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DAWN WIRE SERVICE
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Week Ending : 03 January 1998 Issue : 04/01
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Contents | National News | Business & Economy | Editorials & Features | Sports
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CONTENTS
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NATIONAL NEWS
Nawaz, Tarar vow to amend Constitution
Talks after new govt takes over in Delhi
Loss of Siachen post a 'slap' to nation: Altaf
Utility stores play a hoax on consumers
200 MQM men may get parole
New policy Education sector may get more funds
Crime rate was higher in 1997
Rethinking on privatization
Govt accused of helping Tarar in poll campaign
---------------------------------
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Forex reserves fall by $206m
PTCL restructured, top management reshuffled
PC may get more powers to expedite privatization
Rumours lead to dollar buying spree
Turnaround in economy yet a far cry
Increased output vital to raise exports
Rs6 billion less tax revenue collected
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EDITORIALS & FEATURES
Fascism on the march - IV Ardeshir Cowasjee
The big meltdown Irfan Husain
A horrible year Omar Kureishi
Urdu on the Internet Omar R. Quraishi
Dual citizenship: a potent tool Mohammad Saifullah Shakir
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SPORTS
Pakistan's squash supremacy still in Jansher's hands
Wasim Akram to step down as captain today?
Ws and Moin given well deserved rest
Haroon may be replaced before SA tour
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NATIONAL NEWS
971231
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Nawaz, Tarar vow to amend Constitution
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Raja Zulfikar
ISLAMABAD, Dec 30: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PML's
presidential candidate Rafiq Tarar said on Tuesday all anomalies
from the Constitution would be removed as early as possible to
ensure uninterrupted functioning of parliament.
"We will have to introduce reforms in the judicial and
administrative system", Mr Tarar said at a meeting of the PML and
its allied parties. "The president is the custodian of parliament
and a symbol of national unity and his function is to remove, in
consultation with the prime minister, all hurdles which are likely
to obstruct the smooth running of parliament," he read out from a
written statement.
The Tuesday meeting was described by officials as "a warm-up
exercise where the PML's decision about Mr Tarar's nomination was
endorsed with an overwhelming majority."
Both Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Mr Tarar said a constitutional
package would be introduced soon while some of the old laws would
have to be repealed "in the larger interest of the country."
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971228
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Talks after new govt takes over in Delhi
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: Foreign minister Gohar Ayub has said that there
is no immediate possibility of fresh talks with India. He said
resumption of bilateral talks are expected after a new government
takes over in India.
"The situation is still fluid and we do not know which party will
come to power in India," he added.
The minister was talking to reporters after inaugurating a three-
day conference of Pakistan's envoys in South Asia, here on
Saturday.
The foreign minister expressed the hope that the Bharatiya Janata
Party,if it came to power, would also hold talks with Pakistan on
outstanding issues, including Kashmir.
To a question, Mr Khan said the PML government had decided to
improve its relations with the Russian Federation. He regretted
that not a single visa was issued to any Russian citizen by the
Pakistan's embassy in Moscow for the last three years.
About US President Bill Clinton's visit to Pakistan, he said the
president would visit Pakistan early next year, as scheduled.
"So far there is no change in the plan for US president's visit to
Pakistan and the agenda for discussion has almost been finalised",
Gohar said.
He said different American teams had recently visited Islamabad and
other places in connection with Mr Clinton's forthcoming visit.
Mr Khan said that from Pakistani side, the issues, including F- 16
planes, Kashmir, Afghanistan, regional security and increased trade
and investment relations between the two countries would come up
for discussion during the US president's visit to Pakistan.
"And from the American side, the issue of signing the comprehensive
test ban treaty (CTBT) and the nuclear non-proliferation treaty
(NPT) and security matters are likely to be raised", the foreign
minister added.
However, he made it clear that there would not be any talks on the
acquisition of military hardware for Pakistan."We are not expecting
strategic talks during Mr Clinton's visit.
He said bilateral trade and US investment would be the important
topics for discussion. "The government expects to have more
American investment after the visit of the US president", the
foreign minister said confidently.
Asked about the envoys conference, the foreign minister said it had
been convened to take stock of the regional situation. He said he
would be given a first-hand report about Pakistan's relations with
South Asian states by the envoys.
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971231
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Loss of Siachen post a 'slap' to nation: Altaf
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Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Dec 30: The chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf
Hussain, said here on Tuesday that the "loss" of the Quaid-i-Azam
post on the Siachen Glacier to the Indian forces was a "slap" in
the country's face.
He said when a country's security institutions which are supposed
to guard its frontiers "busy themselves on crushing" their own
citizens then enemy nations get the opportunity to cash in on this.
Mr Hussain said this offer of his showed that the party and its
workers were as patriotic as any other Pakistani and he claimed
that his party's workers would be successful in re- capturing the
post. He asked why were security agencies deputed on the country's
borders being pushed on Sindh's urban areas. He said the security
institutions that were deputed on the borders were indulging
themselves in "crushing patriotic" citizens.
In a sarcastic tone, Mr Hussain said Rangers and other security
agencies who had wreaked havoc in Sindh's urban areas should now be
sent to Siachen so that they could show their "worth" there too.
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980103
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Utility stores play a hoax on consumers
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Naseer Ahmad
KARACHI, Jan 2: A handout issued in Islamabad on Thursday said the
Utility Stores are selling consumers goods up to 20 per cent less
than the market prices. Earlier the USC, through print and
electronic media, has been touting a large number of items at a 10
per cent discount. It is all a hoax. And it has been played on the
people by the USC for several years.
A few weeks before Ramazan the USC raises its rates. When the holy
month is just to commence, it cuts the rates but not to the level
of the last rates. So it reaps profits, as well as laurels, at the
same time. This time the prices were increased on Nov 22, 1997 and
reduced on Dec 26 "to herald the holy month of Ramazan".
But in spite of the vigorous publicity campaign, the utility stores
this Ramazan could attract fewer buyers. The stores, particularly
the few located in low-income localities, fewer customers.
Earlier, many people used to visit the stores to buy the GCP brand
of ghee. It was on sale at Rs55 for a five kilo tin. The GCP has
been privatized and the supply discontinued. So there are no long
queues at the stores. Hence, the short revenues. "The sale has
fallen to less than 30 per cent of the last year's," an official,
seeking anonymity, said on Friday.
The other item that attracted most buyers was sugar. When it was
Rs24 a kilo in the market, the US would sell it at Rs16. Now, sugar
is available at Rs20 a kilo at the utility stores and the same is
the price at most retail shops. On a 5kg tin of ghee the stores
offer a Rs3 discount. Similarly, the USs do offer a nominal cut on
items such as toothpastes, toilet soaps and tissue papers.
However, that too depends on where you buy them. Certain markets
such as the Empress Market sell most consumer goods as cheap as the
USC. The "empress" is rather generous. For example, a known brand
of laundry soap is sold at the utility stores at Rs34 whereas it
sells in Empress Market for Rs32.
Soon after the caretakers took power last year, the subsidy on
sugar was withdrawn. And after the privatization, the Ghee
Corporation stopped supplying ghee at the cheap. It left little for
the consumers to gravitate to the stores.
Since the last atta crisis, wheat flour has been the most sought-
after item at the utility stores. It is scarce on the stores. More
than half a dozen stores visited by this correspondent on Friday
did not have atta. Employees at the stores, including the ones in
Korangi, Defence Phase-V, Boating Basin and Clifton, either said
they had exhausted the supply or had not received during the three
days of Ramazan. Even the Jumma Bazar at Korangi-5, where the USC
sets ups its stall, had no atta to sell. In the otherwise near-
deserted stores people were visiting to ask if atta was available.
Tea packets with printed price of Rs46.50 was being sold at a
"discounted" rate of Rs63. At a couple of stores packets of spices
with the Utility Stores label were worn out. The storemen said they
had expired and would be withdrawn by the warehouse soon.
Although the USC produces nothing of its own, many items (packed to
order) have been branded as its own. So their prices can't be
compared with other brands'.
Probably because of the declining utility of the stores, several
outlets have recently been closed down. The latest casualties are
the store at Deewan-i-Khaas � the confluence of Defence Housing
Authority, Gizri and Punjab Colony � and at the DHA's Phase-II. In
all, the number of stores in the city has come down from 85 to 61.
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980103
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200 MQM men may get parole
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Tahir Siddiqui and Omar R. Quraishi
KARACHI, Jan 2: Over 200 under-trial prisoners of Muttahida Qaumi
Movement (MQM) are expected to be released before Eid-ul-Fitr after
the Sindh government introduced an amendment to its Prison Rules
making parole easier for certain categories of convicted or under-
trial prisoners.
The party has also recently handed over a second list to the
authorities for withdrawal of some 1200 cases against its workers
and activists arrested in Karachi during last two years.
The first list contained over 1100 cases � from Umerkot, Sukkur,
Khairpur, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas and other parts of the interior Sindh
� out of which over 500 were withdrawn.
A senior government official told Dawn that a list of MQM workers
had been forwarded to the authorities by the party for their
release before Eid-ul-Fitr.
The official said the cases had been sent to the relevant
departments for verification. Once the verification process was
complete, a summary would be sent to the Sindh Chief Minister
Liaquat Jatoi who would then issue a directive for the release of
the prisoners on parole.
The Sindh government, in a notification issued here on Thursday,
amended Rule 223-A of the Prison Rules, allowing a prisoner to
become eligible for parole if "he has undergone imprisonment for
two years or more without any substantial progress in the cases in
which he is accused and is challaned [charge-sheeted] before the
court".
The notification goes on to say that 'substantial progress' means
the "absence of examination of any main witness by the court".
The new amendment also makes a prisoner � either under trial or
convicted � eligible for release on parole if "he is suffering from
a communicable disease and is a health hazard to the inmates of the
prison as duly certified by the civil surgeon".
A senior MQM leader, Senator Aftab Ahmed Sheikh, told Dawn recently
that his party had since long asked the Sindh government to release
"hundreds" of its party workers on parole, especially those whose
cases weren't progressing and they were not even being produced in
court and nor were any witnesses being examined.
