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DAWN WIRE SERVICE
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Week Ending : 11 April 1998 Issue : 04/15
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C O N T E N T S
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N A T I O N A L N E W S
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FO Pakistan test-fires Ghauri missile
Pakistan's offer of talks to India intact: Nawaz
Nawaz asks IPPs to reduce power rates
US for talks on Kashmir
MQM to wait till 18th: 3 options under study
Pakistanis in UK face racial discrimination: CRE official
Benazir sees Nawaz's fall by next year
Uniform policy to be followed in privatization
'Vigilance at borders can help check smuggling'
UK firms interested in road projects
---------------------------------
B U S I N E S S & E C O N O M Y
---------------------------------
India to import 10,000 tons of Basmati rice
Private bank deposits: Alarming trend towards dollarization
Govt offers four-point formula to IPPs
Price war may lower power tariff
Move to facilitate Rs100bn investment
Industrial activity at Hub stagnant
USC losses surge to Rs 447 million
Recommendations to humanize IMF
Consumer Price Index rises by 9.59pc in 12 months
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E D I T O R I A L S & F E A T U R E S
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Storming of the Supreme Court - 2 Ardeshir Cowasjee
Belly up in Keamari Irfan Hussain
Getting the equation right Omar Kureishi
Thieves of Dhaka Hafizur Rahman
Vajpayee's three faces Afzal Mahmood
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S P O R T S
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Nicol beats Jansher to win British Open
Pakistan defeat India in last volleyball match
ABL defeat PIA to retain National one-day trophy
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N A T I O N A L N E W S
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980407
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Target hit without error: FO Pakistan test-fires Ghauri missile
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Hasan Akhtar
ISLAMABAD, April 6: Pakistan on Monday carried out a successful
flight test of the surface-to-surface Hatf-V (Ghauri) missile with
a range of 1,500 kilometres (937 miles) and a payload capacity of
700 kg.
Foreign Office spokesman Tariq Altaf told a news conference the
missile was tested to hit a target at 1,100 kilometres and it
completed the exercise without "any error." It was not a computer
test, he clarified in response to a question.
The spokesman said that the test was a significant step forward in
Pakistan's indigenous missile and satellite launch programmes
related to defence.
"We are fully satisfied with the results of the test," the
spokesman added.
He said the missile was in "research and development" phase, when
asked whether Pakistan planned to deploy the missile along the
border to counter India's Prithvi missile.
Mr Altaf said the missile had "no relevance" to China's M-II
missile, saying it had been developed by Pakistani scientists alone
with indigenous resources. He said that range and payload capacity
of Hatf-V would be upgraded.
He avoided naming the exact site of the test and also did not
confirm whether the prime minister or other high officials
witnessed the flight test.
To a question about the fallout of the test on regional security
environment and on the prospects of Pakistan-India talks, the
spokesman said the flight test was primarily related to security
needs and was defence specific. He dismissed the view that the test
might retard efforts to revive stalled talks, pointing out that
India had already taken a lead by developing a variety of medium
and long-range ballistic missiles, but Islamabad never viewed it as
an impediment to holding talks.
The spokesman brushed aside last month's press reports that
Pakistan had abandoned test flight of the missile earlier under US
pressure, saying those were merely speculations. He also denied
that as a quid pro quo, Pakistan remitted the remaining period of
five-year jail term of Ayaz Baloch, a Pakistani employee of US Drug
Enforcement Agency. He said it was a coincidence that the test
flight of the missile carried out and the remission in Ayaz
Baloch's sentence was granted the same day.
The spokesman rejected the idea that the missile test would trigger
arms race in the region and said Pakistan had been drawing world's
attention to the "multiple number of tests of various kinds of
missiles" by its neighbour.
Mr Altaf, however, said Pakistan was willing to resume talks with
India in accordance with the Islamabad agreement envisaging
formation of working groups for discussing Kashmir and security
issues.
Asked whether Pakistan expected an adverse response from the US,
the spokesman said Pakistan had been warning the world about the
developments in the region over a period of years and it was our
right to take steps to safeguard security.
He said Pakistan believed that the United States, which had been
urging restraint to the two countries on armament, "would
understand our security concerns and compulsions."
The US "is fully aware" of India's missile programme and recent
declarations by India's new Hindu-nationalist government that it
does not rule out building nuclear weapons.
Sources associated with defence development said the Ghauri was
fired from Malute, near the city of Jhelum in northeastern
Pakistan, at 7.25am local time and impacted the target near the
southwestern city of Quetta at 7.33am.
The test missile weighed 16 tons - 13 tons of it fuel, one ton
warhead and the rest casing and equipment - according to the
sources. Western diplomatic sources confirmed the missile had been
developed by Pakistan but said the "initial technology" was
provided by China. "As far as we know it is built on the Chinese
pattern," one diplomat said.
Pakistan television said the test was carried out overland. The
missile went 350 kilometres up before taking the direction to the
impact area within the Pakistan territory.
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980408
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Pakistan's offer of talks to India intact: Nawaz
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Staff Reporter
LAHORE, April 7: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, maintaining that
Ghauri missile was developed in view of Pakistan's legitimate
security concerns, said here on Tuesday that the country's policy
of talks with India would remain unchanged.
Speaking at a news conference at the Lahore airport on his arrival
here for Eid holidays, he said Pakistan had prepared its policy
vis-a-vis India after much consideration and it would certainly
yield positive results.
Pakistan, the prime minister said, did not have aggressive designs
against any country. But at the same time, he asserted, Pakistan
could not be indifferent to its defence requirements.
The Ghauri missile would help bolster national defence, the prime
minister maintained. He said that the missile had been developed
through indigenous technology and expertise, which by implication
rejected reports that the new missile had been prepared with
Chinese cooperation.
He said the missile had been developed after several years of hard
work and added that the enemy would have to think hundred times
before preparing any plan against Pakistan.
The prime minister regretted that Pakistan's institutions had been
weakened and they had deviated from the objectives for which they
had been established. He said he was trying to revive the
institutions.
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980406
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Nawaz asks IPPs to reduce power rates
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Staff Reporter
LAHORE, April 5: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Sunday warned the
Independent Power Plants (IPPs), set up under agreements signed
with the Benazir government, to reduce their rates or the
government would not purchase electricity from them.
He said Pakistan could simply not afford to buy power at
prohibitive rates stipulated in the agreements.
The prime minister sounded the warning while addressing a weekly
meeting at his Model Town residence.
Mr Nawaz Sharif alleged that the previous government had signed the
thermal power agreements after getting kickbacks. He said the
allegation was substantiated by the fact that Pakistan was provided
electricity at a rate of Rs 3.50 per kilowatt hour in 1994-95,
while four years later the same companies signed agreements with
Bangladesh to provide electricity at Rs 1.25 per kilowatt hour. "Is
it not an irregularity? What other proof is required to establish
the point?"
The prime minister was of the view that high electricity rates were
a major factor responsible for the price hike.
Referring to the privatization of the Kot Addu power plant, the
prime minister said the deal was laden with corruption. He claimed
that Pakistan could have earned a lot from this plant if it had not
been sold. The buyers, he pointed out, broke even during the first
two years.
Many people present at the meeting advised the prime minister to go
ahead with the construction of the Kalabagh dam. He smiled and did
not speak his mind.
LAW& ORDER: Referring to the law and order situation, he hoped that
it would register a marked improvement in the near future. He said
India was responsible for the recent bomb blasts in various parts
of the country and he had already brought the matter to the notice
of the world community.
Terrorist activities, the prime minister said, had harmed
Pakistan's relations with several countries and instead of
discussing avenues of cooperation with them, "we have to explain
Pakistan's position vis-a-vis the killing of their nationals".
He cited the examples of his conversation with the presidents of
Iran and the United States after the killing of their nationals.
He pointed out that the government had enacted the anti-terrorism
act with a view to taking the accused to task without any delay.
The law had been challenged before the Lahore High Court which had
proposed various amendments in it.
He believed that now the high court would soon decide appeals
against decisions of the anti-terrorist courts and pave the way for
execution of the accused.
"I want the courts to decide cases overnight so that the accused
are hanged without any delay. But the constitution and the law are
an obstacle. The question of human rights is yet another
consideration".
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980310
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US for talks on Kashmir
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Correspondent
UNITED NATIONS, April 10: The United States would urge Pakistan and
India to "go the extra mile" and hold a dialogue on Kashmir and
other issues so as to halt the nuclear missile race in the region,
spurred by recent developments.
This was stated by the US Ambassador to the United Nations, Bill
Richardson, on Thursday on the eve of his departure for South Asia
as President Clinton's special envoy.
