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DAWN WIRE SERVICE
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Week Ending : 29 August 1998 Issue : 04/34
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Contents | National News | Business & Economy | Editorials & Features | Sports
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CONTENTS
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NATIONAL NEWS
+ Bill tabled in NA: Quran and Sunnat declared supreme law
+ Leaders see Nawaz govt in doldrums
+ Sun setting on Mian-BB setup: Imran
+ Muttahida men vacate posts in civic agencies
+ Foreign policy promoted national interests: Zaki
+ LHC exempts Benazir from personal appearance
+ PPP opposes governor's rule in Sindh
+ Pakistan may sign CTBT if curbs lifted
+ UN puts off discussion on airspace violation
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BUSINESS & ECONOMY
+ Dual forex rates bring windfall gains to bankers
+ Govt to get daily report on revenue collection
+ Dollar shoots up to Rs61 in kerb
+ Participation in 50 trade fairs in jeopardy
+ Imports fall on 30pc LC margin
+ CBR package for removing anomalies
+ PR privatization plan moves ahead, job losses feared
+ PTCL will introduce global pre-paid calling service
+ 25pc rate of return rejected: Pak-Iran Refinery in doldrums
+ Traders threaten indefinite strike from Sept 1
+ Rupee cash reserves reverted to 5 percent
+ KSE takes a pause on world markets turmoil
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EDITORIALS & FEATURES
+ The myth-makers - II Ardeshir Cowasjee
+ Voting with their feet Irfan Husain
+ What after 'strategic depth'? Eqbal Ahmad
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SPORTS
+ Miandad aims at making team a winning combination
+ No Pakistani on FIH list of upgraded umpires
+ Yousuf crowned champion after absolute thriller
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NATIONAL NEWS
980829
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Bill tabled in NA: Quran and Sunnat declared supreme law
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, Aug 28: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday announced
the enforcement of Shariat in the country, through a 15th Amendment
Bill, declaring Quran and Sunnat the supreme law of the land.
Speaking at the National Assembly, the PM said the amendment to the
constitution would in no way affect the rights of the minorities
and that women would continue to enjoy equal rights vis-a-vis
education, employment and inheritance.
Outlining the objectives of the 15th Amendment, the prime minister
said "from now on Quran and Sunnat will be the supreme law of
Pakistan. This should also remove all ambiguities created by
different interpretations by different people regarding different
decisions of courts."
"Quran and Sunnat will be constitutionally and legally supreme."
Referring to the rights and privileges of non-Muslims, the prime
minister held out an assurance that their religious rights,
customs, conventions and practices, rites and rituals and their
status as citizens of Pakistan would remain unchanged.
The Quran and Sunnat, Nawaz Sharif said "categorically state that
all pledges and promises made with non-Muslims will be kept and the
amendment we have introduced today also clearly mentions the same."
He said that Sura Al-Haj clearly underlined the requirements upon
the Muslims, if they are bestowed with power and authority in any
part of the world.
These requirements include; 1) offer prayers regularly, 2) set up a
system of Zakat so that no deserving person is left behind, 3) to
do good, propagate good deeds and norms and 4) to eliminate all
ills from the society.
The objective of this amendment is that the state should discharge
these duties and weed out all the afflictions plaguing the society.
Mere administrative measures, he said, would not suffice.
He said that the rampant mal-practices and ills would be rooted out
from the society.
The prime minister said crime, corruption, mal-practices and all
sorts of ills rampant in the society were in fact alien to Islam.
Those ills, he said, had crept into the society because "we had
drifted from the ideals for which we sought freedom in 1947."
Quoting from Surah al-Nisa he said the divine commandment called
for negating the evil and siding with the virtue.
In Islam, the prime minister said, there was no room for petty
ethnic and linguistic strivings and sentiments.
Submission to Allah Almighty, he said, meant submission to the way
of wisdom, safety and moral uprightness.
The prime minister called upon the ulema to interpret the Islamic
injunctions in the light of 'ijma' (consensus) and logic.
He said: "We could be a poor nation, with meagre resources and
income, but we certainly are a conscientious and committed people
wedded to the task of nation-building and cause of our national
sovereignty and integrity. National defence is vital to us. We
cannot sacrifice our integrity and pride for dollars or petty
wordly gains.
"Dollar becomes cheaper or costlier, we are just not prepared that
anyone should think that we could be a marketable or purchasable
commodity," he declared.
About the distribution of kachcha lands among Sindh farmers, he
said that 200,000 acres of such lands in the embankments of river
Indus had been distributed among 20,000 farmer families. The
remaining vacant lands from Jacobabad to Keti Bander, he said,
would also be distributed among the 'haris'.
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980827
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Leaders see Nawaz govt in doldrums
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Reporter
KARACHI, Aug 26: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has
said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has not only lost the
confidence of his erstwhile allies in Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP,
but also the confidence of the people of Pakistan.
Commenting on the MQM's parting of ways from Sindh government Imran
Khan said: "It is not simply the coalition that has fallen apart
but it has actually sounded the death-knell of an unjust system of
governance, being kept in
place by the vested interests in Pakistan.
The PTI chief said that the provinces of the federation as well as
overseas Pakistanis are also absolutely disillusioned by his
capability and performance.
"The Nawaz government is finished. The longer, the Raiwind monarchy
stays, the greater the damage to the country's integrity. The
situation demands immediate corrective and remedial measures to
ensure damage control," he added.
URBAN Democratic Front Chairman Hussain Haqqani said that had the
tension between the MQM and PML been on the basis of issues
confronting the people, their reaction would have been different,
but as the resignations had been tendered by the organisation, they
were neither happy nor sorry.
Recalling that despite being part of the government, the
unjustified results of the recently held census was conceded, and
the population of Karachi had been reduced extremely, the
restoration of quota system resolution was adopted in the assembly
in the presence of MQM representatives. He said Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif totally ignored the interests of Sindh and Karachi,
but at that time they never thought of parting of ways on any of
these issues.
Pakistan Awami Tehreek Sindh President Prof Dr D.A. Quaderi said it
was another push which is crumbling the government. "The days of
the government are numbered and the people would be relieved soon
from a hypocrite government," he said. He said a government run on
the basis of coercion, oppression, lies and hypocrisy could not
long last.
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980828
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Sun setting on Mian-BB setup: Imran
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Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Aug 27: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan on
Thursday gave a clarion call to the countrymen to get up and
replace the crumbling system which had been there only to protect
exploiters, waderas, feudals and plunderers of national wealth.
Addressing a public meeting at Lasbela Chowke on Thursday night
Imran Khan termed the prevailing set up as the "Mian-BB" system
whose sun is now setting.
It is not the system of the poor, the workers, the peasants, honest
traders and nationalist industrialists, he said.
He warned that if this system would be allowed to continue, it
would be harmful for the country.
The PTI chief paid rich tributes to people of Karachi and recalled
past struggles they had waged against the Ayub dictatorship,
undoing of martial law regimes and for the restoration of
democracy. He said now the time had come for Karachiites to stand
up against the obsolete system.
Referring to the excesses which had been faced by people of
Karachi, Imran Khan said that the new system was the need of the
hour to serve the people without any discrimination, and which
would not be aimed at protecting any particular set or group.
He said it were the rulers who wanted to pit the people against
each other on one pretext or the other, to divert their attention
while they looted, but the system which the PTI had planned to
implement in the country would look after the interests of the
common man, and they would not need to run after the MNAs and MPAs
and other influential people.
Mr Khan reiterated his stance that devolution of power was the only
solution to all the problems being faced by the people and promised
to enforce the new system after coming to power.
He said the new system would also ensure social justice and promote
national integrity.
The meeting was also addressed by other PTI leaders including
Mairaj Mohammad Khan, Dr Arif Alvi, Najeeb Haroon and others.
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980828
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Muttahida men vacate posts in civic agencies
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Azizullah Sharif
KARACHI, Aug 27: All the six special representatives to the Sindh
local bodies minister for Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC)
and the five district municipal corporations (DMCs) have quit their
posts following the Muttahida Qaumi Movement's withdrawal of
support to the Sindh government.
Moreover, the posts of chairman and vice chairman of the Karachi
Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) have fallen vacant as, according to
the MQM's information desk at its headquarters 'Nine-Zero',
contacted by Dawn to know whether all the special representatives
of the KMC and DMC as well as the KWSB chairman and vice chairman
had resigned, said "all these posts have automatically ceased to
function following the tendering of resignations by the Muttahida's
ministers."
Former Sindh senior minister for local bodies and kachchi abadis Dr
Mohammad Farooq Sattar and MPA Haroon Siddiqui were chairman and
vice chairman of the KWSB, respectively.
The another aide to the Sindh minister for local bodies, Ms Shahida
Chishti, who was looking after the KMC's parks, kachchi abadis and
cultural departments affairs, has also quit her post.
Although Dr Farooq Sattar had resigned as Sindh senior minister
last month, he had retained the chairmanship of the KWSB. Following
Dr Sattar's resignation as local bodies minister he was replaced by
another MQM MPA Ahsanullah Khan, who too had tendered his
resignation with other MQM ministers to the Sindh governor on
Wednesday.
Those who have quit their posts of special representatives for the
DMCs are Jawaid Ahmed of DMC-Central; MPA Wakeel Ahmed Jamali of
DMC-East; Kamran Jaffery of DMC-West; MPA Liaquat Ali Quraishi of
DMC-South; Abdus Sattar Ansari of DMC-Malir and MPA Dr Saghir Ahmed
Ansari of the KMC.
The current financial year's budgets of all the five DMCs and the
KMC were presented by the special representatives.