The government official said the MQM would not be the only party to
directly benefit from this amendment in the Prison Rules. Workers
of other political parties like Sindhi nationalist parties and the
Pakistan People's Party, currently in prison, might become eligible
for release on parole under the rules.
Informed sources said the list of people the MQM wants to be
released on parole contains the names of over 500 workers currently
in prison. The release of workers on parole and the withdrawal of
cases against party workers and leaders has been a major demand of
the MQM and features prominently in its accord with the PML.
As far as the withdrawal of cases, demanded by the MQM is
concerned, the government official said the party had initially
submitted a list of over 1100 cases out of which over 500 were
found in order and withdrawn. Nearly half of these withdrawn cases
were related to the possession of prohibited weapons (13-D of the
Arms Ordinance).
The MQM was also asked by the authorities to file applications in
the concerned courts for the withdrawal of the remaining cases
since they fell under the purview of the Qisas and Diyat Ordinance
and the government could not withdraw them.
The sources said that a second list containing over 1200 cases of
MQM activists was handed recently by the party to the authorities
for their withdrawal. These will now be taken up by the Cases
Review Committee which meets regularly with participation by MQM
representatives and senior government officials. The last meeting
of this committee was held in the second half of December.
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980102
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New policy Education sector may get more funds
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ISLAMABAD,Jan 1: The government plans to increase funding for the
promotion of education from 2.2 per cent to 3.9 per cent of the GNP
in the new education policy for the year 1998 to 2003.
The new education policy was likely to be debated in Friday's
cabinet meeting, besides other items, officials said and hoped that
if the proposal was approved, it could be announced in a day or
two.
Informed sources told Dawn on Thursday that another proposal,
contained in the new education policy, envisaged depoliticisation
of campuses and making them free of violence.
Officials in the ministry of education are believed to have debated
the issue of depoliticising the campuses and were of the view that
politics was leading to deterioration of higher education
standards.
Another aspect of the new policy aims at declaring services in the
boards and universities as essential ones, with no scope for union
activity. A suggestion laid down in the policy also speaks of
bringing in honest people to seats of higher education in order to
improve their standards.
The informed sources said the cabinet meeting on Friday would also
discuss the visa policy for the Central Asian states.
They said another item on the agenda was the consideration of a
summary on cars which had been imported under the Yellow Cab Scheme
but were not disposed of.
The cabinet might also discuss the affairs of Pakistan Railways.
The prime minister had directed the cabinet at its previous
meetinbg that a complete schedule for the privatisation of Railways
should be presented at the next cabinet meeting they added.
The sources said issues relating to the Water and Power Development
Authority and details of the assets of various ministries/divisions
and similar details from provinces might be placed before the
cabinet and discussed.
On the agenda there is a bill, CDA's Special Court Bill,1997, which
aims at recovering illegal gains, the sources added.
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980101
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Crime rate was higher in 1997
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Tahir Siddiqui
KARACHI, Dec 31: The overall crime graph showed an upward trend
during 1997 as compared to the preceding year.
Murder cases shot up to more than 725 during the year under review
from 485 during 1996. They included the sensational killing of the
managing director of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation with
his police guard and driver in July, two ulema of the Binori Town
mosque with two others, and four American employees of the Union
Texas with their Pakistani driver in November, all in terrorist
attacks.
Besides, other similarities in these three shooting operations,
such as use of automatic weapons, mainly AK-47 rifles (Kalashnikov)
and commandeered cars, the course of investigation into the cases
was almost identical. Several teams comprising police experts and
headed by their seniors were formed to detect each case, but the
outcome of their probe is anybody's guess.
While the mystery still shrouds the killing of KESC MD Shahid Hamid
and Binori Town ulema as the police detectives have made no headway
to the terrorists, several teams of the FBI (Federal Investigation
Bureau of the United States) have arrived in Pakistan and
conducting their own investigations. However, no breakthrough has
so far been reported by them. Even the sketches of the suspects
have not yet been finalised.
The investigators also looked into the possible connection between
the killing of four Iranian cadets in Rawalpindi and the Americans
in Karachi. Some newspaper reports suggested that the city police
had picked up some Iranians linked with the killing of the
Americans. But the reports were immediately denied by the
authorities.
The Americans had been the core team of the UTP's auditors and had
also been here before. They were here for the annual audit of the
company's operations. Two of them had arrived here just a day
before they were ambushed and killed.
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971229
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Rethinking on privatization
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M.B.Naqvi
LEADER of the Oppo-sition, Benazir Bhutto, has urged rethinking on
the privatization policy of the government. Deregulation and
privatization are two fundamental policies that all governments in
Pakistan have followed during the last 10 years or so. The Benazir
government was equally committed to it, though in its conduct, it
was said to be somewhat less enthusiastic on the subject than this
government.
Some would dismiss Ms Bhutto's statement as being overly critical
of the present government and intended to create more difficulties
for her arch-rival PM Nawaz Sharif. But the grounds she has adduced
are such that a rethinking, in any case, would be advisable. It
will be best to ignore the partisan motives of any side and focus
on the merits of the proposition.
Ms Bhutto has started by pointing out that the new owners of public
sector units that have been disposed off so far include people who
have not paid the full price that had been contracted and various
excuses and alibis are being made; the full and final settlement of
the cost is anyhow being delayed on one or other pretext.
Second, the government has suffered revenue losses in terms of
taxes. This is a serious matter.
Third, the new owners have not run them well. Two particular
complaints are frequently heard. They have raised prices unduly in
some cases as monopolies or they have, in other cases, sold of the
movable property of the undertakings.
Fourth, the new managements are no improvement in terms of modern
management practices; they were expected to be more efficient in
management. But their being so is frequently and widely questioned.
Fifth, unemployment has in fact grown through privatization and it
is anyhow a major social calamity.
All in all, privatization has done nothing to improve the
situation. These grounds certainly constitute a valid case for
rethinking.
Rethinking does not necessarily mean reversing the decision. It can
certainly mean many other things and a more thorough preparation
for the sale and drawing up of a more efficient criteria for the
sales is now an obvious need.
There is little doubt that the sales have so far not produced any
noticeably beneficial effect either on the economy or on government
finances.
The government budget deficit remains as high as has been the case
during all the preceding three or four years and in fact more years
despite some reduction in liability to spend on these enterprises.
There are constant complaints that the privatization processes are
not as transparent as they are made out to be. The identity of
some of the buyers and their linkages with the members of the
government of the day are said to be less than transparent.
Among the grounds Ms Benazir Bhutto has cited, one is of
outstanding importance: how have the denationalised undertakings
functioned in private hands? This is a question that requires
urgent attention.
An intensive inquiry conducted with dispatch will provide very
useful insight into what has happened, why it has happened and what
preventive measure need to be taken by the Privatization Commission
and the government before new sales of public sector undertakings
is made.
Frequent statements are made by various high government
functionaries that privatization should be completed by such and
such date. Everything must be sold by that date. And so forth.
The Privatization Commission, just three days after making one
statement that most public sector enterprises are to be sold off
before the March 31st next, has been advised by its experts to hold
its hand. Why? because it will take much longer to do that and
sticking to the date may amount to haphazard and distress sales.
And distress sales are something that need to be avoided.
One idea has been going around that the very idea of selling the
loss-making undertakings first was defective. No one will pay an
honest price for an enterprise that has not been making profits.
And secondly, few buyers will pick up the tab for the liabilities
of the loss making enterprises being put on the market.
The government will have to pay hard cash for those liabilities.
That would be subsidising the new buyers because they will be
paying much lower prices while the government will be paying a lot
of money to pick up the losses that has been made which may reduce
the net proceeds for god knows what percentage. In some cases, it
might even wipe out any gain from the sales.
As a principle it is far better to sell in a reasonable timeframe
after taking due precautions so that a reasonable price is
realised. Any kind of haste is detrimental.
Some of the enterprises on sale are so big that very few Pakistani
entrepreneurs are in a position to buy and run them efficiently.
In most cases, sale means selling to foreign buyers. Which is
handing over the commanding heights of the economy to what in
practice amounts to major multinationals. That raises its own
problems and the wisdom of doing that can be questioned.
Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister, was inducted in 1979
into office as prime minister in Britain. She embarked on a policy
of privatization and deregulation with gusto.
It took her to sell British Gas and British Steel, in one case 12
years, and in the other a similarly long period.
She took the obvious route. She did not negotiate or allow direct
negotiations between the government and individual buyers. She
simply put the shares of the company on the market to be sold in
the normal course through the stock exchanges. And the sale
proceeds brought in a reasonable amount of money. The management
remained scientific and the government did not suffer revenue
losses on any notable scale.
As a general rule, we too, must put the shares on the domestic
capital market first and see what prices can we get.
The idea of handing over productive assets to multinationals, which
in fact is the only available option for today, has already been
widely questioned.
The results of that kind of privatization can in fact be seen in
the history of various Latin American republics. Do we want to
repeat the experience?
Insofar as some of the specific public sector enterprises are
concerned, one refers to Sui Gas, PTCL, PSO and National Refinery
Limited, the position needs to be examined from the point of view
of their sale's effect on government revenues as a special case.
Something like a billion rupees in profits are accruing to the
government today from these major enterprises. Which, once the
privatization has been completed, will simply disappear from the
budget. That has to be looked into.
Ms. Benazir Bhutto is right in expecting that should these
enterprises go out of government ownership, their privatization and
then the repatriation of their profits would put further pressure
on the currency and the government finances will be in even greater
trouble.
The country might in fact lose on all sides including its ability
to survive as a viable economic player.
There are other organizations like WAPDA, Pakistan Railways,
Pakistan Steel, PNSC and PIA that may not be big profit earners for
the government. But they can be.
Anyone who has seen an airline operating can say with confidence,
that PIA can conceivably again become a profitable and a good
airline if only it is properly restructured, as it once was.
Much the same can be said for Pakistan Railways. The present
government is presided over by Mian Nawaz Sharif who is so clearly
aware of the benefits of the physical infrastructure, particularly
of its communication parts.
