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Week Ending : 27 September 1997 Issue : 03/39
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PM offers India no-war treaty
Pakistan, India agree to end LoC violations
Gujral cool to no-war pact offer: Nawaz
Parliament to decide judges issue, says PM
Benazir for London to sue Swiss banks
Asif refutes charge of drug smuggling
Huzaima's death was accidental, claims IG
PPP terms allegation against Benazir 'immoral, outlandish'
Altaf says MQM has no say in govt. affairs
Nawaz likely to sack newly-appointed lobbyist in US
Shahid appointed economic adviser
---------------------------------
Budget for uplift projects slashed
Contracts with MNC subsidiaries
Over 400 cos violate securities law
Zero duty to help attract investment
Stocks show fresh gains on active follow-up support
Lahore projects offered to foreign investors
Accord signed for fuel transportation
Stocks fail to extend recovery, index falls 33 points
---------------------------------------
Pindarras Ardeshir Cowasjee
Different strokes Omar Kureishi
Meddling with the judiciary Khalid Jawed Khan
The chill of frozen accounts Rifaat Hamid Ghani
How much is enough? Irfan Husain
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Pakistan lose to England, fail to qualify for semis
Saeed given captaincy; Ramiz, Salim dropped from 14-man side
Haroon blames irresponsible batting for defeat
Four players were fined in Canada
Anwar says Pakistan will roar back
Jahangir, Zubair, to form squash doubles team
Indians get warm welcome
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970923
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PM offers India no-war treaty
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Masood Haider
NEW YORK, Sept 22: Pakistan on Monday offered a non-aggression treaty to
India and proposed equal restraint agreements on nuclear, ballistic and
even conventional weapons as a measure to resolve the Kashmir dispute and
facilitate peace and security in South Asia.
The offer was made by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while addressing the 52nd
UN General Assembly session in what appeared to be a major political
initiative of the Nawaz government to involve the international community
for resolution of South Asian conflicts.
"We believe that a just settlement of Jammu and Kashmir dispute and
progress on the issue of peace and security will usher in an era of amity
and progress in South Asia. To facilitate the realisation of this
objective, I offer today from this rostrum, to open negotiations on a
treaty of non-aggression between Pakistan and India," Sharif told the
General Assembly.
Prime Minister Sharif declared Pakistan would continue dialogue with India,
but hoped New Delhi could be persuaded to take some steps to create a
climate conducive to the success of such talks. He called upon India to
halt repression against the people of Kashmir, withdraw, at least, those
troops who were engaged in "internal" repression in the Valley, and evolve
a mechanism to take into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people,
stipulated by the United Nations for a final settlement.
Pointing out that the two countries have "unfortunately not agreed on
substantive negotiations on all issues", he said that the UN Security
Council resolutions defined Kashmir as a disputed territory whose accession
to either India or Pakistan was to be determined through a UN-supervised
plebiscite.
"The existence of Kashmir dispute cannot be denied. The right to
self-determination is sacrosanct. It has repeatedly been affirmed by the
United Nations. The people of Kashmir are justified in asking why this
pledge by the international community has not been honoured yet", Sharif
said, adding "the Security Council cannot be selective in the
implementation of its resolutions."
Prime Minister Sharif said the repression of the people of Kashmir
continued unabated. More than 600,000 Indian troops in Kashmir were
perpetrating atrocities. Custodial killings, arbitrary arrests, summary
executions were daily occurrences.
"If India is serious in its allegation that the trouble in Kashmir is being
stoked by 'interference' from Pakistan it should have no hesitation in
allowing the UN observers present in Kashmir to verify this claim" he
added. "We hope that the UN will enlarge the number of these observes and
ask India to allow their stationing on its side of the line of control as
well."
He said South Asia with one-fifth of the world's population remained mired
in poverty and deprivation and added: "I call upon India to join us in
liberating our peoples from the dreadful grip of poverty. This can only be
achieved by removing the causes of conflict and hostility."
AFGHANISTAN: Underscoring that the conflict in Afghanistan must be brought
to an end, Mr Sharif noted that no country in the world had suffered more
than Pakistan as a consequence of the turmoil. "We, therefore, have a vital
interest in the restoration of durable peace and stability in Afghanistan",
he added.
He said Pakistan had been in contact with all Afghan groups in support of
the efforts of the UN aimed at promoting an intra-Afghan peace process.
Mr Sharif said Islamabad favoured no faction in Afghanistan. He said
Pakistan recognised the present regime in Kabul as it recognised the
previous entities that controlled the capital.
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970924
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Pakistan, India agree to end LoC violations
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Shaheen Sehbai
NEW YORK, Sept 23: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart
I.K. Gujral decided to take mutually agreed steps to end violations on the
Line of Control, though the two premiers failed to break the impasse over
the stalled talks on Kashmir.
The talks between the two prime ministers was described by Pakistanis as
"good, frank and cordial" but a grim-faced, almost furious Gujral dismissed
newsmen with a shake of his head.
Prime Minister Sharif after the talks told newsmen the Indians had not
refused to talk on Kashmir but they have a different interpretation. "We
will discuss it jointly", he added.
Pakistan also told India that progress on other outstanding matters would
be extremely difficult unless discernible forward movement on the Kashmir
issue was made. "Mr. Sharif asked Mr. Gujral not to let procedural hurdles
impede their dialogue," the foreign secretary said.
None of the spokesmen, including the foreign secretary, was prepared to say
that there was progress after the 60 minutes of Nawaz-Gujral meeting at the
latter's hotel in which Foreign Minister Gohar Ayub Khan, Commerce Minister
Ishaq Dar and Information Minister Mushahid Hussain were also present. It
was the third meeting between the two leaders in the last 48 hours as they
had met earlier at President Clinton's reception and at UN secretary-
general's luncheon.
Asked whether the Nawaz Sharif's no-war-pact proposal was raised at the
meeting and what was Mr. Gujral's response, Ishaq Dar told Dawn : "There
was no nothing."
A confident looking Nawaz did stop to speak to reporters as he emerged from
the talks but Gujral looked somber and distraught. When asked whether any
progress was made, Nawaz Sharif told reporters outside Gujral's hotel: "Mr.
Gujral is keen to resolve the issues and the foreign secretaries will
continue the dialogue." "No specific decisions were taken but the
atmosphere in the talks was positive," Secretary Shamshad told the news
briefing. But in a rare comment as she emerged from the meeting with her
husband, Mrs. Kulsoom Nawaz Sharif told newsmen: "India should understand
what we are telling them... Inshallah India will understand one day that we
are right."
There was no immediate Indian reaction on the bold Pakistani initiative
announced by Nawaz Sharif on Monday offering a no-war-pact to India but
Nawaz Sharif told newsmen the matter was not raised at the Gujral meeting.
Secretary Shamshad said the Indians had changed their mind about the
creation of the working group on Kashmir. "They have perceptual and
procedural differences on the creation of the working group, but we have no
problems with the name. We want talks on issues which can be held at the
secretary level."
The talks were used by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to repeat the Pakistani
point of view on major issues including Kashmir. Secretary Shamshad said
the prime minister specially drew the attention of the Indian PM over
violations on the LoC and emphasized that Pakistan had not initiated these
violations as civilians and Muslims were being killed on both sides of the
LoC.
Mr. Sharif also conveyed to the Indian PM that the suppression of the
Kashmiris could not continue as an India-Pakistan dialogue was in progress
to resolve the matter. "India should suspend the operation in Kashmir,
withdraw its troops and create a atmosphere conducive to dialogue," the
secretary said.
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970925
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Gujral cool to no-war pact offer: Nawaz
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Staff Correspondent
NEW YORK, Sept 24: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that his Indian
counterpart, Mr. I.K. Gujral, had not responded to his offer of
"non-aggression" pact made at the United Nations. However, he held out a
hope that " a positive" response from India would come in the near future,
saying "It cannot be achieved in one day. We will like to pursue this
offer. We will continue our bilateral dialogue".
Describing his talks with the Indian prime minister as being "good", Mr.
Nawaz Sharif told a Press conference that he had told Mr. Gujral that India
must not pollute the atmosphere through hostile actions, like shelling
across the Line of Control.
"The present position taken by India on the issue was contrary to the
agreement", said Mr. Nawaz, adding " Mr. Gujral has agreed that the issue
must be resolved and talks must continue".
Responding to a question about the "grim faced" Gujral as he came out of
the meeting and refused to respond to queries by correspondents, the
premier said the "atmosphere at the meeting was cordial".
About his meeting with US President Bill Clinton, the prime minister said
he sensed a "positive change in the American attitude towards Pakistan". "I
feel that my meeting with President Clinton has laid the basis for a
substantive and enduring relationship between Pakistan and the United
States in the post-Cold War world based on a better understanding of each
other", he added. He underscored the economic ties with the United States,
saying "our focus is now more on economic areas, particularly in trade and
investment."
Asked as to when the issue of F-16s would be resolved, the prime minister
said President Clinton had assured him that he was working hard to resolve
the issue. He said he had told President Clinton to either give Pakistan
the F-16s or refund the money.
Asked whether the United States could help break the stalemate between
India and Pakistan over Kashmir, Nawaz Sharif said "I think it would be
very helpful. The United States can play a useful role in the region. I
asked Mr. Clinton to pay more attention to South Asia."
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970925
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Parliament to decide judges issue, says PM
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Masood Haider
NEW YORK, Sept 24: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said that the government
will take to the parliament the issue of appointment of judges to the
Supreme Court Bench. The prime minister said: "We will take the issue to
the parliament because it has the authority under the constitution to fix
the number of judges who sit on the apex court's bench."
Mr. Nawaz Sharif made the remarks when he was told by a Pakistani
journalist at the end of his press conference that the Chief Justices
Committee is holding a meeting at Quetta to consider the delay in the
appointment of judges to the apex court as recommended by the Chief Justice
of Pakistan Justice Syed Sajjad Ali Shah. The delay in the appointment of
judges on the Supreme Court Bench is expected to be item number one on the
agenda of the meeting.
The controversy about the appointment of judges came to surface when a
notification was issued by the President, reducing the number of judges in
the apex court a day after when the Chief Justice Shah wrote a letter to
him requesting him to fill five vacancies on the Supreme Court Bench.
