will be completed on private-
public partnership.
According to details, 40 percent public participation will be on long-term
loan basis, while 60 percent private participation will be financed by
private sponsors in a debt equity, arranged through a combination of export
credit loans from Canada, Japan, USA and other countries.
He said the average fare per passenger will be Rs 7 and passengers will be
benefited by increased mobility and accessibility, while there will be
transit service of seven days per week from 6 am to midnight, and one-way
travel time will be 30 minutes.
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970401
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No improvement in human rights situation: HRCP
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, March 31: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan made public
its 7th annual report, noting the lack of any improvement in human rights
situation in the country since the publication of its first report in 1990.
Things have not changed much, Asma Jahangir, chairperson of the
commission, said at a press conference convened to launch the report.
There are marginal differences in some areas for the better, and in some
areas for the worse, she said, adding that the commission had come to the
conclusion that as long as democratic institutions were not strengthened
things would not improve.
Deploring the present position of human rights in the country, she said
things were not getting back on the tracks. The HRCP at its last meeting,
she said, had felt that there was a need to encourage activism in all
sections of society, including labourers, lawyers, students, journalists
etc.
Ms Jahangir, responding to a question about the trial of Asif Ali Zardari
in jail, said an open and fair trial was the right of all prisoners.
About a question on the independence of judiciary, Ms Jahangir remarked
that the judiciary still had to win the confidence of the public.
Answering a question about the much publicised Saima Waheed case, she
denied allegations that she had received huge amounts from some foreign
countries. It is absolutely absurd, she added..
She also distributed copies of posters, recently published by a fictitious
organisation, Tehrik-i-Hameeyat Islami Pakistan, which had tried to
incite people against her. She said she did not know where Saima had gone.
===================================================================
970330
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Pakistan seeking $2.8bn from aid club
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ihtashamul Haque
ISLAMABAD, March 29: Pakistan is seeking $2.8 billion from the Aid-to-
Pakistan Consortium for 1997-98 when its meets in Paris on April 21 and 22.
Pakistan had sought $2.6 billion for 1996-97 last year but was pledged $1.5
billion. Officials claimed that disbursement would be to the tune of $1.6
billion, and this year we are seeking $2.8 billion, said an official of
the planning commission.
The document for the presentation to the aid to Pakistan document are now
being revised because the State Bank, it is said, has not given the latest
figures of imports and exports. The current balance of payment position
could not be firmed up due to the delay in finalising things by the State
Bank officials. Moreover, insiders said that the government was too
cautious this time to prepare correct figures and an economic data so
that they should not be challenged by the members of the aid to Pakistan
Consortium as had happened in the case of the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Pakistan seeks about $2 to $2.5 billion every year from the aid to Pakistan
Consortium and it has always been obliged. However, Pakistans aid pipeline
has touched to over $10 billion and it rarely happened that whatever was
pledged by the Paris Club was also disbursed. The reasons were that
Pakistan has not been able, on many occasions, to offer economically viable
development projects with the result the committed amount was not disbursed
by the aid to Pakistan Consortium.
It also happened during one year of Nawaz Sharifs previous government that
the Consortium members declined to pledge anything saying that Pakistan
should first consume the already heavy pipeline. The purpose was to ask the
government to offer economically viable development projects. It was not
only with the Aid to Pakistan Consortium but also with the World bank and
Japan. It always took lot of time to convince the donors by Pakistan to
release funds for various projects.
Now when things are turning serious with major international donor agencies
specially the World Bank and the IMF, it is said that it would not be easy
to get many things approved from the Aid to Pakistan Consortium. Minister
for Finance, Sartaj Aziz is expected to meet the envoys of the consortium
countries in the second week of April to give them briefing about the
current state of the economy.
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970331
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Taking realistic stock of our policy options
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S. M. Naseem
THE PRESENT government seems to be overwhelmed, if not embarrassed, by the
massive majority it has obtained in both houses of the parliament. It seems
to be behaving a little like someone who has hit the jackpot in a lottery
and doesnt know what to do with the money.
The embarrassment of its political windfall is, however, in sharp contrast
to the paucity of its options on the economic front. Indeed, its resounding
political success could become a handicap, rather than a help, in choosing
the right options for the revival of the economy.
For one thing, people are likely to expect too much and too soon from it
than any Third World democratic government can possibly deliver. The
expectations that have been raised during a bitter and protracted political
campaign to topple an unpopular and increasingly isolated regime will not
be easy to realise.
While the PPP is lying low, humbled by its chastening defeat and more
inclined to play the role of a loyal parliamentary opposition, the fires of
discontent will continue to be stoked by other opposition elements who
fared even worse at the polls, but do have some potential to capitalise on
latent social unrest. For another, despite the fact that the PML has
emerged victorious as a national party, its bases outside Punjab are still
fragile and its alliances with regional political parties are far from
robust. Neither does the PML represent a cohesive distributional coalition
which can be sustained for long, given the largely negative character of
the mandate obtained by it.
Contextual problems:
These contextual problems and the likely widening of socio-economic and
regional fissures in the body politic are not the only factors which
explain the governments continuing inaction in framing clear and well-
considered policies.
The government is faced with the unenviable task of restoring the
confidence of domestic and international investors in the economy which has
been badly shattered by uncertainty and by the myriad of scandals that had
contaminated the economic management and decision making apparatus. At the
same time, it is engaged in delicate negotiations for obtaining loans for
stabilisation and structural adjustment programmes under the aegis of the
IMF.
While the governments debt retirement scheme has given it some breathing
space which may continue a little longer, there is not much sense in being
carried away, by slogans of ephemeral value that could become subject to
ridicule through their parrot-like repetition.
They can also delude the government, as well as the people, into believing
that rational economic policies and statutory obligations of citizens can
be substituted by appeals to patriotism and making altruistic sacrifices.
In any case patriotism as an economic instrument has often been overused to
the point that it hardly has a cutting edge. As for sacrifices, it is often
the poor and those in need of assistance themselves that are asked to and
often end up making proportionately much larger sacrifices.
Realistic stock:
The time now is to take a realistic stock of policy options available to
the government and to make bold, yet pragmatic, decisions about them. No
doubt one of the most pressing problems facing the economy is that relating
to the repayment of its large external debt, which will continue to rise as
long as the current account deficit remains negative or as long as the
economy is unable to generate exports and other foreign exchange receipts
in excess of its demand for imports and other payments to foreigners.
This is unlikely to be achieved for at least another decade, even if the
country succeeds in boosting its exports at the highest feasible rates of
growth, which it must strive for as a long-run goal.
Pakistans present predicament arises more from its inability to service
the large short-term debt that it has accumulated during the past two
decades.
Since this is largely commercial, rather than public debt, not only is its
interest cost much higher, it also involves prompt repayment and imposition
of heavy penalties, not excluding trade embargoes, in case of default. It
is this latter possibility that is often presented as a frightening
scenario by both international and national policy makers and sends
shudders through the spines or our economic managers and custodians of our
political destiny. Historically, debt defaults and rescheduling have not
been an infrequent phenomenon, but perceptions have markedly changed since
1982.
Different situation:
The Latin American debt defaults in that year set that continents
economies into a downward spiral, from which they took a whole decade to
recover in the wake of an almost total withdrawal of access to
international capital markets. Whether Pakistan will meet the same fate in
the event it defaults or initiates the rescheduling of its external debt is
a moot point.
Although the Latin American situation was qualitatively different in that
it represented a systemic crisis which threatened the viability of the
international banking system, unlike the case of an individual country such
as Pakistan whose relatively small debt liabilities (in relations to the
huge amounts owed by Latin American countries in 1982) pose no such threat,
perceptions are still likely to be conditioned by the 1980s debt crisis.
Moreover, in the present case, the IMF and World Bank are unlikely to take
kindly to a debt rescheduling request by Pakistan since they may perceive
it as jeopardising the implementation of their structural adjustment
programmes in other countries who may be induced to make similar requests.