He said his trip showed high-level interest of the United States in
the region which was vital to "American security and foreign policy
interests". He added:" President Clinton will be going to the area
in the fall. We are laying the groundwork for the progress we hope
to achieve during this important visit of the president to this
highly important area."
Richardson's trip will begin with a visit to Bahrain and the US
aircraft carrier Independence in the Gulf. He will also visit
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. He will be
the first US official to meet new Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari
Vajpayee.
Speaking about Richardson's visit to Pakistan, a senior State
Department official said: " Pakistan is an old friend and ally of
the US. We are looking to strengthen our relationship with Pakistan
and look forward to meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. This
is all of our policy of enhanced engagement in the region", the
official said.
On India, the official said: "The trip to India will cover whole
range of issues, obviously UN-related, including the question of
Delhi's claim to a permanent seat in the Security Council."
The United States said recently it would not back India's claim to
a permanent seat in the Security Council; instead it would support
a rotating permanent seat for the region.
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980407
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MQM to wait till 18th: 3 options under study
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Omar R. Quraishi
KARACHI, April 6: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement will wait until
April 18 before deciding on any future course of action, a senior
party leader said on Monday.
The party is also considering three main options: one, to resign
from the ministries it holds, both at the federal and provincial
levels; two, to resign from the National Assembly and the Sindh
Assembly but not the Senate; and three, to leave the coalition
government altogether and sit in the opposition.
The party's parliamentary leader in the Senate and the deputy
convener of its coordination committee, Aftab Ahmed Sheikh, told
Dawn from Hyderabad (where he is convalescing after a traffic
accident) that the MQM had first given a 48-hour ultimatum and then
a month-long period to the government. He said elimination of the
so-called 'no-go' areas was part of the written agreement the MQM
had made with the Pakistan Muslim League and though the government
had said it would act on this, there was "no evidence" that any
such thing was happening.
The senator said that once the deadline passed, the party would not
give any further ultimatums; its coordination committee would go
into session and consider the above three options. The senator also
said that,according to some reports he had received, members of the
federal cabinet were trying to present a picture as if the
government had prepared itself for any eventuality in case the MQM
did leave the coalition. The options the government seemed to be
considering, the MQM senator said, included even the possibility of
the PML aligning with a forward bloc of the PPP, comprising upwards
of six MPAs and even with some MQM MPAs.
The senator said his party was "very closely" watching the
extension of parole of many of its ministers and legislators. A
summary had been sent by the Sindh Home Department to the Sindh
chief minister for approval, Mr Sheikh (himself on parole till
April 17) said, but the party would see till what date the
extension was given. Last time it was given for a six-month period,
he added.
Mr Sheikh denied that his party's relations with its major ally,
the PML, had deteriorated and also denied that Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif had refused to see an MQM delegation, referring it to lower-
ranking authorities.
"When I had met with the traffic accident the prime minister called
me up in the hospital and even spoke to my wife who was also
injured.If the situation was so bad, these things wouldn't have
happened. I plan to get in touch with him (the PM) after Eid to
arrange a meeting," he said.
Asked for what purpose had his party senator Nasreen Jalil gone to
London, Mr Sheikh said she would discuss the political situation
and party matters and that this was her first visit to London in
four years. Responding to a related question, he said that in the
coming few days, many more people would be going to and "coming
from" London. Asked what he meant by the latter phrase, the senator
laughed and said: "When those things happen you will find out."
Responding to another question, he said his party had no authentic
information on whether the governor of Sindh was being replaced.
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980406
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Pakistanis in UK face racial discrimination: CRE official
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Staff Correspondent
LONDON, April 5: A senior official of Britian's Commission for
Racial Equality (CRE) has said Pakistanis living in the United
Kingdom are being treated as second-class citizens and judged by
the colour of their skin and not by their achievements.
Speaking at a function held in Croydon to celebrate Pakistan Day,
CRE commissioner Dr Z.U.Khan said Britons of Pakistani origin were
fed up with this treatment.
A large number of Asians, particularly Pakistanis, live in this
area.
The function was attended by a number of MPs, Mayor of Croydon
borough and members of the European Parliament, many of whom did
not agree with Mr Khan's views.
He said the Britions of Pakistani origin had helped in boosting
Britain's exports and created jobs for thousands of people in their
businesses but still they were despised and treated as second-class
citizens.
"Once I am out in the street,I am not judged by what I am or what I
can do but by what colour I am," he said. "This remains the
situation despite the immense contribution of Pakistanis to the
United Kingdom."
Dr Khan said the Britons of Pakistani origin were still perceived
by the majority of people as a burden on society.
His views were dismissed as being too pessimistic by Crodyon MP
Malcolm Wicks who said that in his constituency he saw children of
all races playing together.
Tony Letts also disagreed with Mr Khan and said he was the mayor of
Croydon borough, although he himself was an immigrant from Ireland,
having come to this area in the 1960s to be trained as a male
nurse.
He said there were 47 different ethnic groups living peacefull in
his borough where people spoke 193 languages.
European Parliament member and former minister James Morrhouse told
the gathering that Britain was far better in race relations as
compared to some other European Union members. He said Europe was
planning new initiatives in race relations.
"We have come farther than countries like France and Germany," he
said, comparing the situation in Britain with that in other EU
countries.
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980405
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Benazir sees Nawaz's fall by next year
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Correspondent
LARKANA, April 4: PPP chairperson and opposition leader Benazir
Bhutto on Saturday lashed out at Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for
lodging cases against her and assassinating her character through
media trial only because she had rendered services for the people
of Pakistan.
The former premier was addressing a public meeting held at Garhi
Khuda Bux Bhutto in connection with the death anniversary of her
father, Z.A. Bhutto, the founder chairman of PPP.
She claimed that Nawaz Sharif was bent upon eliminating PPP. "He
wanted to disqualify me. He wanted to arrest me. Let him do this
all. Let him hang me, but we should rest assured that he cannot
eliminate PPP," said Ms Bhutto, adding that PPP would continue to
exist as far as there was poverty in the country and as far as the
growers did not get the actual prices of their crops.
She paid homage to the late Bhutto for the services he had rendered
and pledged to follow his mission to eliminating poverty from the
country.
The opposition leader said Bhutto never surrendered before India
and pulled the nation out of the bog of dismay and disappointment
it had landed in in the aftermath of the split of country under
military autocracy.
She said the late Bhutto was the symbol of federation and all those
who believed in federation came to Garhi Khuda Bux Bhutto to pay
homage to their leader.
She said the rulers were always afraid of PPP, because it was the
party of poor, peasants and the oppressed, and it represented the
people of backward areas who made its real strength.
AJK Prime Minister Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, Chaudhry
Ahmed Mukhtar, Masood Kousar, Saleh Ganjwal (who joined PPP after
deserting PML), Rao Sikandar, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Senator Aitazaz
Ahsan and others also spoke.
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980406
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Uniform policy to be followed in privatization
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Intikhab Amir
PESHAWAR, April 5: The federal government has asked the provincial
governments to bring their privatization policies in uniformity
with that of the centre, the NWFP Minister for Industries, Mr
Yousuf Ayub Khan, told Dawn here on Saturday.
"Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has personally asked all the four
chief ministers to bring about uniformity in their privatisation
policies by setting up bodies on the pattern of the federal Board
of Investment (BOI)," said Mr Yousuf Ayub, who is holding at least
six other portfolios of the provincial government.
In line with the prime minister's instructions, the NWFP government
has dropped an earlier plan to set up a privatization commission
for the disposal of public sector industrial units, rest houses and
surplus agricultural land.
"A notification for the setting up of a BOI committee will soon be
issued to streamline the privatization process in NWFP," said the
minister for industries.
Some three months ago the NWFP government had announced the
formation of a privatization commission after abolishing the NWFP
Investment Committee (NIC), set up by the last Sherpao government
in place of the then privatization commission.
The chief ministers will head the BOI of their respective province.
However, NWFP Chief Minister Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Abbasi has asked
Mr Yousuf Ayub to deputize for him on the NWFP board.
The provincial BOIs will work in line with the federal committee's
rules and procedure.
This is for the third time during the 13-month rule of the
provincial government that it has announced launching of its
privatization process.
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980408
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'Vigilance at borders can help check smuggling'
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Aamir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI, April 7: Industrialists and importers express doubt over
the government's plan to curb smuggling by rationalizing tariffs as
they feel that the move could only bear fruits only when the
authorities exercise strict check at borders.