The KMC and the DMCs had undertaken the reconstruction work of five
major roads of the city in April under the long-life plan which is
a part of Greater Karachi Beatification Plan. Under the plan as
many as 51 major and busy roads of the metropolis were to be
reconstructed from 1997 to 2002.
The pace of reconstruction work on the six major roads of the city
Sir Shah Suleman Road, Shaheed-i-Millat Road, Bahadur Yar Jung
Road, Nazimabad's Ibne Sina Road, Mauripur Road and Nishtar Road
is already slow, causing hardships to motorists owing to the
occurrence of traffic jams of longer duration at the alternative
routes, particularly during peak hours.
Although 14 of the total 51 major roads are scheduled to be
reconstructed by the end of this year, the KMC and the DMCs have so
far started work on only six such roads.
The sources were also of the opinion that with the rendering of the
KWSB's chairman and vice chairman's posts at a time when the
closure of water supply to the city from the Hub source was only 20
days away might also slow down the progress of the KWSB's
contingency plan.
The KWSB had chalked out a contingency plan to meet the water
shortage problem in the wake of the stoppage of water to the city
from the Hub source and it was personally being supervised by both
the chairman and the vice chairman.
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980828
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Foreign policy promoted national interests: Zaki
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Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, Aug 27: While the opposition senators mounted attack on
the government's foreign policy, Senator Akram Zaki came to its
defence saying it had promoted national interests by keeping intact
friendships with the neighbouring countries as well as the Islamic
world.
ANP's Senator Bashir Ahmed Matta accused the government of being
tied to the apron-strings of the West. He said the present
government had failed to set clearly the direction of the foreign
policy and played as a pawn in the game of the superpowers.
Criticizing all the policies pursued by the successive governments
he said as a result Pakistan had become a victim of foreign
interference. He was specially harsh on Gen Zia-ul-Haq's foreign
policy, saying that he promoted American interests in the region.
The senator advised the government to give a peace-oriented
direction to the foreign policy. He lauded the Simla Accord. He
stressed the need for forging peaceful relations with Pakistan's
neighbours. He urged the government to desist from supporting
fundamentalism.
Speaking on behalf of the treasury benches, Senator Akram Zaki, who
has served as "secretary-general" of the foreign office during
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's first tenure, sermonized the House on
what is good diplomacy. Giving broad outlines of what constituted
good diplomacy, he said the essence of good diplomacy was to reduce
conflict and promote national interests.
He reproached those who had asserted that Pakistan had followed the
policy of hostility and not of peace. He said the foreign policy
had to be formulated within certain constraints. Akram Zaki claimed
that Pakistan's policy supported the dignity of the country. He
rebutted critics of the foreign policy who had been saying that
Pakistan had been isolated from its friends. He said the relations
between China and Pakistan were time-tested.
He said it was the PPP government that had committed indiscretion
vis-a-vis China. He recalled that after coming into power, Nawaz
Sharif visited China to remove the misunderstandings. He recalled
that China gave balance of payment support to Pakistan and both the
countries were now working jointly on manufacture of a tank.
Sen Zaki also gave details of steps being taken by Pakistan for
improving relations with Iran. He said that Pakistan has
strengthened relations with the Islamic countries. About
Afghanistan, he said that if Pakistan had not reacted to Soviet
Unions's intervention in Afghanistan, "we would have been living
under the Soviet shadow". After the withdrawal of the Soviet
forces from Afghanistan, he conceded, the US stance changed.
On Indian nuclear tests, Zaki said: "We had no option but to go for
the tests." He asserted that by opting for the tests, Pakistan
restored geo-strategic and psychological balance in the region. He
claimed Pakistan was ready for a dialogue with India.
He defended Pakistan prime minister's dialogue with his
counterpart, and said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's policy was to
protect Pakistan's integrity. "On Kashmir we should pursue the
policy of dialogue," he said.
Akram Zaki said if war broke out between the two countries, it
would be a great catastrophe. "The object of the foreign policy is
to reduce the frictions and continue the dialogue, the senator
said. He said Pakistan had to deal with ground realities and said
"we cannot wish away political relations". In politics, he said, we
must follow the policy of appeasement.
Senator Shafqat Mahmood said there was no element of self-respect
in Pakistan's foreign policy. He asked the government to apprise
the senators to what extent national objectives were promoted. He
said it was during the tenure of the PML government that Aimal
Kansi was arrested by an FBI raiding party from Pakistan's
territory. Kansi, he said, was not produced before a Pakistani
magistrate in accordance with the country's law and was flown
straight to the US. Similarly, he said, Howaida was sent to Kenya
without trying him under Pakistan's law.
The opposition senator said during the 18 months of the present
government, the foreign investment has declined sharply. He also
criticized the government attitude with the IPPs.
Senator Shafqat cited reports that Pakistani goods were not being
accepted abroad any more on one pretext or the other. He described
the foreign policy as being a total failure. He found fault with
the government's claim of internal stability.
He referred to Senator Zaki's statement in the House in which,
citing a newspaper interview of a veteran politician (Abdul Wali
Khan), it was insinuated that he was a traitor. The senator said
for internal stability it was essential that "we should carry along
with us all the provinces, all the political parties, big or small
and should not cause damage to the national interests through any
means."
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980828
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LHC exempts Benazir from personal appearance
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Correspondent
RAWALPINDI, Aug 27: The Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, on
Thursday exempted Ms Benazir Bhutto from personal appearance in the
court till Oct 25, and modified its earlier order of freezing her
bank accounts.
The court, comprising Justice Mohammad Nawaz Abbasi and Justice
Shaikh Amjad Ali, however, ignored her request that the court order
should be couched in such a language that she was allowed to
operate her bank account.
Stating that it had frozen only Rs1,500,000, details of which were
provided by the prosecution, the court stated that it had passed an
order identical to the one issued on Wednesday by the Ehtesab Bench
of the Lahore High Court.
Ms Bhutto, who appeared along with her husband, Asif Ali Zardari,
had addressed the court herself. She had requested the court not to
limit the operation of her account to Rs1,500,000 as there was
"much more" money in her account.
The court accepted the application of Ms Bhutto requesting to grant
her exemption from personal appearance as she wanted to travel
abroad to attend seminars and deliver lectures in American
universities.
The special prosecutor, Malik Mohammad Rafiq, said he had no
objection to granting of exemption provided this exemption was not
used by her to seek further adjournments on the pretext that her
counsels needed instruction from her. He further stated that the
exemption granted by the Ehtesab Bench, Rawalpindi, would not be
valid in regard to her appearance in the other courts.
The court accepted that from Sept 6 up to Oct 5 Ms Bhutto would not
be required to appear in the court.
It may be noted that advocate Babar Awan, counsel for the
opposition leader, has requested the court to pass an order
consistent to the order passed by the Ehtesab Bench of the Lahore
High Court on Wednesday. At this stage, Ms Bhutto intervened and
stated before the court that she was not "begging for charity" as
it was her own money in her account that she wanted unfrozen. She
said that she had survived even when her accounts were frozen.
She said the court order to freeze her accounts, without hearing
her on April 27, had caused her great monetary loss and mental
anguish because of the stigma associated with it.
"If you want to keep my money with you, God will give me more," she
remarked in a highly charged voice.
She said great injustice was being done to her through the courts
and added: "Almighty Allah is witnessing everything."
She further said it was her crime that she restored peace in Karachi; got
the Brown Amendment passed; saved Pakistan's nuclear
programme from a roll-back and took the country out of the danger
of being declared a terrorist state. Recalling the services that
she had rendered for the country, she asked the court whether she
deserved the treatment being meted out to her.
Ms Bhutto said a bank defaulter whose bank accounts would not be
frozen by the courts was persecuting her. Her voice choked when she
was addressing the court which heard her with patience.
The court stated that it had frozen only that account which had
only Rs1,500,000 and allowed to use Rs1,300,000 out of that. The
court would further allow her to use the remaining amount, it said.
The special prosecutor, Mujeebur Rahman said after her formal
indictment, the request to unfreeze Ms Bhutto's accounts should not
be accepted.
Everyone, including judges burst into laughter Ms Bhutto cursed the
public prosecutor: "I pray to God that all your properties catch
fire." The public prosecutor said that he had all the respect for
her even though she had cursed him.
Ms Bhutto further stated that the order of the court was used by
the government to strangulate her financially. The State Bank, she
said, issued a circular to all the banks that she should not be
allowed to operate any of her accounts. The court noted in its
order that any order of any bank contrary to what had been stated
in the court order would not be effective.
The court adjourned the hearing till Oct 1 as the counsels for Ms
Bhutto and for the ARY Gold directors requested for adjournment.
Earlier, Javed Talat, former finance secretary, submitted an
application in which he prayed the court to direct the government
to provide him certain summaries of cabinet division and commerce
ministry to defend himself.
He also asked for the details of the revenue which the government
was getting by licensing the import of gold and silver. He also
informed the court that he had engaged Abdul Hafeez Pirzada as his
senior counsel.
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980827
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PPP opposes governor's rule in Sindh
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By Our Reporter
KARACHI, Aug 26: Pakistan People's Party has opposed any move to
impose governor's rule in Sindh after the resignations by Muttahida
Qaumi Movement from ministerial posts and called upon the Governor
to ask the chief minister to prove his majority and take a fresh
vote of confidence.
Addressing a news conference, the leader of the opposition in Sindh
Assembly, Nisar Khuhro, said that imposition of Governor's rule
would be tantamount to trampling with the sanctity of the
assemblies.
If they imposed the governor's rule, then Mian Nawaz Sharif and the
main functionaries had no right to run the system, he said, adding:
"They are conspirators against the federation".
He said the MQM had resigned from the ministership and not from the
membership of the assembly which remained intact. The whole
assembly should not be made to pay for the incompetence of one
person or the government, Mr Khuhro said.