The notification was viewed by the lawyers committee as an attack on the
independence of judiciary and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA)
filed a petition on Aug 30, challenging "the vires of the notification"
with prayers to declare it un-constitutional, malafide and without any
jurisdiction.
The SCBA also sought an interim injunction which the Chief Justice granted.
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970926
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Benazir for London to sue Swiss banks
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Mahmood Zaman
LAHORE, Sept 25: PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto is leaving for London from
Dubai to institute law suits in a court of law in Switzerland against
certain banks of that country.
According to the party sources here, Ms Bhutto intends to sue four Swiss
banks which, according to an allegation levelled by the government, had
frozen accounts of the former premier, her husband Asif Zardari and mother
Nusrat Bhutto on a request made by Islamabad through diplomatic channels.
The banks which Ms Bhutto wants to implead are the Union Bank and SA
Citibank of Geneva in particular. Cases against two other banks, the
Barclays Bank and the Contrad, Ormand, Barrus Banque Privee SA are also to
be instituted, according to sources.
The PPP chairperson is at present in Dubai with her children who are
studying in that Persian Gulf state. She intended to return home but has
now decided to leave for London on an advice by her counsel in Pakistan.
Senator Aitzaz Ahsan, who is currently in the United States, has been
directed by Ms Bhutto to reach London for legal consultation. Ms Bhutto
has, according to sources, decided to rush to London because her Pakistani
legal advisers have counselled her that she must sue the Swiss banks for
which either lawyers from Switzerland or those conversant with Swiss
banking laws should be engaged for law suits.
The PPP chairperson is said to have already sent messages to some lawyers
in London to suggest names of legal experts who could defend her in Swiss
courts. She is also expected to go to Geneva and Switzerland capital Berne
in connection with her legal battle.
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970927
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Asif refutes charge of drug smuggling
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Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 26: Press Secretary to Senator-elect Asif Ali Zardari on
Friday said that the Nawaz Sharif regime had hired "a gang of international
forgers and was busy counterfeiting documents to malign the PPP leadership."
In a statement faxed by Bilawal House, he claimed the regime was pumping
huge funds from the national exchequer into its campaign to discredit
Benazir Bhutto, Asif Ali Zardari and other top brass of the party.
Reacting to the allegations of drug smuggling against Mr. Zardari, he
alleged that the government was trying to level accusations of all its
imaginary sins upon the interned spouse of the opposition leader and in
consequence was bringing disrepute to Pakistan.
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970927
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Huzaima's death was accidental, claims IG
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By Our Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: Inspector-General of Police Saleem Tariq Loan claimed
on Friday that there was no "foul play" identified in the death of Huzaima
Huma Hashmat, an M.Sc. Psychology student, who had died about a month back
in the premises of her college.
The IG stated that the evidence collected in the case did not indicate any
violence or sexual abuse. "The cause of death remains accidental and,
according to the external medical report by doctors, there have been no
indications of violence", he said.
The time of the death, according to the doctors, also confirmed that the
unfortunate student had a fatal fall in the toilet and did not get up.
The official said Huzaima's father had himself confessed that his daughter
had an unstable gait. The IG added that so far no criminal aspect in the
case had appeared and, therefore, no progress had been made after the High
Court orders which asked for the autopsy with the consent of the father.
The official said Huzaima's father had not given the consent for carrying
out autopsy, which only suggested that he, too, agreed that the death was
accidental. "At this moment I do not see what are the other motives behind
keeping away from holding autopsy which could reveal further information in
the case."
Advocate Hashmat Ali Habib, who is presently in Karachi, has been demanding
an investigation into the death of his daughter. Hashmat had demanded the
constitution of the investigating team and the constitution of a medical
board by the executive director of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences
(PIMS).
Huzaima Hashmat had died mysteriously in the premises of Federal Government
College for Women, F-7/2, Islamabad, and her body was found in a toilet
after 28 hours. Huzaima's father had not opted for autopsy.
In his statement Huzaima's father had said that the death appeared to be
accidental. The doctor at the PIMS had also stated that the girl did not
have any pulse when brought to the hospital. The four-inch gash in the back
of the head was taken as the reason for the death.
The principal of the college, in her reports, said that Huzaima's sister
had stated that Huzaima suffered from fits, especially in cold weather, and
that she used to fall unconscious. However, Hashmat Habib denied that her
daughter had made any such statement about Huzaima.
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970927
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PPP terms allegation against Benazir 'immoral, outlandish'
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: Reacting on published reports that the PPP Chairperson
had illegally siphoned off more than three billion dollars, a spokesman for
Ms. Bhutto described "the latest attempt of the Ehtesab Cell as immoral and
outlandish."
Through a statement, released to the Press, the spokesman termed the
reports ridiculous that Ms. Bhutto as Prime Minister of Pakistan shifted
"the proceeds of drug-trafficking money from Pakistan to foreign banks."
The spokesman recalled that the Ehtesab Cell first alleged that Benazir
Bhutto had some 70 million dollars in Swiss banks which were frozen because
the money was allegedly looted and ill-gotten. The opposition leader wrote
to the prime minister demanding copies of the so-called evidence on the
basis of which the action had been taken. The government being unable to
give evidence in support of the falsehood it purveyed, and planted stories
suggesting that Bhuttos had withdrawn from Swiss banks their assets and
transferred the money somewhere else. He said that while the government was
still to come out with the evidence and present it before the courts, it
had given a new twist to its allegations so that people forget the onus of
proof which still lies on the government.
He said the tenacious fighter that she is, the leader of the opposition
would fight out this barrage of immoral and unethical media trial at the
bar of the judiciary as well as the enlightened public opinion. The
spokesman challenged the government not to resile from its earlier position
and lay bare all evidence before the courts.
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970927
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Altaf says MQM has no say in govt. affairs
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Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 26: The chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf Hussain,
said that although his party was a coalition partner in the government, it
was not being taken into confidence on security matters.
He said that while the MQM was in government it virtually had no say or
share in government affairs and that many issues which were part of the
PML-MQM accord were still unresolved. "The arrogance of other partners has
always made the resolution of issue of impossible. Now seven months have
passed since we became coalition partners, but we have maintained our
patience despite all the negative attitudes," he said.
Mr Hussain said MQM representatives were not invited to meetings that
discussed the law and order situation and that the cases which had been
withdrawn against party workers and activists had now been transferred to
the newly established anti-terrorist courts. He said according to reports
(which he said had been confirmed by several people) 300 well-armed
commandos in plainclothes had been deployed in Karachi. He said these
commandos were patrolling even in "government vehicles and armoured
personnel carriers".
Speaking at an awards ceremony held by Mohibaan-e-Pakistan at Nine Zero in
Azizabad, Mr. Hussain said "no-go areas" still existed and that "Haqiqi
terrorists" were still being supported by the law-enforcement agencies. He
said MQM workers were still incarcerated and that "hundreds" of families
who had been forced to leave their homes were yet to be rehabilitated.
Mr. Hussain said MQM had "consistently faced conspiracies launched by the
intelligence agencies". He said reports that the MQM(H) was opening an
office in London was an example and that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should
take notice of these things.
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970927
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Nawaz likely to sack newly-appointed lobbyist in US
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Shaheen Sehbai
WASHINGTON, Sept 26: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is likely to sack the
recently-appointed lobbyist for Pakistan, former congressman Charlie
Wilson, after the Justice Department revealed he was being probed for
taking four million dollars in kickbacks for supply of weapons to Afghan
Mujahideen during the Afghan war.
The probe which involves Swiss bank accounts, congressional observers here
said, could lead to dramatic disclosures and effectively mean opening of
the Afghan Pandora's box, involving other players of the arms supply trade
during the Afghan war, including Pakistani establishment and security
agencies.
Charlie Wilson's firm, Hooper and Hooper, was recently appointed as the
official lobbying firm for Pakistan, and Mr. Wilson was due to begin his
work on Oct. 8, after completing the mandatory layoff period of six months
after retirement from Congress.
Pakistan embassy sources revealed to Dawn on Thursday that a group of
Pakistani-Americans in the US, led by Chicago businessman Rashid Chaudhry,
had called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in New York on Tuesday and asked
him to sack Mr. Wilson and let influential Pakistanis do the job.
The prime minister told them to prepare a strategy paper and hold their
meetings in the first week of October which, he said, should be
co-ordinated by Ambassador Khokhar. This decision was interpreted to mean
that the services of former congressman Wilson were being terminated before
he could start functioning. But the disclosures on Thursday that Mr. Wilson
was involved in a kickback scandal, dating back to the Afghan war in the
early '80s, appeared to have sealed his fate as the Pakistan lobbyist on
the Hill.
"An investigation is being conducted by the public integrity section of the
justice department's criminal division", a justice department official said
on Thursday.
Mr. Wilson, a Democrat who retired last year from Congress after 24 years,
vigorously denied that he had accepted kickbacks. He told the Associated
Press he was unaware of a justice department investigation. "I
categorically deny that I have ever accepted or received any promise,
commitment or payment of any kind for any of my activities or positions as
a member of Congress", Mr. Wilson said in a statement.
The justice department probe remained under wraps until earlier this week
when Switzerland's supreme court agreed to a 1995 request by the US for
assistance. Mr. Wilson had remained silent after the first news reports
came on Tuesday.
Swiss court documents said the justice department was investigating
allegations that a US congressman, referred to only by his last initial
"W," had received kickbacks from an arms supplier for his role in arms
sales to Afghan Mujahideen in the 1980s. "Any suggestion that my support
for the Mujahideen was for any purpose other than to assist their cause in
driving the invading Communists from their home would be absolutely and
categorically false, to say nothing of profoundly offensive to me", Mr.
Wilson said.
Switzerland's supreme court, in its ruling on Tuesday, authorized the Swiss
government to give US complete assistance in the investigation, which
typically means handing over bank papers and other evidence. Mr. Wilson
denied holding any foreign bank account.
According to the Swiss court documents, "The firm X. Ltd. paid "W" and a
Texan, identified only as having a last name beginning with "C", a
commission of about $3.5m-$4m, with payments transacted through a number of
American companies and their accounts with Swiss banks."