Which is why he has been emphasising motorways, although his
precise obsession appears to be less than wise by focusing only on
the north while the lifeline of the economy is north-south
arteries. Even so, on the general principle he is right.
But he would have used his resources of time, energy and money
better if he had taken up the task of restructuring the Pakistan
Railways by doubling the track and strengthening it with the help
of foreign experts so that a 5 to 10 times greater tonnage could be
transported on them and faster trains could be run between Peshawar
and Karachi taking in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and other areas of
economic importance in the restructuring.
The point of this argument is that it is much better to plan
restructuring of these enterprises, make them more efficient by the
government itself right-sizing them and bringing in expert managers
from outside, making them less dependent upon official subsidies.
Indeed they can soon begin providing some money to the treasury for
a change. There will be time enough to privatize them in an orderly
manner at a decent economic price.
What is needed is emphasis on a good work ethic and proper
management. If this government cannot do these things, which one
can? It has begun doing that in the case of banks.
Let it accept this as a principle and first restructure enterprises
before putting them on the market. Distress sales will aggravate
the government's insolvency; let it do what is unavoidable in an
orderly and scientific manner.
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971231
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Govt accused of helping Tarar in poll campaign
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Our Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, Dec 30: Opposition senators on Tuesday raised issue of
the unfair and unequal treatment being given to the candidates in
the presidential polls on a point of order with Senator Dr Ismail
Buledi accusing the ruling party of extending official protocol to
its own candidate and demanding that all the candidates contesting
the election for the top slot should be provided equal and fair
opportunities to fight the polls.
Taking a serious objection to the provision of all the facilities
to the government party's nominee only for election to the top slot
in the Federation, Senator Buledi said that it was patently unfair,
undemocratic and immoral to extend such a facility to one
individual only.
He strongly demanded that all the candidates in the run should be
provided equal and fair opportunity to contest the presidential
election for the topmost office in the Federation by letting them
address the joint session of parliament. This way, he said, the
members of the electoral college would be in a better position to
exercise their judgment by comparing the good and bad points of the
individuals contesting the election.
===================================================================
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
980102
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Forex reserves fall by $206m
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Jan 1: Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves declined by
$206 million to around $1.163 billion on December 27 from $1.369
billion on December 20.
The latest State Bank report shows that the approved foreign
exchange reserves reported by its Issue Department totalled
$287.572 million and the balances held abroad stood at $875.314
million as on December 27.
On December 20, the figures stood at $525.33 million and $843.42
million respectively.
Senior bankers attribute the fall in the total forex reserves
mainly to debt servicing the official figures for which is not
available.
But bankers say it should be somewhere between $150-$200 million.
They also link it to outflow of foreign currency swap funds in the
wake of declining yield on the rupee equivalent of the foreign
currency funds mobilized in Pakistan.
On December 13, the reserves had plunged by $110 million to $1.184
billion bringing the total fall to $437 million within a month. On
November 15, the reserves stood at a cozy $1.621 billion.
Senior bankers say the outflow of foreign currency swap funds has
rather stopped after the State Bank raised the yield on short term
federal bonds thereby allowing inter-bank call and term rates to go
up.
They say this may have its impact on the forex reserves sometimes
early January.
Bankers say the draw down on the reserves in the wake of debt
servicing plus the inability of the banks to mobilize fresh foreign
currency funds brought the forex reserves down adding had the banks
been able to raise foreign currency funds or had the exports grown
significantly the decline in the reserves should have been
relatively low.
Mobilization of foreign currency funds has become very difficult
for the banks after the East Asian financial crisis that
accelerated the race for foreign funds mobilization at the one hand
and made the world businesses shy of placing funds in Asia on the
other.
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980103
-------------------------------------------------------------------
PTCL restructured, top management reshuffled
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Our Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, Jan 2 : Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited has
been restructured and its top management reshuffled to further
streamline the affairs of the Company.
Accordingly, the posts of the Member (Technical) and Director
General (Plans) have been merged and redesignated as Member
(Technical, Project Planning and Development).
Mr. Akhtar Ahmad Bajwa, Director General International
Communications has been appointed as Member (Technical, Project
Planning and Development) with effect from January 15, 1998. Syed
Anisul Hasnain Naqvi, Member (Technical) PTCL has been appointed as
Managing Director, Telecom Foundation by relieving Mr. Khalid Butt
who is due to retire on 15th January 1998.
The posts of Director General (Information Technology) and Director
General (Technology Transfer & Research) have also been merged and
redesignated as Director General (Information Technology, Training
and Research) and Mr. A.W.Awan has been appointed as D.G. (ITTR)
with immediate effect. Mr. Izhar Hussain, Director General (Plans)
has been transferred and posted as Director General International
Communications.
Two more posts of Director Generals have been created as a result
of restructuring which will be utilized for special assignments and
strategic planning.
These have been designated as Director General (Task Force) and
Director General (Strategic Business Planning, Operational Research
and Corporate Affairs).
Mr. Mushtaq Ahmad Bhatti has been given the assignment of D.G. Task
Force while a suitable officer will be assigned the duties of the
post of D.G. Strategic Business, Operational Research and Corporate
Affairs.
Meanwhile, the second annual general meeting of the Pakistan
Telecommunication Company Limited held on Dec 23, 1997, in the
auditorium of the National Library, Islamabad, was chaired by
Naseem S.Mirza, Chairman PTCL.
According to the press release, the house discussed at length the
financial statements of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited
for the period ended 30th June, 1997 read with the notes as well as
the Auditors' and Directors' Reports on the accounts.
The shareholders actively participated in the meeting and showed
great interest in improving the profitability of the company.
The members made useful suggestions and proposed measures to
further improve the total revenue of the company.
Responding to the queries of the shareholders, the management
reiterated that it was implementing measures to increase and ensure
realisation of receivable.
Besides, discussion on the Accounts, the Annual General Meeting
also unanimously passed four resolutions in accordance with the
Companies Ordinance, 1984.
These resolutions related to approving the minutes of the first
annual general meeting, adoption of the accounts of PTCL for the
year ended 30th June 1997, approval of dividend in addition to 7.5
% interim dividend as recommended by the Board of Directors and
appointment of M/s A.F.Ferguson & Company as external Auditors for
the year ending 30th June 1998 and fixation of their remuneration.
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980103
-------------------------------------------------------------------
PC may get more powers to expedite privatization
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ihtashamul Haque
ISLAMABAD, Jan 2: The government may soon re-constitute the
Privatization Commission Board to offer it more powers by
eliminating or substantially minimizing the role of the Cabinet
Committee on Privatization (CCOP).
Informed sources told Dawn here on Friday that the Privatization
Commission has proposed to the government to enhance the role of
the Commission with a view to accelerate the process of
disinvestment in the country.
The Commission has expressed its inability to privatize all the
National Commercial Banks (NCBs) and the Development Financial
Institution (DFIs) by March 30 next and all other state-owned
corporations and enterprises by June 30 as has been earlier
planned.
Sources said that the Chairman Privatization Commission Kh.
Muhammad Asif has informed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that it will
take two to three years to complete the whole privatization process
if certain rules were not amended and the Commission offered more
powers.
The issue has been discussed by the officials of the ministry of
finance in the light of the recommendations of the PC. Sources said
that the next cabinet meeting may discuss and finalize the issue,
offering more powers to the Commission for sticking to
privatization schedule.
The government has been projecting to earn one billion dollars by
selling all the NCBs and the DFIs along with couple of other state
enterprises by March this year. However, certain impediments
including non-cooperative attitude of some of the ministries have
made the job of the Commission difficult to disinvest banks and
public sector entities by March and June this year respectively.
Kh. Asif, sources said, has complained to the prime minister that
he was not being offered the required cooperation by some of the
economic ministries to enable him to deliver.
Sources said that it was in that backdrop the prime minister asked
Kh. Asif to furnish him details as to what should be done to foster
the process of disinvestment. And Asif has sent a detailed summary
to concerned officials for Prime Ministerseeking more powers for
the Commission by eliminating the role of the CCOP.
Sources said if the recommendations of the Commission were approved
by the prime minister then every thing will have to be re-organize
afresh to get the desired results.
Sources said that the Privatization Commission has called for
amending rules to establish special courts to decide early pending
cases. At present there are about 250 cases in litigation which
needed to be settled between the Commission and different previous
buyers of the state-owned enterprises.
The Commission has proposed that special courts be set up as have
been established in various countries to deal with the
privatization cases with a view to accelerate the process.
"There is a lacuna in the law that directly or indirectly supports
the buyer which needed to be removed to help the Commission for
delivering any thing", said an official.
Sources said that there are still about 100 public sector units to
be privatized. So far about 40 units have been sold and Rs 57
billion earned.
According to the projections made by the PML government, it could
get 15 billion dollars by selling every thing that lies in the
public sector.
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971228
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Rumours lead to dollar buying spree
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ikram Hoti
ISLAMABAD, Dec 27: Fresh rumours of a further devaluation of the
rupee has caused a mad rush for the US dollar in Islamabad.
On Saturday afternoon the frenzy caused a total drain on the
currency exchange encounters and buyers had to look for non-counter
suppliers of the dollar. They cashed in on the spree by selling the
greenback at unusually high rates.
Dawn learned from both buyers and money-changers that people
started looking for the dollar after a couple of news items
appeared in the local Press that the government was considering a
further devaluation before the end of the year.
Though the relevant quarters issued a denial, "nobody believes in
these clarifications and the chase is on," said a money-changer in
Blue Area.
Another said the selling rate of dollar was on the rise due to the
depletion of cash registers. "They are buying it up in the hope of
a better bargain, and the spree is for the bigger chunks, to grab
higher rates of profit in case the rupee does not shed more than a
paisa or two in a week's time, or devaluation does not take place",
said a Commerce Ministry official monitoring the trend.
He said though the Ministry of Finance had not let any indicator of
the devaluation out, buyers were not in a mood to leave any
greenback with money-changers, hoping that from Monday onward there
was going to be a rise in the rate of dollar and buyers would be
grabbing huge profits.