He flayed the reports that the federal government had decided to
impose the Governor Rule in Sindh and said it would be against the
democratic norms.
He demanded of the government of PML to inform the people about the
charge sheet against the present provincial government.
He said the people had the right to know the charges, whether the
government was inefficient or did it act against the provisions of
the constitution.
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980826
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Pakistan may sign CTBT if curbs lifted
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Nasir Malick
LONDON, Aug 25: Pakistan has indicated to the United States that it
will consider signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
provided economic sanctions are lifted, but will not forgo its
nuclear capability under any circumstances.
"The decision (to sign CTBT) will be taken by the government of
Pakistan in the supreme national interest but the most important
factor in determining that decision is the removal of coercive
atmosphere prevailing (because of economic sanctions)," Foreign
Secretary Shamshad Ahmad told Dawn soon after emerging from talks
with the US Undersecretary of State Strobe Talbott.
"No country can even afford to be seen as negotiating an agreement
under coercion or suppression, so we shall take a decision in
regard to (signing) CTBT when we are sure that the climate of
coercion is no longer there," Mr Ahmad said.
Although the Pakistan high commission had tried its best to keep
the venue of the meeting secret, two Pakistan journalists succeeded
in locating that the talks were being held at Churchill Hotel in
the Marble Arch area of Central London and reached there.
The five-hour-long talks at the sixth floor of the Churchill Hotel,
where Mr Talbott is staying, started at 11am.
The Pakistan side, led by the foreign secretary, included
Pakistan's ambassador to Washington Riaz Khokhar, Pakistan's
ambassador to Geneva Munir Akram and Additional Foreign Secretary
Tariq Altaf.
Mr Ahmad, who was surprised to see Pakistani reporters at the
hotel, said the Americans were also fully aware of the fact that
Pakistan would not take any decision under these circumstances.
However, he made it clear that he was not here to sign any
agreement but to discuss the issues relating to overall peace and
security of the South Asian region. "We are discussing all these
matters and the decision will be taken by the government of
Pakistan."
In answer to a question, he said the whole issue of signing the
CTBT would be dealt once Islamabad was convinced that it's national
interests were fully safeguarded.
The foreign secretary said the people should not misunderstand the
CTBT as it was a one-clause regime which, if signed by Pakistan,
would only bar Islamabad from conducting any further nuclear
explosions.
The "CTBT does not impair or undermine our nuclear capability," he
said, adding that "we have conducted our nuclear tests and
established a strategic balance vis-a-vis India and attained a
minimum deterrent capability."
TALKS WITH INDIA: The foreign secretary said he also informed the
US Undersecretary of State about the consistent refusal of the
Indian government to resolve Kashmir issue through peaceful
negotiations.
He said he briefed the US side about Pakistan's experience with
India over seeking solution through peaceful means. "We told them
that Pakistan made an earnest effort for the resumption of dialogue
but due to inflexibility of India, the dialogue remained
stalemated.
He said he told Mr Talbott that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had
went to Colombo with an "open mind" to resume dialogue with his
Indian counterpart but the Indian side showed no flexibility in its
attitude. "Unfortunately, in Colombo we found the Indians as
inflexible as ever."
He said Mr Talbott expressed US support for the early resumption of
talks between New Delhi and Islamabad on all issues, "including
Kashmir".
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980826
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UN puts off discussion on airspace violation
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Correspondent
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 25: The United Nations Security Council on
Monday put off a request by Pakistan for a meeting to consider
airspace violations by the United States in attacks on Afghanistan
and Sudan.
Although Sudan had called for a meeting last Friday, Pakistan
submitted its complaint on Monday morning asserting that the
airspace violation, "if condoned, sets a precedent which can
encourage other countries to pursue aggressive designs against
their neighbours on flimsy or unsubstantiated pretexts."
Sudan has called upon the Security Council to send a team of
investigators to Khartoum to determine whether or not Shifa medical
factory destroyed by US missiles last Thursday produced any
chemicals related to VX gas as claimed by the Americans.
The Security Council on Monday was not moved by a request by Arab
nations submitted by one of the United States' closest Arab
allies, Kuwait to send inspectors to search the rubble in Khartoum
for signs of chemicals related to VX.
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BUSINESS & ECONOMY
980828
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Dual forex rates bring windfall gains to bankers
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Mohiuddin Aazim
KARACHI, Aug 27: The dual exchange rates system provides both
bankers and money brokers a chance to earn windfalls at the cost of
those who do not comprehend its complexities. The admission was
made by the chairman of money brokerage KAS&B, Nasir Ali Shah
Bokhari while speaking at a seminar here on Thursday.
The seminar held at the Institute of Business Administration and
Chaired by its Director Dr Abdul Wahab discussed the impact of dual
exchange rates system on Pakistan economy. The system was
introduced by the State Bank of Pakistan on July 22.
"The benefits of the new system - if there exist some - are short-
lived," Bokhari said before identifying its harms. "The problems of
over-invoicing and under-invoicing have come in because of the huge
gap between the official and inter-bank exchange rates."
He felt Pakistan could not continue with the dual exchange rates
system after an IMF bail-out package - a reference to IMF Article
VIII which refrains member nations to practice such a system. "We
would possibly go back to a fixed system in less than two months,"
Bokhari said after pointing out that the current system could not
deliver the good in the absence of large export surpluses.
Other speakers also observed that the incentive the exporters had
got through dual exchange rates system was not enough to offset its
negative impacts as Pakistan has a narrow export base.
"This (system) can possibly lead to price distortions," said the
Country Manager of ABN Amro, Muhammad Aurangzeb. "The system can
also lead to inefficiencies in the manufacturing sector and
misallocation of resources," he observed.
He said: "There is a feeling that the government is protecting the
agriculture sector and if you look at the basket the idea is, it is
being done to lower the inflation."
He felt the IMF could demand "a phased exit- if not a quick exit"
from dual exchange rates system before offering a rescue package.
"Future multilateral aid likely to entail an up-front devaluation
of maybe 9-11 per cent," he said.
Aurangzeb said if this system continues State Bank profits may also
go down by an estimated Rs10.5 billion because it would have to buy
dollars from the inter-bank market to fill the gap between supply
and demand.
The Country Treasurer of Emirates Bank, Feroz Ansari said by
introducing a dual exchange rates system Pakistan had joined a club
of poor economies with serious problems. But he felt that the
country had very little economic choices available except for this
system.
"This system is difficult to implement...it is difficult to monitor
and manage but it is a step towards further liberalization," Ansari
said while concluding his presentation.
Dr Wahab criticized the role of economic managers who he said take
most decisions "on the directives of big powers and big powers are
not interested in the welfare of Third World countries."
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980828
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Govt to get daily report on revenue collection
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ikram Hoti
ISLAMABAD, Aug 27: The ongoing financial crunch of the government
has forced it to opt for a new system of instant reporting on
revenue collection on daily basis from the central bank.
Sources said that the new system is planned to be based on a
computerized network for faster transmission of information.
Under the present system the government was informed of a day's net
revenue amount collection after the lapse of at least four days. In
a meeting of senior officials held at the CBR on Thursday, a plan
for streamlining reporting systems was okayed for final approval of
the federal government which would be accorded to it "hopefully on
Friday", said an official.
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980828
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dollar shoots up to Rs61 in kerb
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Aug 27: The price of the US dollar rose to Rs 61 in the
open market on Thursday as its demand soared due to rising economic
uncertainty.
The dollar closed in the open market at Rs 60.80 for buying and Rs
61.00 for selling around 3.p.m. but money changers said it fell
marginally in the evening. On Wednesday the dollar had closed at Rs
60.00 and Rs 60.20 for spot buying and selling.
Official rates remained unchanged at Rs 46.00 for buying and Rs
46.23 for selling. State Bank Composite rates based on average
buying and selling rates of selected banks were quoted at Rs 49.91
and Rs 50.28 per dollar.
This is for the first time that the greenback has crossed Rs 60
mark during the current month.
The rupee has shed Rs 4.0 or 7 per cent to a dollar during the last
two weeks in the open market largely owing to panic-buying by
inflation-ridden common people and greedy speculators out to
stockpile dollars for profit-taking.
On Aug 11 the spot buying and selling rates of the dollar stood at
Rs 56.90 and Rs 57.00.
"People turned panicky today after MQM withdrawal from Sindh
coalition government...and made a run on the greenbacks," said
Anwar Jamal of Galaxy Internationala leading money exchange.
He and some other money changers said the dollar had touched Rs 62
mark in early trading but as the buying euphoria slowed the rate
fell to Rs 61 in the afternoon and even below that in the evening.
The rupee also fell sharply against other major currencies in the
open market on Thursday and closed at 99.50/99.70 to pound
sterling; 197/197.20 to Kuwaiti Dinar; 16.00/16.65 to UAE Dirham
and 16.10/16.15 to Saudi Riyal. On Wednesday it had closed at
98.00/98.10 to the pound; 194.86/195.06 to Kuwaiti Dinar; 16.00/
16.38 to UAE Dirham and 15.95/16.00 to Saudi Riyal.
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980828
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Participation in 50 trade fairs in jeopardy
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Sabihuddin Ghausi
KARACHI, Aug 27: Acute foreign exchange scarcity is threatening
Pakistan's participation in more than 50 international trade fairs
to be held at various business centres in the world during the
current fiscal year.
Simultaneously, at stake is also Export Promotion Bureau's ability
to sponsor visit of over a dozen trade delegations during 1998-99
to more than 35 countries for exploring export business mainly
because of foreign exchange crunch.
Export promotion planners consider participation in foreign
exhibitions and visit of trade delegations abroad vital tools of
their strategy to push up exports.
