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DAWN WIRE SERVICE
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Week Ending : 01 May 1999 Issue : 05/18
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Contents | National News | Business & Economy | Editorials & Features | Sports
The DAWN Wire Service (DWS) is a free weekly news-service from
Pakistan's largest English language newspaper, the daily DAWN. DWS
offers news, analysis and features of particular interest to the
Pakistani Community on the Internet.
Extracts, not exceeding 50 lines, can be used provided that this
entire header is included at the beginning of each extract.
We encourage comments & suggestions. We can be reached at:
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mail DAWN Group of Newspapers
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Please send all Editorials and Letters to the Editor at
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(c) Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Ltd., Pakistan - 1999
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CONTENTS
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NATIONAL NEWS
+ Russia wants Pakistan, India to sign CTBT
+ PM calls for effective UN role in Kosovo
+ Gas from Turkmenistan: Deal signed on reviving pipeline project
+ Govt grants right of vote to overseas Pakistanis
+ ATA courts to try cases of 'civil commotion'
+ CEC drops 3 references against Nawaz
+ Benazir thinks Asif may quit politics to save her future
+ Storming of apex court: SC resumes contempt of court proceedings
+ Chernobyl virus hits many PCs
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BUSINESS & ECONOMY
+ 9.43% rise in power rates from April 1
+ Gohar asks Wapda to prepare new formula for power rates
+ Rs100bn additional tax revenue projected
+ Shipping lines again raise freight charges
+ Dar hopes to cut repo rate to 11pc by July 1
+ Pakistan's bonds firmer as default threat recedes
+ Sharp drop in 'local rate' collections
+ Centre to give over Rs 5bn to provinces
+ Fresh FCY deposits begin to grow fast
+ Stocks maintain optimistic outlook
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EDITORIALS & FEATURES
+ Her father's daughter Ardeshir Cowasjee
+ Getting out of a tight fit of clothes Ayaz Amir
+ Vegging out at the beach Irfan Husain
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SPORTS
+ Sarfraz demands inquiry against Javed Miandad
+ Wasim Akram plays down concerns of team morale
+ Jansher says he is not retiring
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NATIONAL NEWS
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990430
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Russia wants Pakistan, India to sign CTBT
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ISLAMABAD, April 29: The Chairman of State Duma of the Federal Assembly of
Russian Federation, Guennady N. Seleznev, has expressed concern over the
nuclear proliferation in South Asia, and said both Pakistan and India
should sign CTBT and NPT.
This, he said, was imperative to ensure peace and security in the region.
Addressing a news conference here on Thursday evening at the Embassy of
Russian Federation, Seleznev said his country was deeply concerned with the
nuclear tests conducted by the two countries.
Replying to a question, he said it would be in the interest of both the
countries to restrain from nuclear tests, stating that "nuclear weapons can
serve as deterrence, but they do not provide a guarantee against some
serious problems."
He said Russia considered India as its dependable strategic partner in the
region, but added that these relations in no manner jeopardized its
relations with other countries.
Replying to another question, the visiting Russian leader ruled out
military option for resolving the Kashmir issue and said this could further
deteriorate the situation.
He welcomed the recent talks between India and Pakistan, and the Lahore
Declaration, and said this was a positive move to settle their outstanding
disputes.
He said the third party mediation might not be forthcoming for this
purpose, as the two countries had not formally asked for it.
He was of the view that it would be more appropriate for the two countries
to settle their dispute through bilateral talks. Politicians and sober
sections of the society should come forward to resolve the issue, instead
of leaving it to the extremist groups, he observed.
About the Afghan conflict, Seleznev said "a coalition broad-based
government could provide a guarantee for security and durable peace in
Afghanistan."
He contended that the government of Pakistan enjoyed influence over the
Taliban government, and it would be appropriate for it to play more
effective role for establishing a broad-based government.
Russia, he added, was willing to cooperate with the UN's peace mission for
bringing peace in the region. He said the warring factions in Afghanistan
should come closer to each other to provide peace to their people.
He expressed concern over the smuggling of arms and illicit drugs to his
country, and held the extremist groups in Afghanistan responsible for it.
To a question, he said some extremist ethnic groups working in Pakistan and
Afghanistan were involved in setting up military camps close to border of
some Central Asian States, for instigating anti-government elements in
Russia.
He, however, ruled out the involvement of the Pakistan government in such
activities in any manner whatsoever.
The Chairman of State Duma termed his visit very successful, and said it
laid a strong basis for further promoting cooperation in all fields.APP
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990501
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PM calls for effective UN role in Kosovo
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ISLAMABAD, April 30: Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif on Friday
reiterated Pakistan's call for an effective role of the United Nations
Security Council for the settlement of the Kosovo crisis and urged the
world body to authorise the deployment of the UN peacekeeping forces for
the Muslim majority region which had fallen victim to the Serbian
aggression.
"Pakistan is ready to contribute to such forces (for the UN peacekeeping
mission)," the premier said in his arrival statement at the Islamabad
Airport on his return from a two-day visit to Albania to express solidarity
with the Kosovar Muslims who were driven out of their homes by the Serb
aggressors and were forced to take refuge in neighbouring states.
He said the ethnic cleansing carried out by the Serb authorities was "pre-
meditated." He added: "The expulsion by force of these Muslim men, women
and children has reached catastrophic proportions."
The prime minister said during his talks with his Albanian counterpart
Pandeli Majko, he expressed Pakistan's full support for the Kosovars.
Pakistan has also donated relief goods and financial aid amounting to over
US$5 million to help the Kosovar refugees. "We will coordinate with the
UNHCR and the Albanian authorities to provide more assistance," Mr Sharif
said.
He said Pakistan was making efforts with the Organisation of Islamic
Conference (OIC) for a just solution of the Kosovan crisis.
The Kosovo conflict also figured prominently in his talks with Prime
Minister of Azerbaijan Artur Rasi Zade during a stopover in Baku on his way
to Albania.
Sharif also had meetings with Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema and
Premier Bulent Ecevit of Turkey during brief stops on his way back home.
The prime minister said his talks in Tirana, the capital of Albania, and
Rome and earlier in Moscow had focussed on the Kosovan crisis.
In Rome, he said he had detailed discussions with Prime Minister Massimo
d'Alema on global and regional issues of common concern, including the
Kosovo crisis.
"Our exchange on bilateral relations laid special emphasis on economic
ties," he added.
The prime minister said he also discussed with the Italian leadership the
post-nuclear test developments in the South Asian region.
"I reaffirmed our desire to continue our dialogue with India in the spirit
of the Lahore Declaration which calls upon Pakistan and India to intensify
efforts to resolve all issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute."
The prime minister said his meetings with his counterparts from Azerbaijan
and Turkey reflected complete identity of views on matters of common
interest and underscored the excellent and fraternal nature of bilateral
relations.
Meanwhile, talking to reporters at the Islamabad Airport, the prime
minister said that Pakistan would play a "bigger role" for the settlement
of Kosovo crisis.
"We certainly want to play a bigger role to end the Kosovo crisis," he
said.
"The relief assistance required by Albania and Macedonia must be provided
at the earliest and measures be taken for the settlement of Kosovar
refugees which is a big problem," he added.
Responding to a question, he described his visit to Albania as "good".
The prime minister extended an invitation to both Ecevit and Turkish
President Suleyman Demirel to visit Pakistan, the foreign secretary added.
APP
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990430
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Gas from Turkmenistan: Deal signed on reviving pipeline project
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, April 29: Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan's Taliban
militia agreed on Thursday to reactivate a $2 billion gas pipeline project
in the next three months.
The three countries also decided to go ahead with the project despite the
pullout of the US company, UNOCAL, as a major partner from the project.
A joint declaration was signed at a meeting here attended by Pakistan's
Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan,
Turkmenistan's Deputy Prime Minister Batyr Sardjaev and Oil Minister
Redjepbai Arazov and Taliban militia's Minister of Industries and Mines
Maulvi Ahmedjan.