They say that the government, since it came into power, has been
paying lip service to check smuggling by deploying army jawans at
the border but the decision is yet to materialize.
Sources said the government is bound to curtail the import duties
(may be 35% in the coming budget) in order to fulfil the WTO
requirement.
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980408
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UK firms interested in road projects
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Ansar Abbasi
LONDON, April 7: Two British private companies have shown their
interest in two major projects worth $1 billion in Pakistan, said
Mian Riaz Samee, high commissioner of Pakistan in London.
"One is interested in running the Lahore-Islamabad Highway on BOT
(build, operate and transfer) and the other wants to build the ring
road at Lahore," Mr Samee said in an exclusive interview with the
Dawn. Without disclosing the names of the companies, he said
negotiations between the two sides were in progress.
But the high commissioner was not sure whether these negotiation
would bear fruit, saying that the foreign investors had their
concerns about the secure and safe investment of their money and
they wanted to be satisfied in all respects. "It is, however,
encouraging that in spite of the current law and order situation in
Pakistan, the security concerns and the kind of international
sabotage the country has recently been exposed to, we are getting
serious offers from foreign investors."
The firm interested in operating the Lahore-Islamabad Highway on
BOT involved an upfront investment of $650 million while the
company negotiating for building ring road at Lahore would bring an
investment of $365 million.
The high commission was approached by these two private companies
following an investment conference in London in February 1998 which
was addressed by the prime minister and attended by over 200, what
he called, potential investors.
With regard to his role in improving trade relations between the
two countries, he said Pakistan was at present looking at the
export of non-traditional goods like fresh vegetables and fruits,
to Britain which imported vegetables and fruits worth $1 billion
every year from all around the world. He expressed his optimism
over the exports of such non-traditional goods if Pakistan overcame
the problems concerning prompt transportation and standard
packaging.
The ministry of commerce and the Export Promotion Bureau, he added,
had already been advised by the high commission to overcome these
bottlenecks. "The Export Promotion Bureau should acquaint the
Pakistani exporters with the requirements of the international
market through trade fairs and exhibitions", Mr Samee suggested.
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B U S I N E S S & E C O N O M Y
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980310
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India to import 10,000 tons of Basmati rice
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Shaukat Ali
LAHORE, April 10: India, first time in many years, has decided to
import rice from Pakistan, sources in the rice export sector told
Dawn on Friday.
India, which has been a close competitor of Islamabad in the rice
export, is facing acute shortage of the commodity due to a bad crop
this year.
Sources said that initially Indian importers had placed orders of
lifting around 10,000 tons basmati rice from different rice dealers
in Pakistan.
"Due to Indian weakness in the rice sector this year the Pakistani
rice rates in the international markets have risen to $770 per ton
from last year's $550, specially to European countries. But for
India the rate is around $560 due to less transportation charges",
a leading rice export house reported.
Most of the commodity will be sent by rail. Some consignments from
Karachi, however, would be shipped, the sources added. According to
the Export Promotion Bureau sources here, Islamabad is poised to
earn at least 20 to 25 per cent more this year over the earnings
from rice export during 1996-97.
Not only in terms of value but even volume-wise rice export in the
present year had increased, sources added.
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980405
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Private bank deposits: Alarming trend towards dollarization
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Staff Reporter
KARACHI, April 4: Seven private sector banks, whose 1997 accounts
have been released, have foreign currency deposits exceeding local
currency deposits, by about 100-500 per cent.
A sectoral study by Socgen-Crosby shows 66:34 mix in favour of
foreign currency which also indicates the alarming trend towards
dollarization of economy.
However, the ratio would be much lower for local currency when
total banking sector deposits are counted. The large national
commercial banks and the privatized banks which hold 70 per cent of
the total bank deposits have a much higher rupee mix in their
deposit bases.
The banking sector's foreign to local currency mix as a whole is
estimated at 35:65.
The foreign currency deposits of the seven banks amount to Rs
56,467 million and the local currency deposits total up to Rs
29,124 million.
These banks are Askari, Faysal, Metropolitan, Bank Al Habib,
Soneri, Union and Bolan.
The SC study also indicates that the private sector banks' non-
performing loans (NPL) average four per cent higher than the 2.5
generally assumed before 1997 results. The figure is however,
skewed by Faysal Bank's much above average of 8.6 per cent, without
which the level falls to 2.8 per cent. Even with Askari's 4.6 per
cent, NPL level beats the sector average.
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980411
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Govt offers four-point formula to IPPs
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Ihtashamul Haque
ISLAMABAD, April 10: The government has offered four-point formula
to all the 19 Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to resolve the
issue of power tariffs, including delaying payments by the WAPDA.
Official sources told Dawn here on Friday that the government has
finally told the IPPs to agree on a four-point formula to resolve
their differences over power tariffs, failing which their Power
Purchase Agreements (PAAs) will be cancelled unilaterally.
Sources claimed that the government has held successfully talks
with the World Bank which eventually agreed to get the current
power tariffs revised downward from the IPPs. They said the World
Bank, which earlier opposed any reduction in power tariffs, has
been convinced by the government over the issue.
According to the details, IPPs have been asked to reduce their
tariffs by 20 to 25 per cent; get their payments to be paid by
WAPDA rescheduled; enhance the completion date of their power
projects; and that the government will get their loans rescheduled
from foreign donors including the International Finance Corporation
which has extended loans worth 400 million dollars to these IPPs.
"We have convinced the IPPs that their tariffs are too high to be
accepted and that they should seriously take into account Rs 6
billion monthly loss of WAPDA in this behalf", said the Minister
for Water and Power Raja Nadir Pervaiz.
When approached he confirmed to Dawn that certain success has been
achieved to get the present what he said,"enormously high power
charges" reduced by the IPPs. " We are very much hopeful that
differences with the IPPs will soon be over", he said adding that
all the four points raised by the government has been appreciated
by the World Bank and the IPPs.
Sources said that Minister for Finance Senator Sartaj Aziz and the
Minister for Water and Power, Raja Nadir Pervaiz will soon leave
for Washington to hold formal talks with the World Bank and the IFC
over the issue of high tariffs being charged by the IPPs. They
would also discuss with them the cancellation of two of the IPPs
projects which, according to the government's claim, were
commissioned after extending commissions and kickbacks to some
influential people in the previous PPP government.
The issue of exporting 2000 mw surplus power to any third country,
sources said, will also be discussed between the ministers and the
donors representatives in Washington.
Sources said that the government which has earlier held open and
secret talks with the IPPs would now again invite them to Islamabad
shortly to discuss the issue before both the ministers leave for
America.
Officials said they were hopeful that differences with the IPPs
will be resolved to the satisfaction of the government.
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980406
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Price war may lower power tariff
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Muhammad Aslam
Pakistan is still a little far away for achieving self- sufficiency
in power generation and there are no immediate possibility of a
glut but an imminent price war among the private sector units tells
that production costs might not be that higher as widely speculated
or projected by the sponsors of both the local and the foreign
thermal power plants.
Some of the thermal-based private sector small and medium units set
up a couple of years ago under the new energy policy have already
offered to cut their selling rates to bulk consumers depending on
their annual consumption figures and terms of sale agreements.
"The offer is in the form of discount not the actual tariff cut but
it aims at netting new consumers to buy surplus power direct from
them rather than through WAPDA," a private sector energy unit
official says.
However, foreign sponsored units including Hub-Power,which last
year sold power worth about Rs.20 billion to WAPDA are not inclined
to offer any discount as their sale agreements are guaranteed by
both the Pakistan government and the international donor
agencies.Even the recent whispering about tariff rate revisions was
not entertained by them.
Some of them are worried over this unexpected development and might
have to chalk out a new strategy to meet the possible threat to
their guaranteed annual profits based on their generation capacity.
"It is a serious move and the price war may engulf the entire
budding energy sector in due course but could two selling rates
work for a longer period", some of them ask.
"If the economies of scale are correctly adhered to in broader
economic terms,foreign units have an edge over the local smaller
ones and could well lead the way", some of the energy experts
claim.
But foreign sponsors complain of higher production costs and other
overheads owing to corporate and other taxes,higher import duty on
the major industrial raw materials,notably furnace oil and claim
only official relief could lower their costs,which could be passed
on to the consumers.
"The move appears to be officially-inspired apparently to counter
the foreign media adverse comments on the controvertialissue of
power tariff revision", some of the sponsors said adding "how can
local owners could sell energy to any prospective buyers without
the approval of WAPDA,which owns the entire distribution network in
the country".
Whatever shape the current moves take in the coming months, no one
could deny the fact that cheaper energy could provide the much-
needed boost to exporters, most industrialists believe.