The perceptions of the Bretton Woods institutions in turn influence those
of credit rating agencies and world capital markets which react (often
over-react) with lightening speed to such changes in perceptions. They may
also adversely affect the flows of direct foreign investment, on attracting
which, Pakistan, like many other developing Asian countries, is pinning
high hopes.
Despite the differences in the situation between that of Pakistans current
external debt and those of Mexico, Argentina and Brazil in 1982, the
consequences of debt default or rescheduling could still be very serious,
if not quite as catastrophic. Nevertheless, this is an option whose merits,
as well as risks, need to be weighed carefully by the countrys economic
and financial managers and should not be pre-judged out of court and
precluded from debate, as has been done in the past.
The two other alternatives to the rescheduling option, viz. the negotiation
of a new ESAF with IMF with its attendant, probably more stringent
conditionalities, and rapid privatisation of some of the state enterprises,
are also not devoid of serious drawbacks.
While the caretaker regime and Mr Burki in particular favoured the former
option, the new government of Mr Nawaz Sharif, going by its previous
record, is likely to be more favourably inclined towards the latter. Both
options are full of pitfalls and are likely to have serious adverse
repercussions on the long-term development prospects of the country.
Whereas the increased dependence on IMF funding will not only move the
country further away from its goal of self-reliance, it will further reduce
our capability to manage our own economy and determine our national
priorities.
Rapid privatisation, on the other hand, could involve distress sales of
national assets, which could be disposed off at a higher price after their
productive efficiency has been restored, besides raising questions about
transparency and favouritism.
The most serious consequence of Pakistans debt crisis is that it has
fiscally disempowered the government to an extent that it is unable to
perform even its essential developmental functions.
While it is very desirable and indeed essential that the government should
drastically curtail its general administrative expenditure, a lot of which
is wasteful and unnecessary, it is also imperative that the government
should renew its commitment and devote its attention to provide the basic
infrastructure, both physical and human, as well as a proper regulatory and
economic management framework.
The government is presently caught in a vicious circle in which the lack of
resources leads to its diminishing credibility as an agent of economic and
social change, which in turn makes it ineffective in mobilising the needed
resources for development.
If the glib talk about becoming an Asian tiger is to be translated into
reality, the proportion of GDP spent on education and human resources
development will have to be raised several folds in Pakistan. Such
investments, along with those for physical infrastructure, are also
crucially important in attracting foreign direct investment which is a key
element in the strategy of export-led growth.
How can a government impoverished by claims of debt-servicing and rising
defence and general administration expenditures pay attention to these high
priority expenditures which keep getting deferred with each emerging
financial crisis?
Lack of resources, of course, can be alleviated to some extent by the
better utilisation and improved management of existing resources. However,
the possibility for accelerating growth in the short-run through supply-
side policies, which the present government seems to be pinning
considerably hopes on, should not be exaggerated.
First, most of the sick industries, detailed research on which urgently
needs to be undertaken, are not likely to be revived merely by the
transfusion of more resources through tax concessions and may need much
more radical measures of technological upgradation and modernisation of
plant and equipment.
Secondly, infrastructural bottlenecks, such as those of power, water,
transport and other non traded inputs, may underlie the industrial
sickness. While some of these shortages could be met through better
management of existing resources, the real remedy would lie in better
planning and a larger investment in infrastructure projects.
Thirdly, some of the sick industries may be suffering from access to
working capital, in the wake of the current contamination of bank
portfolios and the prevailing high rates of interest, which would require
monetary rather than fiscal measures for correction. Removal of
institutional rigidities, such as bureaucratic delays and inefficiencies
and deregulation of economic activities, are likely to prove more effective
in boosting output in the short-run.
Unfortunately, the new government has so far spent much of its time on
peripheral issues and has shown little proclivity to address itself to the
more serious problems and to articulate an agenda for comprehensive
economic and social reforms. There is no time for muddling through with ad
hoc decision-making.
The government needs to ensure that policy making at all levels is
conducted in a pre-emptive, proactive and interactive manner, rather than
in the current mode which can be characterised as being mostly inactive, at
best reactive and at worst hyperative.
It is essential for this purpose to provide a sound institutional base for
policy making at all levels which would give a fruitful opportunity for
inter-action among the best technical expertise, informed public opinion
and concerned economic agents and social groups for formulating and
implementing pragmatic policies for a better future.
(This assessment was made before the package was announced.)
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970404
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CDC to safeguard investors, stock brokers
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Staff Reporter
LAHORE, April 3: Corporate Law Authority Member Jameel Ahmed Bhutto has
said that with the setting up of the Central Depository Company (CDC) at
the stock markets proper safeguard has been provided to investors and stock
brokers.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of central depository system training
programme at the Lahore Stock Exchange, Mr Bhutto said that complaints
about trading in fake certificates and shares had become frequent. Since
there was no proper check on such malpractice, investors as well as stock
market members were gravely distressed about their bargain at the capital
markets.
Holding out an assurance that complaints about trading fictitious shares
would be largely addressed by the CDC, Mr Bhutto said that the company
would provide equal facilities to members of all the three stock exchanges
at the same cost so that people (investors) elsewhere in the country could
be given equal business opportunities in shares trading.
CDC Chief Executive Najam Ali told the participants that different offices
of the company would be connected through satellite within next week so
that problems related to trading of fake shares be sorted out quickly.
Speaking of the CLA support in setting up the company, Mr Ali maintained
that the whole project of the depository company would take some weeks
before giving full package of facilities to stock traders. In the meantime,
he said, the company had started the training programme so that when all
facilities were completed the businessmen encountered no difficulty in
benefiting from them.
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970403
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WB official praises economic reforms
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, April 2: Mieko Nishimuzu, World Banks vice- president for South
Asia, said on Wednesday she was impressed by the initiatives taken by the
Pakistan government for the revival of its economy.
Ms Nishimuzu, who was briefed by Nawaz Sharif about his governments
economic package announced last week, told the prime minister that she was
impressed by the governments commitment to revive the economy. I am
confident that the initiatives taken by the government in economic field
would have good impact, a prime ministers aide quoted her saying after
the meeting.
He said the visiting vice-president of the World Bank congratulated the
prime minister on his economic and constitutional reforms and hoped that if
the present policies were pursued consistently, Pakistan could become Asian
tiger.
Ms Nishimuzu told the prime minister that during her stay in Pakistan she
felt as she was witnessing a revolution or almost rebirth of a nation, the
aide said.
He said the prime minister informed her that his government had inherited a
very difficult economic situation but things had slowly started improving
because of the steps taken to revive the economy.
She also told the prime minister that Pakistan has tremendous potential
for economic development and asserted that in order to achieve the results
of these economic reforms, strict fiscal prudence should be exercised, the
aide said.
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970404
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Australian Dy PM sees investment in all sectors
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Muhammad Ali Siddiqi
KARACHI, April 3: "I will eat my hat", if the trade between Pakistan and
Australia did not double by year 2000. And not only that, said Mr. Tim
Fischer, Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, "you"
pointing at his country's High Commissioner "you will be posted at
Timbuktu if that did not happen."
This was the tall and exuberant Australian leader's way of expressing his
robust optimism in the future of his country's trade with Pakistan as he
talked to Dawn.
Mr Fischer's visit takes place in Australia's "Year of South Asia," because
Canberra hopes to boost its trade and economic ties with all SAARC members
in a big way.
He said that last year, Canberra reduced tariffs from eight to five
percent, and he noted that Pakistan, too, had recently reduced them from 65
to 45 percent. His country intended to reduce the tariffs further. The
Australian economy today, he said, was "a very diverse economy. "We are
building bridges across the Mekong river... exporting high-tech bricks from
Brisbane to Japan, ... selling insurance services to China, and banking
services to the Indian Subcontinent." (The result of Australia's tariff
reduction policy are there to be seen in cold statistics as released by the
Bureau of Statistics last month: retail sales in January rose by 2.7 per
cent, building approvals jumped 10.4 percent, while the Reserve Bank of
Australia eased monetary policy three times between July and December last
year, dropping overnight cash-rate target each time by 0.5 percentage
points.)