The project envisages the construction of a 48-inch, 1,400km-long pipeline
from Turkmenistan's Daulatabad gas field via Afghanistan to Multan in
Punjab.
"Keeping in view the national interest of Afghan people, the participants
of the tripartite meeting agreed that Pak-Turkmen pipeline will have an
immediate positive impact on the Afghanistan situation. Its implementation
will not only help restore peace in the war-torn country but also give
impetus to the process of its economic revival," the joint declaration
said.
It said that the project will definitely have positive effects not only for
the participating countries but also for the people of the entire region.
The three countries resolved to work closely to expedite the start of the
project at the earliest.
They decided to hold a tripartite ministerial meeting every three months to
review the progress and constitute a joint task force to have continuous
interaction among themselves and with the consortium for close monitoring
of the project.
The Afghan side made a commitment for ensuring full support to the
consortium to expedite its efforts in implementing the project.
Accompanied by Batyr Sardjaev Arazov and Alhaj Moulvi Ahmedjan, Mr Khan
told reporters after the signing of the joint declaration that when "we
were about to do the financial close last year, UNOCAL pulled out" and an
impression was created that the project has fallen through.
"The present tripartite meeting was held to negate this impression".
Nisar said the project was a window, opening unlimited options both
economically and politically for the entire region and, would not only
connect South Asia with Central Asia but open new vistas.
"We are hopeful that as a result of the time-table of three months, we will
be able to achieve substantial progress in the next meeting to be held at
Ashqabat in July this year."
Chaudhry Nisar admitted that the withdrawal of UNOCAL, which was the lead
player in the consortium, not only delayed the project but created a big
question mark about it.
He said the project has been delayed by five months as the financial close
was to take place by the end of December 1998. He said that one of the
reasons cited by UNOCAL for its withdrawal was the instability in
Afghanistan.
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990430
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Govt grants right of vote to overseas Pakistanis
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, April 29: The government has formally decided to grant the right
of vote to overseas Pakistanis in the next general election.
This was decided in a meeting held here on Thursday under the chairmanship
of Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mian Yasin Khan Wattoo. The
participants of the meeting resolved to move the necessary legislation in
the parliament in this connection.
"There are more than 1.2 million Pakistanis living abroad and we believe
that half a million will get the opportunity to cast their votes in the
next general elections," said Secretary Labour Manpower and Overseas
Pakistanis, Zafarullah Khan.
He told Dawn that a decision was not yet taken as to which ministry and
agency should bear the expenses for the exercise. The foreign office, he
pointed out, wanted the Ministry of Labour and Manpower to bear these
expenses.
The Minister for Labour and Manpower Sheikh Rashid, however, proposed that
expenses should be jointly borne by the foreign office and his ministry.
Answering a question, Mr Zafarullah Khan said that every overseas Pakistani
would be allowed to cast a proxy vote for two of his area constituents. The
purpose, he said, was to provide maximum opportunities to the overseas
Pakistanis for casting the votes in the next election.
He denied that foreign countries, specially those of the Middle East, would
have any objection to the use of right of vote by the Pakistanis living
there. He said that since votes could be polled within the embassy
premises, it should not be a matter of concern for any country.
The secretary labour manpower and overseas Pakistanis also said that the
government had decided to provide free treatment to overseas Pakistanis and
their families in Pakistan for diseases like tuberculosis and hepatitis.
To a question, he said that overseas Pakistanis were being provided plots
in Islamabad and other cities. These plots, he said, would be developed by
the Capital Development Authority (CDA) in Islamabad. "Since there is no
provision to give the construction work to any private agency, the CDA
would be the sole agency to develop plots for the overseas Pakistanis," he
added.
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990429
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ATA courts to try cases of 'civil commotion'
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, April 28: The President finally promulgated an ordinance on
Tuesday, making it possible for the ATA courts to function in the light of
the Supreme Court decision on the military courts.
The ordinance called as Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance 1999, was
promulgated on Tuesday, official holiday to observe Ashura. After the
promulgation of the ordinance it is expected that the ATA courts would
start functioning on the pattern of military courts and would decide cases
quickly.
A nine-member bench of the Supreme Court had accepted the petitions
challenging the establishment of military courts for the trial of civilians
on Feb 17. The government which was not happy over the decision, was
reluctant to make efforts for the smooth functions of ATAs and took
different pleas.
If the ordinance is not converted into an act of parliament in four months
period as prescribed in the Constitution, it will again lapse on Aug 27,
1999.
The ordinance has adopted the definition of terrorist act which was given
in the Ordinance XII of 1998 (Establishment of Military Courts). The
Supreme Court had held the Ordinance XII unconstitutional to the extent of
establishment of military courts for the trial of the civilians.
The law provides that any act intended to create civil commotion would be
triable in ATA court.
The civil commotion is defined as: "Civil commotion means creation of
internal disturbances in violation of law, or intended to violate law,
commencement or continuation of illegal strike, go slow, lock outs, vehicle
snatching or lifting, damage to or destruction of State or private
property, random firing to create panic, charging bhatta, acts of criminal
trespass (illegal qabza), distributing, publishing or pasting of a handbill
or making graffiti or wall chalking intended to create unrest or fear or
create a threat to the security of law and order or to incite the
commission of an offence punishable under Chapter VI of the Pakistan Penal
Code (Act XLV 1860).
The ordinance has further provided that the Chief Justice of High Court
should designate a judge of any such ATA court to be administrative judge
and all cases triable under the ATA should be filed before the said court,
and such judge might either try the cases himself or assign any case to any
other anti-terrorism court at any time prior to the framing of the charge.
The ordinance provided that one case should be assigned to an ATA court.
The law, however, provided that time of the court should not be wasted and
if, for some reason a given case could not be proceeded, more than one case
could be assigned to it any time or from time to time.
The ordinance has incorporated the guidelines provided by the Supreme Court
in case of Mehram Ali case (PLD 1998 SC-1945) and the Military Courts for
the trial of the civilians.
The ATA courts could not function from last 72 days as the ordinance which
was promulgated in the light of the Supreme Court in Mehram Ali case (PLD
1998 SC-1945) had lapsed, and the bill which was passed by the National
Assembly was pending in the Senate.
In Mehram Ali case the Supreme Court had struck down a number of sections
of ATC and had asked the government to make amendments in the law to bring
it in conformity with the SC judgment. The government promulgated an
ordinance which later lapsed.
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990426
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CEC drops 3 references against Nawaz
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Ashraf Mumtaz
LAHORE, April 25: Chief Ehtesab Commissioner Justice Ghulam Mujaddid Mirza
has dropped three references against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as they
have either no substance and merit or they don't pertain to the period with
which the Ehtesab Act deals.
In a fourth reference, the CEC has excluded the prime minister as
respondent but has referred the matter for inquiry and investigation to the
Ehtesab Bureau.
The other respondent in the reference against whom the EB will now carry
out investigations, is NWFP Chief Minister Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi.
Knowledgeable sources say that proceedings on many other references against
the prime minister and others are in progress. Records summoned by the CEC
in various cases have reached the Ehtesab commission and are being
examined.
In the light of the records, Justice Mirza will decide whether or not to
refer the matters to the Ehtesab benches of the relevant high courts.
A reference against Prime Minister Sharif is that he offered Rs10 million
to ANP Senator Qazi Muhammad Anwar to get his support for the Shariat Bill.
The CA-15 bill, though passed by the National Assembly, is yet to be
approved by the Senate as the ruling party does not have the required two-
third majority in the Upper House.
Maj-Gen Sikandar Hayat Khan, who has recently been removed as chairman of
the prime minister's monitoring and evaluation cell, is the co-respondent
in the said reference.