Agencies add:
The sudden high demand for pound sterling made British currency
stronger against the rupee in the kerb market during the week as
authorities continued to focus on the dollar, dealers said on
Saturday.
The sterling made a large gain of 85 paisas or 1.112 per cent
against the rupee in the kerb market and closed at 77.35.
The spread between the official exchange rate for pound sterling
and kerb market has now widened to Rs 3.56. The State Bank's
official exchange rate is quoted at 73.69-74.53. A dealer said
people concentrated on the movement of the dollar as the sterling
slipped out of control.
The demand for dollar also continued to rise, making the rupee
weaker in the kerb market despite the denial of State Bank
regarding rumours of devaluation.
A leading money-changer, Munaf Kalia, said the dollar remained
strong against the rupee as the demand for it continued to rise
during the week, except on Friday.
The dollar gained 25 paisas during the week, rising from Rs 46 at
the beginning of the week to close at 46.25.
The rupee was quoted at 46.20 to a dollar on Saturday.
"People are still anticipating devaluation of Pakistani currency as
they continued to hold greenback in their accounts, despite SBP's
denial", Kalia said.
He pointed out that the demand for dollars was high against its
limited supply in the market and said it would continue to rise
next week.
Another dealer said the SBP's denial had worked for a short while
and it boosted the supply of dollar in the market due to heavy
selling.
"But soon after, people realized that it was temporary and rupee
will depreciate against the greenback".
He said large holders of the dollar were not releasing greenbacks
in anticipation of a windfall.
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971229
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Turnaround in economy yet a far cry
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ihtasham ul Haque
THE MUCH TRUMPETED 'turnaround' in the economy to be achieved in
the third quarter of the current financial year seems to have
become a far cry, especially after the official sources started
conceding that they are in for big trouble.
There is no progress on account of achieving targets in revenue
collection, boosting exports, reviving industrial production and
restricting double digit inflation.
Above all, the performance of the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) is
said to have been most disturbing, over which the high- ups have
been banking probably too much.
That eventually brought Mr Moeenuddin, a professional banker, to
restructure and streamline the CBR with a view to achieving the Rs
324 billion revenue collection target of 1997-98.
He has reportedly accepted the appointment on the condition that he
would be given a free hand and that there would not be any
interference from any quarter.
The CBR's inability to live up to the expectations, specially
during the second quarter of the current fiscal year has forced the
government to look for some 'real solution,' specially when the IMF
is not ready to relax over the issue and might withhold the second
tranche of $208 million, out of $1.6 billion ESAF/EFF.
The performance of the CBR has come under scathing criticism when
it reportedly managed to collect only Rs 13 billion till December
22 against the target of Rs 42 billion set for the month.
There have been meetings after meetings in the prime minister's
secretariat during the last few days which discussed only a one-
point agenda � how to correct the distortion in the economy � with
special reference to increasing revenue collection.
Planners are said to be highly worried on account of the revenue
slippages which could not be tackled despite a lot of efforts.
Officials when contacted, said that so far there has been a
shortfall of about Rs 15 billion during the five months of the
current year and overall, it is said, the shortfall is likely to be
in the region of Rs 25-30 billion by the end of 1997-98.
A special committee, headed by Deputy Chairman of the Planning
Commission Dr Hafeez Pasha, for restructuring the CBR, has
finalised its report. It calls for elimination of corruption and
influence by the political people in the working of the CBR. It
also proposed reward and punishment for its employees.
Export is another issue where no success could be achieved despite
devaluing the rupee by 8.7 per cent. Officials do admit that the
devaluation has only a marginal effect on exports. But they did not
rule out the possibility of another devaluation. It is said the
World Bank and the IMF have also given that advice.
The trade gap is still a $1 billion and that too due to decrease in
imports.
The industrial revival, which could not be achieved despite seven
packages, has also been a matter of concern and for the first time
Minister for Finance Sartaj Aziz accepted that the desired results
had not been achieved to boost the economy.
The other day, in the National Defence College, Islamabad, he had
to face embarrassing questions over the government's claims of
putting the economy back on track.
Inflation continues to be in double digits and nobody is ready to
accept the claim of Mr Sartaj Aziz that it has declined to one
digit. There is no improvement in the Sensitive Price Index (SPI)
and Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The CPI has particularly surprised everybody and the example of
eggs being sold at Rs 40 per dozen is often quoted. Likewise, the
prices of almost all essential items are on the increase, which
speaks volumes about the government's failure check prices.
Now that things are turning serious on all fronts, the Nawaz
administration is said to be under pressure to once again consider
increases in user charges in order to reduce the huge operational
losses of organisations like WAPDA, KESC, PTCL and the two gas
companies.
Moreover, the World Bank and the IMF have also proposed to the
government to raise power, gas and telephone charges so that these
major public sector corporations could be saved from total
collapse.
The government has so far been avoiding increases in utility
charges but, "now perhaps it is becoming increasingly inevitable to
not to enhance these charges.
Officials said that WAPDA needs at least Rs 30 billion to carry out
its development projects and reduce distribution and other losses.
The World Bank has assured grant of a big loan for restructuring
WAPDA, but it has made it conditional on increases in power
charges. WAPDA authorities have been pleading with the prime
minister to allow them to increase power rates.
Mr Nawaz Sharif has been saying no to any upward revision, but
sources said that this time he was convinced that to save WAPDA
from total collapse, rates would have to be raised.
Same is the case with KESC. Sources further said that in case power
charges were are not increased, the IMF might with hold the second
tranche of $208 million.
Similarly, Sui Southern and Sui Northern gas companies have asked
the government to allow them to raise gas prices.
In this case too, the donors have asked the government to increase
prices not only to reduce the losses of the companies but also
improve their financial condition.
Sources said the issue of increasing telephone rates could not be
ruled out.
The rates may be revised upward from the next financial year, if
not immediately.
Sources said that the financial problems of the public sector
corporations have increased to threatening proportions. No efforts
is said to have been made to reduce the growing losses of WAPDA as
well as KESC.
The donors have reportedly proposed across-the-board corrective
measures without offering any fiscal incentives to any segment of
the society.
They have told the government that all kinds of subsidies and
supplementary grants must be stopped to improve the declining
economy.
Insiders said that the outcome of some of the important meetings
chaired by the prime minister is that unless belts are tightened,
expenditure would continue to increase and no improvement would
occur.
Warnings have been issued by donors and powerful quarters in
Rawalpindi. Word has it that they have established a full-fledged
department to study economic matters and propose measures for
improvement.
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971230
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Increased output vital to raise exports
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Dec 29: Acting president Wasim Sajjad has stressed upon
the business community to increase production as it holds key to
most ills that plague the country's economy.
Speaking as a chief guest at 21st FPCCI Export Trophy Award
Ceremony held Monday, he said the country could get rid of ills
like inflation, low-levels of incomes and savings, slow capital
formation, unemployment and a creeping recession only 'if we manage
to improve production levels.'
He advised the large gathering of businessmen and industrialists to
enhance production up to a level where a sizable surplus would be
available for exports. Only then efforts to increase exports can
bear fruit, he said.
Wasim Sajjad who later gave 76 trophies to leading businessmen for
export performance during 1996-97, said that instead of relying
entirely on the government to take steps to boost exports, the
FPCCI should contribute by recommending ways to help boost exports.
He suggested that second best performers on exports should be
recognized if not awarded and FPCCI should include their names in
the list so that the effort to excel was registered.
The acting president said that since the end of the Cold War,
countries all over the world are engaged in economic wars which are
primarily for capturing markets. He said the so-called
globalization of economy is a clear manifestation of this war.
'I feel that most of developing countries, both the governments and
the business community, did not take seriously the GATT
negotiations, specially the Uruguay Round which culminated in the
World Trade Agreement (WTO),' Wasim Sajjad said and added that as a
result, the developing countries now find themselves in a very
difficult situation vis a vis the developed countries.
Still all is not lost and suggested that the developing countries,
through right emphasis on science and technology and human resource
development can tide over the crisis.
He advised the developing countries to form community-wise economic
groups to protect rights and suggested that the developing
countries which are producers-exporters of cotton may get together
and protect their rights instead of indulging in cut-throat
competition among themselves.
Wasim Sajjad asked recipients of the 1996-97 export trophies to
give him their firm commitment that they would be certifying their
business and industrial establishment by ISO-9000 standardization
within one year.
However, he strongly felt that Pakistan should establish its own
quality certification agencies instead of relying on foreign
certification agencies.
Earlier in address of welcome President FPCCI, Senator Ilyas Ahmed
Bilour urged the government to give legal cover to the economic,
industrial and investment policies for at least 10 years as this
will help to bring consistency and build confidence among
investors.
Senator Bilour pointed out that without satisfying the investors
already operating in the country the government would fail to
attract any new foreign investment and for this government should
do away with redtapism in the administrative set-up which creates
lot of hurdles and much of frustration for investors.
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971231
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Rs6 billion less tax revenue collected
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ikram Hoti
ISLAMABAD, Dec 30: The revenue collection made in the first six
months of the current financial year is Rs 6 billion less than what
was collected during the same period last year.
Last year, the CBR collected Rs 137 billion during July-December
period, while this year, as the CBR officials say, they are
expecting Rs 131 billion by December 31, which is just 24 hours
away.
Against the six month target of Rs 162 billion set for this year,
the Central Board of Revenue is facing a shortfall of Rs 35
billion. The actual money in deposits is not more than Rs 127
billion. The CBR senior officials are scheduled to hold a meeting
on January 1, 1998, with the prime minister, to explain the
shortfall, said sources.
The current financial year's total tax collection target is Rs 324
billion, but the CBR top officials are interpreting six month
performance in a different way, making it look like a shortfall of
only about Rs 10 billion.