But now that after spending more than 400 million dollars in the
last four years in organizing such participation in foreign trades
and sponsoring visits of market exploration delegations abroad,
without obtaining any results as total annual export earnings
stagnates at 8 to 8.5 billion dollars, top bureaucrats in the
finance ministry are now reluctant to release foreign exchange for
this purpose.
Finance ministry in Islamabad is reported to have advised Export
Promotion Bureau to stop sending its officials abroad for
organizing arrangements of participation in the foreign fairs and
instead rely either on the incharge of Pakistan's local trade
office in that country, if it is there or assign a senior officer
of Pakistan's embassy to do the job.
"The Bureau has been asked to place its foreign exchange
requirements on fortnight basis," a senior official of the Bureau
confided who said the practice hitherto was to make this demand on
quarterly (three months) basis which provided export promotion
planners enough room to manoeuvre and obtain results.
For 1998-99 the Bureau has prepared a plan to organize
participation on official level in 26 international exhibitions to
be held in Europe, USA, Asia and Australia. Besides these various
chambers of commerce and industry and trade bodies were also given
the task to organize Pakistan's pavilion and display products in 41
exhibitions with support of the Bureau.
In addition, the Bureau has planned visit of 13 trade delegations
to explore new markets like Vietnam and Myanmar, Australia, New
Zealand and Fiji, Central Asian republics and also to push up
exports of specific items like pharmaceuticals, auto parts,
footwear, fruits and a host of other non-traditional items.
The Bureau needs about 125 to 135 million dollars to finance these
programmes in 1998-99 but apparently lacks "someone with weight" to
take up this case in convincing manner in Islamabad.
Release of foreign exchange to carry out export promotion measures
and necessary follow up steps suggested in 1998-99 trade policy are
being awaited when already two months of the fiscal year are about
to expire.
One of the measures suggested in trade policy is to set up a Rs 5
billion fund to help small and medium size enterprises in
upgradation of their exportable products and plan market strategy.
"An initial working paper has been prepared for this purpose which
needs lot of vetting and inputs from exporters, bankers and finance
ministry," an official confided. "It is doubtful if fund will ever
be created and small and medium enterprises will benefit at least
in the current fiscal year,"a relatively junior level official
remarked in a bitter tone.
"The government has not amended sales tax act yet to exempt
exporters from this levy in local purchases," Wajid Jawwad, Chief
of the Export Committee of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of
Commerce and Industry said. Wajid has been involved in preparation
of the SROs and notifications to be issued by commerce and finance
ministries for translating measures suggested in trade policy into
operational plans.
As if all this administrative slackness in shaping a practical
export strategy is not enough a conflict has emerged among the
exporters. The powerful All Pakistan Textile Mills Association
(APTMA) is reported to have demanded export refinance facility on
export of coarse yarn which has not been taken in good humour by
the exporters of value-added textile products.
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980826
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Imports fall on 30pc LC margin
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Intikhab Amir
PESHAWAR, Aug 25: As a consequence of the imposition of a minimum
cash margin limit of 30 per cent by the State Bank of Pakistan on
letters of credit (LCs), other than exempted items, imports have
fallen sharply, affecting customs revenue, sources said.
"Imports have drastically fallen down and so has the customs duty
as the importers are showing restraint to open LCs in the light of
changes brought about by the SBP on July 12, last," said the
source.
According to figures collected from the customs authorities here,
gross revenue collections under the head of customs duty in July
1998 stood at Rs99.84 million, some 48.61 per cent lower than the
monthly target of Rs194.28 million set for July last.
Net collections under this head remained at Rs91.31 million, again
some 50.84 per cent lower than the monthly target of Rs185.73
million.
In comparison to the gross collections on account of customs duty
in the corresponding period in the 1997-98 financial year, the
Rs99.84 million recovered in July 1998 is 45.67 per cent lower than
the amount recovered in July 1997 when the collections had ended up
at Rs183.76 million.
Net collections of Rs91.31 million made in July 1998 are 43.02 per
cent lower than the Rs160.24 million amount recovered in July 1997.
"It means if on the one hand revenue generation on account of
customs duty has gone down, on the other it is also going to affect
receipts under the head of sales tax and central excise duty as
decline in raw material's import is likely to hit hard the
production and manufacturing sector of the country," said the
official.
Official as well as sources from the private industrial sector
apprehended that if the prevailing situation continues in the
longer run it might cause closure of industries rendering many
people jobless.
In a situation like this, said a CBR source at Islamabad,
government was giving attention to the recovery side, and added,
"during the last couple of weeks the Central Board of Revenue has
issued extra ordinary special instructions to the tax authorities
with a larger focus on the recovery side".
"We are just concentrating on recovering stuck-up amount under the
heads of customs duty, CED and what else is on our agenda including
impounding the smuggled vehicles," said an NWFP customs officials.
The Rs99.84 million gross recoveries made in July 1998 under the
head of customs duty in NWFP, said another official, had largely
been contributed to by the revenue generated against the imports of
fresh fruits from Afghanistan.
If compared to the gross recoveries made in June 1998 (the last
month of the 1997-98 financial year), the amount collected in July
1998 is 778.80 per cent lower than the amount of Rs471 million
recovered in the corresponding period of 1997.
In terms of net collection, this time round, revenue collection has
recorded decline by 80.32 per cent as in July 1997 net collections
under the head of customs duty stood at Rs 464.01 million.
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980827
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CBR package for removing anomalies
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, Aug 26: The Central Board of Revenue has presented a
package of proposals to the Planning Commission and ministry of
commerce on anomalies arising out of the Federal Budget 1998-99.
Sources said that the joint meeting of representatives of Planning
Commission, ministry of commerce, National Tariff Commission,
Engineering Development Board, CBR and other relevant government
organizations would be held shortly, to discuss the amount of
revenue involved in removal of these anomalies.
The complaints by the trade and business sectors against
distortions in taxes incorporated in the budget have been examined
by the National Tariff Commission and Central Board of Revenue for
the past about two months. But the meeting of the anomaly committee
was awaited to issue guidelines.
The anomalies have been pointed out in electronics, auto-parts,
woollen blankets, plastic, bicycles, engineering and chemicals
sectors. Except for the engineering, all other sectors had been
complaining that they had not been protected against the
competition from smuggling syndicates operating since long and
eroding their sales. They claim that cost of local production has
risen by 40-45 per cent during the financial years 1995-96, 1996-97
and 1997-98.
"All these complaints have been addressed in the proposals for
removing the anomalies", said a ministry official on Wednesday. He
did not give the date when the anomaly committee's meeting would be
held for final settlement of these issues, but said it would be
held "soon enough".
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980823
-------------------------------------------------------------------
PR privatization plan moves ahead, job losses feared
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporter
KARACHI, Aug 22: The Pakistan Railways is being primed up for
privatisation, with preparations under way to set up three
companies and a residual authority for railway employees.
The three companies, proposed to be set up by the Pakistan Railways
during the next couple of months, would include 'Passenger',
'Freight' and 'Infrastructure'.
Whereas the Passenger Com-pany would absorb about 20,000 employees,
the Freight Company would employ 15,000 and the Infrastructure
20,000 employees, respectively.
The railway officers would also be adjusted in them.
The residual authority would absorb about 40,000 railway workers,
who would be employed in the hospitals, schools, accounts
department and general stores.
In total the Pakistan railways has about 100,000 employees, of
which 40,000 had offered to take the golden handshake offered by
them last year.
According to the divisional superintendent of Pakistan Railways,
Nasir Zaidi, the federal government has taken no decision on the
fate of these employees who had opted for the golden handshake.
He termed the railways decision to form the companies as preparing
the Pakistan Railways for privatization.
The Railway Workers Union however expressed concern over the
formation of companies and setting up of the "residual authority",
saying the authority was the railway's equivalent of setting up a
surplus pool.
According to Railway Workers Union president, Manzoor Razi, since
the government was slowly eliminating the hospitals, schools and
stores run by the government, the railway employees put in the
surplus pool could eventually lose their jobs.
He maintained that the government had taken the decision to put
employees in the sur-plus pool since it was primarily technical
workers in grades 1-5 who had opted for the golden handshake.
At the same time, he said practically none of the officers enjoying
higher salaries and privileges had opted for the golden handshake.
Pakistan Railways is without a minister following the removal of
Yaqoob Nasir by the federal government last week.
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980825
-------------------------------------------------------------------
PTCL will introduce global pre-paid calling service
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited
(PTCL) here on Friday signed a contract with World Call Limited
(WCL) to introduce international pre-paid calling service in the
country which will be useful for overseas Pakistanis.
The intelligent network platform (INP) and pre-paid calling card
service (PCCS) will be introduced at a cost of about Rs150 million
by the WCL, and will generate an additional estimated revenue of
Rs250 million for PTCL annually.
According to PTCL, the new service will be operative within next
six months, particularly aimed at benefiting the overseas
Pakistanis to communicate with their friends and relatives around
the world.
WCL will bring INP to support PCCS through interconnection with
PTCL gateway exchanges at Karachi and Islamabad.
The PCCS is a modern value-added service, which will facilitate
direct international dialling, and the charges will be debited to
the pre-paid card instead of individual telephones.
This service will promote international direct dialling traffic and
the persons, who even do not have a phone, will be able to make
international calls. The calls will be possible from any telephone
through pin code followed by desired telephone number.
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980825
-------------------------------------------------------------------
25pc rate of return rejected: Pak-Iran Refinery in doldrums
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Rafaqat Ali
ISLAMABAD, Aug 24: The fate of $1.2 billion-worth Pak-Iran Refinery
has become uncertain after Pakistan government's decision not to
allow 25 per cent rate of return to sponsors.