Against this rosy picture, the trade relationship with Pakistan is far from
satisfactory: Australian exports to Pakistan during the last three years
have shown an unsteady trend. In 1994, exports to Pakistan, mostly coal,
iron ore, vegetables, animal oils and fats and optical goods, amounted to
201.10 million Australian dollars, dipped to 192.60m A$ in 1995, and rose
to 260.50m A$ in 1996. Pakistani exports, mostly cotton products and sports
goods, stood at 79.8m A$ in 1994, fell to 66.4m A$ in 1995 and rose
slightly to 76.3m A$ in 1996.
He said a green light for Australian investment in Pakistan had been given
by both sides. He said he had come to Pakistan to learn and "not to hector
or lecture." But if this country wanted to join the Asian Economic Tigers
it had no choice but to follow the path of tariff reduction. Nevertheless,
his aim was not merely to boost the two-way trade but to explore avenues
for investment, especially in the field of mining, development services and
engineering in which "Pakistan is seen as a rich prospect."
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970330
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Policy package for sick industrial units formulated
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Parvaiz Ishfaq Rana
KARACHI, March 29: A special policy package for the revival of sick
industrial units is believed to have been formulated and is likely to be
announced soon after its approval in the next meeting of the Economic
Committee of the Cabinet.
The package will follow tax and tariff reforms presented by the PML
Government, to revitalise the economy. The managements of many sick units
would also benefit from the tax reforms.
The package will include measures which could assist banks and DFIs to
enter into early settlement for the recovery of stuck-up loans from
unviable units and the recovered amounts are made available as working
capital to financially sustainable units.
Official sources said that the package stipulates that all such units which
remained closed for over a period of 10 years will be declared financially
unviable and their owners will be asked to enter into final settlement with
the concerned bank or DFI on payment of principal amount along with the
interest to the extent of 20% to 30% of the accumulated debt.
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970405
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KSE 100-share index finishes with extended decline
-------------------------------------------------------------------
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, April 4: Stocks finished the weekend session on an easy note as
investors were not inclined to make fresh commitments in the absence of
foreign demand.
The sentiment in part was also affected bearishly by the finance minister
Sartaj Azizs statement that a marginal devaluation of the rupee is
inevitable to boost economy,analysts said.
Although he did not spell out percentage some financial analysts said it
could be around three per cent and that could well mean Rs.41 to a dollar.
Some of the leading MNCs, likely to be hit by any fresh devaluation
attracted active selling from some of the leading foreign funds. Pakistan
had already devalued the rupee by 25 per cent since last September.
The selling in part was also attributed to weekend considerations as
weakholders and jobbers also took profits at the available margins.
Presidents assent to the 13th constitutional amendment stripping him of
powers to dissolve national assembly, which allayed fears of some impasse
failed to boost the market, analysts said.
Facing apparently some credibility problems, investors are not inclined to
go beyond certain pre-determined limits and that is the markets one of the
chief current worries, they added. The market might behave in erratic
fashion for some more weeks to come but is sure to respond positively to
the changing economic scenario, some dealers predicted.
The KSE 100-share index, therefore,finished with an extended decline of
10.04 points at 1,593.29, breaching again the barrier of 1,600 points as
compared to 1,603.33 a day earlier.
Later, in the evening session, it fell further to quote 1,591.30, showing
total loss of 12.03 points over the day owing to fresh late selling owing
to weekend considerations.
Among the leading MNCs, which suffered fresh pruning, Abbott Lab, BOC
Pakistan, Reckitt and Colman, Engro Chemical, Lever Brothers and Philips
were leading falling by one rupee to Rs 3.
Textiles shares came in for active support at the lower levels on the news
of higher cotton yarn exports and enabled the market to resist larger
decline.
Cement sector followed them on predictions of a substantial increase in
sales after the cut in sales from 18 to 12.5 per cent.
Energy and synthetic shares also attracted good support at the falling
prices and so did most of the chemical and pharma shares.
But Insurance shares fell when changed on renewed selling under the lead of
Adamjee and Dadabhoy Insurance, which fell by Rs 2.50 to 6.
Volume figure fell to 32 million shares from the overnights 57 million
shares owing to shortened Friday session. Losers maintained a strong lead
over the gainers at 175 to 66, with 75 shares holding on to the last
levels, out of the total 316 actives.
The most actives list was topped by ICI Pakistan, off 50 paisa on 12
million shares followed by PTC vouchers, easy also by 50 paisa on 11
million shares, Hub-Power, lower 20 paisa on 3.500 million shares, and
Dewan Salman, off 20 paisa on 2 million shares.
Other actively traded shares were led by Dhan Fibre, easy 20 paisa on
0.500m shares followed by FFC-Jordan Fertilizer, unchanged on 0.300m and
Janana Demalucho Textiles, up one rupee on 0.121m shares. There were some
other notable deals also.
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970330
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The Dolly debate
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Kamil Siddiqi
THERE is a widespread anxiety among ethicists that human cloning may open
the Pandoras box for the whole humanity. The clerics, however, seem to be
afraid that it may be a new challenge to the Creators sovereignty by one
of His creations. The question is, is the Omnipotent, Omnipresent,
Omniscient God some fallible being that can be overridden by a mere
creation?
By cloning a human being we cannot become creators of the clone. Nor can we
become so knowledgeable and powerful that Gods authority could be
threatened. As for ethicists concern, they are making a mountain of a
mole-hill. Human cloning is a hypothetical case. Biologically, a chimpanzee
may be very close to man, but intellectually it is as inferior to us as a
cave man to Einstein.
In our evolution, the cells grow into tissues, the tissues into organs, the
organs into systems, and the systems combine together to give shape to a
human being. There are supposed to be nine main systems functioning in our
bodies. These include the immune system and the reproductive system.
Analogically, like four thousand components assemble to form an automobile,
so is the case with human beings where trillions of cells join together to
become an adult person. Can anyone who has an assembly plant for autos
claim that he is the inventor of automobile-manufacturing technology? He
cant make a single component out of the four thousand needed for the whole
vehicle. How can his claim be true? In the same way, scientists wont be
able to claim themselves to be the creators of human clone even if they are
successful in doing so in the future. As far as the cloning of a lamb, a
mouse, a monkey or a bull is concerned, the geneticists are mere
manipulators who used the factory shop (the uterus) and the components (the
cells) which are produced in the same factory (the animal) to produce
cloned animals! What threat, do the clergy perceive, these manipulators can
pose to God?
According to one of the Abrahamic religions, there are those among Gods
creations who are mightier and craftier than man, whom mankind neither sees
nor observes! These the jinn have been created out of smokeless fire.
They are the only creation of God, besides mankind, which has been granted
the FREE WILL. Even then, they cannot pose an iota of threat to the
Creators authority.
The Creator knoweth that which is in front of them (the creations) and
that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge
save that He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the
earth... He is the Sublime, the Tremendous. (II:255)
It is clear from the said Quranic words that knowledge is not something
which can be gained without the Creators will. The very little knowledge
which has been granted us, is so negligible that it hardly can enable us to
surpass this earth or what is contained in it, what to talk about
surpassing what is contained in it, what to talk about surpassing what is
beyond the heavens. Although, the Creator challenges not only mankind but
also the jinn the only two creations that have been given the free will
and some knowledge to pass beyond the limits of heavens and the earth if
ye can. He, then, says: Not without authority shall ye be able to pass!