After going through the relevant evidence and record, justice Mirza ruled
on Saturday that the complaint was devoid of merit and thus there was no
need to initiate further proceedings on it in the light of the Ehtesab Act.
"The complaint is, accordingly, ordered to be filed," the CEC said in his
four-page judgment.
It was alleged in the complaint that Maj-Gen Hayat, on the direction of the
prime minister offered Rs10 million to Sen Qazi Anwar to support the CA-15
Bill in the Senate.
The complainant, a PPP leader, appeared before the CEC on April 21 at
Islamabad in response to the commission's notice. He made an application
under section 20 of the Ehtesab Act for summoning Sen Anwar, an advocate of
the Supreme Court. He also said that Gen Hayat and the editor and reporter
of weekly Tribune, Islamabad, be summoned.
In addition to this application, he also produced a copy of the weekly,
dated November 22 to 28, 1998, which carried an article on the subject.
Having gone through the article, the CEC said: "In my considered view the
article does not advance the complainant's case. On the contrary there are
substantial and material discrepancies and contradictions in the narration
of the Tribune's article and the contents of the complaint.
"For example," the CEC said, "in the complaint it is stated that it was
Maj-Gen Sikandar Hayat who had offered bribe to Sen Qazi Anwar in Peshawar
in the last week of October, 1998, and that the former was sent by the
prime minister to negotiate the deal and to offer Rs10 million which the
general was carrying as a token money in a briefcase".
However, the CEC said in his order that the article did not substantiate
that it was the Gen Hayat who had contacted the ANP leader and offered him
the bribe.
The CEC observed that "it is quite obvious that the stance taken in the
complaint is irreconcilable with the interview given by the senator to the
weekly and cannot be conformed on any plain. It also does not stand to
reason that the token money of Rs10 million was offered and that too for
one vote. It also does not stand to reason that the bribe was offered to
Qazi Anwar when he was present on the premises of the Peshawar High Court.
Justice Mirza said: "In view of the above, I am of the opinion that the
complaint is devoid of merit and, therefore, it is not necessary to
initiate proceedings on it under the Ehtesab Act, 1997. The complaint is,
accordingly, ordered to be filed".
Yet another case dismissed by the CEC is that the prime minister, without
any authority, had allotted 18 plots to a single family.
A similar reference dismissed by the CEC says that the PM allotted plots to
Ms Fatima Ishrat Iqbal and her daughter Nuzhat Iqbal in the Area
Development Scheme 1, Rawalpindi.
Justice Mirza said the case did not pertain to the period the Ehtesab Act
deals with and was thus dropped.
Another reference closed by the CEC was based on the allegation that the
prime minister had awarded Senate ticket to law minister Khalid Anwar.
Justice Mirza ruled that the proper forum for this matter was the chief
election commissioner and not the chief Ehtesab commissioner.
The fourth case pertained to illegal acquisition of precious lands in
Abbottabad district.
The CEC ruled that the matter was examined but due to lack of substantial
evidence against the prime minister, his name was deleted as respondent.
However, he referred the matter against NWFP Chief Minister Mehtab Abbasi
to the Ehtesab Bureau for investigation.
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990427
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Benazir thinks Asif may quit politics to save her future
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Correspondent
LONDON, April 26: Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has said that her
husband Asif Ali Zardari may have to quit politics to save her own
political future.
In an interview published in The Sunday Times, the former prime minister,
for the first time, has conceded that if she has to have a political
future, her husband must quit.
"I know many people say that I should distance myself from my husband and
when this all over we will sit down with the party and discuss what should
be done," she told the interviewer. "If he (Zardari) has to step down from
politics to save our democracy, then so be it."
Ms Bhutto, who has been disqualified from her National Assembly seat as is
her husband from Senate seat on charges of corruption, also conceded that
she should have taken steps to counter the widespread belief, even among
her own closest supporters that Zardari was looting the treasury to fund
his lavish polo-playing style of life.
Ms Bhutto, who said she would continue the fight to clear her name of
corruption charges, however, defended Zardari and said that though there
had been widespread allegations of corruption against her husband, she has
not found any proof so far.
"Whether there was corruption or not, God knows better. I can only tell you
that I have not yet seen any proof," Bhutto said. "I can only tell you from
my side that I have not yet seen proof. But I know people felt my husband
had too much influence and we should have done something about it."
During her interview Bhutto also heaped praises for her husband and said
that he was being punished because he was her husband. "He's so brave and
all the timer he's being punished because he's my husband."
The opposition leader claimed that Zardari was a wealthy person even before
marrying her. "He was a wealthy man, a successful businessman in his own
right with real estate worth tens of millions of dollars, yet because of me
he is an outcast," she said.
Referring to her failures, Bhutto said she never had enough majority in the
parliament to do what she wanted to, particularly in terms of
constitutional restructuring.
She said she strengthened national security and spent more on the national
defence although she should have spent that money on social development of
the people. But she had an explanation to justify that. "I knew the
military didn't like having a woman prime minister and, to keep them on
side, I had to be very hawkish and espouse causes dear to their heart such
as Kashmir, which meant tensions with India ran very high," she said. "We
spent lots of money on planes, tanks, submarines and missiles which many
people thought should have been spent on social development."
Ms Bhutto emphatically denied allegations levelled by former President
Farooq Leghari that she and her husband misappropriated dollar one billion
from the treasury. She dismissed the Swiss magistrates who last year froze
$ 9.0 million'in foreign accounts and the continuing controversy over the
purchase of dollar 3.0 million house in Surrey.
"Pakistan is a backward country and there may have been corruption but I
can honestly swear that I never influenced any contract for myself, and my
husband never approached me."
She said she did not take even her own salary from the state exchequer and
even gave her personal cars, which she had bought from her own money, to
the state. "I've given, given, given and I'm dreadfully pained by these
allegations."
She accused Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif of the involvement in "real
corruption" and said she had been made a target of victimisation.
"In the old days they used to call people communists, now say they're
corrupt. They want to tarnish my image in the West by pretending they're
doing something against global value such as corruption when in fact they
want to leave the whole liberal constituency in Pakistan leaderless so they
can establish their Taliban-style state," Ms Bhutto said.
She said she had written to the United Nations to send their Special
Rapporteur on Judges and Judiciary, as well as various human rights
organisations, but has received no response. "I have written countless
letters to the UN to Mary Robinson and am calling on the British Government
to help me," she maintained. "At least I should be given a fair trial. At
the moment all the dice are loaded against me. This is just the first
salvo. Three benches have been set up with five different cases, all with
judges who I dismissed when I was in power so that have grudges against
me."
"The judiciary should be the cornerstone of democracy but in Pakistan it is
repeatedly used as a part of the political agenda. They sent my father to
the gallows, and now they're trying to kill my character."
While Bhutto hinted that her husband might have to quit politics, she
thinks that she was needed by the people back at home. "Twice in my life I
have thought of giving up but somehow I have been drawn back in," she told
the interviewer. "First in 1985 when my brother Shah Nawaz was killed, then
again in 1997 after the elections, I thought that's it. But each time the
people have insisted I come back and lead them."
She said that democracy was once again under threat in Pakistan. Ms Bhutto,
who is planning to travel to Dubai to consult her lawyers and meet her
children, said she had been asked by the party to stay in London while her
appeal is heard in the Supreme Court next month.
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990429
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Storming of apex court: SC resumes contempt of court proceedings
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Rafaqat Ali
ISLAMABAD, April 28: The Supreme Court on Wednesday resumed the contempt of
court proceedings against six PML (N) legislators for storming the apex
court building on Nov 28, 1997, when a bench headed by the then chief
justice Sajjad Ali Shah was proceeding with a case involving the sitting
prime minister.
The court directed the SSP of Islamabad, Rai Altaf Hussain, to bring police
file on Thursday for further cross-examination. He is appearing as a
witness after being let off by the court by sounding stern warning to be
careful next time.