No breakthrough has been achieved so far as Iran is insisting that
Pakistani government should allow 25 per cent rate of return as
provided in the Petroleum Policy 1994.
The government which is ready to provide other incentives is not
willing to by-pass its Petroleum Policy 1997, as it feels that if
one company was allowed a waiver there would be no end to it, Dawn
learnt.
The petroleum ministry has taken the position that if the
government of Pakistan wanted to honour its previous commitments
with Iran, it should review the stand the federal finance ministry
had taken in 1995, and not on the Petroleum Policy 1997. The
federal finance ministry had opposed the guaranteed return of 25
per cent on equity in 1995 even when 1994 petroleum policy was in
vogue.
The finance ministry had informed the Iranian government, through a
separate note, that Pakistan government was working on new
petroleum policy in which guaranteed return on equity would not be
permitted.
Iran-Pak Refinery, a joint venture project of PERAC of Pakistan and
National Iranian Oil Company, has run into snags due to withdrawal
of 25 guaranteed rate of return under the new petroleum policy.
The project which is proposed to be developed in Hub, Balochistan,
is lingering on for last 8 years and both the governments have
spent a sizable amounts on the development of sites for the joint
venture and on preparation of feasibilities of the project.
"It is not possible for the ministry of petroleum to review its
1997 petroleum policy, but if the finance ministry wants to review
its position it took in 1995 regarding the guaranteed return of 25
per cent on equity, it is up to the government," Dr Gulfraz Ahmed,
Federal Petroleum Secretary told Dawn when reached for his
comments.
The IPRP, if established, will double the refining capacity of
Pakistan. It will have capacity of processing six million tons
heavy Iranian crude oil per annum, to produce LPG, HOBC, and
various grades of gasoline, kerosene and high speed diesel.
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980826
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Traders threaten indefinite strike from Sept 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporter
KARACHI, Aug 25: Traders have threatened to pull down their
shatters throughout the country from Sept 1 if the government fails
to change the dual system of general sales tax (GST) and fixed tax.
They also decided to continue the strike till the acceptance of
their demands. The decision in this regard was taken at the all
Sindh convention of Karachi Tajir Action Committee (KTAC) and the
All Sindh Anjuman Tajiran on Tuesday.
Speakers at the convention criticized the government's indifferent
attitude towards the problems of the trading community despite its
claim of being "their representative."
They claimed that traders were being ruined while the bureaucrats
were spending lavishly on purchase of luxury cars.
On this occasion, the president of the Anjuman Tajiran Punjab,
Azhar Saeed Butt, criticized the government's policy, saying that
under the present conditions, the traders could not continue their
business.
KTAC chairman Abdul Waheed said the trading community was the
backbone of the nation's economy, but regretted that the present
government despite its claim of being "their representative" had
deprived them of their rights.
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980827
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Rupee cash reserves reverted to 5 percent
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mohiuddin Aazim
KARACHI, Aug 26: Banks would need to keep 5 per cent of their total
rupee deposits instead of 3.75 per cent as cash reserves from Sept
5, 1998.
Bankers say the decision announced by the State Bank on Wednesday
would not bring in a major change in the inter-bank market. But it
would create room for them to employ more of their surplus funds in
the market.
The decision requires the banks to continue to keep 5 per cent of
foreign currency deposits as cash reserves so it is not likely to
have a direct impact on availability of foreign exchange in inter-
bank market.
SBP decision conveyed through a circular (BPRD 33) says banks would
revert to the old system of maintaining cash reserves on both rupee
and foreign currency deposits on weekly average basis.
The current system of keeping 5 per cent cash reserves on foreign
currency deposits and 3.75 per cent on rupee deposits on a daily
basis would end on Aug 31. The deadline was set on June 21, 1998
when the new system was put in place to ease off the liquidity
crunch the banks were facing due to rapid conversion of foreign
currency deposits into rupees and also due to withdrawals from
rupee accounts.
The circular says that for the purpose of calculating the cash
reserve requirements on weekly basis Saturday would be taken as the
first day of the week. If a Saturday is a holiday then the last
working day would be considered the first day of the week.
The circular instructs the banks to go by the rules laid down in
SBP circulars BPRD 25 of 26 July 1998 and BPRD 32 of 15 August 1998
for maintaining cash reserves on foreign currency and rupee
deposits. "It means banks would be able to keep 4 per cent cash
reserves both on foreign currency and rupee deposits on any day but
they would be required to have an average 5 per cent reserve on
weekly basis," explained a senior banker.
"It also means that if any bank maintains the average weekly
balance of 5 per cent but fails to maintain a minimum balance of 4
per cent on daily basis it would be penalized." The banker said SBP
move would enable the banks to employ more of surplus funds in the
inter-bank market on a day to day basis that might lead to further
cut in the lending rates.
Bankers say inter-bank money market has remained awash with excess
liquidity for the last several weeks facilitating the government to
make huge borrowing for budgetary support at a low cost. They say
it has created problems for the banks with surplus funds who are
getting meagre returns if the funds are employed for overnight or
shot term lending.
Overnight call rates dropped below 1 per cent only recently much to
the chagrin of the lender banks.
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980829
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KSE takes a pause on world markets turmoil
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Aug 28: Stocks on Friday took a pause apparently awaiting
some fresh news about the turmoil on the world markets led by the
Wall Street after the crash of the Russian rouble and its likely
impact on Asian currencies but there was no major jolt as far as
the local trading was concerned. The KSE 100-share index fell 6.26
points.
But rather some of the leading MNCs attracted a good bit of short-
covering at the lower level under the lead of ICI Pakistan, Hub-
Power and some others on the perception that their principal shares
could gain from the current plunge, some dealers said.
A member of the KSE said if the Russian and Japanese financial
crisis further deepen it will certainly create a sympathetic
turmoil on the Asian markets and Pakistan could hardly be an
exception.
'The KSE despite having an extremely narrow capital base is inter-
linked to over 100 countries through the Reuter cable network and
is prone to negative external factors,' he claimed.
Although the crash of the Wall Street reflecting the weakness of
the rouble and the Japanese economic woes might have not have
direct relevance to stock trading here, its negative impact on the
GDR of PTCL and some others did affect the underlying sentiment.
'The negative impact of external bearish news was in part
neutralized by the optimism created in the rings ahead of the prime
minister's speech,' an analyst said.
The fall-out of the turmoil on the world financial and stock
markets was, therefore, not that damaging as expectant investors
kept to the sidelines rather than following the global trend, he
added.
But some others said, the market owes its relative strength to the
perception that Muttahida ministers might take back their
resignations as talks on their demand are already underway.
Investors, therefore, decided to keep to the sidelines rather than
reacting to political developments just in a hurry and that saved
the market from bigger fall, they added.
The KSE 100-share index showed a modest decline of 6.26 points at
980.34 as compared to 986.60 a day earlier, reflecting the relative
strength most of the base shares, barring the PTCL.
The market capitalization suffered a fresh setback of Rs 1.473bn at
Rs283.762bn as compared to Rs.285.235 bn a day earlier.
Unlike previous weekend sessions, price movements were extremely
narrow and reflected a status quo by both bears and bulls for no
apparent pressing reasons, dealers said.
Big gainers were led by Clover Foods and Lever Brothers, which rose
by one rupee to Rs 5.00, while losers were led by Al-Ghazi Tractors
and Packages, falling by Rs 3 to 4.00.
Other prominent losers included, Bank Al-Habib, Prime Bank, Shell
Pakistan BOC Pakistan, Reckitt and Colman, and CPC Rafhan Maize,
which suffered decline ranging from one rupee to Rs 2.00.
The most active list was topped by PTCL, off 40 paisa at Rs 23.45
on 48m shares followed by Hub-Power, up 15 paisa at 13.45 on 21m
shares, ICI Pakistan, steady five paisa at Rs.12.00 on 1.141m
shares, PSO,higher 45 paisa at 81.05 on0.320m shares and FFC-Jordan
Fertiliser, unchanged at 13.50 on 0.288m shares.
Other actively traded shares were led by Unity Modaraba, unchanged
on 0.200m shares followed by Fauji Fertiliser, up 20 paisa on
0.179m shares, Bank of Punjab, higher 80 paisa on 0.161m shares,
MCB, easy 10 paisa on 0.122m shares, Dhan Fibre, steady five paisa
on 0.119m shares and KESC, firm five paisa on 0.110m shares.
DEFAULTING COMPANIES: Shares of three companies came in for trading
and were actively traded under the lead of Fawad Textiles,
finishing unchanged on 11,500 shares. Gammon Pakistan followed it,
also static on 3,500 shares. The hereto inactive Haydary
Construction also attracted stray support at the lower level and
accounted for 500 shares. Most of the deals were reported at the
previous level.
Back to the top
===================================================================
EDITORIALS & FEATURES
980823
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The myth-makers - II
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ardeshir Cowasjee
"WHAT else are you besides an industrialist and shipping magnet
(sic.)? To me you shall always be Tipu Sultan, the great conqueror
! Hope this card reaches you. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto." Written on a
postcard posted in Paris on August 6, 1966, addressed to "Ardeshir
Cowasjee, Industrialist and Shipping Magnet, Bath Island, Karachi."
This was but one of the faces of ZAB, shown at his out-of-power
best.
We first met in 1951, introduced by our family lawyer Dingomal
Narayansingh Ramchandani. 'Meet our latest entrant,' said Dingo,
'Shahnawaz's son.' My father and I shook hands with a young affable
man. We talked of generalities; my father wrote him off; I was
impressed. When I next met him (Dingo having put him on one of our
cases) he seriously declared his ambition to be foreign minister of
Pakistan.