The case goes back to 1983, when Congress approved $40m in secret aid to
buy arms for Mujahideen. According to the court documents, most of the
money was spent on anti-aircraft guns provided by "X".
According to the Swiss documents, the United States alleges the money was
paid long after the congressional vote, although "W" had received a
commitment for the money at the time of the arms purchase.
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970927
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Shahid appointed economic adviser
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Staff Correspondent
NEW YORK, Sept 26: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has appointed former senior
executive vice president of the World Bank, Mr. Shahid Hussain as his
Adviser on Economic Affairs with the mandate to revamp the tax system and
improve revenue collection.
Officials with the Prime Minister, who extended his stay in New York for
two days, confirmed to "Dawn" that Mr. Shahid Hussain will take over his
office on October 2 and will work in close coordination with the Finance
Minister to plug the leakage's in the financial system. They said a
committee had been set up to start looking into the crucial revenue
collection systems and Mr. Hussain will use his experience and expertise to
suggest ways and means to optimize revenues without using coercive methods
or strong-arm tactics.
The officials said Mr. Hussain would not be drawing any salary for the job
and will keep on moving in and out of Pakistan.
Mr. Hussain is known to be a 30-year old friend of Finance Minister Sartaj
Aziz and officials hoped that they would jointly form a formidable team of
economic and financial managers.
Mr. Aziz recently successfully negotiated the 1.6 billion dollar ESAF
facility with the IMF and if the leakage's were plugged, improving revenue
collection, the Nawaz Sharif Government could claim to be on the way of
economic recovery. The new adviser has been commenting on Pakistan's
economic performance in recent months through newspaper articles and is
known for his managerial capabilities which took him to the highest ever
position in the World Bank, held by any Pakistani. He is known to be the
champion of improving the financial lot of the tax collectors before
expecting honest tax collection from them.
In this context, observers are expecting that he would substantially raise
the salaries and perks of the tax collectors, giving them bonuses and
incentives, for better tax revenues for the government, instead of their
own pockets.
===================================================================
970921
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Budget for uplift projects slashed
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M. Ziauddin
ISLAMABAD, Sept 20: The government has slashed the development budget for
the current financial year by a further Rs 5 billion, reducing its overall
size to Rs 85 billion. The reduction has been necessitated by shortfalls in
revenue collection in the first quarter of the current financial year.
The Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), which was originally
budgeted at Rs 95 billion, was reduced to Rs 90 billion by the Finance
Ministry immediately after the announcement of the budget pleading
non-availability of funds.
In view of the continuing shortage of resources, the Finance Ministry is
said to have stopped the release of non-salary parts of non-development
budgets too.
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970924
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Contracts with MNC subsidiaries
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Mohiuddin Aazim
KARACHI, Sept 23: Some computer companies located in Pakistan have won
multi-million-dollar contracts - both at home and abroad- to contain the
much talked-about millennium bug.
Sources in software industry told Dawn at least three leading computer
companies including IBM-Pakistan and Systems Ltd. have been working on
50-75 projects at home and abroad to save the computer networks of their
clients from the millennium bug. They said the cost of each project ranges
between $100,000 and $500,000 which means that the companies undertaking
the projects would earn millions of dollars by the turn of the century.
The sources said most of the contracts won so far are foreign adding that
only 10-15 contracts have been concluded within Pakistan-almost all of them
with some big multinationals operating here.
Computer scientists across the globe have been working for the last few
years to save the computer systems installed in 70s and 80s from what they
call the millennium bug that would make them go berserk as the clocks tick
past midnight 1999 and pump out erroneous data.
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970925
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Over 400 cos violate securities law
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Muhammad Ilyas
ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: Over 400 out of 782 listed companies are eligible for
delisting because of persistent violation of various rules under the
Securities & Exchange Ordinance, an official source told Dawn. These
include about 130 companies that are in the defaulters' list for a variety
of reasons such as: (1) violation of listing regulations; (2) non-payment
of dividend to minority shareholders over a prolonged period; (3) share
price quoted in the market being 50 per cent of, or even less than, the par
value for a considerable period.
In fact, the source conceded that only 10 percent companies account for
well nigh 95 percent of trading in the stock exchanges. The reasons for
this go far beyond the official explanation that these have large floats.
In fact, the investors are no longer enthusiastic and, wisely enough, are
following the old adage, "once burned twice shy" in keeping aloof from
whatever reform measures the government is taking to enliven their interest
in the capital market.
Although, they are still clinging to their share certificates in the vain
hope that their hard earned savings would be redeemed some time in the
future, reality is that the relevant management's, after having got hold of
people's money, and have no interest in reviving themselves on the stock
market.
The situation had arisen, the source explained, because in the past a large
number of companies were allowed to join the equities market merely on the
basis of paid-up capital, irrespective of their track record in
entrepreneurship, efficiency and integrity. The present stand-off is also a
hangover of the pre-1995 law which obligated the companies to go public at
some stage. After the repeal in 1995 of Control of Capital Issues Act,
however, listing has been made voluntary.
The Corporate Law Authority, according to the source, was now streamlining
the system of initial public offering. Effort was being made to allow these
companies access to non-banking sector and to ensure that the companies
fulfil the conditions of disclosure fully. Secondly, the companies would
be required to show their track record spread over a number of years,
before being allowed to go public.
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970926
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Zero duty to help attract investment
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ihtashamul Haque
ISLAMABAD, Sept 25: The new Investment Policy, likely to be announced in
early October, offers zero-rated duty and various other tax allowances to
high-tech, value-added, strategic and export industries for attracting
foreign investment to Pakistan.
Talking to Dawn, Secretary, Board of Investment (BOI) Abdullah Yousuf said
that the purpose of offering zero-rated duty and other incentives was to
attract foreign investors who have been seeking such incentives in the past.
Abdullah Yousef said that the small industry would also be offered
zero-rated duty and that the new Investment Policy fully takes care of the
small investors. Asked whether certain special fiscal incentives would be
offered to Overseas Pakistanis interested in the setting up of new
industries in Pakistan, the secretary BOI said there was no such proposal
or any provision made in the new Investment Policy.
To a question, he said that the Tax Holiday till the year 2000 was already
there in various industrial zones and that this was not the part of the new
Investment Policy. He said that the new policy would ensure 100
depreciation allowance for the import of machinery.
Responding to a question he said that the BOI has been restructured and
made a fully independent organization. "It will soon have a legal cover
through an act of the Parliament", Abdullah Yousef said.
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970926
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Stocks show fresh gains on active follow-up support
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 25: Stocks showed fresh widespread gains on Thursday on
active follow-up support coming from all quarters prompted apparently on
the optimism of a greater inflow of US private investment after Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif's current visit and his meeting with President
Clinton and top business there.
The KSE 100-share index recovered another 2.40% or six points during the
last three sessions, while volume soared to two-month high of 89 million
shares. The buying support remained largely selective as both local and
foreign investors were not inclined to move out of the safe havens
apparently fearing a sell-off at the rising prices.
However, a gain of 100 points in the index just within three sessions is
claimed as a major change in the investor psychology, which could well lead
the market to its most viable level of 2,000 points not in a distant
future. It was last quoted at 1,869.81 and was close to hit the high mark
of 1,900 before late selling clipped in parts early gains. It was quoted at
1,825.98 on Wednesday.
The market capitalization swelled by Rs 11 billion to Rs 565.029 billion as
compared to Rs 554.134 billion a day earlier as broader market participated
in the run-up.
Dividend news, notably from Burshane Pakistan 30%, Shell Pakistan final 50%
plus 35% interim already paid, Allied Bank Modaraba 15% and Hinopak Motors
cash 25% were in line with market expectations and were well-received.
Volume figure soared to two-month high level of 89 million shares from the
previous 58 million shares owing to active bouts of buying and selling in
the current favourites. Out of 216 actives, which came in for trading, 104
shares rose, showing a decisive recovery, as compared to 51 a day earlier
with 61 holding on to the last levels.
The most active list was topped by PTCL, off 35 paisa on 29.420 million
shares, followed by Hub-Power, easy 30 paisa on 26.976 million shares, ICI
Pakistan, steady 15 paisa on 15.430 million shares, FFC-Jordan Fertilizer,
higher 25 paisa on 4.413 million shares, and Dewan Salman, easy five paisa
on 2.410 million shares. There were several other notable deals also.
Big gainers were led by BOC Pakistan, which posted a sharp gain of Rs 26 on
news of higher final dividend for last year. Its management had already
paid an interim dividend of 15%. Its rose to Rs 170. Adamjee Insurance
followed it on an identical good corporate news and a heavy buying by some
of the foreign funds at the lower levels. Its last closing was Rs 112.
Shell Pakistan, which came in for post-dividend profit-selling, was last
quoted at Rs 279. Javed Omer also fell by Rs 2. Other losses were mostly
fractional.
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970926
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Lahore projects offered to foreign investors
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Shafaat Yar Khan
DUBAI, Sept 25: Pakistan is seeking finances from potential investors from
the local and foreign expatriate community for infrastructure projects in
Pakistan's second biggest city and the cultural capital, Lahore.
The Lahore Development Authority, LDA, was seeking private sector financing
for its four projects which included the Lahore Elevated Expressway,
Cavalry Ground Complex, Lahore Ring Road and Flyover and dualization of
Sheikhupura-Shahkot-Faisalabad Road, said Sibtain Fazal Halim, Director
General of LDA at the end of his stay in UAE.
Halim met leaders of Abu Dhabi and Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry
and prominent members of Pakistan community in Dubai. Pakistani team has
already visited several countries in Europe and the Middle East, which Mr.
Halim described as satisfactory with a high level of interest in these
projects.
The projects have recently been launched by the LDA, with the approval of
the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, who is striving for
infrastructural development, especially the road network. "The Pakistan
government is especially interested in inviting tenders from the UAE and
has already asked its officials to start exploring the market to target
potential investors", said the DG, LDA.
Giving details of these projects Halim said the proposals for investment
were invited on three proposals which are: 50 per cent build, operate and
transfer (BOT), 50 per cent through contractors' financing and thirdly,
hundred per cent contractor's financing. The investor can choose any of
these modes to develop a given project.