A three-member bench, comprising Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, Justice Munawar
Ahmed Mirza and Justice Abdur Rehman Khan, asked the SSP to submit police
file to answer specific questions of defence counsel.
After the cross-examination of SSP, the testimony of Chaudhry Mohammad Ali,
AC, (Saddar), Iftikhar Ahmed Shalwani, AC (city) and the then acting DC of
Islamabad, Abid Ali, will be recorded by the bench.
The Supreme Court has already indicted six ruling party legislators and a
party activist for, prima facie, committing contempt of court by storming
the country's highest court.
The PML legislators include MNA Tariq Aziz, MNA Mian Mohammad Munir, MPA
Akhtar Rasool, MPA Chaudhry Tanveer Ahmed, MPA Akhtar Mehmood and MPA
Sardar Nasim and Shahbaz Goshi, president of the Nawaz Sharif force.
The bench expressed its displeasure over the non inclusion of B.A. Nasir,
ASP, in the witness list. The court observed that it was not fair that the
prosecutor, the DAG, was not prepared with the case.
"This is not an ordinary rent case. Have you gone through the entire case?"
Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid asked.
Rai Altaf, during testimony, told the bench that he was not present in the
apex court and was attending a meeting in the interior ministry when the
storming incident took place. The security arrangements were complete as
specific orders about security arrangements were issued a day prior to the
incident.
To a question, he said that ASP B.A. Nasir had informed him that some
people had gone inside the building after scaling the outer gates at the
Constitution Avenue.
The witness also said that those who scaled the gates could not enter the
courtroom. He said the incident took place at 10.20am and he reached at the
spot at 10:55am. When he arrived, he saw some people at the driveway but
there were also some genuine entrants with passes. At around that time
Information Minister Mushahid Hussain had also arrived and was able to
convince the people to leave.
He did not submit any official report as the Chief Commissioner of
Islamabad was already holding inquiry under government's instructions.
While adjourning the proceeding for Thursday, the court asked the SSP to
bring the police record with him to allow the defence to cross-examine him.
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990429
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Chernobyl virus hits many PCs
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporter
KARACHI, April 28: Local computer experts said on Wednesday virus-fixes for
the Chernobyl virus were available free on anti-virus Internet sites, after
hundreds of computers were reported to have crashed.
They said the latest versions of the Norton and McAfee anti-virus packages
could detect the Chernobyl virus.
The virus was inadvertently downloaded from the Internet, lay dormant on
their computers, and particularly struck down those computers' hard disks
running the popular Windows 95 and 98 versions of the operating systems.
No other operating systems were reported to have been infected, including
DOS, Windows 3.1x, Windows NT or Unix derivatives.
Most of those affected were single-user operating systems at home,
including hundreds of students, and in small offices running import-export
businesses which were still open for business for a short period on Monday.
As a large number of computer that crashed were not connected to the
Internet, and were used to run games from pirated CD-ROMs, local computer
experts felt that the virus, which originated in Taiwan, was mass-produced
on the pirated CD-ROMs in Malaysia, and spread to other countries.
Students working at home during the holidays, including those from the
universities and the IBA, saw two or three years of assignments, notes and
presentations wiped out. Engineering students had their CAD-CAM software
wiped out.
Small businesses saw invoices, incoming mail data and spreadsheets of the
last two years wiped out, and have been phoning up their hardware offices
for fixes.
The damage has not been as widespread due to the Muharram 9th and 10th
holidays. Most of the computers were not switched on Monday.
Most big offices and many multinationals running some form of proprietary
of Unix network were not affected, as they had security policies in place
which anticipated the problem.
The virus, believed to have been written in Taiwan, triggered on the 13th
anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster. First traces of the virus were
detected last year and fixes for this particular virus was posted on anti-
virus Internet sites as free updates. Variant sub-types of this virus have
been known to trigger on the 26th of every month.
While the virus was said to be able to delete the BIOS data on
motherboards, those affected so far have said only that the virus deleted
the data on their hard disk drives. Information on whether motherboard
BIOS' have been affected will only come after the boards have been tested
by qualified hardware personnel.
Local experts have said the virus attacks the hard disk drive areas of the
File Allocation Table, the Partition Table, and the Boot sector, after
arriving on a file with an EXE extension, or with an EX-extension. They
claimed that the virus could remain active in dynamic memory, even while
the computer was turned off.
They have said if a hard disk is formatted and reinstalled without removing
the virus, it is capable of reactivating itself. The only way to remove it
is to use the appropriate updated anti-virus software, and scan all
attachments received by e-mail. So far the only durable fixes have been
available free for downloading from the sites at www. symantec. com and
www. mcafee.
AIDS VIRUS: An alert has been sounded for a virus being inadvertently sent
by e-mail called the AIDS Virus.
Messages have been circulating on the Internet that the virus can destroy
the software running sound cards, hard drives and mice. The messages said
the virus arrives as an e-mail attachment with the message OPEN: VERY
COOL."
They said its activation was similar to the HAPPY99. EXE virus which
arrived as attachments in e-mail. The HAPPY99. EXE virus demonstrated
itself by a fireworks display on-screen, and then replicated itself.
===================================================================
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
===================================================================
990425
-------------------------------------------------------------------
9.43% rise in power rates from April 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, April 24: National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra)
has granted permission to Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda)
raise power tariffs by 9.43 per cent from April 1, 1999.
"The final determination made on April 24, has been sent to the federal
government for notification," said a press release issued by Nepra on
Saturday night.
The increase in tariffs has already been notified by the government on
March 27, on a conditional permission from the Nepra.
The Nepra had imposed a condition that the Wapda would have to justify its
case at the hearing, held from April 17 to 19, otherwise it would have to
refund the excess amount charged from the consumers.
However, the press release did not mention whether it had withdrawn the
condition of the refund or not.
The Wapda, since December 1998, thrice changed its mind on the tariff
increase. Initially on Dec 21 Wapda made a petition for 11 per cent
increase in the tariff.
Nepra began hearing on the petition from March 15 and half way through the
hearing on March 18, Wapda changed its mind and announced to decrease the
tariffs without realizing the fact that the government, under the
agreements with the IMF and World Bank, could not reduce the power tariffs.
After discussions at various levels, including local representatives of the
Fund and World Bank, Wapda finally decided to increase power tariffs by
9.43 per cent. On March 25 a second revised petition was submitted to Nepra
and it was notified on March 27, without holding public hearing.
The formality of public hearing was later fulfilled by Nepra on April 17
and 19.
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990429
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Gohar asks Wapda to prepare new formula for power rates
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, April 28: Minister for Water and Power Gohar Ayub Khan has asked
Wapda to prepare a fresh proposal for the rationalization of power tariff
to encourage consumption of electricity in the country.
Talking to a number of reporters here in the parliament building, the
minister said that he did not approve any raise in the power tariff because
it would further reduce electricity consumption in the country.
"We believe that Wapda can only generate more revenues by rationalizing the
power tariff instead of raising it," the minister said, adding that the
prime minister also shared these views.
The minister said that Wapda had got surplus electricity but the irony was
that its consumption was decreasing every month. During the first three
months - January to March- of the army operation in Wapda power consumption
had reduced by 11 per cent which, the minister said, was a serious cause of
concern for the authorities.
"If the consumption does not improve during April then we will have to
review the situation," Gohar Ayub said. He said Wapda had to collect a
total of Rs142 billion during the current financial year for which it
needed to generate Rs12 billion every month.
Against the monthly target of Rs12 billion, he said, Wapda was collecting
an average of a little over Rs7 billion. The minister said: "If we further
increase the power tariff, people will switch over to other alternatives to
generate electricity for their domestic as well as industrial needs.
Since December last Wapda had thrice changed its mind on tariff issue.