(LV:33)
One limit in this world is our mortality. The other is that natural
calamities are beyond our control. Howsoever advanced a nation may be, the
fear of alien rocks hitting it and destroying it is never absent from its
anxious mind. Similarly, earthquakes, floods, cyclones and hurricanes are
unstoppable calamities even in those lands the people of which are
technologically much more advanced.
Coming back to the cloning issue: The collective instructions of all the
genes present in us go to build and run our bodies. The collection of genes
is called human Genome. There are three billion genetic letters that form
our genetic material. Geneticists, internationally, are working on Human
Genome Project, these days, to study man. They expect to list all the
three-billion letters within few years in the hope of producing new forms
of medical diagnosis and treatment. When the research is complete, we may
have a chance to know ourselves better.
Even when the genome project is completed, the science that could come to
that conclusion will still be a long way off and just how far off can be
imagined by pondering how much a person differs from a chimpanzee, yet how
similar is their DNA.
Ethicists can judge about the cloned human being when it becomes a reality.
Not like the Wise Men of Gotham, they need quarrel about the flock of
sheep which is not present in reality. Likewise, the clerics need not lose
temper on an idea which remains to be materialised before the mastermind be
tried and guillotined!
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970405
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Waiting for miracles
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Mazdak
ON 1 April, Nawaz Sharif pulled off the joke of the decade on that hardy
battalion that has perpetually declared that the rest of us are unfit for
democratic rule, and they are the ones who are worthy to govern.
This mafia emerges from the woodwork every time there is a political crisis
and God knows there has been no shortage of these in our fifty years of
independence. But rather than supporting democracy and denouncing
dictatorship, they volunteer their services to whoever is peddling the
latest panacea. A few a very few do so out of genuinely unselfish
motives. However, the vast majority of them mask their ambitions in the
guise of patriotism, and strut about, issuing statements and generally
acting as though they will be flying the national flags on their official
limousines for ever.
Unfortunately for them, their only chance to taste power comes in the wake
of quasi-constitutional change when they earnestly argue for an indefinite
interregnum. While they couch their assertions in logic and morality, the
elitism and self-serving elements of their stance can be easily discerned.
Never was this ambition so evident as during the latest (and hopefully
last) bout of caretaker government. The cabinet was split and not equally
either between those who demanded accountability before elections, and
the minority who saw that their task as true caretakers was to hold
elections in the stipulated three months. Fortunately for us, the president
did not deviate from his stated goal of holding elections, despite the loud
and articulate chorus from the accountability first crowd. Knowing full
well that the process would be unending, they used this argument to justify
the retention of power.
But now that Nawaz Sharif has firmly barred this back door to power, what
will these poor individuals do? For them, the brief whiff of ministerial
authority was addictive, and the withdrawal pains will be very cruel. They
will remember these three months as the high point of their careers, and it
will not be easy to slip back into the anonymity of ordinary life and have
to live as the rest of us mortals do.
For Nawaz Sharif, this has been the defining moment of his political
career. Once and for all, he has established his democratic credentials.
Indeed, he had shown his mettle when he stood up to Ghulam Ishaq. But to
bury Article 58 (2)(b) when he could have avoided rocking the boat and
waited for the end of Mr Legharis term was an act of courage with few
parallels in Pakistani politics. Long labelled (by this columnist as well)
a creation of Ziaul Haq, Nawaz Sharif has shown that it is possible for him
to be grateful to the late general without carrying his political baggage
forever. In short, he has demonstrated an unsuspected strength of character
and hidden reserves of courage. These qualities will stand him and
hopefully the rest of us in good stead in the difficult days ahead.
It is apt that the democratic and parliamentary nature of the 1973
Constitution should be restored in the fiftieth year of our independence.
In a sense, we have come full circle: the founder of Pakistan had precisely
this model in mind when the new state came into being in 1947.
Unfortunately, he died too soon to turn this dream into reality, and lesser
men let their personal ambitions set the agenda for Pakistan. The slide
into near-chaos has been steady and not all that slow: dictators and
politicians have pushed us to the precipice by their greed and
incompetence.
At the risk of overstating my case, let me suggest that in a very real
sense, this is our last chance of making it as a self-respecting, viable
nation. If we blow it yet again, we are a very short distance from becoming
a failed state. After the end of the cold war, nobody will bail us out: we
either make it on our own, or we go down.
For far too long, profligate leaders have put their personal interest
before the nations and now the chickens have come home to roost. The very
real prospect of defaulting on our foreign loans has finally concentrated
the minds of our economic czars. Our financial managers had long become
accustomed to borrowing from Peter to pay Paul; suddenly, Peter is refusing
to lend, and Paul is demanding his money back. Panic in the finance
ministry. The PM trots out his populist debt-retirement scheme which has
yielded a disappointingly small sum, despite all the hype. So what else is
new?
What is new is that suddenly, the IMF is refusing to get taken in by fudged
figures; foreign private banks are getting the jitters and our traditional
exports are having a tough time competing in the world market. Internally,
our economy refuses to emerge from a two-year slump. The one factor that
will pull it out low interest rates is beyond the governments control
because it needs to borrow all the time to finance its own unproductive
expenditure. The current interest rates of around 23% make it impractical
to raise working capital, and industry continues to languish.
It is fortunate that at this time of economic distress, we have a prime
minister who understands and shares the pain industry is going through. If
anybody can revive our flagging economy, it is Nawaz Sharif. He may be
unfamiliar with Marxist thought, but he has a firm grasp of basic economic
principles. He also knows instinctively that for foreign investment to play
a significant role, a peaceful environment is essential. Hence his strong
and gutsy initiative to enter into talks with India. There may not be any
immediate impact on our daily lives, but at least the spectre of war has
receded a bit.
Over the last six months, many friends have been surprised by the
transformation of my political views. Some of them have welcomed this
change, while others feel I should hold fast to my earlier pro-PPP
position. Having supported Benazir Bhutto, and her father before her, for
nearly three decades, I find that I would be deceiving myself if I were to
forever shut my eyes to the damage they and their party have caused to
Pakistan.
Now, I am without illusions; but this is not to say I have lost all hope.
The surprise repeal of 58(2)(b) shows that miracles do sometimes happen.
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970404
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Making a joke of the right to know
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Agha Faisal
ONE of the points on the last caretaker government's agenda was enacting a
law which would provide the citizens with access to information regarding
the conduct of public affairs. The caretaker law minister had an ordinance
drafted, which was intended to provide a mechanism for the exercise of the
right to public information, and submitted it to the government for
enactment.
On January 29, the Freedom of Information Ordinance was promulgated. The
ordinance was quite similar in content to the draft, except that in certain
respects the ordinance narrowed the scope and ease of accessibility.
A major pitfall befalling good governance in Pakistan is the restrictive
nature of information that is available to the people. Article 19 of our
Constitution bestows upon us the right to access to information. This is
enunciated succinctly in the recent case of Nawaz Sharif vs. the Federation
of Pakistan, where it was held that "the right of citizens to receive
information can be spelt out from the freedom of expression guaranteed in
Article 19."
The citizens are deprived of their constitutionally guaranteed right to
public information. Although this basic right is enshrined in our Basic
Law, its application has been marginal. Anyone trying to access information
from a public office is aware of the fact that information is the fiefdom
of a select few. A journalists' panel in a recent television programme,
"Election Hour", admitted, while querying ex-prime minister Benazir Bhutto,
to the reality that they had no access to facts and figures regarding the
performance of her government.
It was in the backdrop of such a scenario, that the caretaker law minister
initiated the legislation in question, the scope envisaged for which was
not to create a new right, but to prescribe a method by which the right to
information would be exercised. The draft outlined the constitutional
principles of this right and defined the constitutional parameters in which
this law could be exercised.
This document sought to ensure transparency in government actions. For this
purpose it restated the constitutional provision for access to information,
and partly circumscribed the exercise of this right according to the
limitations specified in Article 19 of the Constitution.