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980408
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Move to facilitate Rs100bn investment
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ihtashamul Haque
ISLAMABAD, April 7: The government has decided to expedite the
setting up of "National Stock Exchange" by early 1998-99 to
facilitate estimated Rs 100 billion new investment.
Informed sources told Dawn here on Tuesday that the government
expected Rs 100 billion local and foreign investment in the
proposed National Stock Exchange, provided it was established
during early part of the next financial year.
One of the major reasons to have this National Stock Exchange in
place as early as possible was to get 150 million dollar from the
Asian Development Bank (ADB) which had originally approved 250
million dollar loan for Capital Development Market Programme. The
bank had earlier disbursed 100 million dollars for the purpose.
Sources said that there was an early requirements of National
Clearing House on the pattern of Central Depository which could
invite lot of local and foreign investment. Initially, the
government was told that Rs 100 billion could come if this National
Stock Exchange was set up.
So far an investment of about Rs 475 billion has been made in the
country's stock exchanges. "We expect the present level of 1500
index to jump to 1800 immediately, once the National Stock Exchange
is established", said an official who was sure to have Rs 100
billion new investment through a new national level stock exchange.
According to the ADB, there was a big potential for inviting local
and foreign investment in Pakistan through the setting up of a
National Stock Exchange. Sources said ever since the ADB decided to
offer 250 million Capital Development Loan, foreign investors had
started expressing their interest to invest in Pakistan.
The ADB loan programme focuses on broadening and deepening the
financial liberalization process. The capital market in Pakistan
has registered substantial growth in the 1990s in response to the
opening of the market to investors and the liberalization of the
policy and regulatory frameworks for key market participants.
To address these issues, the government has been asked by the ADB
to adopt Capital Market Development Programme (CMDP), which aims to
develop the securities market for facilitating the efficient
allocation of resources in the economy and help broaden and deepen
the financial sector, while providing alternative sources of
funding to industry, which has traditionally relied on government
directed credit.
The main objective of CMDP is to augment the mobilization of long-
term resources and improve the efficiency of their allocation
through a diversified and competitive capital market, which
encourages broad-based participation of issuers and investors.
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980408
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Industrial activity at Hub stagnant
-------------------------------------------------------------------
S.Azam Ali
QUETTA, April 7: Industrial activity at Balochistan's principal
industrial estate, Hub, about 18 km from Karachi, has become
stagnant, because of resource constraints, heavy taxation and
withdrawal of industrial incentives forcing entrepreneurs to shift
their existing plants and projects to other places.
Knowledgeable quarters told Dawn Tuesday that multiplying inter-
provincial disparity in infrastructure development had not only
kept Balochistan backward, it had adversely affected entrepreneurs
and investors in Hub estate.
In spite of investing huge capital in Hub industries, Balochistan
has not been able to achieve the results due to neglect and
disparity and the task of stimulating investment is becoming more
and more difficult.
Hub industrial Estate (HIE) has 1440 developed plots of varying
sizes but only 351 plots could be allotted. Of nearly 200 other
plants which were in operation, according to knowledgeable sources,
more than 50% these industrial concerns have now been closed down
due to following factors:
(1) higher taxation structure, zila tax (district tax) and octroi
duty. Octroi duty is said to be about 30% higher as compared to
industrial estates in Sindh and Punjab.
(2) tax holidays have been withdrawn, which should have been
renewed for a period of four years for newly emerging industries
from the date of commencement of operation/production.
More than 151 cases are pending for fiscal incentives/tax holidays.
The rates of concession should have been also reduced to half for
the next four years. Similar concessions should have been granted
in respect of octroi duty and dist tax.
(3) lack of local trained manpower.
The industry sources suggested that package of incentives, income
tax holidays, exemption of from custom duty on import of spare
parts for existing machinery, full exemption from octroi duty and
district tax should be announced for the revival of sick industries
and optimal use of on-going industries at the HIE, making it
equally attractive for investors.
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980405
-------------------------------------------------------------------
USC losses surge to Rs 447 million
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Muhammad Ilyas
ISLAMABAD, April 4: The losses of Utility Stores Corporation had
soared to Rs 44.7 crore by the end of March 1998, thanks to inept
management and corruption, an informed source told Dawn here on
Saturday.
Yet USC was one of the few public sector organizations which was
acclaimed internationally as a success and scored profits
continuously for about 10 years, the source remarked. Its profit in
1994-95 had mounted to Rs 1.62 crore.
After more than a quarter century of its existence, through its 850
stores, it has its presence in remotest corners of the country to
protect the people from the kind of political instability that
arose from non-availability of essential commodities in the past.
Discounting the nature of the crisis cited by the present Managing
Director, the source said the sales had dropped from Rs 11.7
billion in 1995-96 to Rs 1.3 billion by December 1997 because of
the failure of the present management to maintain its inventory
properly.
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980407
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Recommendations to humanize IMF
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, April 6: Ways should be found to both humanize and
demystify the International Monetary Fund's image, so as to assuage
the political hazard associated with its policy prescriptions, a
panel of independent experts appointed by the IMF's Executive Board
has emphasized.
The panel, says an IMF report received here on Friday, was
established to evaluate IMF's Enhanced Structural Adjustment
Facility (ESAF) as part of its plan to obtain an independent and
fresh outside perspective on various IMF policies for complementing
the Fund's own in-house evaluations.
This, interestingly, coincides with the worldwide criticism of the
manner of IMF's functioning in the backdrop of economic collapse of
the erstwhile 'Asian tigers'.
The panel comprises Dr Kwesi Botchwey, Harvard Institute for
International Development; Prof Paul Collier, Oxford University;
Prof Jan Willem Gunning, Free University, Amsterdam; and Prof
Koichi Hamada, Yale University.
Pakistan is one of the beneficiaries of ESAF, together with EFF
(Extended Fund Facility), under an agreement involving a credit of
$1.6 billion.
ESAF was established in 1987 to promote balance of payments
viability and growth in low-income countries, through mobilization
of domestic and external resources, improvements in resource
allocation and the removal of structural impediments.
The experts concentrated on three specific areas: i) Social
policies and composition of government spending ii) Developments in
countries' external position and iii) Determinants of influences of
differing degrees of national ownership of ESAF-supported
programmes.
In line with the terms of reference, they also selected a sampling
of geographically diverse countries for each of the three topics.
The countries chosen by them for the purpose were: Cote d'Ivoire,
Malawi, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Zambia in Africa; Bangladesh and
Vietnam in Asia, and Bolivia in Latin America. Besides visiting
those countries, they also held discussions with senior IMF and
World Bank executives.
In its report, the panel recommended, inter alia, that:
* At a sufficiently high management level, the IMF should engage in
intensive and informal policy dialogue with the country's political
leadership to understand a country's political constraints and
possibilities.
* The timing and duration of IMF staff missions should be arranged
to allow adequate time for country preparation in advance of
negotiation and consensus-building during the negotiation process
itself.
* Steps should be taken to relieve any concern about the IMF's
perceived inflexibility in negotiations through introduction of an
element of choice in the negotiation of programme design.
* The IMF should develop a more systematic mechanism for providing
ex post support for country-initiated formal agreement with the IMF
for mainly political reasons.
* IMF/World Bank relations should be better coordinated.
*Resident missions should be strengthened or established in all
ESAF countries to reinforce strategies to foster country ownership,
particularly with a view to assessing the social impact of reform
programmes.
The Executive Directors of IMF, the report adds, did not endorse
all of the views expressed by external evaluators. They agreed,
however, that the IMF-prescribed economic reforms "do entail
temporary costs for certain segments of the population."
"Everything should be done in programme designed to protect such
groups, including provision of well-targeted assistance to the more
vulnerable groups and allocation of adequate resources for social
factors," they further conceded.
These actions plus the sequencing of fiscal and other structural
reforms with a view to minimizing social impact, they further
remarked, would help policymakers to build a domestic consensus in
favour of important but difficult reform measures.
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980310
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Consumer Price Index rises by 9.59pc in 12 months
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, April 10: The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased by
7.32% during March 1998 compared to the corresponding month of last
year, according to the Federal Bureau of Statistics data released
here on Friday.
However, the three indicators of price movement, Sensitive Price
Indicator (SPI), Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Wholesale Price
Index (WPI) for the running 12 months i.e. April,1997-March,1998,
showed an increase of 9.87%, 9.59% and 8.56% respectively, over the
corresponding 12 months of last year, i.e. April,1996-March,1997.