Initially they had suggested 11 per cent increase. Then they proposed a
relief package suggesting substantial reduction in power rates. But later
in view of th IMF conditionalities they again came up with a proposal of
9.43 per cent raise.
To a question concerning the infuriated response of 49 MPs named by the
Wapda authorities among power pilferers and Wapda defaulters, he said, the
names were provided by Wapda authorities and he was under obligation to
present the information before the Senate.
The minister dispelled the impression that there was any conspiracy on part
of Wapda to malign the ruling PML and said, "they are doing their job
without any fear and favour."
When asked about the reports that the prime minister had ordered an inquiry
as to why the names of the MPs were presented before the Senate, he said,
"I am not aware of any such development."
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990430
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Rs100bn additional tax revenue projected
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ikram Hoti
ISLAMABAD, April 29: The federal government is expected to project an
additional demand of Rs 100 billion in tax revenue next week and seek
support of the business community to meet the target set for fiscal 1999-
2000. At the annual pre-budget meeting of Advisory Council for the Finance
Ministry on May 5, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, would project Rs 100 billion
tax revenue over and above the actual tax collected at the end of current
financial year.
The federal government has estimated Rs 310 billion collection by June 30,
1999, but the federal revenues' last revised estimates are expected to be
brought down to Rs 300 billion mid May, say official sources.
Sources said the Rs 400 billion tax receipts projection, which is based on
an additional Rs 50 billion demand from the Income Tax and Sales Tax
departments for 1999-2000 (as per the current schedules) and Rs 50 billion
(through broadening of net/rates), would be discussed item-wise and sector-
wise, on May 5, say officials.
They said the discussion on tax proposals (item wise) with the
manufacturers has been planned to obtain maximum support for the broad
parameters of the 1999-2000 tax measures.
The sector-wise (net revenue projection) would be discussed in view of the
latest model study by the ministry of finance and CBR officials over the
past about two months.
These officials explained to Dawn that sector-wise study for determining
revenue potential has been assisted by the IMF team under a micro level
prospect-judgment project which was initiated in the second quarter of the
current financial year.
They said a number of models were drawn up under this project which have
been examined and re-assessed for presentation as the basic indicators of
sectoral revenue potential.
When asked if they had kept in view the slump in the market in 1998-99 and
the failures in revenue generation while laying out the models, they said
the demand for Rs 100 billion additional revenues in 1999-2000 was placed
before them and the sectoral potential was constructed accordingly.
They added that since the federal budget 1999-2000 expenditure is being set
at Rs 800 billion, with Rs 750 billion total receipts and a gap of Rs 50
billion to be left for meeting through bank borrowing, "we have explored
the potential maximally."
A Rs 200 billion escalation in expenditure over and above the federal
spending estimates of 1998-99 has been planned for the next budget, they
added. On the receipts side, a sum of Rs 150 billion (tax plus non-tax
revenue) has been planned while no substantial cuts are being suggested in
the establishment, defence, development allocations, they concluded.
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990430
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Shipping lines again raise freight charges
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Parvaiz Ishfaq Rana
KARACHI, April 29: The member shipping lines in the Transpacific
Stabilisation Agreement (TSA) has decided to raise freight charges for USA
and Canada with effect from first of next month (May).
This is going to be a second increase in freight rates made during the last
six months by major shipping companies who are member of TSA.
These shipping lines have also indicated for the third raise in freight
rates, which would be affected in June and after this the freight charges
would be three times higher at $3770 from those of December last when rates
were $1400 per 40 feet container.
According to exporters, early this year the shipping lines increased their
freight charges by $1000 which took the rates to $2400 from $1400 for a 40
feet container.
The shipping companies made this raise on a plea that the State Bank was
not allowing them to remit the freight collected by them and as such they
were buying dollars from the open market.
However, for the second increase of $1070 per 40 feet container and
affective from May 1, 1999, the shipping companies have not come up with
any substantive reason except to say that fundamental economics of the
trade heading into 1999 show a space shortages from Asia to the US, with
negative cargo growth from the US to Asia.
Further more the shipping companies have already informed the exporters
that another raise of $300 per 40 feet container would be applicable on all
cargo to the USA and Canada with effect from June 1, 1999.
Taking serious note of the development, exporters are seeking government
intervention and feel that this would result in further fall in exports
during the current fiscal because exporters are not in a position to pay
and absorb such prohibitory increase in freight cost.
Chairman Pakistan Bedwear Exporters Association (PBEA) Shabir Ahmed said
that the exporters are not in a position to absorb such a fantastic
increase in freight cost particularly when the importers are not willing to
increase the prices to give some sort of a relief to the exporters.
Above all, he said the announcement by the shipping companies has created
an uncertainty in the market and new export orders are not being finalized.
The PBEA chief cautioned that if this state of affairs continues then the
available orders might be grabbed by our competitors from other countries.
He further said that the turmoil in the Far East and substantial
devaluation of Far Eastern countries have made their products more
competitive and as such the Pakistani exporters are already facing uphill
task for keeping the hold on their traditional markets.
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990429
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dar hopes to cut repo rate to 11pc by July 1
-------------------------------------------------------------------
KARACHI, April 28: The Finance and Commerce Minister Ishaq Dar has hoped to
reduce the repo rate from 15 to 11 per cent by July 1, 1999.
Speaking at a meeting with the members of Federation of Pakistan Chambers
of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) Wednesday, Dar said the average repo rate
has already been reduced by two to two-and-a-half per cent to around 15%,
which would reach 11 per cent by the next fiscal year.
He said this will reduce the mark up rate.
Commerce Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said the Textile Monitoring Body
(TMB) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has asked the US government to
lift ban on Pakistani combed yarn.
Ishaq Dar said that he has received an information from TMB a few hours
after accepting Pakistani point of view on ban by US on category 301
(combed yarn).
He hoped that the US would not challenge the TMB decision.
Dar said when the US Government had imposed ban on Pakistani combed yarn,
the Pakistan Government preferred to go to WTO.APP
Our Staff Reporter adds: Minister for Commerce and Finance Ishaq Dar said
here on Wednesday, "government has already taken all the necessary measures
required for the revival of the economy and now it is up to the private
sector to prove itself by increasing the production and the exports".
"It is easy to make profits during favourable economic conditions but the
real entrepreneurship of private sector is tested when it has to survive
under recession," remarked the minister in reply to President FPCCI Fazal-
ur-Rehman Dittu's address of welcome in which Dittu has raised a number of
issues confronting trade and industry.
The minister went on to say that the charter of demands presented before
him have already been met and presently no major item was pending before
the government.
On his way to Manila to attend the Asian Development Bank (ADB) board
meeting, Ishaq Dar took a time out on the request of FPCCI to meet its
members. He spend much of the time on listing the economic achievements
made during his tenure when he took over as finance minister on Nov 6,
1998.
The minister disagreed to the impression that the reduced tariff rates
would damage the local industry and said that all care was being taken for
cascading of tariffs, and further offered his services to remove any
anomaly, if remained.
He asked the FPCCI president to review the suggestion submitted to the
government for doubling the exports and added "it is a very costly
prescription to follow as the government does not want to repeat mistakes
committed in the past when stones and second-hand cloths used to be
exported for claiming huge amounts in duty drawback."
Referring to a point raised by President FPCCI that about 40 different
departments were collecting taxes, fees, charges, rates etc the minister
said that about two years back I had asked for the proposals in this regard
but till today the ball is in the FPCCI court.
On a demand that there should a representative from FPCCI on the
Engineering Development Board, Dar asked the FPCCI President to propose a
name which would be immediately inducted in the EDB.
Responding to a point that an important sector of the economy such as
insurance still remains to be nationalized the minister said, Pakistan
Insurance Regulatory Authority is under a process of formation and this
matter will be taken up at the forum.
There have been long standing demand from the private sector to free the
insurance business from the clutches of Pakistan Insurance Corporation
which even today gets 55 per cent business of private sector under
compulsory clause.