Almost all documents pertaining to public office were relegated to the
public domain. Denial of access to information could be questioned in a
court. The court, upon a finding of an improper or delayed exercise of
power on the part of the public functionary, could impose a penalty upon
the concerned official of up to Rupees 20,000/-.
The draft also had a provision for an overriding effect upon other
repugnant laws, so that the exercise of this basic right may not be
hindered by further qualifications under the existing laws. Any access
granted to information by any officer was not to be an offence under the
Official Secrets Act or any other law, so long as the actions were
undertaken in good faith.
The ordinance, although seemingly similar in form to the draft, has an
entirely different thrust. It contains provisions which aid the very
mischief that was to be eradicated.
Public information is given a narrow interpretation in order to reduce its
efficacy. The four sub-paragraphs encompassing the definition of public
information constitute information which is easily accessible even under
today's restrictive dispensation. Policies and guidelines, record of
permits, final orders at meetings, record of leases, form a substantial
part of disseminable information under the ordinance. In order to exemplify
the divergence from the draft, it may be sufficient to reproduce only the
first of seven sub-paragraphs defining what constitutes public information
in the draft: "All transactions and decisions taken by agencies relating to
members of the public."
The most comprehensive facet of the ordinance is its exclusions section.
This section caters to the expediencies of any public official in need of
an excuse to refuse an application for information. Notings on files,
interim orders, record relating to accounts of customers at banks and
financial institutions, and any other document deemed classified by the
government, is out of bounds for the citizenry.
What is to stop any public body from classifying any and every document
there is? There is no provision for the public body to record challengeable
reasons for denial of information. Justice Berger of the United States held
in the case of Landmark Communications v. Virginia that the state's
interests were simply insufficient to justify encroachment upon the basic
rights of a citizen. Needless to say that our government's priorities and
perceptions are different.
The ordinance has changed the appellate jurisdiction envisaged in the
draft. In case of non-compliance by a public functionary with a request for
information, the only recourse available is a complaint to the Mohtasib.
The Mohtasib may direct the public body to provide the information sought,
and if it does not act as ordered, he may refer the matter to the
president. As a result, it is conceivable that the president's office would
be inundated with such references. Speedy disposal of these could hardly be
expected. The jurisdiction of the courts is not recognised in this sphere,
even though they would be better suited to deal with these matters than the
Mohtasib's office. The provision for penalising non-compliance also seems
to be conveniently omitted in the ordinance. The only possible penalty
might be a notation in the official's file in the form, possibly, of a
reprimand.
Section 8 of the ordinance states that this ordinance shall not override
any other law. Not only is this ordinance restrictive at best but the
inclusion of this clause makes exercise of the right to information subject
to even more qualifications and constraints. Under this law, any request
for information would have to be appraised not only in the light of the
ordained restrictions and exclusions, but other laws such as the Official
Secrets Act would also have to be considered. The cumulative effect is yet
another means of denying access to information.
It is a sad realisation that a document which was fairly commendable has
been modified into something much less promising. The government was given
the draft in order to bring about a change in our deteriorating system of
governance; instead, the government has used it to promulgate an ordinance
which makes it even easier to deny the people their right to information.
The philosophy behind Mr Fakhruddin G. Ebrahim's draft was that it is an
acceptable proposition that all information may not be disseminable to the
people, but that the government is duty bound to convey information so that
the citizens are able to judge the conduct of those who are in office in
relation to their actions, decisions and policies. It was apparent from the
draft that the view taken by its authors was that the evil to be prevented
is not the censorship of information, but to prevent the government from
acting in any manner which is prejudicial to the constitutional rights of
the citizens.
What has materialised is quite contrary to the original intentions of Mr
Ebrahim and his associates. This ordinance is tantamount to abridging the
rights of the citizens through the legislative process. It is imperative
upon the present government to amend this ordinance and to enact the
essence of the original draft, otherwise this ordinance would be just
another artful device to deny, suppress and withhold vital information
regarding the affairs of the state.
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970403
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Corruption is the core issue
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Sultan Ahmed
PRIME MINISTER Nawaz Sharif was very candid in his detailed analysis of
what ails the nation financially and its critical social mainsprings in his
TV address on Monday. And he reaffirmed his resolve in pursuance of his
historic mandate to put things right soon not through ineffective
administrative measures but through sweeping revolutionary reforms using
a strong hand.
He spoke repeatedly of the losses occurred daily through massive
corruption, waste and embezzlement in the government and semi-government
bodies which works out to Rs. 730 billion in a year and is far more than
double the federal revenues of Rs. 321 billion this year. That means that
if we can do away with the massive corruption and waste of public assets we
would not only not need any increase in taxation but also can easily reduce
it in the manner partially done in the fiscal package by Finance Minister
Sartaj Aziz.
Evidently the dimension of corruption has increased manifold since Dr.
Mahbubul Haq spoke of the controllers of the economy embezzling Rs. 20
billion in 1986, and then quickly doubled it to Rs. 40 billion. He recently
raised that figure to Rs. 100 billion, but Mr. Sharif has jacked that up to
Rs. 730 billion, which is almost 40 per cent of the GDP at factor cost of
Rs. 1,960 billion in a country in which total revenue of the Centre forms
17.2 per cent of the GDP.
Clearly there is an element of spirited exaggeration in the P.M.s estimate
in his efforts to drive home the extent of corruption and waste of public
resources. But the dimension of the problem is too grave and he has listed
the loss of Rs. 22 billion in WAPDA, Rs. 7 billion in Pakistan Steel which
sells possibly the most expensive steel in the world and Rs. 10 billion in
the Railways.
He profusely thanked the Pakistanis at home and overseas who had donated or
deposited a total of about 200 million dollars in his debt reduction fund
and said he was holding on to that fund and would not let the fund,
including the five dollar donated by a kid, be used unless such massive
corruption is cleansed and the money used very properly for debt reduction
in a country in which every family is indebted on an average by Rs.
100,000. But he did not come up with specific remedies for the massive
malady. His problem is not only getting the deeply-embedded graft out of
the system but also reducing the personnel in the central and provincial
governments by about a million out of the 3.5 million in official
employment. How is he going to do that when unions in every department and
public sector organisations resist that as we are seeing in PIA, banks,
KESC and the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board? Had the private sector been
vibrant and expanding fast it could take in a considerable number of such
retrenched employees. But it is not and it may take quite a long time to
regain its vitality and set itself on the track for fast growth following
the new fiscal package and five more to come to revitalise the economy.
However, the surplus manpower is a major burden. In view of their large
numbers removing them within a short time will be a major political problem
as well. The government does not have the money to give a golden handshake
to all of them. And they would not be content with bonds.
Governor Muhammad Yaqub of the State Bank spoke of resorting to zero-based
budgeting as a policy decision. If that radical surgery is resorted to
instead of merely the fringes of the bureaucratic monolith being clipped
the surplus could be even more than a million employees. Keeping them all
in a surplus pool until other official employment opportunities come up
will save little money.
Mr. Nawaz Sharifs economic and political success depends on the extent of
cooperation and positive initiatives it be taken by business and industry.
In fact what matters is the role industrialists choose to play. The
businessmen are now too happy because they can import all goods at an
average import tariff of 45 per cent instead of 65 per cent and at 10 to 25
per cent for items prone to smuggling and without the 10 per cent
regulatory duty. They can import and sell far more than before and make
money. Far more important is the shape of thing to come because if industry
expands fast, it will pay more taxes, return the defaulted bank loans,
export more and employ more people. But judging by the reaction of the
Karachi Stock Exchange to the fiscal package, the capital market is not
going out to help Mr. Nawaz Sharif. Following the announcement of the
package the index of share prices at KSE plummeted by 17.5 points and by
22.24 points on the next working day. The promise of five more packages by
Mr. Aziz, including the one for revival of the 4,000 sick mills, textiles,
leather etc, should have helped boost share prices or hold them on the
level until the last of the packages is out.