He was helped by Iranian Nusrat Sabunchi, his second wife, to
further his single-minded purpose via her countrywoman, Naheed
Mirza, wife of Iskander Mirza, defence secretary, then interior
minister, then, in 1955, governor-general of the Dominion of
Pakistan, and in March 1956 the first president of the Republic of
Pakistan. Zulfikar had the knack of climbing and worked himself
into Mirza's good books,. He was given his first official
assignment in March 1958, as leader of the Pakistan delegation to
the Law of the Sea Conference at Geneva.
*From Geneva, he wrote to his patron a letter worthy of the most
proficient of professional courtiers.
"Only a few lines to let you know that I am discharging my
responsibilities here to the best of my ability ...... and I am
sure you will be satisfied with the manner in which I have done my
humble best to serve the interests of my country and my President.
"I would like to take this opportunity to reassure you of my
imperishable and devoted loyalty to you. Exactly four months before
the death of my late father, he had advised me to remain
steadfastly loyal to you; as you were 'not an individual but an
institution.' For the greater good of my own country, I feel that
your services to Pakistan are indispensable. When the history of
our country is written by objective historians, your name will be
placed even before that of Mr Jinnah.....".
That summer, Iskander swore Zulfikar in as a minister of his
cabinet. Bhutto assessed correctly where the real power lay and
made overtures to the minister of defence, commander-in-chief of
the army, General Mohammed Ayub Khan. In October, ambitious Ayub
got rid of Iskander Mirza and took over the country. The
'imperishable and devoted loyalty' perished in six months. Mirza
was dead to Zulfikar from the day he was exiled.
He was made a minister in Ayub's cabinet. Skilfully shifting his
'imperishable and devoted loyalty', Zulfikar flattered and charmed,
so much so that Ayub was wont to refer to him as his fifth son.
Ayub fulfilled his ambition and made him his foreign minister.
Many years after biting the second hand that had fed him, after
bringing Ayub down, after being president of the country, and
whilst the self-declared democratic prime minister of Pakistan, out
of the blue in 1976, apropos of nothing, he sent a note to the
chief of army staff, perhaps as a subtle encouragement or an even
more subtle warning:
"I will tell you how Ayub Khan became a Field Marshal ...... I told
him that since it was essential for him to be head and shoulders
above the others, it would be better if he elevated his own rank
from that of a General to that of a Field Marshal. He thought it to
be a brilliant idea. He was simply overjoyed, but as all his
reflexes were influenced by monetary considerations, much to my
surprise he said 'The idea is brilliant, it will create stability
but we will have to persuade Mr Shoaib, the Finance Minister, to
agree to the financial aspects of the proposal. Of course Mr Shoaib
agreed ...... I am therefore the hero of Ayub Khan's valorous
battles. Of course, the object of this note is not to dismantle the
man ...... I am only setting the record straight."
There are many firsts to Zulfikar's credit. He was the first man in
history to throw away half of a country so as to be top-dog of the
remaining half rather than leader of the opposition of the whole.
He was the world's first civilian martial law administrator. He was
the first prime minister in history to change the constitution of
his own making within four hours of its promulgation. He was the
first prime minister of this country who managed to jail many of
his political opponents (and some of his friends so as to prove his
power). He was the first prime minister of this country to have
dissenters bodily thrown out of his Assembly. He was the first
prime minister of Pakistan to nationalize industries, banks etc,
knowing fully well that his government would simply rob and
mismanage. His sole aim was to destroy the centres of influence,
money being one vital centre, for he knew that the money which had
supported his rise to power would vote against him in the next
elections.
He was intolerant to the nth degree of any dissent, his intolerance
growing by the day. His ministers feared him to the extent that
they laughed with him when he made fun of them or insulted their
wives. (He was also capable of publicly humiliating his own wife.)
Those that did not fear him suffered physically, like Jalaluddin
Abdur Rahim, the most senior minister of his cabinet, the man who
helped him form his party and put it on the road. Merely because he
had referred to Zulfikar, in his absence, as the Maharaja of
Larkana, he was mercilessly beaten up to the point of
hospitalization. (To curry favour, one of the slimy frightened ones
had tattled.)
Zulfikar always privately confessed that the sole opposition he
feared was the largest, the most powerful, the most disciplined,
the most united party the Pakistan army. So, he adopted the maxim
that the only way to defeat a general of one's own is to take him
to war and ensure that he loses. He put his maxim into practice in
1965, took Ayub Khan to war, saw him humbled, and bided his while
for him to step down.
Ayub's successor, General Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan, in his turn was
egged on to fight the insurgents in East Pakistan, then to take on
India. He lost also. When Zulfikar stepped into the shoes made
ready for him, to protect himself, he put Yahya under house arrest.
Then came the turns of Lt-General Gul Hasan and Air Marshal Rahim
Khan, the two officers Zulfikar employed to dislodge Yahya and
bring him to power on December 20 1971. Keeping Gul to size, he was
made chief of the army staff retaining his rank of Lt-General,
while Zulfikar made himself the CMLA. In March 1972, he invited
both men to the President's House, laughingly relieved them of
their commands, had them ushered into a car with his 'Loin of
Punjab,' Mustafa Khar, at the wheel, who drove them off at
breakneck speed to Lahore where they were incarcerated and kept
incommunicado in the governor's mansion. In May, both were exiled
as ambassadors. (Zulfi's 'Loin of the Frontier', Hayat Sherpao, was
later blown up by a bomb, a murder that remains unsolved to this
day.)
Bearing in mind his fear of the army, he appointed the meek, mild,
obsequious, self-effacing, unimpressive Corps Commander, Lt-General
Zia-ul-Haq, sixth down the line, as his army chief, promoting him
to general. With poetic justice, his Uriah Heep became his hangman.
Though he lived freely off the country until the day he died, two
things went in Bhutto's favour. He himself did not dip his fingers
into the national till, blatantly and with impunity. He did not rob
the country dry. What money he made, he made discreetly. And,
Zulfikar being the country's only 'sacred cow', his coterie could
only make money without his knowledge.
Bhutto left more than enough wealth for his wife, daughters and
sons to live abroad in grand style for ten long years, in London,
Paris and on the French Riviera. He left enough for his two sons to
run an international terrorist organization, to kill and to maim.
He left enough for his heir and successor to stage a comeback.
Generations of family wealth ? Documented in which tax or revenue
return? Myth?
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980829
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Voting with their feet
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Irfan Husain
AS you read this, some Pakistani somewhere is trying to cross an
international border illegally. Basically, he wants to be anywhere
but in his native country.
It is a sad comment on the state of our nation that given the
choice, most Pakistanis would prefer to be anywhere but here. While
this is true for most developing countries, our citizens seem to
have a determination to bail out that borders on desperation.
Although many succeed in finding new homes, albeit illegally, there
are thousands more in jails around the world, awaiting
repatriation. Once home, they will no doubt try to escape again.
What drives these simple folk to hand over their life savings to
unscrupulous agents who often strand their uneducated clients on
the high sea or at remote spots where they suffer untold hardships?
For most economic refugees, unemployment, lack of opportunities and
grinding poverty supply the motivation. Then there is the
persecution of our minorities that has driven many Ahmadis,
Christians and Hindus abroad.
Young graduates, rebuffed time and again in the local job market,
form long queues outside foreign missions in a bid to get a visa.
Parents spend fortunes educating their children abroad so that they
can stay on after graduation. Professionals, despite having good
jobs in Pakistan, wait for years to get their coveted "green
cards." Businessmen who can afford it have a second passport so
that they can bail out when necessary.
And once a Pakistani acquires legal status, the process of
sponsoring relatives begins. At airports around the world, rustic
Pakistanis can be spotted waiting patiently for suspicious
immigration officials to process their papers. According to a
friend, a group of shalwar-kameez clad men were hanging around the
transit lounge at JFK Airport in New York. He asked them what their
destination was, and was told they had a logging contract to chop
down a section of the rain forest in Brazil! While this story may
well be apocryphal, it does demonstrate the go-anywhere, do-
anything attitude that typifies the average Pakistanis abroad. When
the first Americans land on Mars, I have a sneaking suspicion that
Pakistani workers will be waiting to start work on their base.
The perennial instability that now characterizes Pakistan is
another factor fuelling this rush to emigrate legally or illegally.
The mindless violence, the constant political tension and the sheer
uncertainty force many Pakistanis to wonder about their children's
prospects here. Given the bleak circumstances, those who can, look
for other options. And those who can't, try and create alternatives
by hook or by crook.
When I travel abroad, I am often irked by the close scrutiny my
green passport is subjected to.But given the tendency of my
countrymen to either claim asylum on the weirdest pretext, or go
underground when and where they can, I don't blame immigration
officials for being extra-careful when they see a Pakistani
passport. Consular Officers in Pakistan, too, have heard all kinds
of sob stories and now say no to even the most deserving case. But
paradoxically, the most obvious "illegals" are given visas
seemingly without any hassles. Clearly, there is some truth to the
rumours of palms being greased in consular sections. Where there is
a demand, there will always be a supply.
Apart from legal visas, there are all kinds of fake and counterfeit
documents available. When I went to the airport to see my son off
on an Amsterdam-bound flight recently, I was amazed to see Dutch
embassy officials at the check-in counter to inspect visas. An
airline employee told me that they routinely detect fake visas, but
no legal action is taken against the passengers.
Once abroad, these Pakistanis often lead a miserable existence,
irrespective of their legal status. Workers in the Gulf toil under
sub-human conditions, their passports held by exploitative
contractors. In European capitals, illegal emigrants from Pakistan
can be seen shivering in the cold as they sell newspapers. And in
America, they live six to a room while they eke out a living doing
odd jobs, fearful of a raid by immigration officials.