An interesting feature of the latest data that the highest increase
(9.87%) was in SPI which is relevant to the lowest paid employees
with salaries up to Rs 1500 per month and covers 47 essential
items.
The statistics show that the price of electricity alone soared by
about 17.0% within March 1998 over the previous month and by 22.02%
compared with the corresponding month of 1997. These figures
indicate only average change, whereas the electricity charges were
increased by 34.6% to 48.2% at one go in March, 1998. The cost of
foodstuffs, house rent and education also increased, respectively,
by 7.32%, 9.08% and 6.33% over March 1997. In these groups,
foodstuffs registered the highest increase of 1.11% over the
previous month.
Among major groups of essential items, "cleaning, laundry &
personal appearance" alone posted growth. The CPI for this group
decreased by 0.51% from 202.93 of March 1997 to 201.60% as at the
end of last month. The index for medicines is shown to have risen
by 2.34% during March 1998 compared to March 1997 and by 0.04% over
February 1998.
Likewise, the group "apparel, textile & footwear" increased by
3.45%, "household furniture & equipment etc." by 3.91%, and
"transport & communication" by 1.51%, over the corresponding month
of last year.
As part of the increasing trend of increasing prices, according to
the report, SPI, CPI and WPI increased during the month by 0.51%,
1.77% and 1.73% respectively over the previous month.
The SPI, CPI and WPI for the running quarter January-March, 1998
showed an increase of 0.50%, 1.10% and 1.20% respectively, over the
previous quarter October-December, 1997. The SPI, CPI and WPI for
the quarter January-March 1998 showed an increase of 5.98%, 6.02%
and 4.39% respectively, over the corresponding quarter of last
year, January-March, 1997.
The main items which showed increase in their prices during March,
1998 over February, 1998 are as under:
Food, beverages & tobacco: Chilies green (76.06%), cauliflower
(39.67%), cucumber (27.7%), kinnow (26.8%), malta (25.9%), radish
(24.2%), mosambi (22.5%), onions (21.5%), eggs (18.8%), carrot
(9.8%), turnip (7.5%), Dalda cooking oil (7.3%), pistachio (4.6%),
maize (4.0%), apple (3.5%), chilghoza (2.6%), tea loose (2.6%),
vegetable ghee tin (2.4%), coffee (2.2%), fish (2.0%), pakwan
cooking oil (1.9%), pulse masoor washed (1.6%), rice basmati
(1.5%), pulse moong washed (1.5%), sweet meat (1.3%), dal cooked
(1.1%), bajra (1.0%), lassi (1.0%), and curd (1.0%).
Fuel & lighting: Electric charges (34.62% to 48.42%).
Household, furniture & equipment: Deep-freezer (1.6%), air-
conditioner (1.0%), stainless steel plate (1.0%) and single bed
(1.0%).
Recreation, entertainment & education: Maths book Ist year/Inter
(7.1%), daily Nawa-e-Waqt (4.1%), physics book Ist year/Inter
(3.7%), chemistry book Ist year/Inter (2.6%), English book class
IX/X (1.3%), Urdu book Ist year/Inter (1.1%), English book Ist
year/Inter (1.0%) and pen ink (1.0%).
The main items which showed decrease in their prices during March,
1998 over February, 1998 are as under:
Food, beverages, & tobacco: Garlic (34.7%), potatoes (6.9%),
chicken farm (5.85%), sugar (3.6%), guava (3.2%), gur (3.15%),
pulse gram (2.4%), communised white (2.3%), cabbage (1.6%), wheat
(1.6%), pepper black (1.4%), peas (1.4%) and besan (1.2%).
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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980405
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Storming of the Supreme Court - 2
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ardeshir Cowasjee
TO borrow Information Minister Mushahid Hussain's favourite opening
49-letter word, "thegovernmentofprimeministernawazsharif" will not
be forgiven for many years to come for having demeaned our
judiciary to the extent it has for its own selfish good and
survival.
At present, a Supreme Court Bench headed by Justice Nasir Aslam
Zahid, sitting with Justices Munawar Ali Mirza and Abdur Rahman
Khan is investigating the storming of the Court by the rowdies and
supporters, and parliamentarians, of the ruling party on November
28 1997. The Judges delve deep into details and with their
experience can easily perceive who is and who is not lying under
oath. Reports published last month in this newspaper and the report
front-paged on April 3 under the heading "PML trying cover-up : SC"
substantiate this.
The people must not forget that this is the first case of its kind
in the recorded judicial history of any democracy. It is
unprecedented that a ruling party, a government of the day, has
committed contempt "in the face of the court" by perverting the
course of justice with a preplanned invasion.
Morris v Crown Office was the first case in Britain in which the
Court of Appeal had to consider 'contempt in the face of the
Court'. The Rt Hon Lord Denning, then Master of the Rolls, in his
book "The Due Process of Law," published in 1980, devotes a chapter
to the dramatic invasion of the Court by a group of Welsh students
who were upset because programmes to Wales were being broadcast in
English and not in Welsh. He recounts :
"Eleven young students had been sentenced to prison. Each for three
months. They were all from the University of Aberystwyth. They were
imbued with Welsh fervour. They had been sentenced on Wednesday, 4
February 1970. I always see that urgent cases are dealt with
expeditiously. We started their appeal on Monday, 9 February and
decided it on Wednesday, 11 February. I also have some say in the
constitution of the Court. So I arranged for one of the Welsh Lords
Justices to sit. Lord Justice Arthian Davies was well qualified. He
was not only Welsh. He could speak Welsh. He sat with Lord Justice
Salmon and me. We heard the argument on Monday and Tuesday. We
discussed the case on Wednesday morning and delivered judgment on
the Wednesday afternoon." He goes on to give extracts from this
judgment (1970 2 QB 114) :
"Last Wednesday, just a week ago, Lawton J, a judge of the High
Court here in London, was sitting to hear a case. It was a libel
case between a naval officer and some publishers. He was trying it
with a jury. It was no doubt an important case, but for the
purposes of today it could have been the least important. It
matters not. For what happened was serious indeed. A group of
students, young men and young women, invaded the court. It was
clearly pre-arranged. They had come all the way from their
University of Aberystwyth. They strode into the well of the court.
They flocked into the public gallery. They shouted slogans. They
scattered pamphlets. They sang songs. They broke up the hearing.
The judge had to adjourn. They were removed. Order was restored.
"When the judge returned to the court, three of them were brought
before him. He sentenced each of them to three months' imprisonment
for contempt of court. The others were kept in custody until the
rising of the court. Nineteen were then brought before him. The
judge asked each of them whether he or she was prepared to
apologise. Eight of them did so. The judge imposed a fine of fifty
pounds on each of them and required them to enter into
recognisances to keep the peace. Eleven of them did not apologise.
They did it, they said, as a matter of principle and so did not
feel able to apologise. The judge sentenced each of them to
imprisonment for three months for contempt of court.
"In sentencing these young people in this way the judge was
exercising a jurisdiction which goes back for centuries. It was
well described over 200 years ago by Wilmot J in an opinion which
he prepared but never delivered. "It is a necessary incident," he
said, "to every court of justice to fine and imprison for contempt
of the court acted in the face of it." That is R v Almon (1765)
Wilm 243 254. The phrase "contempt in the face of the court" has a
quaint old-fashioned ring about it; but the importance of it is
this; of all the places where law and order must be maintained, it
is here in these courts. The course of justice must not be
deflected or interfered with. Those who strike at it, strike at the
very foundations of our society. To maintain law and order, the
judges have, and must have, power at once to deal with those who
offend against it. It is a great power - a power instantly to
imprison a person without trial - but it is a necessary power. So
necessary, indeed, that until recently the judges exercised it
without any appeal. There were previously no safeguards against a
judge exercising his jurisdiction wrongly or unwisely. This was
remedied in the year 1960. An appeal now lies to this court; and,
in a suitable case, from this court to the House of Lords. With
these safeguards this jurisdiction can and should be maintained.
"Eleven of these young people have exercised this right to appeal
and we are here concerned with their liberty : and our law puts the
liberty of the subject before all else.
"............ I hold, therefore, that a judge of the High Court
still has power at common law to commit instantly to prison for
criminal contempt, and this power is not affected in the least by
the provisions of the Act of 1967. The powers at common law remain
intact. It is a power to fine or imprison, to give an immediate
sentence or to postpone it, to commit to prison pending his
consideration of the sentence, to bind over to be of good behaviour
and keep the peace, and to bind over to come for judgment if called
upon. These powers enable the judge to give what is, in effect, a
suspended sentence........