They explained to Dawn on condition of anonymity on Tuesday that
the total target for the first half of the fiscal year was set at
Rs 141 billion, and the total collection estimated by December 31
is Rs 131 billion. "We were asked to collect Rs 61 billion in the
first quarter and Rs 80 billion in the second quarter", said a
senior CBR official. "We will be collecting less than half of the
remaining (324-131) Rs 193 billion in the third quarter and the
rest of the amount in the last quarter", he said.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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EDITORIALS & FEATURES
971228
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Fascism on the march - IV
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ardeshir Cowasjee
SHOULD their mindset allow them one, all those who are still able
to believe that the system we have is a democracy that suits the
genius of and is capable of governing the 140 million people of
Pakistan should have second thoughts.
Reproduced are extracts from a series of columns entitled 'Ehtesab
or intekhab', printed in this space in this newspaper during the
Leghari caretaker period:
Dec 12, 1996 � "Never have we been nearer the edge of the
precipice. The people must be taken into confidence and their will
must prevail. A direct reference must be made and this caretaker
government must ascertain what it is the masses want. The
Constitution adequately provides in Article 48(6): "If, at any
time, the President, in his discretion, or on the advice of the
Prime Minister, considers that it is desirable that any matter of
national importance should be referred to a referendum, the
President may cause the matter to be referred to a referendum in
the form of a question that is capable of being answered by 'yes'
or 'no'."
Dec 29, 1996 � "The constitutionalists who support Nawaz maintain
that elections must be held within 90 days. They ignore Article
254: 'When any act or thing is required by the Constitution to be
done within a particular period and it is not done within that
period, the doing of the act or thing shall not be invalid or
otherwise ineffective by reason only that it was not done within
that period.' They overlook Article 48(6).
"Why is the President afraid of holding a referendum? He must know
that the overwhelming majority of the people will insist that the
holding of the accountability process must be completed, and that
the guilty politicians should be disqualified, or convicted, before
any elections are held? But does he know that the majority of the
people find many of the present caretakers unacceptable? He could
easily replace them and appoint men in whom the people have
confidence."
Jan 20, 1997 � "The people say, let there be a time-limited delay
in the holding of elections. Article 58(2)(b) provides for an
appeal to the electorate. Article 48(6) permits the President "in
his discretion or on the advice of the Prime Minister" (the advice
being binding) to hold a referendum. Can the President not ask the
people if they wish for a time-limited delay in the holding of
elections (say, a period of 15 months) which would give him and his
team (a changed team, he should get rid of the known rotters) time
to strengthen the accountability laws and complete the process?
>From the highest to the lowest in the land, the feeling is that
these elections are being held far too soon. Chief Justice of
Pakistan Sajjad Ali Shah is all for accountability and has stated
that the 90 days period is 'too inadequate for completing the
accountability process' (Dawn Jan 13).
"If, as it seems clear they will, the people vote for a time-
limited delay, the Nawazians, the anxious hopeful beneficiaries,
may go to court in protest. Let the CJ and his brethren then give
their verdict."
All too late now, Leghari dithered, wavered, and made up his mind
that Nawaz Sharif was to be installed in the prime ministerial
mansion and given another round. Incapable of exercising moral
authority, he let greed get the better of him. And what was his
fate? In less than a year, having allowed himself to be rendered
weak and vulnerable by the very creature he had installed, and
fearing the remote possibility of impeachment, he fled the scene on
December 2.
Nawaz Sharif was sworn in as prime minister on February 17. Rather
than concentrating on doing good by the people, for which all that
is needed are moral qualities and endowments, moral habits and
conduct, and the ability to know the difference between right and
wrong, he concentrated on grabbing more power than was due to him
by the Constitution.
So, in less than two months at midnight on April 2, all rules and
procedures of the parliament were suspended and in the middle of
the night, the 13th Amendment Bill was rushed through both Houses,
signed by the president the next day, and notified on April 4. By
this Amendment, the president was disempowered, and the prime
minister further empowered. The president cannot dissolve the
National Assembly, he cannot appoint governors at his discretion
but on the advice of the prime minister, the provincial governors
cannot dissolve their assemblies, the president, though he remains
supreme commander of the Armed forces, no longer has the power to
appoint or sack the service chiefs.
The question the president did not ask before signing this bill:
Why is this Amendment necessary? Why were the rules of procedure
suspended? Why was no debate allowed in the House?
Rules dictate that a constitutional amendment is an extraordinary
measure involving a great deal of deliberation on the part of the
ruling party, consultation with the opposition, and an objective
study of public opinion on the subject.
Thereafter, according to the rules of procedure governing
parliamentary proceedings under the 1973 Constitution, a bill
(other than a finance bill) upon its introduction in the House
stands referred to the relevant standing committee, unless the
requirements of Rules 91 and 92 are dispensed with by the House on
a motion by the member-in-charge. The standing committee is
required to present its report within 30 days and, on receipt of
this report, copies of the bill as introduced, together with any
modifications recommended by the standing committee, must be
supplied to each member within seven days. Two clear days then must
elapse before the bill can be sent down for a motion under Rule 93.
Less than three months after this transgression, on June 30, in the
Senate, the rules of procedure were again suspended, The 14th
Amendment Bill went through like a shot, passed in less than a day,
without one single protest or dissent being recorded.
On July 1, the bill was presented to the National Assembly, again
rules of procedure were suspended, and the bill was passed
immediately, again without one single protest or dissent. It went
up to the president, on July 3 he put his signature to the bill,
and on July 4 the Fourteenth Amendment Act of 1997 came into force.
This Amendment admittedly has the aim of putting an end to
lucrative defections. But 'lotaism' only existed because all our
political parties were in the business of buying and selling
bodies. However, that was not deemed to be sufficient. The prime
minister had to be further empowered, and so he was. A member of a
parliamentary party will also be deemed to have defected if he
breaches any declared or undeclared party discipline, code of
conduct or policies, or if he votes contrary to any direction
issued by his parliamentary party, or if he abstains from voting as
instructed by his party on any bill. The prosecutor, defence
counsel, judge and jury who will decide the member's fate is the
head of the party, whose decision is not justifiable in any court
of law.
The 14th amendment rendered the herd of legislators voiceless and
the bell-wethers all supreme. Again, the president did not question
the necessity for the stifling of all dissent.
The 15th Amendment Bill, disempowering the Chief Justice of
Pakistan, has already been drafted. It was to be rushed through the
two Houses in November, but for some strange reason Nawaz Sharif
and his men stayed their hand. There is no reason for them to stay
it any longer, and any day now rules and procedures will be thrown
to the winds and the hasty midnight process will be repeated.
Now, to face reality. Nawaz Sharif had, within six months, managed
to remove most of the stumbling blocks in his way. He had so far
not touched the judiciary. He soon realized that the superior
judiciary, headed by an honest man, was capable of moving against
him. He made up his mind that Sajjad Ali Shah would have to go.
Having reached this conclusion, he then sought the means.
If fascistic practice prevails, ladies and gentlemen of the press,
we are next on the chopping block.
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980103
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The big meltdown
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Irfan Husain
NOW that I am writing under my own name instead of flying the
Mazdak banner, I find that people often ask for my opinion about
where the country is going.
I repress the urge to reply "to the dogs", and come up with a more
measured but less succinct formulation meaning the same thing.
Normally an optimistic person, the events of the past year � much
written about and discussed � fill me with despair. If a prime
minister cannot lead us out of our predicament despite having
everything going his way, what hope is there?
A small incident that took place recently says it all for the state
of the nation: Nayyara Noor, the well-known singer, was performing
at a five-star hotel one evening last week when some of our wild
and woolly tribal cousins from Balochistan walked in and requested
a particular ghazal. She was already singing some earlier requests,
and could not please the newcomers immediately, so they pulled out
automatic weapons and began firing in the air. Within moments, the
terrified audience fled, and the performance was over. Needless to
say, no arrests have been made.
And to further spoil your day, here is another bit of gratuitous
viciousness: I was told at a party that the son of a well-connected
Pakistani back home to work on an important government assignment
is a student at Boston University and is currently visiting Lahore
on vacation.
The other evening, some gunmen walked in and shot him in the legs.
Apparently, the young man had quarrelled with another student in
Boston, and the latter had hired some local thugs to settle scores.
He knew that if he were to do such a thing in America, he would
probably not get away with it, whereas here, there is no risk of
detection or retribution. Meanwhile, it is not yet certain if the
young victim will ever regain the full use of his legs.
What we are witnessing today is nothing less than an institutional
meltdown of Rwandan proportions. Quite apart from organized
assaults on institutions like the Supreme Court of the kind we have
witnessed recently, there is a systematic undermining of the rule
of law by those sworn to uphold it.
This attitude and approach percolates downwards until the law loses
its awe and majesty to the point where anybody and everybody thinks
he can literally get away with murder. And as events continue to
remind us, they are not wrong in this assessment: witness, for
example, the impunity and ease with which five terrorists accused
of brutal sectarian slaying were sprung from a Dera Ghazi Khan jail
recently.
Detractors of democracy � a rapidly multiplying breed, alas � point
to this breakdown in law and order to support their demand for a
return to authoritarianism. They forget that it is the lengthy and
repeated dictatorial episodes in our past that are partly to blame
for the present state of affairs. That said, we cannot continue
flogging a dead horse for ever: elected governments have been in
power since 1985, with a few brief caretaker interregnums, and
things have got worse, not better. Our political class has shown a
tendency towards mass suicide previously noted only among lemmings.
Time and again, they have shaken and battered the system until it
is tilting at an angle that makes the Leaning Tower of Pisa look
perpendicular.
And yet these are the very people who should have a strong vested
interest in the system in keeping democracy healthy. Why then are
they so hell-bent on pulling down the system? In a recent article
in Newsweek, Fareed Zakaria has discussed the peculiar case of the
"failed democracies." The eighties witnessed a sudden flowering of
democracy around the world.
One dictator after another was toppled by victorious popular
movements. From the Philippines to Pakistan; from Nicaragua to
Nepal, the ballot seemed to have overtaken the bullet as the agent
of political change.