The Ring Road is a 78 km stretch of dual carriageway flanked with service
roads on both sides. It will be a limited access urban tollway, built
around Lahore city, with specifications similar to the Lahore-Islamabad
Motorway. The estimated cost of this project will be Rs. 17 billion
(approximately US $400 million). The Elevated Expressway is proposed to be
built along the Ravi Road and Lower Mall, which is the busiest public
transport corridor in the city. The estimated cost of this project will be
Rs 2 billion (approximately US $50 million).
The five-kilometre's long road will be constructed on the single pier with
a minimum clearance beneath the road to be 5.5 metres. The dual carriageway
will have four lanes. Both the road projects have been designed in
anticipation of the number of vehicles Lahore will have by the turn of the
century. The city of nearly 7.3 million inhabitants has seen a jump in the
number of vehicles, from 12.97 per cent in 80s to 20 per cent during
1990-96, the official said.
The multi-storey Cavalry Ground Complex will house a hotel, shopping mall
and office space along a flyover on the railway crossing between Gulberg
and Cavalry Ground residential areas. The design of the flyover has already
been prepared by LDA and cannot be altered. The understanding with the
investor would be that he incorporate the flyover design into the design
for the larger project", the official said. "Proposals for these projects
have been invited on a build-and-operate basis for the development of the
proposed complex with an area of 220x30 metres", he added.
Halim said according to the offer the government would provide the land
free of cost and would take the flyover immediately after its completion
while a suitable concession period would be given to the builder of the
complex. However, in spite of government's incentives and assurances, the
business community and the potential investors, particularly outside the
country, are reluctant to invest in Pakistan. This was the general feeling
at a gathering of business community and professional Pakistanis who met
Halim during his day-long stay in Dubai.
The community leaders argued the transparency of the project and assurance
that those who won the project would not be harassed in future. Haji Abdul
Razzak of ARY Traders, who has been the target of inquires by the Prime
Minister's Ehtesab Cell was quite vocal at the meeting. Haji Razzak and
others questioned whether the future government would honour the commitment
of this government in the four projects being floated by the LDA.
It was hard time for the LDA director general to counter the questions
raised by the Pakistani businessmen.
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970927
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Accord signed for fuel transportation
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 26: Pakistan State Oil and Pakistan Railways signed an
agreement under which PR will annually transport over 1 million tons of
fuel to private thermal plants situated in Punjab and other parts of the
upcountry.
Under the Energy Policy of 1994, for private power projects, PSO signed 11
Fuel Supply Agreements (FSAs) with all private power projects consuming
fuel oil.
For quite some time negotiations were going on between both the
organizations for transporting fuel to the private power project. After
obtaining guarantees from PR, on all potential exposure of penalties and
damage to which PSO is exposed under the FSA, an agreement has been
reached, between both the sides. Under the given circumstances, PR is the
only potential mode of transportation which could cater with the huge and
bulk fuel requirements of these thermal power plants. Consequently PR has
agreed to cover up PSO with back to back guarantees.
This will be an interim arrangement for a period of two years but could be
extended with mutual consent till the time Rail Equipment Company (RECO) in
the private sector is formed to take up the job. Under this agreement, PR
will guarantee the transport of a minimum volume of 1 million tons of fuel
with the maximum of 20 percent additional supply per annum. This will be
over and above the existing oil traffic from PSO of 1.3 million tons as per
the figures of 1996-97.
These additional volumes will be available from Keamari Terminal and Pipri
Marshalling Yard (PMY) both in the ratio of 0.5 million tons each. With
regard to the balance of another 0.5 million tons, PSO will build
infrastructure at PMY after approval from Ministry of Petroleum and Natural
Resources for which a tentative completion period has been set of one year
so that the peak requirements of the power projects are met by the second
quarter of the year 1998-99.
Signing of this agreement has removed the bottlenecks and fears of the
power projects about the availability of fuel in time and in right quantity
at their complexes. This agreement also takes care of the probable
exposures and penalties of power projects on the government and PSO in case
of failure to commence or deliver the fuel.
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970927
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Stocks fail to extend recovery, index falls 33 points
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 26: The index fell 33 points or 2 percent at 1,837.06 as
compared to 1,869.81 a day earlier as leading index shares fell sharply.
Out of the 221 actives which came in for trading, 99 shares fell, 65 rose
with 57 holding on to the last levels amid two-way trading.
The market capitalization also fell Rs 8.201 billion at Rs 556.828 billion
as compared to Rs 565.029 billion a day earlier. Big gainers were again led
by Adamjee Insurance, which posted a fresh rise of Rs 3 on strong foreign
buying, followed by Shell Pakistan, Noon Pakistan and National Refinery,
which posted gains ranging from one rupee to Rs 1.50. Some of the inactive
shares, notably Pakistan Hotels, Pakistan House International and United
Distributors also attracted strong buying and rose by one rupee to Rs 2.67.
BOC Pakistan, which spurted up by Rs 26 overnight on news of higher final
dividend, fell by Rs 8 as dividend was not announced. A sharp decline of Rs
5 in the share value of another MNC, Siemens, on news of lower earning was
another bad news for the market. Dewan Salman, Siemens, Engro Chemicals,
Knoll Pharma, Rafhan Maize Products and PSO were among the major losers
falling by one rupee to Rs 5. Paramount Spinning, Packages also fell
although modestly.
Trading fell to 53 million shares from the previous 89 million shares owing
to a short Friday session. The most active list was topped by PTCL, off Rs
1.35 on 17.446 million shares, followed by Hub-Power, easy Rs 1.15 on
16.816 million shares, ICI Pakistan, lower 50 paisa on 5.558 million
shares, FFC-Jordan Fertilizer, easy 45 paisa on 3.382 million shares, and
Dewan Salman, off Rs 1.25 on 2.044 million shares.
The other actively traded shares were Pioneer Cement, firm by five paisa on
2.313 million shares, followed by KESC, lower 50 paisa on 0.569 million,
Japan Power, easy 15 paisa on 0.485 million, Sui Northern, unchanged on
0.591 million, Southern Electric, higher 85 paisa on 0.343 million shares,
Bank Al-Habib, unchanged on 0.358 million shares, and Sui Southern, lower
65 paisa on 0.379 million shares. There were several other notable deals also.
DEFAULTING COMPANIES: Trading in this sector remained insipid as only three
shares came in for trading out of which Al-Asif Sugar managed to finish
higher by 55 paisa at Rs 1.50 (face value Rs 10) on turnover of 500 shares.
Gammon Pakistan and Crescent Spinning, which accounted for 500 and 1,000
shares respectively, fell by five and 50 paisa at Rs 6.50 and Rs 6.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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970921
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Pindarras
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ardeshir Cowasjee
THERE is nothing obscure about the title. The word was first used in 1707
for the hangers-on of the Maratha army of the Deccan, disagreeable fellows
on the look out for prey. It was later used by Qavi Dalpatram to describe
the politicians of the day.
Our Constitution, the opening words of which are "In the name of Allah, the
most Beneficent, the most Merciful", proclaims in the Preamble, 'Whereas
sovereignty over the entire earth belongs to Almighty Allah alone and the
authority to be exercised by the people of Pakistan within the limits
prescribed by Him is a sacred trust... wherein the state shall exercise its
powers and authority by the chosen representatives of the people..." who as
later stipulated, must be of good character, sagacious, righteous,
non-profligate, honest and ameen. Before entering upon office, these
paragons of virtue do solemnly swear to perform their functions honestly,
and always in the interests of the sovereignty, integrity, solidarity,
well-being and prosperity of the nation.
One can safely say, with no fear of contradiction, that many of those who
have sworn by their Constitution are hypocrites who have robbed and
pillaged - more so since the 1988 rebirth of democracy.
Nawaz Sharif must be blamed more than Benazir Bhutto. He took over from her
in 1990 after she was dismissed by Ghulam Ishaq Khan, and soon thereafter,
with the aid of adviser-in-chief on accountability affairs, Roedad Khan, he
drew up eighteen ironclad references against her and her band of pindarras
and filed them immediately. But more important to him than the pursuit of
these references was the accumulation unto himself of power and pelf.
The attorney-general of the day, Aziz Munshi, aware of gravity of the
damage done, advocated that an independent high-minded advocate be
appointed to prosecute the references. With the concurrence of Nawaz
Sharif, senior advocate M.B. Zaman was appointed and allowed to choose his
own team of lawyers. Lethargy set in, generated by Nawaz Sharif's total
disinterest. The government did not help, and those responsible for
delivering justice dithered. Despite the efforts of Ghulam Ishaq and
Munshi, not one important case against Benazir Bhutto was allowed to be
completed before the fall of Nawaz in 1993, although all the evidence had
been recorded. So she got away, and Zaman died of frustration.
Neither of these two leaders, alternatively inflicted upon us, are
democrats. Scratch them, and there, under the top layer, you find a despot.
Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto are brother and sister under the skin.
Little separates them.
But, to give Nawaz Sharif some credit this time round, he has done a little
better and is trying to bring back to the nation some of the wealth of
which it has been robbed with impunity and with cheek. The chief of his
Ehtesab Cell, Saifur Rahman, is a diligent man who is at the receiving end
of much flak - understandable, the majority of our people being what they
are. In its brief life of 100 days, the Cell has done a lot. From a few of
our well-known congenital wheeler-dealers it has actually recovered and
brought back into the country's economy Rs 3,840 million. The country's
villainous debtors, the majority absconding or jailed, have asked for time
and have pledged, and the Cell has assured, the further recovery of Rs
5,040 million.
Ace bureaucrats without whose active connivance the dacoities could not
have taken place have been exposed (though they needed no identification as
we all knew them well for what they are). The champions of champions
include the evergreen Salman Faruqui, the proud co-owner with his family of
nineteen properties and structures scattered around the land, ownership of
which is established beyond doubt; brother Usman Faruqui; Sajjad Hussain
(Steel mill); Nayyar Bari (textile quota); Rahman Malik (FIA); Ahmad Sadik
(Benazir Bhutto's principal secretary); admiral Akbar Hussain Khan (KPT);
Asadullah Shaikh (NIT); Captain Naseer (Petroleum ministry); Shahid Hasan
Khan (Benazir Bhutto's adviser). They are too numerous to list here. So
far, around Rs. 50 million has been recovered from some of those persons.