"[The Advocate conducting the defence] says that the sentences were
excessive. I do not think they were excessive, at the time they
were given and in the circumstances then existing. Here was a
deliberate interference with the course of justice . . . . It was
necessary for the judge to show that this kind of thing cannot be
tolerated. Let students demonstrate ........But they must do it by
lawful means and not by unlawful. If they strike at the course of
justice in this land..... they strike at the roots of society
itself, and they bring down that which protects them. It is only by
the maintenance of law and order that they are privileged to be
students and to study and live in peace. So let them support the
law, not strike it down."
Lord Denning's decision was that the law had been vindicated by the
sentences passed by the High Court judge, that the students had
already served a week in prison, and that it had been shown that
they had done very wrong by invading the court, by committing
contempt in the face of the court. He, therefore, ordered that they
be released that day, that they be bound over for good behaviour to
keep the peace and come up for judgment if called upon within the
next 12 months.
Also on the matter of contempt, and on the need for courts to
maintain their dignity and authority, Lord Denning quotes from his
judgment in the case of Balogh v St Albans Crown Court (1975 1 QB
73):
"The judges should not hesitate to exercise the authority they
inherit from the past. Insults are to be treated with disdain -
save when they are gross and scandalous. Refusal to answer with
admonishment - save where it is vital to know the answer. But
disruption of the court or threats to witnesses or to jurors should
be visited with immediate arrest. Then a remand in custody and,if
it can be arranged, representation by counsel. If it comes to a
sentence, let it be such as the offence deserves - with the
comforting reflection that,if it is in error, there is an appeal to
this court."
In the case of the Welsh students, the Court was invaded on
February 4, they were sentenced on February 4, the appeal was heard
on February 9 and decided on February 11 - all within the space of
one week.
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980310
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Belly up in Keamari
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Irfan Husain
Over the years, I must have gone on at least a score of fishing
expeditions, and have still to persuade a single fish to swallow
the hook, and not just the bait.
Our recent excursion was no exception, and I returned empty-
handed. I am glad to report that my friends fared little better,
with one unfortunate six-inch toddler being our only trophy. The
fact of the matter is that it was midday on a scorching day before
we were actually outside the harbour, when any sensible fish would
be as deep in the water and as far away from the surface as
possible.
Normally, I am not bothered at all by my consistent lack of success
with the hook. Indeed, I feel a little squeamish at the thought of
a live fish struggling with my hook embedded in its throat.
Fortunately, my conscience has not had to trouble itself over this
possibility so far. All in all, I have normally returned quite
happy from such picnics.
However, the recent one was disturbing for another reason
altogether: in and immediately out of Keamari Harbour, there were
hundreds of thousands of little fish floating belly up. They had
clearly been poisoned by some noxious substance dumped by one of
the cargo ships at anchor. It has become a common practice for
ships in our waters to flush their holds and tanks close to shore,
poisoning the sea, and killing unknown numbers of fish.
The sight we saw a fortnight ago would be unimaginable in most
harbours. If a captain were to behave in such an outrageous
fashion, he would probably be arrested, and the owners of the ship
heavily fined. Here, this sort of thing has become so routine that
not a single newspaper bothered to report it. Foreign crews, aware
of Karachi Port Trust's lax attitude in such matters, regularly
pour chemical waste and sludge from their fuel tanks into our
waters.
But why blame foreigners when our own track record is so poor? As a
child, I remember going to Keamari, and watching little boys diving
into the water to retrieve coins thrown in by visitors. Today, they
couldn't see a thing six inches away because of the pollution.
Until a decade ago, we would go crabbing regularly, and eat the
catch that was cooked by the crew on board the rented sailboats.
Today, there are hardly any crabs left in the harbour, and those
that have survived probably glow in the dark because of all the
chemicals in them.
Indeed, our coastline close to Karachi has become one long garbage
dump. At Sandspit, the waves bring in plastic bags more often than
they do seaweed, and the beach is often covered with cans, bottles
and assorted rubbish rather than with sand and seashells. Visitors
carelessly discard their refuse rather than carrying it back to the
city, and were it not for the scavenging crows and pi-dogs the
beach would be one extended stretch of putrefying garbage.
But if we have made our beaches an eyesore, what we have done to
our cities is no better. Living here as we do, we no longer notice
how filthy our environment has become. The most fastidious person,
somebody who would not tolerate a dusty table at home, is blind to
the fact that his sweeper casually dumps the garbage outside the
wall on the street. Again, were it not for Karachi's (and most
urban Pakistan's) invisible army of human and animal scavengers,
all kinds of diseases would be stalking the land today. And as the
blood and offal that litter our streets in the aftermath of Eid-ul-
Azha serve to remind us, we are not very concerned about other
people's sensibilities.
As it is, hepatitis in many old and new forms is endemic in
Pakistan, and this is a disease that is spread through poor hygiene
and a contaminated water source. Our civic bodies cannot cope with
the mountains of garbage that pile up in our cities, and in most of
our slums and kachchi abadis, sewage and waste matter of every
description slops around in open sewers. And yet, our ancestors in
Moenjodaro and Harappa discovered the use of covered drains three
thousand years ago.
The extensive use of plastic for household utensils of every kind
means that objects that were earlier made of natural substances
that would be soon broken down or recycled now lie around for years
in piles. Nevertheless, almost everything else is recycled, and
this vast business is tightly controlled by a shadowy mafia. By
contrast, the Egyptian government has forced them to collect the
rubbish from households as a sort of tax.
The remotest spot in the country has been blighted by the curse of
the plastic shopping bag. Go to a lake in Swat, a forest in Nathia
Gali, or a glacier in Hunza, and you will find these ubiquitous
objects in different hues and sizes. We must hold some kind of
world record in littering. And instead of teaching our children to
preserve our environment, we do not rebuke them for dumping their
chocolate wrappers out of moving cars.
But if we are careless about how we treat nature, our use of public
buildings is little short of criminal. Everywhere you go, you will
find the ever-present splashes of scarlet betel juice, spat out by
millions of paan-chewing Pakistanis without a thought. People spit
and hawk everywhere, and those with a cold will casually blow their
noses into their fingers and smear the result on the nearest wall.
Visitors to these shores are struck (and probably disgusted) by the
free and easy use of open areas and lanes as public lavatories. If
you travel by train, you will see hordes of children and adults
squatting by the tracks, defecating in the morning. Of course, the
shortage of public toilets adds to the problem.
Given our natural lack of hygiene and concern for others, it is
doubtful that any law can significantly reduce the industrial,
traffic and domestic pollution that is rapidly threatening to
destroy our environment. Were it not for the brisk breeze that
blows over Karachi for most of the year, the air would be
unbreathable. Downtown Lahore during the day is hell, and threatens
to get worse.
Any enlightened government would have launched a major public
education drive, backed by stiff fines. But in a country where
leaders seldom bother to stop at a traffic signal, it would be
foolish to hold our collective breath and wait for the state to set
an example.
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980406
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Getting the equation right
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Omar Kureishi
BLACK MOODS, my first book, was a collection of columns that I had
written in 1956. I was young then as was Pakistan, fresh like the
start of spring "blossom by blossom." But even then it was apparent
that we were heading towards a paternalistic society with the state
as the father-figure.
In the preface to the book I had warned against this and argued for
community self-reliance. If there were no schools, we expected the
government to build them, if there were no parks, we asked what the
government was doing about them and so on. We invited the
government into all walks of our lives and thus disempowered
ourselves.
I had written too about the dependence on foreign aid in the same
vein. The aid came with strings and the strings were in the control
of a puppeteer who had his own agenda which was at variance with
our national interests. Though the phrase was not fashionable then,
there was no such thing as a free lunch, is what I was saying.
I bring this up in the context of an increasing involvement of the
armed forces in the civilian domain. It is the duty and a national
obligation of the armed forces to come to the aid of civil power.
Implicit in this obligation is that armed forces will augment the
efforts of the civil power but not as a matter of routine but only
in unusual circumstances.
The census is one example and over 2,00,000 troops were deployed.
Clearly the civil power needed this assistance. Then again for
flood relief operations and other natural calamities or rail or air
accidents, it is natural to turn to the armed forces for they are
equipped to act quickly. But these are emergencies.
There can be certain other activities that can be justified such as
road construction in Azad Kashmir and in inaccessible areas where
there may be a defence dimension.
But the main job of development which includes education and the
provision of health services belongs to the civil power and this
cannot be farmed out and should not be farmed out because it
amounts to an abdication of responsibility. Ours is a de jure
civilian government, though what it is de facto, is not entirely
clear and Islamabad is not unmindful that Rawalpindi is only a
stone's throw away! But so long as we have pretensions that what we
have is a democratic government duly elected by the people in a
free and fair election, then the role of the civil power and the
armed forces should be clearly demarcated otherwise there are
inherent dangers of overlapping authorities.