These are the people who, over the years, have contributed so much
to the Pakistani economy through their remittance dollars (and
francs, marks and lire). They have scrounged and saved to send
money to their families at home, and this has kept our moribund
economy afloat. But now that Nawaz Sharif has frozen foreign
currency accounts and decreed that remittances have to be converted
at the artificially low rate of Rs 46 to the dollar, this vital
source has dried up completely.
Overseas Pakistanis earn their money the hard way, irrespective of
their legal status, and they are understandably reluctant to accept
a loss of Rs 13 per dollar. As a businessman, surely Nawaz Sharif
can understand the indisputable logic of these numbers. When he
asks his countrymen abroad to make a sacrifice for Pakistan by
remitting their money through normal banking channels at the
official rate, he should set an example by bringing in his and his
family's healthy dollar accounts back at Rs 46 per dollar.
Meanwhile, he will have to excuse those who transfer funds through
the hundi system at the market rate.
Irrespective of the millions of Pakistanis who work, study and live
abroad, it is clear that almost all of them are where they are
because of the conditions at home. Nobody wants to give up his
milieu, his family and friends, and above all, his aloo-gosht for a
life of uncertainty, discomfort and discrimination without good
reason. Unfortunately, there is no dearth of reasons to leave
Pakistan.
But as the Great Pakistani Meltdown intensifies, the number of
countries willing to open their doors to the victims and refugees
dwindles. Already, the Gulf states have clamped down; Europe and
America have greatly restricted the number of Pakistanis they are
willing to accept; and even places like Panama and Guatemala turn
up their noses at the dreaded green passport.
At the end of the day, the acceptability of a passport accurately
reflects the economic and diplomatic strength of the issuing state.
Until the late Sixties, our passport gained us entry to most
countries without a problem. The fact that it now consigns us to
endless queues and rejection is an indicator of how far we have
fallen and where we now stand in the comity of nations.
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980823
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What after 'strategic depth'?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Eqbal Ahmad
IN his letter to Zarb-i-Momin, the Taliban publication, Mr. Azam
Tariq, leader of Pakistan's violently sectarian Sipah-i-Sahaba
party, is ecstatic over his ideological brothers' recent victories.
His ecstasy is shared by Pakistan's national security managers, but
for non-ideological reasons. The attainment of 'strategic depth'
has been a prime objective of Pakistan's Afghanistan policy since
the days of General Ziaul Haq.
In recent years the Taliban replaced Gulbadin Hikmatyar as the
instrument of its attainment. Their latest victories, specially
their capture of Mazar-i-Sharif, the nerve centre of northern
Afghanistan, brings the Pakistani quest close to fulfilment if,
that is, in addition to residing in some military minds such a
thing as 'strategic depth' does exist in the real world.
It does not. In military thought it is a non-concept unless one is
referring to a hard-to-reach place where a defeated army might
safely cocoon. Far from improving it, the Taliban's victory is
likely to augment Pakistan's political and strategic predicament.
The reasons are numerous, and compelling. Consider, for example,
the following:
A fundamental requirement of national security is that a country
enjoy good relations with its neighbours. If one is unfortunate
enough to have a neighbour as an adversary, then its security
interests are best served by maintaining excellent relations with
the others around it. Pakistan has had the misfortune of being born
in an adversarial relationship with India, a populous and resource
filled country. This enmity shows no sign of abating, and is now
augmented by the nuclear arms race and proxy warfare. The growth in
provincial and ethnic discontents renders Pakistan specially
vulnerable now to covert warfare. In this critical period the
country needs friends in the region. The regional environment has
been favourable to consolidating old friendships and forging new
ones. Instead Islamabad is alienating both actual and potential
friends.
Until recently, Pakistan has always had good relations with Iran
and China. In this decade new states emerged in Central Asia
augmenting the number of Pakistan's potential trading partners and
strategic allies. Cold war's end also ended its hostility with
Russia and held the promise of friendly regional alignment.
Afghanistan was long an irritating but innocuous adversary with
territorial claims on NWFP, Pakistan's largely Pashto speaking
province.
The Soviet intervention in Afghanistan and Pakistan's support of
the anti-communist Mujahideen ended Islamabad's hostile relations
with Kabul, and rendered its influence dominant over Afghanistan.
Pakistan has misused this gain to its detriment. Its Afghanistan
policy the quest of a mirage mis-named 'strategic depth' has
deeply alienated trusty old allies while closing the door to new
friendships. Its national security managers have in fact squandered
historic opportunities and produced a new set of problems for
Pakistan's security.
Teheran is openly hostile to Islamabad's support of the Taliban.
"We had an agreement with Pakistan that the Afghan problem will not
be resolved through war", said the judicious former President
Hashemi Rafsanjani in his Friday khutba last week, "This has
happened now and we simply cannot accept it." Thereafter hundreds
of Iranians protested in front of the Pakistan embassy in Teheran
against the "fanatical, mediaeval Taliban" who held eleven Iranian
diplomats hostage and mercilessly bombed civilian quarters of
Bamiyan, a predominantly Shi'a town. Iran's Foreign Minister, Kamal
Kharazi, called Taliban's capture of Mazar-i-Sharif a "threat to
the region". A resolution of the United Nations Security Council
appeared to concur. Russia issued a warning. Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan responded to Taliban advances by shoring up their
defences.
Pakistan's foreign office responded with strongly worded
declarations of innocence and neutrality in Afghanistan. Not one
diplomat at the UN headquarters in New York regarded these claims
as credible. This worldwide loss of credibility is hardly a foreign
policy achievement. Also, denials are not a substitute for policy.
The fact is that Iran, an important and traditionally friendly
neighbour, is deeply alienated by what it regards as Pakistan's
sponsorship of the Taliban. Russia, a major power, protests it.
Recently independent states Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kirghizia
that had once looked up to Islamabad for help and guidance now
regard it with apprehension. Pakistan appears today morally and
politically isolated, a condition it shares with the Taliban who
present to the world a most distorted and uniquely repugnant visage
of Islam. It is not possible yet to surmise the consequences of
this isolation, but it is certain that it will greatly augment the
sense of insecurity that for five decades has haunted Pakistan and
contributed much to its misery and militarization.
The costs of Islamabad's Afghan policy have been augmenting since
1980 when Mohammed Ziaul Haq proudly declared Pakistan a "front
line state" in the cold war. Those costs already unbearable in
proliferation of guns, heroin, and armed fanatics are likely now
to multiply in myriad ways. The Taliban will certainly be assisted
by Islamabad to consolidate their precarious conquests. Successful
or not, this will be an expensive undertaking, an expense we are
ill-prepared to bear. Taliban victories have not put an end to
their challengers; they are there and do not lack sponsors. The
prospect is for protracted proxy warfare. It may cost some billions
to keep the Taliban in saddle, assuming that we avoid being sucked
into a larger war with Iran or Russia or both.
Afghanistan's reconstruction cost is conservatively estimated at
some $40 billion. We cannot muster such amounts even for ourselves,
so who will keep the Taliban in business? The strategic dreamers of
Islamabad dream of dollar laden Saudi princes, Emirate Sheikhs, and
American oil tycoons laying transnational pipelines from
Turkmenistan to Karachi. They are veterans of false and deadly
dreams such as the great Kashmiri uprising in support of Operation
Gibraltar in 1965, or the powerful reinforcements which the
American Seventh Fleet was bringing to Pakistan's army in East
Pakistan, now Bangladesh.
Pakistan is being trapped again in risky illusions, and again the
people not the decision makers will pay the price. Without the
resources of a great power Pakistan has entered the game both
nuclear and non-nuclear that great powers found difficult to
sustain. So help us God!
The domestic costs of Pakistan's friendly proximity to the Taliban
are incalculable and potentially catastrophic. Our embroilment ,
willy nilly, in the Ben Laden affair is a case in point. More
importantly, the Taliban's is the most retrograde political
movement in the history of Islam. The warlords who proscribe music
and sports in Afghanistan, inflict harsh punishments upon men for
trimming their beards, flog taxi drivers for carrying women
passengers, prevent sick women from being treated by male
physicians, banish girls from schools and women from the work place
are not returning Afghanistan to its traditional Islamic way of
life as the western media reports sanctimoniously.
They are devoid of the ethics, aesthetics, humanism, and Sufi
sensibilities of traditional Muslims, including Afghans of
yesteryear. To call them "mediaeval" as did the protesters in
Teheran is to insult the age of Hafiz and Saadi, of Rabi'a Basri
and Mansur al-Hallaj, of Amir Khusrau and Hazrat Nizamuddin. The
Taliban are the expression of a modern disease, symptoms of a
social cancer which shall destroy Muslim societies if its growth is
not arrested and the disease is not eliminated. It is prone to
spreading, and the Taliban will be the most deadly communicators of
this cancer if they remain so organically linked to Pakistan. The
Sipah-i-Sahaba leader's greetings to his Afghan co-believers is but
one signal of the menace ahead.
Policy makers in Islamabad assume that a Taliban dominated
government in Kabul will be permanently friendly towards Pakistan.
The notion of 'strategic depth' is founded on this presumption.
This too is an illusion. The chances are that if they remain in
power, the Taliban shall turn on Pakistan, linking their brand of
'Islamism' with a revived movement for Pakhtunistan. I have met
some of them and found ethnic nationalism lurking just below their
'Islamic' skin. It is silly to presume their debt to Pakistan as an
impediment to their ambitions. Old loyalties rarely stand in the
way of new temptations. Also, as the threat of local rivals
recedes, their resentments against Pakistan's government shall
rapidly augment as Islamabad will not be in a position to meet
their expectations of aid. The convergence of ethnic nationalism
and religion can mobilize people decisively. However inadvertently,
Islamabad is setting the stage for the emergence in the next decade
of a powerful Pakhtunistan movement.