In her second round, Benazir Bhutto and husband discovered a new source of
income - inspection companies. The FOB value of our imports inspected from
January 1995 to March 1997 totalled 15.40 billion dollars. To get the work,
Cotecna Inspection S.A., and Societe Generale de Surveillance S.A., both of
Geneva, had to pay under the table as much as nine per cent on their
earnings. The Ehtesab Cell has so far unearthed copies of four letters
written by these companies to three offshore companies, Mariston
Securities, Nassam Overseas, and Bomer Finance, all sent "c/o Maitre Jens.
Schlegelmilch, Rue Bellot 2, 1206 Geneva." All four are similar (names and
percentages differing):
"We have the pleasure of confirming hereby the following: "Should we
receive, within six months from today, a contract from the Government of
Pakistan for the inspection and the price verification of goods imported in
Pakistan, we, Cotecna Inspection S.A., Geneva will pay you 6% (six per
cent) on the total amount involved and paid to us by the government of
Pakistan for such a contract during the whole duration of that contract and
its renewal.
"These payments will be made to you by us quarterly on the basis of amounts
effectively received by us in Geneva."
Apart from that, the Cell has been able to produce sufficient evidence to
satisfy the Federal Office for Police Matters, Berne, that there is
justification for the blocking of the relevant bank accounts. A letter
dated September 9, 1997, from the Swiss Police to Saifur Rahman reads:
"Case: Bhutto Benazir etc.
"Please find enclosed the copy of the blocking order which our office has
issued yesterday, 8 Sep '97, for your information. We have sent four
identical orders to the four banks listed on page 4. We have also ordered
them not to inform the clients as long as we do not get back some first
results. We have on the other hand set a time period for the receipt of the
formal request for mutual legal assistance. This should arrive at our
office before 8 Dec '97. We would, however, appreciate to get the original
of your letter of 8 Sep '97 before that date."
Four banks have been instructed to block the accounts of 'accused person
Bhutto Benazir, ex-Prime Minister, Zardari Asif Ali, husband of Madame
Bhutto, Bhutto Nusrat Begum.' Six cover companies have been named as having
been used: Capricorn Trading, Dargal Associated, Mariston Securities,
Mariston Business, Nassam Inc, Bomer Finance. If Benazir and her family
have no concern with there companies, why then is the PPP sending a team of
lawyers to Switzerland?
The clinical Swiss know how business is done all over the world. They have
their own graphs and charts as to the level of corruption in each country.
They have strict secrecy laws and are not concerned with who gets
commissions from whom and where it is banked. Banking is their principal
business, but they no longer tolerate robbery of a poor country by its
pindarras and politicians. The blocking of the accounts by the Cell is no
mean achievement.
Benazir Bhutto has not denied the existence of her accounts, nor the fact
that they have not been declared in her assets as they should, by law, have
been. She fears disqualification from politics and says that all this is
but Nawaz Sharif trying to politically eliminate her and her party. She may
be right. No one says it is not. During his first round, Nawaz Sharif had a
chance to finish her off, and during her second round she had a chance to
finish him off. Both held their hands. But now, perhaps, he intends to do
what he so miserably failed to do between 1990 and 1993. Benazir Bhutto
counter-alleges that Nawaz Sharif and his men have committed wholesale
robbery. Who can deny that? As far as we, the people, are concerned, if
each finishes off the other, for sure it will be no loss. They are
certainly not the last two political people in Pakistan.
Nawaz Sharif is now in the saddle, and it is he whom we address. Neither
locals nor foreigners will invest in this country until the infrastructure
is built up and a congenial political atmosphere prevails. He knows, and
the world knows, the number of people in Pakistan living below the poverty
line, living without potable water, without health care, without education,
without basic sanitation facilities, and without much more. He has
sufficient power to rule this country well and democratically. Why does he
continue to clamour for more and more power, for absolute power? This, we
the people, must unite to deny him. The country just cannot afford any more
despots.
First things first. There is no lack of laws; they are abundant. What we
lack is order and good governance - a lack that can easily bring us down.
It is a pity that Nawaz Sharif has not read enough history to know and to
fear the ease with which unstable strife-ridden half-countries can
disintegrate. The simple blaming of others for one's blunders is no
guarantee for survival.
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970922
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Different strokes
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Omar Kureishi
A CERTAIN sanctimonious tut-tut apart, the sympathies of the cricket public
are with Inzamamul Haq, the burly Multan-born cricketer who jumped into the
crowd to sort out an abusive heckler in Toronto. These sympathies
acknowledge that he should not have taken the law and a cricket bat in his
hands but the persistence of the heckling and the vile language that was
being used gives the assault the mitigation of self-defence.
There is only so much that a self-respecting person will put up with and
then he will react. This is not to say that what he did was right but that
even the gentlest of persons has a breaking point. The match referee did
what he had to do. He was presented with a clear case of a violation of the
code of conduct. Though what his reaction would have been had he himself
been the target of abuse is hard to say. The Toronto police too did what
they had to do. A complaint of assault and battery was lodged and they had
to conform to the set procedure. What about the heckler? He says that it
was all in innocent fun and he felt that he was entitled to banter about.
Thus it would seem that no one really was at fault.
Looked at from a different perspective, we will discover that all parties
involved acted injudiciously. Inzamamul Haq should have ignored the
taunting or brought it to the attention of his captain who may have changed
his fielding position. Besides, he has played before nastier crowds and
should have considered that heckling went with the territory. That there is
a down side to being a celebrity.
But this means that an irrational impulse should have been suppressed and
he should have acted more calmly. But his best bet would have been to have
ignored the heckler who in time would have got tired or bored. The match
referee should have on his own noted that there was a man with a megaphone
and he was hurling abuses and being an India-Pakistan match, his conduct
carried the risk of provoking a riot. This may not be a part of his duties
strictly speaking but there was nothing stopping him from bringing it to
the attention of the ground authorities, informally or unofficially.
If the code of conduct protects a spectator from being clobbered by a
player, it would seem to me that a player too needs some protection from
predatory spectators. But those, most to blame, would be the ground
authorities who permitted a spectator to bring a megaphone into the ground
and then use it to broadcast abuse. The police could have dismissed the
complaint as being frivolous since the person who was making it provided
the cause of action. And the heckler should have been ejected from the
ground instead of becoming an aggrieved person who may end up by getting
damages.
Yet in all this, the only one who has been punished has been Inzamamul Haq.
It seems unjust and unfair. But then who says that life is just or fair?
What, however, should be a matter of concern is the frequency of incidents
involving Pakistani sportsmen when they go abroad to represent their
country. That they are meant to be goodwill ambassadors is romantic
fiction. The idea that sportsmen were a breed apart and stood for certain
ennobling ideals has always been a myth. The competitive nature of sports
and the rewards available do not allow for what is perceived to be
"sportsman's spirit."
On the contrary, the very reverse is true. With the arrival of satellite
television and the sponsors, sports has become big business with the
morality and sharp practices of big business. The very fact that a
wicket-keeper will appeal for a caught behind knowing full well that there
has been no nick is indicative of the value-system of modern sports. The
wicket-keeper is not penalised for trying to have the umpire on. And this
is not considered a breach of the code of conduct though it should be, for
it amounts to cheating.
But we are now finding that whenever a Pakistan sports team travels abroad,
more often than not, it lands in some kind of trouble. How is it that teams
from other countries are able to tour without making the wrong kind of
headlines? It didn't used to be like this. What has happened that makes our
teams incident-prone? Is it a break-down of discipline? Or is it simply a
reflection of our national life which is conspicuous by a lack of respect,
if not a contempt, for law?
Do our sportsman feel that they have a right of entitlement to misbehave,
as our other V.I.Ps have? There was the story of the sons of a provincial
chief minister beating up some motorist because the motorist overtook their
car or some such ridiculous reason. This was not road rage but the right of
entitlement.
But the misconduct of sportsmen is more serious than that of V.I.Ps or
their offspring. The sportsmen are supposed to be role-models and they are
watched on television and the young will want to imitate their behaviour
and their actions. It is entirely possible that in a game of street-cricket
someone may pick up a bat and rush to sort out a supposed heckler. He will
do so because he saw a Pakistani cricketer, who may be his hero, doing it
on television.
It is not just the image of Pakistan cricket that gets tarnished but the
image of the country. And already it's a pretty murky image.
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970924
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Meddling with the judiciary
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Khalid Jawed Khan
ALTHOUGH the withdrawal of the notification by which the government sought
to curtail the strength of the Supreme Court has de-escalated the crisis
spawned by the government's ill-advised move, this issue of fundamental
constitutional importance remains unresolved as the government says it
plans to take the matter to the Parliament for a decision.
Under the Constitution of 1956, it was provided that the Supreme Court
would consist of the chief justice and not more than six other judges. It
was also provided that the Parliament may increase the number of judges
beyond six. The Constitution of 1962 did not follow this and instead
provided that the Supreme Court shall consist of a chief justice and so
many other judges as may be determined by law or until so determined, as
may be fixed by the president. The Constitution of 1973 followed this pattern.
It is obvious that the departure in 1962 and its follow-up in 1973 was
intended to strengthen the hands of the executive by providing a mechanism
by which the judiciary could be controlled. Much has, however, happened
since those days of the autocrats. Nothing short of a judicial revolution
has been accomplished. And there will be no roll-back unless there is a
constitutional deviation.
Under Article 176, the Parliament is under a constitutional obligation to
legislate on this matter. This provision is placed in the chapter relating
to the judiciary and not the chapters which confer plenary legislative and
executive power on the Parliament and the government respectively. In
Azizullah Memon V Balochistan PLD 1993 SC 341, the Supreme Court observed
that "our Constitution is based on trichotomy of power in which executive,
legislative and judiciary have their own functions independent from each
other. None of these three organs are dependent upon the other nor one can
claim superiority over the other."
Since this provision relates to the composition of the apex court, there is
no doubt that it has to be interpreted in a manner which promotes the
institutional autonomy and independence of the judiciary and not the other
way round. And as India's Justice Bhagwati observed in a case, "justice can
become fearless and free only if institutional immunity and autonomy are
guaranteed."