But before you could say "Of the people, by the people, for the
people" things started going horribly wrong in most of these new
democracies. Corruption tarnished the glittering image of leaders
like Benazir Bhutto almost before they had taken the oath of
office. However, it must be remembered that under martial law, the
press was not free to blow the whistle on uniformed crooks.
Once freed of restraints, it bayed for blood. No rumour was too
outlandish, no figure too exalted for the pack. For instance,
during the outcry over the mad-cow disease in England, people were
seriously accusing Asif Zardari of importing contaminated beef at
throwaway prices so that he could make a killing here.
But media excesses apart, there was a solid bedrock of truth
underlying many of these stories. In addition to this blatant
corruption, the inefficiency and nepotism that thrive under Third
World democrats have further sapped the system of its credibility.
The received wisdom is that capitalism goes hand in hand with
liberal democracy, and that with the ejection of authoritarian
rulers in many countries around the world, state capitalism and the
command economy would be replaced by economic reform and
liberalization that would usher in an era of peace and plenty.
So much for theory; now welcome to the real world. What has
happened is that instead of this rosy-hued scenario, we have a
situation where many economies in emerging democracies are heading
rapidly towards collapse. And the new political systems, despite
boasting all the trappings of democracy, are just not delivering.
To put it bluntly, things are falling apart.
The blame for this state of affairs lies mostly with the
politicians who have emerged from the rubble of dictatorships.
Immature, incompetent and greedy, they have grasped power as a tool
to enrich themselves, and not as a means to create a better world
for their citizens. Devoid of ideals and vision, they are like a
school of sharks let loose in a pool full of salmon.
Apart from their insatiable greed, most of them are not very
capable managers. And since they are in the game largely to make
money, they don't really care how bad things are as long as their
bank accounts keep getting bigger. At best, they have a few pet
projects that they devote some attention to, and as long as they
are completed, our leaders couldn't give a damn about what their
people are going through.
Benazir Bhutto had her Awami Markaz scheme, and Nawaz Sharif has
his Motorway to keep him happy.
Basically, our politicians regard democracy as a system that gets
them into power, nothing more. For them, democracy is an end in
itself, and not a means to an end. Lacking compassion for their
people, they just want to milk the system for their own benefits.
And as we approach the next millennium, all indications are that
things will get worse, not better.
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971229
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A horrible year
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Omar Kureishi
1997 is dying. Let it die unmourned. It was a horrible year and its
only redeeming feature was that it could have been worse. We were
able to pull back from the brink but not before certain ugly
precedents were set, none uglier than the storming of the Supreme
Court by a mob whom no one seems to own.
They just happened to appear urged on by spontaneity we were told.
The President resigned and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
was reduced in rank in a belated realization that his original
appointment in 1994 was illegal. These were tumultuous happenings,
yet strangely or perhaps, not strangely, they had no bearing on the
lives of the vast majority of the people. Proof that what happens
in Islamabad, in the dark corridors of power and in its backrooms
concerns only a coterie, the elite of a limited choice, the deck of
cards which can be shuffled and new combinations can be arrived at
but within the limitations of the 52 cards that make up the deck.
It is this point that needs to be highlighted, not the substance of
democracy which remains a vision but its form, empty rhetoric and
soapbox verbalism.
The economy continued to remain under siege and there were no real
signs that it would be put on track. But as is true of the Third
World all development would be unbalanced and all the solutions and
remedies would lead to deeper poverty and deprivation. Development
in the Third World has not meant that the gap between the rich and
the poor has narrowed but it has actually widened.
The benefits of development are not intended to filter down. The
poor have been kept down, their numbers increasing, not only
because of an unchecked population growth but the near- elimination
of the Middle Class through a cost of living that has made
impossible for them to make two ends meet, tottering on the edge of
the poverty-line.
The policies of successive governments have not been liberating nor
protective of its citizens. They have been, instead, constricting
and exploitative and have simply failed to be operative in any
social sense. This has been powerfully stated by the hero of the
Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe's Anthills of the Savannah. The
prime reason the hero Ikem reflects "can't be the massive
corruption though its scale and pervasiveness are truly
intolerable; it isn't the subservience to foreign manipulation,
degrading as it is; it isn't even this second-class, hand-me-down
capitalism, ludicrous and doomed. All such miseries of malice and
incompetence or greed could be blamed for the primal failure of
government. But they were not the cause; they were the effects. The
cause was to be found elsewhere. It lay in the failure of our
rulers to reestablish vital inner links with the poor and
dispossessed. It was the failure of postcolonial communities to
find and insist upon means of living together by strategies less
primitive and destructive than rival kinship networks, whether of
'ethnic' clientelism or its camouflage in no less clientelist
multiparty systems."
The key is the establishment of vital inner links with the poor and
the dispossessed. This means participatory democracy and not a
paternalistic state. The agenda of economic development has to be
turned upside down. What is the last item on the agenda, social
development has to be put on top of the list. There can be no
meaningful democracy unless there is social justice and there can
be no social justice unless visible efforts are made to improve the
quality of life of the overwhelming majority of the people.
Democracy itself is much more than just a political system and a
numbers game. It is a state of mind and a way of life. It rests on
the foundation of consensus, of decisions arrived at openly. It is
a fact that governments tend to be out of touch with the sentiments
and wishes, to say nothing, of the needs of the people. This is
because they have insulted themselves through an elaborate and
complex protocol that includes pomp and ceremony and it is only
after they have left their august offices or have been removed from
them that they catch up with reality once again.
As a case in point, Farooq Leghari will now discover that the view
from the Hill in Islamabad is different from the view he will now
be getting from Choti or wherever he chooses to live. Democracy
means nothing if the leaders do have their feet on the ground.
Democracy has yet to take root. It is a freshly planted sapling. It
needs to be nurtured. It needs water and sunlight. It also needs
protection, tree-guards otherwise it will wither away or be
trampled upon, destroyed by disuse or misuse.
1997 will be remembered but for the wrong reasons. What will 1998
hold for us? More of the same? Or will we have understood the most
basic of truths that those who do not learn from history are
condemned to repeat it. So far the indications are that we believe
that history can be erased and we can operate with an authorised
version made up to suit particular needs and ambitions. A wise man
learns not only from his own experience but from the experience of
others.
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971231
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Urdu on the Internet A reality or wishful thinking?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Omar R. Quraishi
KARACHI, Dec 30: An interesting lecture on the introduction and
uses of Urdu as a communication and entertainment tool on the
Internet and the World Wide Web was held on Monday. The lecture at
the IBA's city campus called "The Alif, Bay, Pay of the Internet,"
by MIT graduate and founder of his own software company in
California's Silicon Valley, Umair Azim Khan, was attended by
hundreds of people although the number of women present could be
counted on both hands.
Mr Khan, who works with Intel (whose chief Michael Grove has been
named Time Magazine's "Man of the Year" for 1997) and has his own
company Urdu Web Inc., told the audience that his company had
developed a site called Urduweb (address: http://www.urduweb. com)
from where users could download for free an Urdu font and an Urdu
word processor (based phonetically). He said the font download
takes between 10 to 15 seconds while the word processor will take
much longer time to download.
Mr Khan used several slides and accessed the Urduweb site in front
of the audience and took them on a guided tour. He said the main
aim of the website was to allow all those who wanted to use Urdu on
the Internet to do so. He showed a downloaded version of the word
processor and proceeded to write a few basic sentences in Urdu. The
downloaded word processor, he showed, was very easy to use and came
with instructions on how to access Urdu dictionary websites. It
could eventually allow Urdu newspapers to have their own websites
in Urdu, he said, and would do away with the transliteration
process.
Once the font and wordprocessor are downloaded, users can make
their own webpage in Urdu, send e-mails in Urdu and interact with
websites which use Urdu. Mr Khan mentioned a bi-lingual literary
effort of his, which encourages readers and users to contribute
creative writing and to interact with the material already on the
website (address: www. chowk. com)
Mr Khan said that innovations in computer and information
technology were the key to progress in the next century. Pakistan
had started its Internet journey, he said, but it had a lot of
potential to spread to wider sections of society.
Mr Khan's lecture, given somewhat ironically in English, owed by
brief remarks from two US-based software developers, Vajih Khan of
WaveNet and Wasif Kazmi of NetPace, and a discussion session with
audience members asking questions.
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980103
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dual citizenship: a potent tool for Pakistan
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mohammad Saifullah Shakir
Citizenship is a matter of jus publicum � constitutional and
decisional law. Whether it is a right or a privilege is relative
and, of course, subject to each nation's interpretation of its own
laws and self interest. In the case of several western democracies
it is one's birth right. The birth of a child entitles him/her to
the citizenship of the soil regardless of his parental nationality.
In other countries a certain length of residency qualifies people
for it.
In countries like Saudi Arabia and a number of other Gulf states,
neither the birth nor longevity really matters. If you are not one
of their own, you just don't get it, plain and simple � Saudi
Arabia, however is sui generis, in a class by herself. As the
custodian of Muslim holy shrines she allures and tantalizes every
Muslim's fancy to be a part of that community. She cannot afford to
be lenient in this area or millions of Muslims will flock there
permanently, for no condition is too harsh or any price too high
for most devout Muslims to settle permanently in this holy land.
Rules of the game in the case of dual citizenship, however, are
different and somewhat complicated. Some nations require a
renunciation of all former allegiances, while other unilaterally
grant citizenship, as an irrevocable birth right irrespective of
one's current affiliations, Ireland and Venezuela are good examples
of that. In this case the state of Israel most certainly offers a
novel approach.
Like Pakistan, Israel also claims religion to be the basis of its
creation, therefore, it grants all Jews a de facto citizenship,
which they can always claim, without any consideration of their
current citizenship or length of residency. Consequently, a sizable
American Jewry also enjoys Israeli citizenship.
The United States features a dichotomy, both awarding as well as
expostulating dual citizenship. The US requires all future citizens
to renounce their existing allegiance before they are naturalized.