Agreeing that Balochistan has been neglected in the last 50 years, Dar said
that the government is giving priority to its uplift and during first phase
Rs25 billion for developing coastal road and a deep sea harbour would be
spent.
At Karachi Port, he said vessels with 75,000 tons capacity can be
accommodated whereas in Balochistan vessels up to 200,000 tons capacity can
be given berths. There are other important and neglected sectors like
social, women, literacy communications etc and needs government attention.
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990429
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pakistan's bonds firmer as default threat recedes
-------------------------------------------------------------------
LONDON, April 28: Pakistan's Eurobonds were firmer in London trading on
Wednesday after the Group of 10 leading industrial nations released a
statement on Tuesday saying sovereign borrowers should honour existing bond
contracts.
Traders said that although prices remained low, the bid for Pakistan paper
had strengthened in response to the statement, which analysts believe
indicates official lenders will not force the country to default on
Eurobonds in return for relief on other debt.
"We haven't seen anything substantial in terms of turnover, but the bid
does look firmer," said a trader at a US bank.
The Paris Club of sovereign lenders told Pakistan earlier this year that it
must effectively default on $470 million of Eurobonds falling due before
December 2000 before it would approve a deal to reschedule bilateral loans.
Pakistan has four Eurobonds outstanding, one of which is convertible into
shares in state-controlled Pakistan Telecom. It is due to make a coupon
payment on a $300 million floating rate note due May 2000 on May 28.
That deal was quoted at around 58 per cent of face value on Wednesday.
It hit a low of close to 40 per cent last October when the International
Monetary Fund delayed a planned mission to the country after Pakistan cut
power tariffs against IMF advice.
The Paris Club demand forms part of an initiative by official creditors
including the G10 and IMF to strip Eurobonds of the anomalous "most-
favoured" status.
It incensed investors and industry bodies, who insist plans to bail-in
Eurobond holders cannot be applied retroactively.
No rated sovereign has ever defaulted on a Eurobond.Reuters
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990427
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Sharp drop in 'local rate' collections
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, April 26: The provincial tax authorities continue to record sharp
shortfall in recoveries under the head of "local rate" as during the first
eight months of the current fiscal just about 20 per cent of the total Rs
28 million annual target was collected, official sources said.
Sources added that the tax collection authorities of 19 districts of the
province wherefrom this tax is collected had been set a total target of Rs
28 m including Rs 20 m arrears piled up since the previous financial years,
sources said.
"In eight months of the current financial year, total collection under the
head of local rate was over Rs 5.5 m," said the official holding an
important office in one of the concerned provincial government departments.
The Peshawar district, said the sources, which had been assigned maximum
share of the target made recoveries of only Rs 250,000,achieving three per
cent of its total target of Rs 7.9 m.
Same was the case with the Charsadda, Mardan and Bannu districts, said the
sources.
Charsadda district recorded collections of up to 10 per cent of the
assigned Rs 4.1 m target in line with Mardan district where recoveries on
account of local rate also stood up at 10 per cent of the assigned Rs 3.6 m
target.
Whereas, Bannu achieved 26 per cent of the total specified target of Rs 5.6
m, maintained the sources.
"There are some districts which have recovered greater portion of their
share were actually been given a nominal targets, " said the official.
According to officially prepared figures, said the sources, Shangla made
recoveries around 55 per cent of its target, Lakki Marwat 50 per cent,
Buner 86 per cent, Swat 65 per cent, Batgram 67 per cent, Haripur 66 per
cent, Abbottabad 60 per cent, Hangu 75 per cent, Karak 96 per cent, Kohat
13 per cent, Swabi 28 per cent, Nowshera 15 per cent, D.I.Khan 44 per cent,
Mansehra 40 per cent whereas Tank has recovered 100 per cent of its target
of Rs 27,000.
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990426
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Centre to give over Rs 5bn to provinces
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Shaukat Ali
LAHORE, April 25: The federal government has agreed to disburse an
additional Rs 5.45 billion to provinces from the coming financial year to
enable them to meet the expense incurring on the proposed increase in
government employees' wages, sources told Dawn on Sunday.
They said the proposal to increase wages of the public sector employees had
been finalized and approved in principle by the 'highest' authorities in
Islamabad.
"There will be an increase from 15 to 25 per cent in the basic pay of
employees in different grades", the sources added.
There has been no extra wage increase for the public sector workers for the
last about five years.
Three provinces - the Punjab, Sindh and the NWFP - are said to have
expressed their inability to meet the cost of the wage increase on their
own and asked Islamabad to provide them with additional resources to
accomplish the new task.
Balochistan, the sources said, had been indecisive on this matter.
The government plans to enhance salaries of all the public sector employees
- federal as well as provincial - from July this year.
Minus Balochistan the other three provinces account for almost 57 per cent
of the total government employees in the country.
"The Punjab will be getting around Rs 2.7 billion to tackle the additional
burden of the increase. Rest of the federal government funds will be
disbursed among other provinces in proportion to the size of the employees
there", the sources said.
They, however, stressed that the federal government's assistance was not
enough to offset the additional financial commitments which the provinces
would have to undertake with the wage increase.
"The Punjab alone will have to squeeze out around double the amount it gets
from the centre. Given the present tight financial situation, the province
will have to work out some stringent fiscal plan to please the government
employees", the sources said, pointing out that other provinces would also
have to devise similar strategies to meet the requirement.
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990501
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Fresh FCY deposits begin to grow fast
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mohiuddin Aazim
KARACHI, April 30: The increase in forward cover fee announced on March 4
has led to a faster growth of fresh foreign currency deposits that
witnessed a build-up of $160 million within one and a half months.
Senior bankers told Dawn that fresh foreign currency deposits rose from
around $300 million in mid-March to a little more than $460 million by end-
April.
Bankers term the $160 million build-up as significant because it indicates
a much faster rate of growth in fresh foreign currency accounts that
attracted only about $300 million in more than eight and a half months.
After freezing $11 billion worth of foreign currency deposits on May 28,
1998, the State Bank had allowed opening of new foreign currency accounts
in the third week of June. But the scheme got a lukewarm response until the
State Bank raised forward cover fee on frozen foreign currency accounts
from 8 to 10 per cent on March 4 which forced the banks to stop paying any
profit on these deposits.
This resulted into faster conversion of old foreign currency deposits into
rupees and dollar bonds. Up to mid-March some $5 billion worth of frozen
foreign currency deposits had been converted into rupees or dollar bonds.
The amount rose to $5.5 billion by end-Aprilan increase of $500 million in
one and a half months only.
Senior bankers say part of the converted rupee funds was redeposited in
fresh foreign currency accounts as banks still paid 2.0-2.5 per cent return
on them.
Since the State Bank does not provide forward cover on fresh foreign
currency deposits the rise in forward cover fee had no impact on them.
Senior bankers say another reason for faster growth of fresh foreign
currency deposits is that foreign currency deposits mobilized under
national debt retirement programme are reaching maturity. They say some
people are redepositing the amounts they get through maturity of NDRP
accounts into fresh foreign currency deposits.
Meanwhile, SBP issued a circular on Friday that puts the dollar bonds at
par with foreign currency deposits for the purpose of exempting the
advances against lien on foreign currency deposits from a key condition.
The circular says: "Advances made to private limited companies including
foreign controlled companies resident in Pakistan against lien on foreign
currency deposits would continue to be exempted from the requirement of
obtaining personal guarantee of directors of the private limited company
when the foreign currency deposits are replaced with special US dollar
bonds registered in the name of the borrower by converting US dollar
bonds."
Senior bankers say this relaxation is one of several measures the State
Bank has taken so far to facilitate faster conversion of frozen foreign
currency deposits into dollar bonds. They say that since the banks are no
longer bound to liquidate collaterals in the shape of balances in frozen
foreign currency accounts pending a case in supreme court the relaxation in
question would lead to replacement of such collaterals into the dollar
bonds. Thus the main objective of reducing foreign currency liabilities
would be achieved.