This view is further reinforced by the legislative scheme of the
Constitution. In the federal legislative list (item 55) the Supreme Court
is specifically excluded from the ambit of plenary legislative power of the
government. On the contrary, it is provided that the jurisdiction of the
Supreme Court could only be enlarged in respect of the items to which it
otherwise extends. If the government can only enlarge the jurisdiction of
the apex court, it will be extremely odd to infer the power of diminishing
the size of the court itself. By seeking to reduce the strength of the apex
court, the government has not only violated its constitutional obligation
but also struck at the very root of the constitutional structure.
The constitution of a country is not just a legal document. It is not a
contractual agreement either which defines mutual relationship of the
people and the state. It is an organic instrument which reflects the
aspirations of the people not only for themselves but for generations to
come. It enshrines their past as well as their vision for the future. It
creates what Charles Reich calls the protective enclaves within which a
person is absolutely autonomous and beyond the reach of any authority. It
gives birth to rule of law.
But rule of law is not merely enforcement of law by coercive state
machinery. It is constitutional governance which demarcates spheres of
governmental functions and also protects and promotes the liberties of all
citizens regardless of their other characteristics and affiliations. There
are certain inalienable core values which no amount of state necessity can
overshadow. Every citizen is guaranteed a right to participate in the
political process. And for those who, somehow, are perennially
disadvantaged in this process, there are competent judicial forums to
protect their interests.
In a society which aspires to be governed by rule of law, access to
impartial and independent judicial forums is of fundamental importance. The
Indian constitution has made the right of direct access to the Supreme
Court for the enforcement of fundamental rights a constitutional right in
itself. In our country, this has been achieved by judicial interpretation.
In the case of Azizullah, the court further held that "the right of access
to justice is an internationally recognized human right and is now being
implemented and executed by granting relief under the constitutional
provisions... The right of access to justice does not only mean that the
law may provide remedies for the violation of rights, but it also means
that every citizen should have an equal opportunity and right to approach
the courts without any discrimination. It also envisages that normally the
courts established by law shall be open for all citizens alike." This
principle was reiterated in the landmark "Judges Case" which closed the
doors of executive manoeuvrings vis-a-vis the judiciary.
The Constitution, having laid down the broad national aspirations, entrusts
the task of transforming that ambition into reality to the legislative,
executive and judicial organs of the state.
Although these three organs of the state are trustees of the rights and
liberties of the people, historically it has emerged as an established fact
that the real threat to the liberties of the people comes mostly from the
executive organ and from the legislature when it is completely dominated by
the executive. In the latter case it loses its autonomous existence, as is
the case with our present Parliament.
On the contrary, judiciary, even though it is neither representative of the
people in the sense of being directly chosen by them nor is it directly
accountable to them, yet it has emerged as the strongest bulwark against
arbitrary invasion of their rights and liberties.
An independent and impartial judiciary is vital to the existence of a
society governed by rule of law. Arbitrary governance and an independent
judiciary cannot coexist. Every government since independence has perceived
the judiciary as a rival and an obstacle to its ambition of absolute power.
No efforts have been spared to weaken the judiciary and compel it to
condone or sustain arbitrary governmental action. Sadly, on occasions this
was done with active support from the bench. Yet, by and large, the role of
judiciary has been commendable.
Peter Hogg, the author of the Canadian constitutional text, has observed
that "the Supreme Court of Canada's existence, and therefore the details of
its composition and jurisdiction, depend upon an ordinary federal
statute... In theory, the court could be abolished by the unilateral action
of federal government. In practice, of course, the court has won a highly
respectable place in the scheme of Canadian government, and no federal
government would ever contemplate the abolition or diminution of the court."
What could not even be contemplated in a contemporary civilized society
could have been accomplished in our republic but for the timely
intervention of the bar and the bench.
It is against this background that the government's move to curtail the
strength of the court has to be analyzed. It also needs to be emphasized
that the Parliament is itself the creation of the Constitution and can only
act in furtherance of the constitutional scheme and not in derogation of
it. The Parliament and the government are repositories of power held in
trust which can only be exercised in public interest and for a demonstrably
legitimate aim and the means employed must also be constitutionally and
democratically valid.
Where more than eight thousand cases are pending adjudication before the
Supreme Court, there can be no legitimate reason for reducing the number of
judges. The inevitable conclusion is that the reasons are extraneous and
reduction in the number is primarily an expression of government's anxiety
over, and its displeasure of, an independent and assertive court.
It is axiomatic that people resort to extreme and extra-constitutional
methods only when all channels of expression of dissatisfaction within the
system are blocked. Any attempt to disturb the constitutional position of
the judiciary, however ingeniously or craftily attempted, would amount to
altering the basic constitutional dispensation. This would not only be
politically destructive but also legally unsustainable. As was recently
held by the Supreme Court in the case of Mahmood Khan Achakzai V Pakistan
PLD 1997 SC 427 that this being an impermissible exercise of legislative
power, it is liable to be struck down even if attempted through
constitutional amendment.
Even a president as powerful as Roosevelt failed to persuade his Senate to
implement his "court packing" plan. The present government should come out
of the delusion of its massive mandate. Instead, it should act rationally
and give up any thoughts about reducing the strength of the apex court.
There are more important and urgent matters waiting for attention rather
than this matter of judicial emasculation.
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970925
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The chill of frozen accounts
--------------------------------------------------------------------
By Rifaat Hamid Ghani
DID the party rally round the flag? Ms Bhutto called a meeting of the
central executive committee at Bilawal House in the wake of the chill of
frozen Swiss bank accounts. She had of course to do something and it was
tactical to test the waters regarding her control over the party in the
face of fresh embarrassments.
She may have control but does she still command loyalty? No one can say
what goes on behind the closed doors. It is only reasonable to assume there
are front-rankers who might be wondering what they can make of a bid for
party leadership should it come to that. The chips are not down yet, but
they could be headed that way. For the present those who had assembled made
the right kind of noises about their loyalty to the leader but that does
not signify much. No one will be wanting to assume responsibility for a
party in visible distress right away. Nor would the wise choose to incur
the odium of turning on the leader when she is so clearly down - but not
out yet.
We know no one was able to take away PPP leadership from the direct line,
but the question may now be what kind of PPP could it be without a Bhutto
at the helm?
The first death anniversary of Mir Murtaza Bhutto underlines the question.
Had he been alive it may not have arisen. Ms Bhutto still persists in
reiterating that a conspiracy undid her. Conspiracies may or may not have
undone the PPP, but Ms Bhutto made a major contribution to her own
downfall. Seeing what she made of that rare thing, a second chance, it is
impossible to avoid the conclusion that she herself threw away all the
goodwill and let down the people. She made all the vital decisions or chose
what and whose advice to take. Was she merely frivolous or given to corrupt
practices? Whether or not the Swiss accounts spell out the answer, it seems
there was some indiscretion and she preferred to have kept it hidden away.
And yet, it is not beyond her to get supporters to forgive and forget.
Those whose fortunes are linked to Ms Bhutto's star in the PPP have always
focused on making Asif Zardari the villain of the piece, and exonerating
her as the eastern wife who is the helpless victim of the antics and
capricious ways of her spouse. Ms Bhutto has a singular flair for
theatricality and she could step into the role of a young, beautiful,
suffering mother and wronged wife as readily as she has adopted her other
personae. An accountability process that targets her first and foremost,
ignoring others, gains sympathy for the persecuted rather than the accusers.
The tireless Ms Bhutto having had her session with the party CEC, observed
the death anniversary of her brother (gliding over circumstances that kept
the family from being one and united over this tragedy) and then took off
to give her son a birthday treat in Dubai, where the children are at school
these days. Mr. Sharif took off for New York to address the UN General
Assembly, leaving us all conscious what a much more interested and
enthusiastic audience Ms Bhutto would have commanded. What a pity, she
could not be true to the better part of her talents.
Mir Murtaza's Shaheed Bhutto PPP had the Do Talwar bedecked with the PP
colors and the sword, which used to be the symbol of the party in Z.A.
Bhutto's day. But the familiar symbol only emphasized the loss of the
Bhutto-inspired dream. Just as the Benazir-led PPP has to contend with the
implications of the murder of Mir Murtaza, the SB PPP has to contend with
the limitations that Murtaza's children are too young and Ghinwa without
the required political credentials other than the ones so tragically
imposed on her by widowhood. But there may be more things holding the party
back than that. Benazir's PPP never wore the mask of AZO. Murtaza did not
live long enough to change that image; and the ritual of lighting diyas
soaked in the blood of followers to mark his barsi scarcely spells healthy
politics.
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970927
--------------------------------------------------------------------
How much is enough?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Irfan Husain
ONE hundred million dollars? A billion? With our grubby, greedy leaders, it
seems they never have enough, so they engage in an endless round of scams
whenever they are in power. And when they are turfed out for corruption,
they start doing deals with the devil to somehow, anyhow, return to power.
Benazir Bhutto is a classic example of this inexhaustible desire to make
money by any means. Here is a politician blessed with just about every
advantage one can think of: striking good looks, a sound education, money
and a name that has a powerful resonance in Pakistan and abroad. True, she
has suffered more than her fair share of tragedy, but one would have
expected this to have tempered her, making her immune to temptation. Alas,
her accession to power among much expectation has been persistently marred
with rumours of corruption and nepotism of the worst kind. In her first
stint, supporters like me attributed most of these failings to her husband,
Asif Zardari.
But this excuse wore increasingly thin during BB's second innings. This
time around, concrete evidence surfaced in the form of the famous mansion
in Surrey, and the crates of furniture and antiques that were sent from
Bilawal House to London. The outrage and revulsion this caused led directly
to the sacking of BB's government and this time, there was no sympathy or
support for her at all. Having squandered her moral authority to rule, she
was seen as just another of the breed of politicians that we have.
Whatever the legal aspects of the many allegations surrounding the First
Couple, the political damage was catastrophic, translating into a
near-wipe-out of the PPP in the February election. As a matter of fact,
just a year ago, Benazir Bhutto's position seemed to be unassailable,
although the cracks had started to show. The only explanation for her fall
from grace is unbridled ambition combined with hubris. She appeared
genuinely to think that she had covered her flanks by having her men in the
presidency and the Supreme Court, and a supporter in GHQ. With such solid
backing, she made the mistake of thinking she could afford a critical Press
and a disenchanted people without risking her position.