There may still be time to help avert the disasters that are likely
to accrue from the Taliban's domination of Afghanistan. Our
interest lies in the establishment of a common peace there, one as
welcome to Afghanistan's other neighbours as to us. Our future is
best served if power in Afghanistan is pluralistically shared by
its ethnic groups, for that alone can inhibit the pursuit of
ethnically based territorial ambition. If we must live with a
theocracy next door, it is better to live with an enlightened
rather than a barbaric version of it. Also, if Afghanistan is to
regain life, it needs a government hospitable to international aid;
the Taliban are not.
It is unlikely that the architects of Islamabad's Afghanistan
policy shall pay heed to arguments such as these. Dissenting points
of view have always been ignored in Pakistan with tragic
consequences. After hesitating for a while on the side of wisdom,
Ayub Khan ignored them in 1965. We were relatively young and
gullible then, so they lost a costly war and declared victory. In
1971, Yahya Khan, Z.A. Bhutto and others dismissed the warnings of
impending disaster as treachery, and lost half the country. Z.A.
Bhutto rejected friendly early criticism of the failings of his
government, suppressed the magazine in which they were published,
and ruled on to be overthrown and executed by a usurper of his
choice. He alone paid for his blunders personally; for those of the
others only the land and the people continue to pay. Yet they do
not hear and do not see even the obvious. No wonder they are
looking for 'strategic depth'.
===================================================================
SPORTS
980829
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Miandad aims at making team a winning combination
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ilyas Beg
LAHORE, Aug 28: Senior cricket team coach Javed Miandad, a former
Pakistan Test captain, said here today that his first mission was
to guide the Pakistan team to an emphatic win against India in the
Sahara Cup five-match cricket series commencing at Toronto, Canada,
from Sept 12.
Addressing a press conference here at the Qadhafi Stadium, Miandad
said: "We will not be overawed by strength of any team and will
take the field without getting under pressure. Even the
absence of any senior player will not psychologically affect the
Pakistan team which will fight in every match, leading up to the
seventh World Cup tournament in England next year."
Replying to questions, Miandad, who formally took over the charge
of the camp here on Thursday, stated that he would fully utilise
the powers vested in him. He had enough experience to "smell" foul-
play and he would not tolerate any incident of indiscipline.
"Any one guilty of indiscipline will be dealt with an iron-hand.
Without being influenced by standing or stature of any
errant player, I will ask him to pack up and go home," Miandad said
in a firm voice.
Miandad said that he had been noting down shortcomings of the team
and players. He said that he would try to remove them during
training. He would work out a strategy for the Sahara Cup
matches. He said that special attention will be given to technical
problems.
"If fielding of the South African team is good, what is the harm in
adopting their method of training?" he asked.
Miandad defended the appointment of an organiser and former first-
class cricketer Azhar Zaidi as a manager. He said that he had been
a member of the teams which toured abroad in his managership
and all the tours had been free of any controversy or bad incident.
While replying to a question about the non-availability of Test
stars, Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq, for the Sahara Cup, Miandad
said that he believed in ground realities and would like
to make strategies keeping in view the strength of the opposition
and that of our own side.
"I would like to see that the selected players give their best in
the matches. I also will make them fight in every match. The junior
players will be trained in such a way that after four or five
years, others would follow them," said Miandad.
Miandad said that he was offered the coaching job by other
countries but he preferred to take up the responsibility in his own
country. He said that coaching in Brunei was his private affair and
no one had much knowledge about that. He said that whatever had
been printed by some newspapers was based on "conjectures".
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980825
-------------------------------------------------------------------
No Pakistani on FIH list of upgraded umpires
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Walter Fernandez
KARACHI, Aug 24: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) Council
at its last meeting upgraded a number of umpires.
The recommendations for upgrading were made by the FIH Umpiring
Committee.
It may be mentioned, that not a single Pakistani has found his name
in the upgraded list.
The following umpires have been upgraded:
GRADE I: Gary Anderson (Zimbabwe), Antonio Bustos (Spain), Nicholas
Lockhart (England), Rob ten Cate (Netherlands), Dawn Henning
(England), Roberta Lanzalonga (Italy) and Heika Melina (Germany).
INTERNATIONALS: Bradley Hardy (Australia), Antonio Guadaninio
(Italy), Tilkan Velappakutty (Singapore), Angela Edwards
(Australia), Dawn De Foe (Singapore) and Michael Smart (Australia).
FIH SPECIAL RULES: Martin Milla (Kenya).
GRADE I: Daljit Singh (Malaysia), Erwin Hoemann (Chile), Matthias
Messerli, Ismail Al-Ajmi Mustafa (Oman), Jose Luis Ramirez
Guttierrez (Mexico), Kaur Anant (Malaysia) and Alicia Takeda Hirata
(Mexico).
RETIRED-INTERNATIONALS: Michael Soukup and Alam Wooley (England).
UMPIRING COMMITTEE: The major concern of the FIH President Juan
Angel Calzado is the inclusion in the World Cup and Olympic Games
list, umpires representing all countries.
At the same time, Mr. Calzado wants to see umpires of the same
quality and uniformity to be in the panel, with the aim to enlarge
the possibilities for appointments to world level competitions.
In addition, these umpires should also be able to improve the
quality of hockey in their countries as well as their continents.
The Umpiring Committee is in the process of reviewing the fitness
requirements for international umpires to take into account the
demands created by the speed of the modern game.
Towards this end, an information booklet will be issued to all
international umpires. Furthermore, it will provide guidance on
training and fitness. It will also include notes on diet and mental
preparation.
The booklet will also include key points on the technical
interpretations at the international level. All this is aimed at
trying to ensure that the individual is well prepared to provide
the players with an improved quality of umpiring.
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980824
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Yousuf crowned champion after absolute thriller
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ian Fyfe
KARACHI, Aug 23: The former world amateur champion Mohammad Yousuf,
fighting his way out of the brink of despair, added another feather
to his cap when he was crowned the new Asian champion after beating
Phirom Ritthiprasong from Thailand in an absolute thriller 8-7, at
the 15th Red & White Asian Snooker Championship played on Sunday
afternoon at the Magnolia Mahal, Beach Luxury Hotel.
Making his 11th appearance at the Asian championship, Yousuf, who
reached the semi-finals on two previous occasions, finally added
the Asian to his world title to become only the fourth Asian cueist
after the three Thai players James Wattana, Sachi and Tai Prichet
Chuchart to have the distinction of being crowned the world and
Asian champion.
Cashing in on Ritthiprasong's unwanted errors, Yousuf got off to a
marvellous start winning the opening frame 87/17. Backed up with a
break of 32 he was soon 2-0 ahead after pocketing the second frame
85/2 and with another fine break of 41, Yousuf raced to a 3-0 lead,
picking up the third frame 3-0.
Recovering from his early setbacks, Ritthiprasong pulled one back
by winning the fourth which was soon reduced to 2-3 after chalking
up a break of 42 points.
Suddenly it was Yousuf now who was under pressure. The Thai
continued to pile on the score. Now in arrears 49/9, Yousuf came
back strongly with 33 points on the trot and now only needed to pot
the black ball to carry the frame into a tie ball.
Going for the last black, Yousuf decided to play safe only to
present his opponent the black, which he gleefully potted and won
the frame 56/42.
Now 3-3 abreast, Ritthiprasong scoring 22 points in the vital
seventh frame then snookered his opponent behind the green. Yousuf
in trying to break the snooker gave away five vital points and was
now indeed a worried man.
Yousuf also snookered the Thai behind the green. Undaunted with the
situation, the soft spoken Thai leading in the frame 28/0 added a
smooth break of 44 which pushed his total score along 68/19, then
potting yellow, green and brown took over the lead for the very
first time 4-3.
On the brink of despair, Yousuf who never says die, began the next
frame with confidence and with the partisan crowd cheering him on
Yousuf inched his way back into contention 5-6, with a break of 50
being his principal visit to the table. Quite aware that his
opponent was closing the gap, Ritthiprasong with two visits which
realised 22 and 40 points respectively was soon happily placed
62/1. With five reds and the six coloured balls to pot, Yousuf
tried desperately hard to level the frame score 6-6 but soon he had
to surrender the frame 24/76 with all the coloured balls to play
for.
With defeat staring him in the face trailing 5-7, Yousuf broke for
the 13th frame. Fighting tooth and nail for survival, the Pakistan
champion after scoring 10 points on his first visit to the table,
followed it up with a handsome break of 63 which forced the Thai to
surrender the frame.
The 14th game began with a series of safety shots. Leading 23/5,
the Thai fouled on the pink which allowed Yousuf take over the
running 44/32. Both cueists with nerves stretched to the limits
missed easy shots. Potting yellow Yousuf was rather amused when
Ritthiprasong sank the green and then brown to draw closer 43/47.
But potting a difficult blue and pink, Yousuf drew level 7-7 as the
spectators went absolutely mad with delight.
Yousuf broke for the final frame and both players relied on safety
each waiting to pounce on the other's error. Grasping an
opportunity with both hands Yousuf raced away with a break of 36
points cheered on for every point scored. Ritthiprasong tried his
level best to catch his opponent who was now playing at his best.
Finally The Thai No.2 threw in the towel with two reds and the
coloured balls to play and a deafening roar went up with Yousuf
emerging the final winner 8-7.
For Ali Ashgar Valika, the President of the Pakistan Billiard and
Snooker Association (PBSA) not to mention the President of Asian
Confederation of Billiard Sports (ACBS) it was indeed a happy
moment. The man responsible for bringing Pakistan on the world
snooker map saw his untiring efforts rewarded after such a short
time not only had a world champion but also an Asian champion. He
also received a healthy round of applause when Mohammad Yousuf
hugged him after the match.
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