Bankers say out of the $5.5 billion worth of frozen foreign currency
deposits converted so far into rupees and dollar bonds some $910 million
worth of the deposits have been converted into the bonds only and the
remainder into rupees.
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990501
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Stocks maintain optimistic outlook
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporter
KARACHI, April 30: Stocks on Friday maintained an optimistic outlook as
investors were not inclined to take even a technical breather encouraged
apparently by some positive news from the IPP front and the consequent
strong speculative buying in most of the pivotals.
As widely speculated, the KSE 100-share index consolidated its position
above the psychological barrier of 1,100 points, reflecting the relative
strength of the base shares.
It ended around 1,107.02, showing after hovering below the barrier of 1,100
points and the net rise of 11.51 points put it in a relatively better
position on which it could built up a strong edifice.
"The index is inching up slowly but steadily and is sure to fluctuate
between 1,200 points on the lower side and 1,400 points on the higher as
changing background news from the corporate sector reflects", analysts said
adding " the strong presence of the foreign funds in most of the MNCs
appears to be the chief inspiring force behind the current run-up".
The total market capitalization attained the coveted mark of Rs302bn after
falling to Rs234bn from the peak level of Rs 610bn during the last two
years and there are reasons to believe that the current recovery pattern
could be sustained in the coming months too.
"News about the economic recovery might not be that encouraging but the
perception of settlement of the IPP issue do not allow foreign investors to
leave the market at this stage", dealers said.
The market continued to derive its strength from the feelers that the
tariff issue with the Independent Power Producers (IPPs), is close to an
amicable settlement as was reflected in heavy buying in these shares.
"It was a judicious blend of both local and foreign buying at the lower
levels as no one is inclined to miss the rising market at least at this
formative of a sustained turnaround", said a leading broker.
Weekend sessions generally pass through technical corrections but the fact
that the market is up and up for the third week in a row shows some major
change in its psychology.
"A gain of about 10 per cent during the last two weeks is not a small
achievement judged by any standard", they claim and added "the fact that
everyone is buyer indicates an imminent price flare-up at least on the blue
chip counters".
Price movements for the second session in a row were fractional as no one
was inclined to sell in a big way. However, some of the leading shares
posted fresh good gains under the lead of 9th ICP, Capital Asset Leasing,
Fazal Textiles, Nishat Mills, Millat Tractors and PSO, which posted gains
ranging from one rupee to Rs 2.00.
Some of the leading shares, facing shortage of floating stocks rose sharply
under the lead of BOC Pakistan, and CPC Rafhan, which rose by Rs 18.00 and
7.00 respectively on strong demand.
Losers were led by Shell Pakistan, off Rs 5.00 followed by EFU General
Insurance, Gatron Industries, Noon Sugar and Telecard, which suffered fall
ranging from one rupee to Rs 3.00.
Owing to weekend session and the absence of leading sellers, trading volume
fell to 91m shares from 140m shares a day earlier, while gainers and losers
were about evenly matched at 58 and 59, with 47 shares holding on to the
last levels.
PTCL topped the list of most actives, up 35 paisa at Rs 20.45 on 39m shares
followed by Hub-Power, higher 25 paisa at Rs 16.75 on 21m shares, Fauji
Fertiliser, up Rs 1.25 at Rs 53.55 on 10m shares, PSO, higher Rs 1.95 at Rs
89.25 on 5m shares and Telecard, off Rs 1.35 on 2.177m shares.
Other actively traded shares were led by ICI Pakistan, up five paisa on
2.274m shares followed by Adamjee Insurance, easy five paisa on 1.525m
shares, MCB, unchanged on 1.024m shares, PIAC, which is in active demand at
the lower levels on the perception of higher profits after the addition new
aircraft to the existing fleet, up 25 paisa on 0.906m shares and Engro
Chemical, higher 25 paisa on 0.931m shares.
DEFAULTING COMPANIES: Suzuki Motorcycle came in for active support at the
lower level and was marked up by 50 paisa on 5,000 shares. Allied Motors
and Gammon Pakistan, which traded lower by 25 paisa each on 1,500 and 500
shares respectively;
DIVIDEND: Adam Sugar Mills, nil for the year ended Sept 30, 1998 owing to
after tax loss of Rs 13.865m.
Back to the top
===================================================================
EDITORIALS & FEATURES
===================================================================
990425
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Her father's daughter
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Ardeshir Cowasjee
BENAZIR BHUTTO, politician, and Asif Zardari, lowly politician and her
lawfully wedded husband, have been found guilty of corruption, robbery,
misuse of power, and fraud. They have been convicted by a court under Nawaz
Sharif's law.
We heard Benazir Bhutto lie when interviewed in London on the BBC, saying
nothing we had not heard before. Her party people protested, as was
expected, they shouted, lay on train tracks, had themselves photographed.
An e-mail arrived in my mail box this week, circulated by Bilawal House and
written by the PPP Human Rights Coordinator and Information Secretary of
the party's Women's Wing, Fauzia Wahab. With Fauzia, it is possible to have
a reasonable conversation as she at least pauses to listen to what is said.
When I asked where she was in 1971, when today's Pakistan was conceived,
and how knowledgeable she was about its origins, her answer was that she
was then enjoying a carefree student's life and was too young to worry
about the affairs of state. I explained that it was then that it all began
the precipitous slide of values, the elimination of public and private
morals, the subjugation of the judiciary, the destruction of institutions,
the demoralization of a proud army all to satisfy the greed of one man
who had jockeyed himself into a position from where he could manipulate
people and pursue his lust for absolute power, irrespective of the cost and
consequences to the nation. When faced with the option of being either
leader of the opposition of the whole of Pakistan or top-dog of half the
country, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, father of Benazir Bhutto, plonked for the
second option and contrived to lose the other half.
"Democrat" Bhutto emerged as president of the remnant and as the first ever
civilian martial law administrator in history, I told her. Later, having
installed a puppet president, he became prime minister and in 1973
promulgated a constitution which guaranteed due protection to the people's
fundamental and human rights. He effectively suspended his constitution
within four hours of its promulgation and proceeded to imprison all his
political rivals. Was this move not preconceived? Was his 'niyet' not
dishonest? Did he not blatantly rob the people of their life and liberty?
As a champion of human rights, what do you have to say about this, I asked
Fauzia? What could she say?
The destruction of the judiciary, the institution which could have thwarted
his designs, was foremost in his mind. For the judges he had contempt. In
1973, he and Jam Sadiq Ali went to the extent of arresting district and
sessions judge of Sanghar, Owais Murtaza, who was not toeing the line. The
Chief Justice of Sindh, Tufail Ali Abdul Rahman, strong and true, protested
and demanded to see Bhutto. He was refused an appointment. Tufail
persisted. Bhutto, fed up, wrote to 'talented cousin' Mumtaz Bhutto, the
chief minister of Sindh : "For heaven's sake, meet this old woman and keep
him happy, otherwise deal with him." The message was clear : Tufail must
either bend, or else....
Mumtaz Bhutto could neither keep Tufail happy nor make him bend. He
informed Bhutto that a meeting with the chief justice "is usually not an
event to which I look forward. The Chief Justice is just impossible." Owais
was ultimately released.
How this country longs for a chief justice able to stand up to a prime
minister and wear him down.
Between 1973 and 1977, Bhutto amended his own constitution seven times, the
amendments in the main dealing with the subjugation of the judiciary.
Steeped in law and learning as they were, Bhutto, Attorney-General Yahya
Bakhtiar, Law Minister Hafiz Pirzada, Talented Cousin Mumtaz, Fast Runner
Rafi Raza, and even Kamaluddin Azfar, cannot be pardoned for actively
tampering with the judiciary and the law or acquiescing in such tampering,
all in the name of democracy and the law. The harm they did remains
irrevocable.