The recent freeze of four Bhutto-Zardari bank accounts in Switzerland has
dealt another body blow to any ambitions BB may have harboured of returning
to power. This time, if the government succeeds in establishing the
Zardari-Bhutto combine's direct involvement in corrupt practices to the
satisfaction of the Swiss government, it will be nearly impossible even for
the resilient Benazir Bhutto to stage a comeback. For starters, she will
face disqualification from the assembly, and will be unable to contest the
next election, to say nothing about losing whatever residue of goodwill she
still retains among the public.
So far, virtually the only defence mounted by Benazir Bhutto and her
dwindling band of supporters is, in effect, to ask: "What about Nawaz
Sharif and his scams?" Unfortunately, this does not let her off the hook.
She had three years to find hard evidence against her rival, and if her
government was too inept to do so, it does not mean that she should be
allowed to go scot free even if evidence is there to prove her wrongdoing.
It is true that we do not have very high expectations of our politicians in
terms of either integrity or ability. The public is used to the sight of
our leaders - whether democratically elected, foisted on us in caretaker
arrangements, or ruling by the gun - feeding noisily and greedily at the
trough of the exchequer. But when one snout digs in too deeply and
disgustingly, there is occasionally an angry reaction from the people who
fill the trough with their taxes. Thus, the cry of "Enough is enough!" went
up after the Surreygate scandal.
Another element in this sorry chapter in Pakistani politics (a saga largely
devoid of any happy sections) is that by and large. Benazir Bhutto did
enjoy a very good reputation before she first became prime minister. She
was also perceived as somebody not allowed to govern effectively by hostile
forces occupying the presidency and GHQ. Even much of the speculation about
her husband's misdeeds was put down to opposition disinformation. By
contrast, Nawaz Sharif was seen as a businessman first and last, and the
business community in Pakistan does not make fine distinctions between
public and personal funds, especially when in power.
In Nawaz Sharif's case, he had been introduced into politics by the army,
and he used his office of finance minister in Punjab to advance his
family's business interests. Nobody was particularly shocked or surprised
by this because he limited his wheeling and dealing to his own specific
area of interest. Eyebrows were raised by the Sharif family's sudden rise
to eminence as Pakistan's foremost industrial empire, but by and large
people accepted this implied misuse of power since the Sharifs had invested
their presumably ill-gotten loans within Pakistan. This in no way condones
the short-cuts the Lahore Mians must have taken to get where they are: it
does, however, explain why the taxpayer isn't as furious with them as they
are with the Bhutto-Zardari combine who sent their mysteriously large
dollar deposits abroad. Apart from being a vote of no-confidence in
Pakistan, this safe but ill-judged move deprived locals of jobs.
When comparing the two leaders before the last election, many PPP foot
soldiers commented that while they were both equally corrupt, "at least
Nawaz Sharif provided employment to thousands of Pakistanis." The Zardaris,
on the other hand, gave jobs only to syces to look after Asif Zardari's
polo ponies.
It would appear that whatever the outcome, the Swiss connection, the end of
the political road for Benazir Bhutto, is in sight. She has not denied the
existence of her family's bank accounts in a country notorious for
sheltering the illegal funds acquired by dictators and crooks from all over
the world. That is damaging enough in itself. Should these accounts contain
large sums now or in the past, the noose of public opinion if not the law
will tighten around Benazir Bhutto's neck. And this time, there are not
enough gullible people in Pakistan to vote her back to power.
===================================================================
970924
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Pakistan lose to England, fail to qualify for semis
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sydney Friskin
MILTON KEYNES, Sept 23: Pakistan's hopes of a semi-final place in the sixth
Junior World Cup hockey tournament disappeared here with a 3-1 defeat by
England who moved into the last four stage along with Germany, the holders.
All Pakistan needed was a draw which they failed to achieve and for the
first time since this event began in 1979 they will come home without a
medal. This was a sorry tale of lost opportunity which Pakistan will rue
for some time to come, but they failed abjectly to undermine the confidence
of England whose defence stood out gamely against mounting pressure in the
second half. Their heroes were Jon Ebsworth in the goal and Jon Evennett at
fullback.
There seemed to have been a chance for Pakistan to make up the lost ground
in the second half. They had the better of the first 20 minutes without
achieving anything tangible.
With time ticking away they mounted a fierce assault on the England goal in
the last 10 minutes but the forwards failed to click. Mohammad Khalid
provided Farooq with a good chance to score but the shot went wide. Two
penalty corners in the closing minutes came to nothing and a frustrated
Pakistan team eventually gave up the chase. The most likely qualifiers from
the other pool, are Australia and India, Pakistan are now left with having
to play off for fifth to eighth, places.
Pakistan were in a precarious position by the end of the first half with
England leading 3-1. Pakistan's panic-stricken defence made too many
mistakes and allowed England's bustling forwards to seize their chances.
England tackled and covered so well that Pakistan's forwards could not find
their rhythm. The only forward who made any headway in this period was the
outside left Babar Abdullah who without support, was soon set upon by
England's rearguard inside the circle.
England seized the initiative from the start and forced a penalty corner
from which the short by David Mathews was saved by Khokhar. Continuing
their pressure England scored in the 13th minutes. A centre from the right
by Stuart Humphreys was snapped up on the left of the circle by Adrian
Simons who scored with a hard hit. Two minutes later a mistake in defence
by Salim, Aamir let in Simons again to put England two goals ahead. In
consequence Pakistan substituted Khokhar in goal by Qasim Mohammed. It was
surely a sign of desperation.
A penalty corner to Pakistan in the 17th minute failed to materialize and
three minutes later Babar Abdullah sent Mohammed Farooq racing into the
circle with the promise of a goal but the English goalkeeper ran out and
smothered the shot.
In the 28th minute another muddle in Pakistan's defence enabled Mark Pearn
to drive the ball against the back board for England's third goal and
Pakistan were in dire straits. A spirited effort by Pakistan yielded three
penalty corners all of which proved unavailing but Pakistan were eventually
successful with the fourth of these awards with Mohammed Farooq scrambling
the ball into goal from a fierce scramble, five minutes before half-time.
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970926
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Saeed given captaincy; Ramiz, Salim dropped from 14-man side
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ilyas Beg
LAHORE, Sept 25: Ramiz Raja has not only been deposed from captaincy but
also dropped from the 14-member Pakistan cricket team named for three-match
series of one-day internationals against the visiting Indian side. Also
axed from the Pakistan team is the polished batsman Salim Malik, who had
performed well during the dismal 5-match series in Canada and young paceman
Muhammad Akram.
Saeed Anwar has been elevated to the position of captain by the Pakistan
Cricket Board (PCB) Council members, who also gave approval of the team on
telephone. Saeed Anwar was vice-captain of the Pakistan team which lost the
5-match Sahara Cup series of one-day internationals against the Indian side
1-4 at Toronto. The experienced wicketkeeper and batsman Moin Khan has been
appointed his deputy.
Giving a reason for appointing a vice-captain of the host team, which is
something rare, the PCB secretary Waqar Ahmad told this reporter that Saeed
Anwar had problem to his hamstring and if he could not recover for the
first match against India at Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad on September 28
(Sunday), then Moin Khan would lead the Pakistan side.
The Test opener Aamir Sohail, who was not selected in the Pakistan team for
the trip to Canada, has again been left out of the team by the selectors
for the matches against India. However, he has been appointed captain of
the Combined side, replacing Muhammad Wasim. Incidentally, Muhammad Wasim
has been picked for the Pakistan team. The Combined team will play the
visiting South African side's first three-day match at the National
Stadium, Karachi from October 1 to 3.
The former Test batsman Haroon Rashid has been retained as the coach of the
Pakistan team. The 14 players of the Pakistan team are: Captain Saeed
Anwar, vice-captain Moin Khan, Shahid Afridi, Ejaz Ahmad Senior,
Inzimam-ul-Haq, Hasan Raza, Azhar Mahmood, Saqlain Mushtaq, Waqar Younis,
Aaqib Javed, Muhammad Husain, Salim Elahi, Muhammad Wasim, Shahid Nazir.
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970926
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Haroon blames irresponsible batting for defeat
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sports Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 25: Pakistan's cricket manager Haroon Rasheed has said Ramiz
Raja's below-par performance led to his ouster. He made the comments after
his team returned from Canada losing 4-1 to India.
"A non-performing captain is always under pressure. And it is precisely why
Raja lost out," Rasheed said. "Raja's own form plus the defeats of the
Pakistan cricket team combined to force the officials take such an extreme
step. "I feel sorry for Raja because he did whatever was possible. He
handled the media well and earned a lot of praise for projecting the image
of the country. But on-the-field, he failed and it is the performance on
the field which matters in the end," said Rasheed who must be considering
himself under pressure after the national team's defeat in Sri Lanka and
Canada.
Rasheed was of the view that Pakistan's task was now more stern. "Not only
the morale of the team has to be lifted, Saeed Anwar also has to establish
and prove himself as the right choice for Ramiz Raja."
On the ouster of Salim Malik, Haroon Rasheed simply said: "The selectors
have taken a decision and I hope that the experiment proves right. It will
be a good opportunity for the youngsters to cement their places in the team."
In the wake of Canadian debacle, Rasheed continued, the Pakistan team only
needs to stay focused and play positive cricket. "Leave behind whatever
happened in Canada. Look forward and try to stamp our authority over
India," was Rasheed's advice to his young team.
Commenting on the disastrous performance in Canada, Haroon opined that
irresponsible batting had a major share in his team's defeat. "Our batting
badly failed in the first three games," he said, adding: "We threw away our
wickets in the second game to be bowled out for 116 while collapsed in the
third to be bowled out for 145 odd after being 103 for three."
Rasheed said in the fourth game his team had a good score to defend but
fielding, which had been impressive in the earlier matches, crumbled. "A
couple of catches were dropped while Akram crossed the fence after catching
Ganguly."