The reason could well be that while he has slashed personal income tax
heavily he has not reduced corporate taxes and has pledged to do the same
next year. He has also said some number of SROs now costing the government
Rs. 60 billion would expire or be cancelled by July 1. And on his part he
has now assured the nation the government would not lose any revenues
through the concessions he has announced nor the budget deficit would
increase.
That means his package is a kind of zero-sum exercise. That is why the IMF
and the World Bank have approved his package. They are sure of no revenue
fall and rise in budget deficit in the coming months when the SROs go and
the government gains Rs. 60 billion more next year along with the revenues
from general sales tax on retail trade.
Mr. Aziz has done a smart balancing act. He has slashed personal taxes but
come up with hefty wealth tax on houses and cars above 1600 cc. So what
middle class elements in urban areas gain through reduced income tax they
will give back as wealth tax on houses and large cars if they have them.
And what high paid executives gain through reduced taxation they may have
to forgo as the 3 to 15 per cent tax on perquisites if their income exceeds
Rs. 300,000 annually. This figure saves the bureaucrats from paying tax on
their vast and varied perquisites in reality as their basic pay is below
Rs. 300,000, while their perquisites at the top level are many times more.
Bureaucracy always manages to save itself from additional levies and gets
more and more out of the poor public.
Echoing Margaret Thatcher, Mr. Sharif had earlier said he wanted a house-
owning society in Pakistan. But now he has come up with a hefty tax on
houses on land of 1,000 square yards and apartments of 2,500 square feet
and above. Until now one house has been exempted from wealth tax but not
any more and those who live on 250 sq. yard plots, too have to file their
income tax returns.
This hasty decision has too many anomalies. I am asked what should several
families or a joint family living on a 1000-sq yard plot or more should do
now? Should they break up the joint family and move to separate residences?
What happens to those who have plots below 1,000 square yard in which the
built-up area is far more than 2,500 square feet? How much can urban house
owners be equitably taxed in view of the rising property tax, heavy
conservancy tax etc, for which the residents get no service in return and
they have to spend more on conservancy measures and pay for the security
measures as well? This tax should be reconsidered and stripped of its
inequities.
Talking of corruption Mr. Sharif mentioned the Rs. 85 million road that
goes nowhere. He had earlier spoken of a customs officer getting a pay of
Rs. 10,000 but living in a regal manner in a house having a large swimming
pool. He has also spoken of palm oil removed from Customs bond in Karachi
by a notorious heroin smuggler without paying Rs. one billion as tax. He
and his son have vanished after removing the oil by paying a bribe of one
million dollars to a collector of supposedly good repute with high
education from abroad.
The issue is unless the PM eradicates corruption from the ranks of the
taxation officers, recovers the vast loot from them and punishes them they
will remain more of a gainer than the government. The people are watching
what he is doing in that area after denouncing the Rs. 730 billion lost to
corruption every year.
He has asked the people to file their income tax returns on the basis of
self-assessment and barred the income tax officers from scrutinising them.
But if he expects the income tax payers to be perfect citizens within a
short time he will soon be disillusioned.
In 1985, when Mr. Mahbubul Haq became finance minister he broadened the
self-assessment scheme radically. The public response was that too many
persons with large incomes filed their tax returns on the basis of an
income of just Rs. 100,000 on which 10 per cent tax had to be paid above
the enhanced exemption limit. The government was forced to revise the
concession and bring back scrutiny of income tax returns.
Some years ago, a chairman of the Central Board of Revenue went to study
the tax system in the U.S. He told the chief of US Internal Revenue there
that his task would be relatively simple as the Americans were patriotic
and paid their taxes in full. The I.R. chief scoffed at the mention of the
word patriotism and said like hell, they pay, as otherwise they would go
to jail.
What we ought to be doing is not only to deal with blatant cases of income
tax evasion by sending the offenders to jail but also the taxation officers
regardless of the extent of their crimes. A customs officer dies leaving 40
million dollars in a Swiss bank account. And we get to know about it only
because his second wife went to court asking for her share.
The need of the hour is transparent tax collection, and not letting the
tax-payers pay as they choose to do as we cannot punish the vast army of
corrupt taxation officers.
===================================================================
970331
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Pakistans hockey form needs improvement
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Lateef Jafri
A five-nation competition, given approval by the International Hockey
Federation (FIH), and arranged to celebrate 50 years of the countrys
independence should have been clinched by the national outfit, an amalgam
of youth and experience. Both foreign and home critics are at one to point
out poor finish and inability to cash in on the numberless penalty corner
awards as the main reasons for taking the third slot after a seven-day
contest at the spruced-up Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium.
The statisticians would have to provide the answer to the query of the fans
if the four draws in the round-robin matches set up a record in an
international hockey tournament. The officials, just to save their faces,
would certainly point to the breaking of the stalemate sequence in the
playoff for the third placement, which had pulsating moments in the second
session. However, even in the opening tie the underdogs England appeared to
be the better organised combination against Pakistan. The gumption of a
squad with limited foreign exposure can be gauged from the fact that they
hustled the Pakistani defence and earned eight penalty corners and were the
first to take the lead to the dismay of the home spectators. England
finished last and were battered by the three other competing nations to
finish at the bottom of the table.
The match against Germany, a crucial one for Pakistan, was joyously
exciting with chances made and missed. The Pakistanis were initially 2-0
ahead with glimmer of hopes for victory. The ebullient Germans, however,
stepped up a gear to even the scores and one of the reverse shots of Oliver
Domke, which found the net, surprised the usually alert Mansoor Ahmad, the
custodian, as also the onlookers. It was a thoroughly tactical hit which
Rahim Khan, the utility forward, could never demonstrate in the tournament,
though he has a reputation for that. The home side surrendered the tie when
Olympian Tahir Zaman missed a penalty stroke. The day would have belonged
to Pakistan had the right-inner been successful in his attempt. His
thundering drive off a stroke earlier had given the home squad the lead.
But there were other flaws in Pakistans game. Then the nippy right-winger,
Mohammad Ali, was starved of passes for most of the duration of the duel.
The fixture against Holland again typified the poor marksmanship of the
Pakistani raiders as also the inadequacy of the middle-line, which usually
had the gaps for the Dutch attackers to thread through the defence.
Spearhead Kamran Ashraf, who did not have a satisfying tournament, missed
the easiest of chances by sending the ball onto the pads of the goalie. The
goal would have further consolidated Pakistans position while having a 2-1
edge. They had a 3-2 advantage in the dying moments of the encounter when
the Dutch pumped in the equaliser. Generally the Pakistan formation put a
comparatively better show but then the habit of hanging on to the ball for
too long turned the initiative to the Dutch whose strike force time and
again tested the quick reactions of goalie Mansoor who laudably dealt with
eight sharp attempts at the Pakistani cage, including six penalty corners.
The Australians, exhibiting energy and enthusiasm, would have shaken
Pakistan in the last league tussle had not Mansoor brought off a splendid
save, finely anticipating the angle of Stephen Daviess rasping penalty
stroke volley 10 minutes from end. The win would have lifted the morale of
the Australians for next days play off. Even though Pakistan thrice
recovered to cancel out the Australian lead it were the latter who were
swifter and put an enormous amount of pressure on the home sentries. The
Pakistani forwards were moribund and the experienced Rahim Khan twice
missed open chances. Only some minutes through the second half Pakistan
played with imagination. Babar Abdullah, whose skill is yet to be honed at
the outside left slot, was replaced by Khalid Jr and the attackers
displayed penetrating runs to come out of the combat on equal terms.
However, one is bound to ask the manager and the coach as to why the passes
were being floated to the off-colour Babar Abdullah and the better ploy of
onslaughts from the right flank was not followed.