This is in the interest of both the civil power and the armed
forces. To ask the armed forces to assist in what are clearly
civilian matters is to weaken the authority of the government and
have its writ diluted. It is also a tacit admission of an inability
to fulfil its responsibilities. A case be made in cases of a major
law and order breakdown. Even in the United States the National
Guard was called out during the Civil Rights movements and when the
students protested against the Vietnam war and turned their college
campus into a battlefield. But to get the armed forces involved in
the run-of-the-mill and routine administration seems to me to be an
own goal. It casts aspersions on the government's credibility.
>From the standpoint of the armed forces, it is also in their best
interest that they are not diverted from their main task. It is not
as if we live in a peaceful neighbourhood. There is an undeclared
war in Siachen, every day we read of cross-border firings across
the Line of Control. And there is now installed in New Delhi a BJP
Government which may be making all the right kind of noises at the
moment but who knows what its hidden agenda is?
Our armed forces must remain vigilant and in a state of
preparedness. This may sound like sabre rattling but the armed
forces can't afford to lower their guard. I think too that an
involvement in civilian matters can be misunderstood by the people
and it could be perceived as interference in the day to day affairs
of the government. It is not healthy.
The relations between the armed forces and the civilian population
is a harmonious one. There is a bond that remains despite the 11
years rule of Ziaul Haq, authoritarian, arbitrary and devoid of
legality in the moral sense of the word. The people have put those
years behind them and if there were any wounds, these have been
healed. If the civilians depend on their armed forces to safeguard
the territorial integrity of the country, the armed forces know
that they cannot do without solid civilian backing and support. It
is this interdependence, this equation that must be left
undisturbed.
Government machinery is massive and it has at its disposal millions
of employees. It is these employees who must be made to work, to
deliver the goods in the development and social sectors. If someone
else is doing this job then these persons are redundant. More than
that it represents a lack of confidence in them or an acceptance of
their ineptitude. In that case they have no business to be in
service. A civilian government must not only be civilian in
appearance but in every respect including decision making in the
political arena. In other words, it should be self- reliant. The
armed forces have a role to play in national development but it
should not be said that we can't see the forest for the trees.
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980408
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Thieves of Dhaka
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Hafizur Rahman
"HONOUR among thieves" is a time-worn adage, although with the
decline in noble qualities and the general lowering of moral
standards all over the world, it may be difficult to discern the
quality of honour among thieves these days. All of us pine for the
"good old days," and old-timers must be remembering with nostalgia
the time when thieves were thieves and not crooks.
Thievery used to be a whole-time vocation, and was confined to
persons who were devoted to it heart and soul. Apart from
occasional (and unfortunate) stints in jail, they continued on the
job day and night mostly at night and no honest thief ever
thought of changing his profession. Now of course every Tom, Dick
and Harry is taking to thieving as a sideline, as if it were a
hobby like stamp collecting.
Industrialists in Pakistan, who can very well afford to have power
plants of their own, are stealing electricity from WAPDA. Traders
steal the sales tax they owe to the state, and billionaire
politicians with clout do the same with income tax. Government
officers steal secrets from office files and sell them to whoever
is interested. Teachers steal question papers of university and
board exams and make money out of them. Lawyers egg on all these
amateur part-time thieves in order to promote their own business.
And maulvis try to get for free whatever they can lay their pious
hands upon. It's all over the place, to steal the name of Omar
Kureishi's column.
I am sure it must be the same with Bangladeshis, for didn't they
steal a whole country from us? Apparently they are not content with
that, for their whole-time thieves at least want to retain the
purity of the profession and rid it of politics and national
considerations. Witness these excerpts from a Dhaka report
circulated by Agence France Presse:
"About 10,000 thieves have formed an association here and are
offering courses to newcomers in this ancient occupation....It has
a training school with 2,000 members, including pick-
pockets....Hijackers cannot become members, according to spokesman
Ali Hossain....The association earns about 6,400 dollars monthly
from 15 areas of Dhaka which has more than eight million
residents."
I wish I could meet Mr Ali Hossain and ask him a few things. I
should of course want to know, out of sheer curiosity, of course,
to which branch of thievery he belongs whether he is a cat
burglar or pickpocket, or pinches shoes from mosques, or steals
valuables from people's houses by posing as a meter- reader, or, if
that is permissible is a reformed hijacker. All these are minor
points, and would be meant to build up an air of chumminess between
us. The real questions are the serious ones.
For instance, my main and most important query would be about the
non-professional breeds of thieves mentioned by me in the third
paragraph of this piece. Bangladesh too must abound in them, since
the Bengalis and we were together for 24 years and were brought up
in the same atmosphere of theft and plunder. My chief question to
Ali Hossain would be: since you have formed an association of
thieves, why keep those chaps out of it?
Is it that he doesn't consider them genuine thieves because they
haven't taken to thievery for a living, to make both ends meet and
to be able to afford at least one square meal a day, but merely to
bolster their already reasonable incomes by unfair means? Does he
consider them lowly pariahs because of this chink in their armour,
this social weakness, which makes them unfit to sit with self-
respecting veteran thieves? What is it?
I should also like to inform myself about other incidental matters.
For example, how many courses, and of what duration, does the
association run? After graduating and becoming full- fledged
members, what does one pay to keep one's membership alive? If a
chap is unable to make money at all from thieving, is there a
system to keep him on the dole out of a welfare fund? If he dies on
duty, is his family looked after and his son/sons given free
tuition in the training institute? etc. etc. I have always been
interested in educational issues.
It's a pity that no one among the thieving gentry of Pakistan has
ever thought of instituting a regular system of educating its young
and incipient members. All of them have to learn through in-service
training or through self-education based on their own spirit of
enterprise, or take lessons from elders of the family who are
already in business and don't want their sons and nephews and sons-
in-law to miss out on vital points and thereby cause a loss to a
good profitable concern.
I was wondering if there was scope for cooperation between the
hoarders, profiteers and black-marketeers of Pakistan and the
thieves' association of Dhaka. The former are no doubt ambitious
people who would be ready to avail themselves of a refresher course
if the association would agree to run it. But the trouble is that,
though both are in the same business, there is a fundamental
difference between the two.
Our people may not find the methods taught to Dhaka thieves
inspiring enough. They'll say this is what we teach our little boys
when they are still in school. On the other hand, if the
association were to send a batch of trainees to Lahore or
Islamabad, and particularly to Karachi, they will not want to go
back. The prospect of becoming instant millionaires through
thievery would be too tempting for indigent Bengali thieves to give
up, accustomed as they are to earning just a few hundred measly
takas in a whole day.
Not that anyone is going to take my suggestion seriously about
cooperation between the top greedy class of Pakistan and the down-
to-earth members of the Dhaka' association. I only put it forward
because I sincerely want more contacts between our two countries.
But I suppose you can't have any kind of understanding between the
Bangladeshis who are honest enough to call themselves thieves and
the Pakistanis who are dishonest enough to think they are
gentlemen.
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980407
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Vajpayee's three faces
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Afzal Mahmood
INDIAN Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has several faces. One
is the hardliner BJP-RSS face which asserts that it is the
"Pakistan-occupied part of Jammu and Kashmir" which is the bone of
contention between India and Pakistan and which has to be vacated
by Pakistan to normalize relations between the two countries.
The second face pertains to the Vajpayee of 1977-79 period when he
was the minister for external affairs in the Morarji Desai
government and played a crucial role in improving Indo-Pakistan
relations. Incidentally, these two years were perhaps the happiest
period of Indo-Pakistan relations in the past fifty years. Despite
the fact that the Kashmir issue remained unresolved, the
relationship during this brief interlude was almost free from
tension and mistrust.
As his country's new prime minister, Vajpayee is now projecting a
third face through his emphasis on the 'national agenda.' The BJP
has at last realized that politics is the art of the possible. In
1996 its government fell in 13 days because it had drawn a line
beyond which it was not prepared to go. This time it decided to be
flexible to an extent that it put its election manifesto on the
back burner and evolved what it called a "national agenda" in
consultation with its coalition partners.
A number of hardline policies contained in the BJP election
manifesto have been dropped from the national agenda. Notably there
is no mention of the Hindu zealots' demand to build a temple at the
site of the Babri mosque in Ayodhya. Nor is there any reference to
the repealing of Article 170 of the Indian Constitution granting
special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The plan for a common civil
code on marriage and property laws, a move bitterly opposed by the
Indian Muslims, is also missing from the national agenda.