On the other hand the birth of a child on American soil, even to a
visiting family, automatically entitles him/her to become a US
citizen by jus soli (the law of descent). If a child is born abroad
and one parent is a US citizen, that child can become a US citizen
by jus sanguinis (the law or right of blood). According to Maria
Rudinsky, a spokesman for the State Department "millions of
Americans are dual citizens of other nations, acquiring another
citizenship does not automatically strip someone of their US
citizenship" � US Today, October 2, 1997.
Dual citizenship can be a potent and powerful tool in the hands of
a nation, whereas, it can be cumbersome for those who are unskilled
and ill prepared in the area of foreign relations. It is a matter
of policy that must be debated openly and freely to reach a
consensus but, certainly, does not require fifty years of debating
and still no consensus. In the United States, issues of public and
national interest are often debated amongst academics, media and
citizen's group until consensus is reached. At such time advisors
to the president or the Congress would advise their principals to
initiate the policy (legislative) process. I am sure that in
Pakistan, all pros and cons are not debated as extensively,
primarily for the lack of such forums. Consequently, she still has
no official position.
Many years ago, I interviewed Ambassador Najamuddin Shaikh, while
he was visiting Miami, for my TV segment "Asian American Focus". I
found him to be a brilliant, well-informed and skilled diplomat,
who articulated Pakistan's cause very impressively. It was not
until I asked him the question about the dual citizenship that he
began waffling and ducking. My only conclusion is that Ambassador
Shaikh opted to hedge at a personal cost rather than acknowledge
the fact that his country does not have a policy. I certainly
respected him even more for that.
Recently, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was in New York to attend the
UN. General Assembly meeting and Ambassador Riaz Khokhar was
gracious enough to invite me among others to the occasion. The
issue of dual citizenship arose again. Though some proponents
relegated the issue to mere sentimental attachment and visa
concessions; what my fellow Pakistani Americans did not present or
discuss was the question of why Pakistan must adopt such a policy
and how the dual citizenship will benefit Pakistan. So let me
present the case again Mr. Prime Minister ... Sir, both for
Pakistani expatriates and for motherland, Pakistan.
With the exception of a select few, who need constitutional
protection and safeguards, most of us need "dual" citizenship for a
real sense of identity. We need our children to have respect and
pride for their ancestry and heritage - it is a common human
feature to have a spirit of belonging. The citizenship brings a
relationship that generates a sense of patriotism. Most of us still
have parents and grandparents in Pakistan and we travel quite
frequently to visit them, and of course we need a visa and go
through customs during these trips. Any accommodation in this
regard would be a welcome relief for an average expatriate.
Realistically speaking, Pakistan is a relatively poor country -
plagued by scant resources, low literacy, and high unemployment,
yet with very ambitious goals to be a part of 21 st century - in a
dire need of foreign currency to meet her short term commitment and
capital investment for long term progress. On the political scene
Pakistan faces serious regional and international challenges like
Kashmir and nuclear proliferation. For countries like Pakistan, the
citizenry is the most reliable and powerful asset and long-term
resource. Pakistan must utilize them effectively to its highest
potential to achieve progress and her lofty goals.
A quick glance, undoubtedly, would reveal that Pakistani
expatriates still remain an ideal segment among Pakistanis with
highest rate of education and economically perhaps the richest.
Historically, Pakistan too has recognised that, and maintained an
informal claim on us by reaching out from time to time. Whenever,
she faced economic or political crisis, she called upon her sons
and daughters abroad and appealed for assistance in the name of
patriotism. And we always have obliged faithfully, by delivering
windfall on Pakistan's treasury as well as marching on to the White
House and the United Nations every time Pakistan faced a political
turmoil or external threat.
Then why not turn this occasional flirtation into a permanent
relationship by requiring every Pakistani expatriate, who wishes to
maintain dual citizenship to file an income tax return each year,
with a nominal process fee. That certainly will bring Pakistan
millions of dollars every year. And we don't have to pay double tax
either..thanks to some founding fathers who made a tax relief
treaty with the U.S. that still remains on the books. As for the
opportunists, who would like to take advantage of this privilege by
filing occasionally to enjoy the selective fruit, a continuity
clause may be added for those who missed any filing deadlines. That
they can still file back-tax-return with processing fee and an
additional late filing fee... which means a few more dollars of the
State Bank of Pakistan..and why not?
Additionally, in an ever shrinking world of globalisation,
continents are becoming next door neighbours, technology is getting
sophisticated and trained help, scarce. Educated and skilled
Pakistani Americans could be Pakistan's best asset and resource.
In a politically sophisticated country like the United States of
America, Pakistani Americans are a formidable constituency that can
be organised and turned into a powerful lobby. Kashmir and nuclear
proliferation remain the two most misunderstood and ill-presented
issues in America and may come back to haunt Pakistan in the
future. Pakistan can use this lobby to articulate her perspective
as well.
Additionally, to protect against a malicious and unscrupulous
infiltration or fear of security breach, Pakistan may make
citizenship conditional, subject to Pakistani naturalisation prior
to 1950 or of course by just soli - by birth. It may very well hurt
few Pakistanis in the short term but if the process is done fairly
and sincerely and appeal to their sense of patriotism, am confident
of their generosity that they will take one more lump for Pakistan
with dignity and grace.
And finally, recent legislation by the U.S. Congress to reform the
social welfare have restricted most benefits to U.S. Citizens only.
Consequently, all those Pakistanis, who have deferred their
naturalisation as the U.S. citizens will have their lives altered
for-ever; their only options, either become the U.S. citizen or
have their senior generation denied medical and retirement
benefits; their children disallowed educational grants and
scholarships; and themselves disqualified for certain employment
opportunities. It is too high of a price to pay for the love and
patriotism of their motherland, not to mention that it will render
us second class citizens, unable to vote and redeem full benefits
of this society.
We believe that dual citizenship is a prudent, viable and
functional solution both for Pakistan and the Pakistani expatriates
in the U.S. Just this month the Mexican Senate presented a
Christmas gift to all Mexican expatriates by passing a dual
citizenship legislatio.
How about an Eid gift this month by you, Mr. Prime Minister, for
Pakistani Americans?
===================================================================
SPORTS
971230
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pakistan's squash supremacy still in Jansher's hands
-------------------------------------------------------------------
By A. Majid Khan
Pakistan's image as a great � rather the greatest � squash power is
sadly on the decline in 1997 as our one and only racquet wizard
Jansher Khan seems to be losing his grip while the emerging world
challenge is gathering formidable proportions day by day.
Jansher � worthy successor of the legendary Jahangir Khan, who
retired because of back problem in 1993 - still stands on top
though his number one ranking is threatened by Scotland's
lefthanded Peter Nicol, aged 24, who had beaten the world champion
thrice during the year.
Nevertheless even now the mighty Khan continues to enjoy the honour
of winning four out of the eight Super series events, despite the
fact that 28-year old was not in fine physical fettle. The later
part of the current year saw him suffering from acute tonsil
problem, necessitating operation. He has, however, recovered to
face the 1998 challenge confidently provided he works harder and
remains immune from injury.
Despite unusual reverses during the year it would be wrong
assumption that Jansher Khan's days of domination are numbered. An
in-form and fit Jansher still occupies a position of primacy and
looks every inch a Champion. The Khan can face any challenge and
overcome it for he enjoys great expertise and experience as
compared to Peter Nicol the world No 2, Canadian Jonathan Power
(World No 3) Australia's new world champion Rodney Eyles (world No
4) and Egyptian world No 5 Ahmed Barada � all strong and potential
challengers for ending Pakistan's domination in world super series.
Even during the end-year season Jansher Khan, not his usual self,
demonstrated his fighting qualities to bring glory and honour for
Pakistan. The great Khan started the season by retaining the
British Open title for his sixth victory to maintain Pakistan's
incomparable winning record of 16 years in a row. In his haul of
super series Jansher Khan had regained the Hong Kong open title,
won the Egyptian Open and Pakistan Open in Islamabad.
The Khan's defeats in the three super series events were in the Al-
Haram International final at Cairo, in the Qatar International
semifinals and in Mombai Mahendra International final. In Qatar, he
was plagued with tonsil problem and in Mahendra he fought all the
way to enter the final and suffered defeat against Peter Nicol in
his first ever Indian tour, for lack of required fitness in the
five-game encounter. But reaching the final was a great tribute to
his will and determination as he had not fully recovered from
sickness when the Qatar International concluded hardly a week
before the Mumbai event. Legal battle with his ex-Malaysian wife
for the maintenance allowance for their son as ordered by a
Malaysian court resulted in his skipping the Kuala Lumpur World
Open in November. Jansher Khan, the eight-times world open record
holder, did not defend the title which was won by Australia's
Rodney Eyles. Jansher's withdrawal from the world open on personal
grounds and his absence in Kuala Lumpur affected Pakistan's
performance in the World team championship, also held in the
Malaysian capital.
Besides winning the four super series events, Jansher Khan also won
three more tournaments � Austrian Open, French Open and German
Masters. He also won eight-man super series event in England at the
start of the season. The Khan's tally of wins was seven, one less
than last years (1996) eight.
However he lost in the top eight-man contest in Kuwait as well as
in the US dollars 35,000 Heliopolis Open in the final at Cairo on
December 12, marking the end of the 1997 squash season.
Pakistan's new-look team was captained by Zubair Jahan Khan and
included rising squash star Amjad Khan, Kumail Mahmood and Umer
Zaman. As world number ten Zarak was exempted from the national
trials while other players were picked on the basis of their
showing in the Karachi trials. Nevertheless the youthful Pakistan
team did fairly well to keep itself among the top eight nations of
the world by securing sixth place in the 32-nation world team
championship.
But there is much cause for concern since Zarak Jahan Khan, Mir
Zaman Gul and Zubair Jahan Khan remained stuck in their world
ranking. Zubair started well and was the best Pakistani player
after Jansher Khan in 1997 January rankings. He was ranked No 10.
However stomach problem resulted in his unsatisfactory showing and
in the November ranking he is placed 15th and may further go down
in the next rankings to be announced in January, 1998. He is a good
player but needs top fitness.