Rasheed was also unhappy with the wickets that were prepared for the
series. "The wickets for the first three games were seaming ones. No trials
or matches were played on it previously." Rasheed said the wickets suited
the Indian bowlers more because they were gentle medium-pacers while his
bowlers were quicker in the air. "But I must give credit to the Indian
bowlers who bowled according to their limitations, forcing the Pakistan
batsmen to make mistakes," Rasheed said.
On the fiasco created by Inzamamul Haq, Rasheed said the situation could
have been avoided "but nasty remarks were being passed. Inzamam is a very
cool guy and he couldn't resist. I personally feel, that Inzamam should
have turned a deaf ear or had informed the captain or umpires."
Defending himself in the scenario, Rasheed said he was not present in the
dressing room when the incident happened. "I was with the chief selector
(Salim Altaf) and IMG people because Kabir Khan had suffered a serious
injury and I was urging a replacement."
Haroon emphasized that despite the defeat in Canada, the gain was the
emergence of Hasan Raza and Azhar Mahmood who proved that they had the
talent and potential of top grade cricket. "I am also happy with the
improvement shown by Shahid Afridi. Now he has started playing shots on the
back foot and is also cutting and pulling."
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970926
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Four players were fined in Canada
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sports Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 25: Four cricketers, including Salim Malik and member of the
disciplinary panel Inzamamul Haq, were fined by the team's disciplinary
committee during the Sahara Cup.
The tour disciplinary committee included Aqib Javed (chairman), Ijaz Ahmad
and Inzamamul Haq. Salim Malik, a former captain, was fined US$ 500 for
misbehaving with cricket manager Haroon Rasheed during a team meeting held
after the first match of the five-game series.
Malik, according to sources, had started shouting when Haroon Rasheed had
pointed to him that he should have batted more responsibly after the
run-out of Saqlain Mushtaq in the first match of the series.
Inzamamul Haq was also fined US$ 1,000 by his other two colleagues for
breach of code of conduct. Inzamam had crossed the fence to enter an
enclosure and grab the spectator who had been taunting at him for the last
two hours.
A case was registered against Inzamam on three accounts but the batsman
filed a counter case against the Indian spectator two days later. According
to team sources, though the initial hearing will be held on Oct. 8, the
matter was expected to be settled outside the court.
Mohammad Husain was fined US$ 500 for providing Inzamamul Haq with a bat
with which the latter threatened the Indian spectator. Husain, who was not
playing in that match, had carried the bat from the dressing room before
handing it over to the batsman.
Kabir Khan was also fined US$ 500 for leaving the ground during a match
without the permission of the team management. Kabir was also fined US$ 250
in Sri Lanka.
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970926
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Anwar says Pakistan will roar back
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Samiul Hasan
KARACHI, Sept 25: Newly installed captain Saeed Anwar said his team was
like a wounded tiger and warned the Indians to be cautious in the
forthcoming Wills Challenge Cup.
"Don't you get excited with victory over us in Canada. Losing is not our
habit and we are determined to get back on our old winning ways," Saeed
Anwar said in his first interview after being named as Ramiz Raja's
successor. "We are not used to losing for a longer time. Defeats in three
tournaments and that too in five months are enough for us," Anwar, 29, said.
"A tough season is ahead of us and we are looking forward to an impressive
start to it. A series win over India would be a perfect tonic for us,"
Anwar, who slammed a record-breaking 194 against India in May, stated.
Anwar admitted that the Indians must be confident "but matches in Pakistan
will be a different ball game. Hopefully, the wickets will be good and
there will be a lot of crowd support to us."
Anwar said in Canada, Pakistan could have easily won four games. "But when
we had to concentrate and apply ourselves, we played casually and threw
away the games. "I don't want to belittle the efforts of the Indians, I
think the result might have been different if we had kept a cool head
instead of relaxing."
Anwar said this was the lesson his team learnt from the Canadian defeat.
"Whosoever is batting, has to carry on unless the job is accomplished. We
forget that and paid the price. "It was more like a refresher course and
now every player realizes what he has to do," he emphasized.
Anwar said Azharuddin and Saurav Ganguly were in tremendous form "but lady
luck also favoured them. Our bowlers missed their bats quite often." The
Indian bowling, Anwar continued, lacked penetration. "They got us out only
because their bowlers were medium-pacers which allowed the ball do all the
tricks. On the contrary, our bowlers were fast and couldn't get as much
swing as they would have loved to."
Anwar was of the opinion that Waqar Younis's return to the side will
further bolster the bowling. "He is a world class bowler and experienced
enough to bowl under any circumstance and surface." "Experience will be
missed in the middle-order as Salim Malik is not there but what can one
say. It was the decision of the selection committee."
Anwar said he has been in-charge of a young team and was optimistic that it
would deliver the goods. "They are young and talented. They are the best we
have at the moment. All they need is proper guidance and support. "Any
young team needs time to settle and the biggest example is of the
Australian team which was rebuilt under the captaincy of Allan Border,"
Anwar remarked.
On the sacking of Ramiz Raja, Saeed Anwar said: "It is sad. He (Ramiz Raja)
was an unlucky captain. Under him, the team didn't win crucial and crunch
matches. "He tried everything but couldn't convert the tides in his favour
despite dominating the game."
On his personal form, Saeed Anwar said it was the first time he has failed
in an entire series by his standard. "I know I am due for some run and
hopefully the bad patch will end against India."
Saeed Anwar has previously led Pakistan in five one-day internationals,
winning three and losing two. He first led the team in the 1994 Asia Cup
and ended up on the losing side against Sri Lanka. He then led in three
matches in Kenya where he won against Kenya and Sri Lanka before losing to
South Africa in final. In the Sharjah Cup last year, he led against New
Zealand and won by four wickets.
Captaincy also appears to suit him as he scored 4, 27, 115, 32 and 54 in
the five matches he played in that role.
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970926
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Jahangir, Zubair, to form squash doubles team
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Sports Reporter
KARACHI, Sept 25: Squash legend Jahangir Khan, who retired in glory after
leading Pakistan to victory in the 1993 World Team Championship in the
city, and Zubair Jahan Khan, currently ranked world number 10, would be
representing Pakistan in the World Doubles championship, scheduled in Hong
Kong from Dec. 10-14.
The Pakistan Squash Federation sources here said that record holder of 10
British Open titles, Jahangir, has given his consent to play in the men's
doubles along with Zubair Jahan. Both of them are out of the country.
Besides the men's doubles, the women's doubles and the mixed doubles would
be parts of the coming championships. Pakistan has entered the men's
doubles, understandably as women's squash standard in the country lags much
behind the international level.
Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand have entered in all three
events while hosts Hong Kong, USA, Malaysia and Japan are taking part in
two events.
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970927
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Indians get warm welcome
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Samiul Hasan
KARACHI, Sept 26: The Indian cricketers received effusive welcome when they
arrived here on Friday afternoon for the first time in eight years.
The entire Airport staff, the tier of the law-enforcing agencies under the
leadership of Commissioner of Karachi, Mir Husain Ali, officials of the
KCCA and a representative of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) were present
when the Indians landed at 3:45 p.m. after the Air India flight delayed its
arrival by more than four hours.
Skipper Sachin Tendulkar found himself in trap of flash guns, microphones
and tape-recorders as the media people tried to get hold of him. During
that period, former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin sneaked through with
his film-actress wife and former Miss India, Sangeeta Bijlani.
Outside the Quaid-i-Azam International Airport, people queued in discipline
to catch a glimpse of the Indians and show the respect they have for them.
As promised, high-class security was present which escorted the Indians to
their hotel. The Indians leave for Hyderabad for the first game of the
three-match series early Saturday morning by road.
Although Sachin Tendulkar lacked the flair shown earlier in the morning by
South African skipper Hansie Cronje, emphasized that his team was
determined to play good cricket here. "We have come here to play good
cricket and hope to perform well and win in all the three games," said
Tendulkar.
Tendulkar said his team would not underestimate the Pakistanis who will be
without Ramiz Raja, Salim Malik, Aamir Sohail and Wasim Akram. "We are not
over-confident or complacent but we feel that we have good chances in the
series."
"We always consider Pakistan as good rivals (on-the-field). It is a good
satisfaction to play against them because they are a competitive team,"
said Tendulkar who is trying to adjust into the shoe of Mohammad
Azharuddin, his predecessor.
Tendulkar admitted that Waqar Younis's return to the team will definitely
affect the performance of the Pakistan side. "He is a world-class bowler
with a lot of wickets under his cap. He has won many matches for Pakistan.
But when he plays against us, we treat him as one of the tough guys from
the Pakistan team." "There is no fast bowler whom I fear," was a strong
reaction from Tendulkar when asked if he still remembers the Sialkot match
in which Waqar Younis broke his nose.
Tendulkar, 24, urged the Pakistan spectators just to enjoy the game. "The
matches should be treated as matches and nothing else." Tendulkar hoped
that the Inzamamul Haq incident in Toronto will not have any bearing on the
forthcoming matches. "I stress that the spectators should consider matches
as just matches and nothing else."
Tendulkar said he was having a great feeling to come here for the second
time. "In 1989-90, I came here as the junior-most member when I was 17. Now
I am one of the senior most cricketers, and, in fact, the captain. I am
somewhat under pressure. Now I have to handle my young players exactly the
way I was handled by my seniors on my first tour abroad. "In addition to
this, I also have to groom them. It is very tough. There is a lot of
responsibility on me," he said.
Tendulkar said he had really enjoyed when he came here the last time. "The
hospitality was fantastic and I specially enjoyed the food here and I am
looking forward to it once again."
The master batsman opined that there was nothing wrong with the relation
between the two countries. "They are fine as far as I am concerned. "If
the two countries are not exchanging tours, then it is the problem of the
two boards and not mine. I am not the one who finalizes series's. My job is
to play cricket.
The Indian team comprises: Sachin Tendulkar (captain), Ajay Jadeja
(vice-captain), Saurav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Mohammad Azharuddin, Vinod
Kambli, Saba Karim (wicketkeeper), Rajesh Chauhan, Abey Kuruvilla,
Harvinder Singh, Robin Singh, Dabashish Mohanty, Nilesh Kulkarni and
Hrishinkesh Kanitkar. Cricket Manager: Madan Lal.
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