The stand on the nuclear option is the only part of the agenda
which has caused concern to Islamabad. The BJP-led coalition says
it will take steps "to ensure the security, territorial integrity
and unity of India. Towards that end, we will re-evaluate the
nuclear policy and exercise the option to induct nuclear weapons."
The first thing to note is that the option to induct nuclear
weapons is closely linked with the existence of a threat to the
security, territorial integrity and unity of India. In the absence
of such a threat, the question of exercising the option does not
arise. Secondly, the agenda nowhere says that the Vajpayee
government is going to test a nuclear weapon. What it says is that
it will produce nuclear weapons if there is a threat to India's
security, etc. Prime minister Vajpayee has stated that there was no
timeframe for nuclear policy. As a nuclear test will immediately
attract economic sanctions, which India cannot afford in the
prevailing economic situation, the BJP announcement appears to be
more rhetorical than real.
The BJP's election manifesto, making a reference to Pakistan, said:
The BJP affirms unequivocally India's sovereignty over the whole of
Jammu and Kashmir including the areas under foreign occupation." It
augurs well for the future of Indo-Pakistan relations that the
BJP's negative reference to Pakistan in its election manifesto and
its unreasonable stance on Azad Kashmir has not found any place in
the national agenda. BJP's stance towards Pakistan has all along
been jingoistic. But its anti-Pakistan posture was never criticized
by any other political party in India.
Vajpayee's remarks about Pakistan after his assumption of office as
prime minister are reminiscent of the days when he was minister for
external affairs. In his nationwide address on television network
he said: "Whenever there is the slightest opportunity to improve
our relations with Islamabad, my government will go the extra mile.
A happy and prosperous Pakistan would benefit India."
Speaking in the Lok Sabha a few day later, Vajpayee said there
would be "no key change in foreign policy. Foreign policy has to
move with the times but the basics cannot change." The "Gujral
doctrine", the policy of making unilateral concessions to
neighbours, is likely to be the first casualty of the Vajpayee's
foreign policy. The nuclear option may not be exercised but India
may unfreeze its Agni missile programme, put in the cold storage by
Narasimha Rao's government under US pressure. It may also decide to
further beef up its conventional armed strength.
India-Pakistan talks may get going but any breakthrough on Kashmir
is not likely at this stage. On the contrary, there is a real
danger that the Vajpayee government will try to crush the freedom
struggle of the Kashmiris through more repressive and brutal
measures which may further deteriorate the Indo-Pakistan relations.
Despite all the negative factors, there is a feeling both in India
and Pakistan that the Vajpayee government may achieve in the realm
of Indo-Pakistan relations what others have failed to do. The
optimists are encouraged by Vajpayee's pre-election remark that he
made during a meeting with the High Commissioner of Pakistan. He
said if ever there would be a breakthrough in India-Pakistan
relations, it would be under a BJP government. It clearly meant
that only a party with established nationalist credentials, like
the BJP, can dare to cut the Gordian knot over Kashmir.
===================================================================
S P O R T S
===================================================================
980406
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Nicol beats Jansher to win British Open
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BIRMINGHAM (England), April 5: Top seed Peter Nicol of Scotland won
the British Open men�s squash title when he beat second-seeded
defending champion Jansher Khan of Pakistan 17-16 15-4 15-5 in the
final on Sunday.
In the semifinals, the left-handed Scot took only 50 minutes to
avenge himself on the world champion from Australia Rodney Eyles by
15-9,15-13,15-11.
Nicol only had two phases when his efficient game faltered.
Leading 13-8 in the second game, he allowed Eyles, always dangerous
at the front, to recover to 13-13, and in the third game he
unaccountably went 3-10 down.
MARTIN DEFENDS TITLE: Michelle Martin won the British Open for the
sixth successive time when she overcame her Australian compatriot,
Sarah Fitz-Gerald, the top-seeded world champion in only half-an-
hour.
The brevity of the holder�s 9-4, 9-2, 9-1 victory was stunning.
>From 4-4 she took the first game in one sequence of points and was
in complete control for the rest of the match.
Fitz-Gerald, whose length was variable and her presence diffident,
lost to Martin for the third time in a row in a British Open final,
and has yet to win the world�s biggest and oldest tournament.
Yet in between this British Open and last Fitz-Gerald has won six
times out of seven against Martin.
�I think Sarah puts too much pressure on herself to win this,� the
champion said.
Martin played her best match of the year. She volleyed or took the
ball early to apply pressure, projected in short when there was
half an opening, and avoided getting into the slugging matches at
which the younger Aussie can be so powerful.
�I stuck to my game plan and it helped me control the match. I
couldn�t be more happy,� the champion added.
At the end she embraced her brother Rodney Martin, her adviser and
the men�s world champion of seven years ago, and also her coach
Lionel Robberds, an Australian international at both squash and
rowing.
Fitz-Gerald, who was warned for her language in the second game and
lost the last eight rallies in a row, looked increasingly
distraught.
Sorting out her mental approach will be a prerequisite to achieving
the title which is well within her capacity.Reuters/AFP
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980407
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Pakistan defeat India in last volleyball match
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Sports Correspondent
LAHORE, April 6: Pakistan defeated India by three sets to one in
the last match of the seven-match volleyball series by 6-1 here at
the Iqbal Parks Sports Complex indoor gymnasium on Monday.
Pakistan won 15-10, 13-15, 16-14, 15-11. The match lasted for one
hour and 18 minutes.
Pakistan lost the fourth match of the series at Islamabad. Three
matches were played at Islamabad and Lahore each while one match
was held at Pakistan Ordnance Factory, Wah Cantt.
Punjab Sports Board chairman Akhtar Rasool Chaudhary awarded the
trophy and a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000 to the Pakistan team captain
Abdul Rahim who also received a cash prize of Rs 30,000 on
adjudging the man of the series. Pakistan's Irfan Nawaz was
declared the man of the match and received a cash prize of Rs
10,000.
Playing without the experience players like Ihsanullah Tipu, Zafar
Iqbal, Mazhar Husain and Mohammad Shahbaz, Pakistan won the first
set 15-10 in 37 minutes.
The India staged a come back winning the second set at 15-13 to
neutralise the encounter 1-1. The visitors Trailing 7-10, recovered
to caught Pakistan at 11-11. The Indian gained a lead of 13-11, but
with fine blocking and powerful smashing Pakistan managed to level
it 13-13. However, the Indians soon snatched two points to win the
set after 36 minutes see-saw proceedings.
A gruelling fight continued in the third set which Pakistan won
after thrilling fight. Conceding an early 0-10 lead, Pakistan made
their first points after wasting 17 services. Pakistan with great
determination caught the Indian team at 13-13, amid thunderous
applause. After 14-14, Pakistan scored two set- point and
consolidated its position 2-1. The neck and neck fight lasted for
35 minutes in the third set.
Pakistan took a flying start of 9-3 in the fourth set which proved
the final set. The Indians did not lose the hearts and fought back
gallantly when made it 11-14. The Pakistan team could snatch the
match-winning point after losing seven services and completed the
victory.
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980405
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ABL defeat PIA to retain National one-day trophy
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Muhammad Yaqoob
LAHORE, April 4: Allied Bank (ABL) retained its national one-day
cricket champions title beating PIA in the final of the 17th
edition of the tournament by an impressive margin of 32 at the
Qadhafi Stadium under lights on Saturday night.
Defending a total of 248, the ABL skipper Ramiz Raja used his
bowlers rightly and with fine field placing shot out the PIA side
for 216 in 48.3 overs.
A third wicket stand of 100 runs off 128 balls, between skipper
Asif Mujtaba (40, one four, 58 balls) and Zahid Fazal (57, five
fours, 88 balls) was the only main resistance in the ABL way of
victory.
Ramiz Raja for his 79-ball 68 and fine captaincy, was adjudged the
man of the match.
Salim Malik of Habib Bank for his accumulating total of 391 runs
was declared the man of the tournament. Manzoor Akhtar (ABL) with a
haul of 16 wickets was adjudged the best bowlers of the tournament,
Javed Qadeer (PIA) for 18 catches and six stumps was announced the
best wicketkeeper and Aamir Nazir the best fielder of the
tournament.
Earlier, the PIA leg-spin trio of Zahid Ahmad, Asif Mujtaba and
Nadeem Khan, with three run outs, bowled out the ABL team at 248
in 48 overs after the ABL had reached 211 for four in 40.3 overs.
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