On the last afternoon, perhaps to celebrate the day of the Pakistan
resolution the home squad scintillated before their own supporters and gave
a neat display of incisive moves. The zest and joy was invested by the
ever- agile Mansoor Ahmad who blocked six penalty corner hits as also three
hard tries at the net by the Australians. The Pakistani raiders, no doubt,
put escalating pressure on the Australian defence and there was a
noticeable flourish in their sallies on the concluding day of the four-
nation tournament. Yet upto the 10 minutes before end it appeared that
Pakistan had lost their way for the Aussies, suddenly the home side,
touched near-peak condition and with clinical finishing by the firing squad
in just eight minutes, crushed Australia by 7-4 to take the bronze behind
Germany and the Netherlands. The wingers for the first time showed the
cavalier tactics but the inners too were nifty and passed on first time to
give trouble to the Aussie rearline. The deep defenders, Danish Kalim and
Tariq Imran, quelled the dangers to the home territory with assurance. The
middlers were good in tackling though they still need to go through the
process of drill for distribution.
The area of deficiency in penalty corner conversion is yet to be removed.
Then the clear and open chances missed were a catalogue of disaster in the
matches against Germany and Holland. Certainly the shooting has to improve
if Pakistan wants to put up a satisfying display during the upcoming
Australian tour.
Germany duly and deservingly clinched the laurels of the five-nation
tournament. As Olympic and Champions Trophy winners Holland were the
favourites but Germany, finishing fourth at Atlanta and third at Madras,
turned the tables on the Netherlands not only in the final but in the
earlier round-robin encounter. They betrayed more fluency in their
movements while they gave an exemplary demonstration of fortitude in the
defence.
Once again the Netherlands, in the absence of Floris Bovelander and Taco
van den Honert, proved that they have plenty of resources in lethal hitters
of short corners. This time Bram Lomans, usually benched, showed his skill
in corner conversions. Certainly his manner and mode have to be emulated by
the Pakistani hitters.
The fare on the whole was exciting and top quality hockey was witnessed.
The tournament, a well organised one, gave unalloyed pleasure and joy to
the home spectators. However, the frightening intensity with which the
announcements were being made was a constant cause of worry to the fans who
needed a calm atmosphere to watch the games. The PHF and the organisers
have to look into this new problem, which was intolerable.
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970330
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Burki has no evidence on betting, match-fixing
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Samiul Hasan
KARACHI, March 29: Javed Burki broke his silence on the simmering betting
and match-fixing controversy saying he has no evidence against any player.
Burki said I have no evidence against any player. All I have is the
statement of three Australian cricketers (Tim May, Shane Warne and Mark
Waugh) against Salim Malik. In fact, I offered some of the Pakistan
players, including Rashid Latif, Basit Ali and Aamir Sohail, to come
forward and record their statements then but they refused to come, Burki,
who was the Ad hoc Committee Chairman between 1994 and 1995, said.
It may be recalled here that Burki, after his return from Zimbabwe and
England, had told the Press that he had enough evidence to put the players
behind bars under the law of the land.
Burki said it was very sad that Rashid Latif gave damaging statements to
foreign newspapers (on the Africa tour in 1994-95) on betting and match-
fixing but when we asked him to submit his statement, he refused.
Burki emphasised that he was completely unaware of the controversy that has
triggered off with Aamir Sohail making allegations against his team-mates.
The former Pakistan captain said this board has been working very smoothly.
All the allegations are being levelled by the players who have been
disciplined by the board, said Burki.
Burki endorsed the statement of PCB Chief Executive, Majid Khan, saying:
If Aamir Sohail has something concrete, he should come forward and prove
it. Whats the point of making statements.
Burki refused to comment when asked if he briefed President Farooq Ahmad
Khan Leghari, Patron, PCB, about the betting and match-fixing affair. It
is very upsetting when two people talk in a closed room and issues which
were not discussed come into the Press, was his comment.
Burki denied submitting any report to the PCB which he prepared after his
return from Harare. Why should I submit any report. I have no report
except the signed statements of three Australian cricketers.
However, the contents of the alleged report, denied by Burki, are:
Prior to the only Test match in South Africa, the ad hoc committee decided
to send one of the members of the selection committee to South Africa to
find out the exact position and his report was that the team was out of
control of the manager, had complete divergent views on all cricketing
issues and looked as a pack of cards. The matter was brought to the notice
of the President of Pakistan, who advised Mr Burki to go to Harare (which
he did) to find the exact position.
In another separate report, Burki has reportedly said: In South Africa in
the Mandela Trophy during the final round matches, the Chairman of the ICC
rang up Mr Arif Abbasi and informed him that the Pakistan team appeared to
be involved in gambling in view of the manner under which they lost the
matches.
Similar apprehensions were conveyed to the PCB during the Test (one-off)
match. Even the vice-captain on that tour, Rashid Latif, gave a dissenting
statement against the team captain.
According to our information, the betting deal was struck by Salim Malik
with one Dawood Ibraheem of Sharjah, who has two confederates from Bombay
namely Makesh and Ralbai.
On this tour, Basit Ali confessed that Salim Malik was involved. It has
also been reported to the PCB that Wasim Akram is also involved with Raja
Zafar-ul-Haq. It is also brought to our notice during the last one-day
international in England in 1992, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis were offered
Rs 24 lakhs for losing the match.
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970331
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Aamir Sohail episode sad & unfortunate
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Qamar Ahmed
Serious matters need urgent attention. The allegations made by Aamir Sohail
about the involvement of some of his colleagues with betting and bookmakers
is not something which is to be shoved off lightly. There is no denying the
fact that the outburst by Aamir Sohail accusing his own captain and some of
the senior members of the team has come as a result of and an emotionally
disturbed state of mind because of being suspended for thirty days from the
game after having a tiff with the Chief Executive of the Pakistan Cricket
Board, Majid Khan.
Missing selection for the tour of Sharjah and Sri Lanka because of it, must
have hurt him deeply. Hence the desperation and reaction. His argument on a
trivial matter with the officials of the Board during a semi-final of the
Wills Cup at the Gaddafi Stadium shouldnt have driven him to go that far.
He had every right to tell his side of the story about the bribery scandal.
But this was not the right moment.
By pointing a finger at his team-mates he has not only alienated his
colleagues and his captain but also I think, and sadly so, he has shut the
door behind him having left the keys in the room. He may not get back into
it unless the lock is broken.
I have always admired him for his gutsiness and his entertaining batting
and as such I am one of those who is really sorry to see his flourishing
career endangered. I only wish he had wise counsel around to resist and
restrain his emotions.
The circumstances which led to his suspension were trifling and
unfortunately a mountain was made out of a mole. Both the officials of the
Board and he himself should have sat down to talk it out instead of making
an issue of it which in fact had nothing to do with the match itself.
If we go by what has been revealed about the incident which led a
disciplinary committee to ban him then I think that both parties involved
should have been sensible enough to bury the hatchet there.
The confrontation has led to this ugly controversy in which now more than
two people have been involved which is neither good for the game nor for
the image of the country which is already tarnished.
Allegations of betting and bribery were nothing new in sports or in a game
like cricket. Recently Grobelar, the Zimbabwean goalkeeper in English
soccer league and some of other players have landed themselves in court
because of it as have done the South American footballers some of whom are
controlled by the betting syndicates. Have we forgotten the killing of the
Columbian centre forward by the betting Mafia after he had scored in his
own goal in the World Cup in America. Or have we forgotten a suicide
committed by one of the biggest betting giants of Bombay who hanged himself
after the first South African tour to India in 1991 after things went
drastically wrong for him.
I only hope that things do not come to that in this part of the country.
And for this everyone concerned should make an effort.
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970401
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Democratic sports policy being framed
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Farhana Ayaz
ISLAMABAD, March 31: A four-point outline has been formulated to arrest the
decline in national sports at the conclusion of a sports conference.