Zubair's elder brother Zarak Jahan Khan, who had recently undergone
a knee operation, was ranked 18th at the start of the season but
now he is at No 29, Mir Zaman Gul too has fallen in the ranking
from 26th to 35th. Both are seasoned campaigners, playing
competitive squash for about ten years.
With the efforts of the Pakistan Squash Federation more than half a
dozen youngsters have come up within five years without any
positive contributions from its affiliated units. The notable
youngsters are Amjad Khan, Kumail Mahmood, Kashif Shuja, Ejaz
Azmat, Mohammad Hussain, Mansoor Zaman, Humayun Khan and Shamsul
Islam Khan Kakar.
Amjad Khan, the 1995 junior Asian champion and nephew of Jansher
Khan, has shown remarkable progress during the year in the world
ranking and in the next months world ranking his ranking is certain
to go further up.
Twenty-year old Amjad Khan, who was given a wild card entry in the
Pakistan open, gave an extraordinary performance by qualifying for
the Kuala Lumpur World Open as well as Mahendra International. No
other Pakistani youngster could earn qualification in two super
series, barring Rawalpindi's Kashif Shuja at the Mumbai Mahendra
International, though over half a dozen Pakistanis including Mir
Zaman Gul and Sohail Qaiser competed. Kashif Shuja too is a
promising youngster, committed fully to better his skills. Ranked
currently 58th, Kashif has also made good progress. Better coaching
and training would certainly help the talented youth to be among
the top 25 by the end of 1998 season.
A new chapter in Pakistan's squash history has been added by our
participation in the World Doubles Championship at Hong Kong in
December. Zubair and Amjad went to represent Pakistan and they
secured third place after Jansher Khan had to withdraw due to the
ankle problem. It was a good performance for the players had no
practice of playing together as a doubles pairs. The World doubles
championship is a permanent feature of the World Squash Federation
and the PSF must ensure to launch doubles tournaments at Karachi,
Lahore, Peshawar, Islamabad and Quetta.
So far as the women's squash is concerned, little attention has
been paid. Holding a national championship once in a year would not
help promote women's squash unless all the affiliated units of the
federation first work out a plan for coaching of girls.
The year ended on a tragic note as Pakistan lost a great squash
technocrat Hasan Musa, the General Manager Sports PIA and the vice-
president of the Pakistan Asian and World Squash Federations who
was recently gunned down at the Jahangir Khan Squash Complex
(Karachi) by unknown assailants. Himself an international golfer
and squash player, Hasan Musa, son of late Gen (Retd) Musa, the
former Governor of the then West Pakistan and later of Balochistan,
has rendered valuable services for our national squash. He was a
great organiser and a technically qualified man and on many
occasions he was the tournament director of the World Open, World
Team Championship as well as Pakistan Open.
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980103
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Wasim Akram to step down as captain today?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Samiul Hasan
KARACHI, Jan 2: Wasim Akram intends to call on Majid Khan, Chief
Executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on Saturday morning
which is expected to be a crucial meeting.
According to sources close to Wasim Akram, the allrounder is
expected to express his inability to lead the Pakistan cricket team
on a gruelling eight-week tour of Africa.
He would, however, confirm his availability as a player on the
tour.
Pakistan play three Tests against South Africa and two against
Zimbabwe besides nine one-day international, including three
against Zimbabwe. The remaining six will be played in the tri-
series involving world champions Sri Lanka and South Africa.
"Yes I have a scheduled meeting with Majid Khan on Saturday in
which I will discuss my future," Wasim Akram confirmed from his
Lahore residence.
"I will also deliberate upon my role as Pakistan captain. I would
like to continue but under the circumstances I have to reconsider
my options," Akram said.
Akram is reportedly receiving death call for which his father has
lodged a complain with the police in Lahore.
"I am not comfortable with the treatment I am receiving after
serving Pakistan with distinction. I mean, whenever a team loses,
it is attributed to match-fixing. It's only shattering the
confidence of the team besides putting the players under tremendous
pressure," he said.
He, however, refused to confirm or deny if he would be standing
down from captaincy. "Let me talk to Majid Khan and then only I
will be able to answer you," he said.
Nevertheless, sources close to the player said Akram was lacking in
motivation after a series of match-fixing allegations against him.
The PCB has also instructed its match-fixing probe committee to
look into the affairs that led to Pakistan's defeat in Sharjah.
"The relevant material has been provided to them (committee
members) and they have been asked to submit a report," PCB chief
executive Majid Khan confirmed.
He, however, said no deadline has been set. Khalid Mahmood, Waqar
Ahmad, Mian Munir and Justice Ijaz Yousuf are the members of the
panel.
The expected withdrawal of Wasim Akram leaves an open door for
Rashid Latif to retain captaincy after being appointed skipper for
the Dhaka triangular.
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971230
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Ws and Moin given well deserved rest
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Samiul Hasan
KARACHI, Dec 29: The chairman of Pakistan cricket selectors Salim
Altaf said on Monday that Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Moin Khan
had been given well deserved rests after a hectic international
domestic season.
The trio were surprisingly excluded from the Dhaka triangular team
on Friday.
"Wasim (Akram) was not considered because of a suspected shoulder
injury while Waqar (Younis) and Moin (Khan) were not considered
because we wanted them to prepare for the demanding and gruelling
tour of Africa,"Altaf told Dawn from his Lahore residence.
Asked if Wasim was consulted about his injury, Salim Altaf said:
"The situation was very dicy and he was struggling with his
shoulder in the match against India (at Sharjah). He was clearly
uncomfortable. Then we were told that he has proceeded to England
for a check-up. So we (selectors) decided to leave him out so that
he can get some time to give rest to the injured bowling arm."
Over the exclusion of Waqar Younis, Altaf said the information
about the wickets in Dhaka was that they were spinning ones. "So we
thought instead of making him (Waqar Younis) struggle on those
docile tracks, let him have a break.
"As far as Moin Khan is concerned, he had been keeping wickets non-
stop for the last 18 months. He deserved a break. After all, if he
had minor injuries, they all needed some time to heal-up."
Salim Altaf emphasised that the basic concept of leaving out the
trio was to have them in top physical shape for the African safari.
"We want them mentally and physically fit for the South Africa and
Zimbabwe tours which are very arduous besides being very tough."
Salim Altaf categorically denied that the ouster of the three was
because of reasons other than cricket.
"We lost the Sharjah event because of poor planning. I personally
feel that Azhar Mahmood should have gone ahead of Wasim Akram or
even Moin Khan. But we (selectors) don't like to impose ourselves
upon the team management."
On the selection of unknown Yousuf Yohanna, Salim Altaf opined that
he saw the youngster in two warm-up matches that England played
earlier last month. "The boy showed promise and talent. In addition
to this, there were problems at No 5 and 6 positions. Therefore, we
decided to give him an opportunity to him to show his potential at
international level."
When asked what was the idea behind awarding free Test and one-day
caps to the players, the chief selector said the main idea was to
prepare a team for the 1999 World Cup. "I promise you that when the
time comes to pick the team for the World Cup, we will have a
larger pool to look at instead of having a select number of players
of whom even some might not be around when the event comes."
Salim Altaf expressed his disagreement with the theory of having
separate teams for one-day and Test cricket. Though he didn't rule
out the possibility if it becomes a normal practice in future.
"I feel that the best players should get the chance to play,
whether it be Tests or one-dayers. If the players are good, they
can adjust to different levels of the game."
Discussing the team for the South Africa and Zimbabwe tours, Salim
Altaf admitted that the situation had become very interesting after
Rashid Latif was appointed captain for the Dhaka tournament.
"I don't know what the Council will do (while appointing captain),
but the situation is very tricky. I have no idea who will be the
captain (on the African tour) because it's the job of the Council.
But I certainly know that the balance of the team will be tilted if
Rashid Latif was made an official (captain or vice-captain).
"If that happens, naturally Rashid will become the No 1
wicketkeeper as he cannot sit out," Altaf opined.
Salim Altaf gave his consent when asked his committee would
shoulder an additional responsibility of recommending a captain.
"Technically, the Council is the only competent authority to
appoint a captain. But if we are entrusted this job by the Council,
we would not reject it because I feel that when we can judge the
real potential of a player in the field, we can also gauge the
leadership qualities of the same player."
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980102
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Haroon may be replaced before SA tour
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Sports Reporter
KARACHI, Jan 1: Haroon Rasheed may be replaced as Pakistan team
coach before the national outfit proceeds to Africa where it will
play five Tests and at least nine one-day internationals on a
three-month tour.
The chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Majid
Khan, confirmed on Thursday evening from Lahore that Haroon
Rasheed's seven-month tenure will be discussed by the Executive
Council.
"The Executive Council will meet before team's departure in which
Haroon's performance will be studied. If the Council expressed
unsatisfaction, he (Haroon Rasheed) may be replaced.
"The Executive Council is the competent authority to retain or
replace a coach," Majid said from his Lahore residence.
Majid admitted that Haroon's performance has not been very good. He
said the Council was not particularly happy with it, at least.
The PCB chief executive, however, said Haroon will be going to
Dhaka as coach. "But his position as coach for the African tour is
not secure," he said.
Haroon's seven-month period has been plagued with defeats,
including defeats in the Sahara Cup, home Test series against South
Africa and golden jubilee quadrangular tournament.
However, what has not been considered is the fact that Haroon had
to work with four different captains � Ramiz Raja, Saeed Anwar,
Wasim Akram and lastly Rashid Latif � since taking over from
Mushtaq Mohammad last May.
Majid Khan dismissed impressions that a foreign coach will take
over from Haroon on the African safari. He said negotiations with
foreign coaches were still on but nothing was confirmed so far.
Haroon was initially appointed as cricket manager for three years
with a provision of review of his performance before extending his
contract.
Meanwhile, newly-appointed captain Rashid Latif called on Majid
Khan on Thursday morning. The PCB official said the discussion
revolved around the coming assignment.
"We didn't discuss the African tour as our first priority is to win
the Dhaka triangular. He (Rashid Latif) was informed of his
responsibilities as a captain. Besides, I wished him best of luck,"
Majid said.
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