The day-long conference, held in two sessions, had representatives of
sports officials and organisers from around the country to recommend plans
for the uplift of national sports presently in dire straits mainly due to
wrong management.
Mushahid Hussain, Adviser to the Prime Minister on media development with
additional charge of sports, culture, tourism and youth, chaired the
conference. At the end of the debate the Adviser outlined four basic points
for implementation within the next six months.
To start off, provincial sports conferences will be held. The schedule of
these meetings will be Balochistan (Ziarat) in May. The Sindh provincial
conference is set to be held in conjunction with the 26th National Games
being held in June at Karachi. NWFP will host the provincial conference in
July at Abbottabad while Punjab will organise the debate in August at
Murree. These conferences will then lead to the second National Sports
Conference in October this year. Initially, we plan to organise these
conferences twice a year before we formulate a democratic national sports
policy in the light of the suggestions from those who are active in sports
and those who have a background in the specific fields, the Adviser said.
It was stated that the major aim with the authorities is to look after the
preparation of the national contingent for the forthcoming 13th Asian Games
at Bangkok, Thailand, in 1998.
Secondly, the minister said that a national sports task force will be
formed which will be empowered to implement the decisions taken at the
national conferences.
The minister also announced the formation of a permanent advisory committee
in the ministry of sports. The committee members will be taken from the
platform of newspapers, sports officials and organisers. The committee will
have to look into the re-organisation of national sports federations, so
that their functioning can be made more democratic and result-oriented. The
advisory committee would also look into the neglected areas such as rural
sports, womens sports starting from the grass root level. The committee
would also be required to seek a broad-based package which would link
sports, television coverage, tourism and trade to bring revenue to the
government under the Prime Ministers directive which aims at reducing the
shortfall in finances.
The minister listed sports marketing as the most vital factor required to
provide the much-needed boost to the national sports. He said that sports
marketing patterns and policies under the framework of marketing firms
working in Europe, South Korea and Malaysia will be set up to plan out the
national sports marketing. There was consensus over the linkage of school
sports with the education ministry, although the Pakistan Education Board
is not affiliated with any of the national sports federation.
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970402
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Pakistan team off to Emirates with confidence sky-high
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Samiul Hasan
KARACHI, April 1: The Pakistan cricket team left behind the betting and
match fixing controversy when it flew off to Sharjah to take part in the
three-nation Sharjah Cup.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named former captain Ramiz Raja as Wasim
Akrams deputy after Saeed Anwar pulled out from the tour of the Emirate
because of weakness.
Rajas appointment confirms apprehensions that the stylish opener has
secured his place for the Sri Lankan tour which starts in a fortnight. Axe
will, thus, be hanging on Sajid Ali and Shahid Khan Afridi and according to
sources Hasan Raza and Saeed Anwar, if fit, are all set to replace the two
for the islands tour.
Pakistan captain Wasim Akram was a very confident man when reached for his
comments in Lahore on Tuesday. The team is in perfect shape. The spirits
are high and we are determined to give our best, Akram said.
Akram said the morale of the team was sky high after winning the World
Series Cup two months back. Not only that, we returned with distinction
when we last played in Sharjah.
The multi-talented allrounder stated that his team, despite odds-on
favourites, was not complacent. Complacency will be our biggest enemy.
Though we have been performing brilliantly in the last 10 months, cricket
is a game in which that team wins which plays well on that particular day.
Sri Lanka are one of the most feared sides in one-day cricket nowadays.
They didnt have had a good tour to New Zealand and they also failed to
qualify for the finals last time (in October). They will be roaring to made
mends for those lapses, said Akram.
About Zimbabwe, Akram said it was a fast-improving side which can cause a
couple of upsets. I personally feel no side today is a push-over. In fact,
there is always more pressure on the better side because the weaker team
always puts its best chiefly because they have nothing to lose. It is
precisely why, Zimbabwe cause a lot of problems for South Africa as well as
India in South Africa. Though they failed to qualify for the final, I think
it was the most consistent team of that tournament, said Akram.
The skipper said it was sad that Saeed Anwar had to withdraw from the tour
but that decision has left an open chance for Sajid Ali and Ramiz Raja.
They are experienced and talent. I would like to see them score runs and
cement their places for the Sri Lanka tour.
Akram said not always a batsman gets so open chance to prove his mettle.
There should be no regrets if either of the two fails. They are the only
two openers in the side and shouldnt feel any pressure which usually a
third opener sitting on the substitute bench puts.
While saying Saeed was unfortunate to miss the bus, he gave the best wishes
to Inzamamul Haq. He is a class of his own. He is looking fitter and in
better frame of mind. Inzamams inclusion has given more strength to the
middle-order.
Pakistan coach Mushtaq Mohammad said he was eager to see his side continue
its winning form. You have to be consistent at the international level.
When you claim that you are the worlds best side then you are expected to
win every series.
Mushtaq said Sharjah was a happy hunting ground for Pakistan. The players
feel almost at home while playing there. The conditions are not new and the
opposition is also familiar. I dont see any reason why we shouldnt win
there.
Mushtaq stated that the Sharjah tournament was important because Sri Lanka
were also playing there and his side was scheduled to visit the island from
April 14. If we beat them twice in the double-league format and again in
the final, we will earn a psychological advantage over them for the back-
to-back Tests.
Sri Lanka playing at home with a label of world champions under their
belt, will be a very different and difficult team to beat. We definitely
need to get on top of them so that we can dictate terms in the two Tests.
And that is only possible if we beat them in Sharjah, Mushtaq, who will be
going to Sharjah as coach for the third time in 18 months, said.
Mushtaq said a lot of home work has been done on the fielding department
which he considered was a weaker area in the Pakistan team. But it is
getting better and better. I am optimistic that the followers of the game
will definitely find improvement in fielding.
The team, which left for Sharjah from Lahore, is:
Wasim Akram (captain), Ramiz Raja (vice-captain), Sajid Ali, Shahid Khan
Afridi, Inzamamul Haq, Ijaz Ahmad Senior, Salim Malik, Mohammad Wasim, Moin
Khan (wicketkeeper), Waqar Younis, Shahid Nazir, Mohammad Zahid, Mushtaq
Ahmad and Saqlain Mushtaq.
Coach: Mushtaq Mohammad
Manager: Yar Mohammad Solangi
Physiotherapist: Dr Dan Keisal.
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970402
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Hanif calls for probe into betting charges
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Sports Reporter
KARACHI, April 1: Legendary Hanif Mohammad on Tuesday made an appeal to the
President of Pakistan to order a high level inquiry into the allegations
levelled by Aamir Sohail.
Hanif, said similar accusations were made two years back by three
Australians, but no action was taken then. When the board handles the
issue, it twists the story as they please. The Disciplinary Committee
comprise members of the PCB and therefore, works on the whims and fancies
of the administrators, said Hanif.
Hanif said thorough and proper investigations should be held so that the
matter was buried for ever. Whatever I have been reading in the newspapers
is very demoralising and hurting. As a cricketers who represented the
country with distinction, I strongly say that the President, who is also
the Patron of the board, should immediately order an inquiry and save the
country from becoming a laughing stock.
Asked if he believed that some of the players were involved, Hanif said: I
am a cricketer and can judge what is going wrong in the field. Every
movement and motion of the players tells the story. It is not difficult for
me to judge by the bowler is bowling against his field or why the batsman
played a reckless shot to throw away his wicket or how he got his partner
run-out. But the fact of the matter is that I am not a competent
authority.
Hanif said the cricketers nowadays were very well looked after. They get
the best possible facilities. They stay in the best hotels available in the
town; get thousands of rupees to represent the country; have other
sponsorship deals. I think they should be satisfied with whatever they are
getting. In my days, we never got these facilities. Moreover, we were
never approached by any bookie or ever came to know that any player had
vested interests. We played with honour and dignity and thats precisely
why were are still respected world-over.
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