Bhutto was followed by Zia-ul-Haq who did all that was wrong in the name of
religion as he read it. In this he was ably helped by Allahbakhsh
Kaderbakhsh Brohi and Jadoogar of Jeddah Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada. Their
contribution to the downfall of the judiciary was as effective as had been
Bhutto's.
When Zia fell from the skies, Benazir Bhutto came in. Had she willed it,
she could have set matters right. We had hope. In March 1989, I wrote :
".... Given time, she will be good for us." Had she commenced the process
of accountability then and there, hauling up those who had made merry in
the Zia days, including Chief Minister of Punjab Nawaz Sharif, she may not
have found herself in the predicament in which she today is. But no, she
concentrated on running on her own fast track, robbing the exchequer until
she fell.
Nawaz Sharif followed her, continuing on from where he had left off as
chief minister of Punjab, pursuing his own agenda. He, too, was in a hurry
to make a killing. Some money was left to be borrowed or robbed. He could
not bear the thought of running second to Benazir Bhutto, so he and his lot
amassed wealth until he fell.
Unfortunate as we are, for our sins, we had Benazir Bhutto again. In her
first stint she had wrestled with the country and the exchequer, pinning
them down, playing by the rules of "catch as catch can." The second time
round it was "no holds barred". There was much work to be done in a short
time, the bottom had to be scoured. Credit must be given to her and her
husband for wiping it clean, for working so hard, until she was deposed for
the second time.
We had to be stupid to accept Nawaz Sharif again as prime minister for a
second time. Many were persuaded to believe that it would be a chastened
Nawaz Sharif who, realizing the wrong he had done, wished to put it right.
We were mistaken again, as events have proved.
Back to the judiciary, the institution that must be in place to hold the
ring in any worthwhile republic or democracy. Is it not conceivable that
had father Bhutto allowed the judiciary to grow strong and remain
independent, there may have been a court in the country which would have
saved his neck? Is it not conceivable that had the judiciary been
encouraged by subsequent rulers to rise again and maintain its independence
it would have deterred the selfish and the arrogant from doing wrong by the
people? There may even have been a court today which would have stemmed
Nawaz Sharif's excesses, particularly in the field of law-making.
In her letter, Fauzia refers to Benazir Bhutto as "the two-time prime
minister and the first Muslim woman prime minister." She should have been
more forthright and stated that Benazir Bhutto also has the distinction of
being the first Muslim woman prime minister to have been dismissed twice on
charges of corruption.
Under any reasonable law in any country of the civilized world, Benazir
Bhutto and her husband stand guilty of having committed serious crimes
against the people of our country. Her party has filed thirty-one
references against Nawaz Sharif under his 1997 Ehtesab Act some of which
are: illegal appointments in PIA; Abbotabad land scam; import of BMW cars
in violation of laws; taking loans without fulfilling the legal
requirements; concealment of property in the US; illegal appointments in
the FIA; US wheat purchase scam; Murree land scam; irregular promotions in
the FIA; income tax evasion; forcing passports and money laundering;
concealment of helicopter when filing assets; favourable treatment to
Kohinoor Energy Ltd causing a Rs.45 crore loss; unlawful cash finance
facility given to Brothers Sugar Mills; bribe offered to ANP Senator Qazi
Mohammed Anwer; illegally appointing the chairman, CBR; whitening of black
money by amending laws; causing a Rs.35 billion loss by writing
off/rescheduling loans; relaxing import duty and amending laws to import
luxury cars; utilizing funds from the national exchequer to bribe Maulana
Sattar Niazi; plundering Rs.200 million from Jahez and Baitul Mal funds;
opening false acounts; making 130 political appointments in federal
departments; relaxing export duty and rebate to transport sugar to India;
whitening of money through FEBCs; wealth tax evasion; concealment of facts
to evade property tax; withdrawal of case against Senator Islamuddin
Shaikh. All this does not absolve Benazir Bhutto in any way.
Nawaz Sharif assumes that he has made himself impregnable. He does not know
that no government can survive for long on the misery of its people. He
does not know that His stick makes no sound, and that its fall cannot be
deflected by minions or by constitutional amendments.
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990430
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Getting out of a tight fit of clothes
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayaz Amir
THE relief one feels after getting out of a tight pair of clothes or, which
is much the same thing, a bad marriage is what I feel after finally
receiving word that, seven and a half months after handing in my
resignation, I am no longer a member of the august Punjab assembly.
It was good while it lasted. The experience was educative. But it was
getting to be a bore and the thought of living out the rest of the Sharif
term as a straight-backed MPA gave me a chill which I felt in my bones.
While wishing the Muslim League's revolutionary caravan well I am glad that
when it arrives at its destination, whatever that may be, I will not be a
travelling member.
Politicos utter a lot of nonsense about the privilege of serving their
constituents much as rip-off doctors talk of serving humanity or cut-throat
lawyers say that theirs is a noble profession dedicated to upholding the
rule of law. This is trade talk and should not be taken too seriously. The
politician, like any other professional, is first out for himself and then
for anyone else. This is not to say that a spirit of public service is a
myth. It is not but in the Pakistan of today it does not exist, at least
not in the political class.
Forget for a moment lowly parliamentarians and consider the case of the two
leading lights of this class: Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, both
resounding metaphors for a peculiarly Pakistani form of moral and
intellectual bankruptcy. The tales of the first are now certified history.
The second is a successful politician, in a narrow compass perhaps the most
successful in Pakistan's history, whose entrepreneurial family has turned
the taking of bank loans and then not paying them into an art form. In the
politics defined and shaped by these two gifts to the nation public service
becomes a notional if not a laughable concept. And to think that for the
past 14 years, an eternity in politics, the people of this land have been
in thrall to these two wonders.
Be that as it may, for the past two years no one could have been a more
devoted constituency representative than myself. Saying goodbye to the
fleshpots of Islamabad (some fleshpots) I spent all my time in Chakwal,
putting in a regular working day and keeping my doors open to most comers
(some I hated the sight of). At the risk of sounding immodest, I think I
can fairly claim that in the end I beat the local politicos that Chakwal
has at their game. The district council elections led to the crumbling of
many established pillars and the outcome of those elections was determined,
forgive the boasting, by the strong group of councillors clustered around
me.
But all this frenetic activity ultimately resolved itself into a stark
choice: three more years of local politics, an appalling prospect, or a
return to the heady stream of licentious journalism. Local politics can be
exhilarating but also a bit restricted and constricting if not complemented
by something purposeful and useful at the larger level which in my case
happened to be Shahbaz Sharif's seat of power, Lahore. There lay the rub
for on my visits to Lahore a grimy, noisy and impossible metropolis I
could never decide which was the more useless activity: attending sessions
of the Punjab assembly, probably the most expensive vacuum chamber in the
world, visiting the Punjab secretariat, a museum of self-important fossils,
or hanging about 7 Club Road, Shahbaz Sharif's revolutionary headquarters.
The only good thing about the assembly is its building. The secretariat
could be cleansed of its inhabitants without any loss to the administration
of the province. 7 Club Road presents a graver problem. Like all mortals I
have heard much pompous clatter in my time but seldom in such stiff doses
as in its distinguished precincts. To say anything more would be bad
manners because I have supped there myself although, I cannot help adding,
in varying states of bewilderment and confusion.
It is perhaps a telling circumstance that in that entire monument to good
governance there is not a single book to be seen, not one piece of
sculpture, not one painting except, if dull memory serves, that of a horse
in the committee room. This speaks of the passion for the arts cultivated
by all the denizens who have inhabited this gilded place in the recent
past: Nawaz Sharif, Ghulam Haider Wyne, Manzoor Wattoo, Arif Nakai, and now
Shahbaz Sharif.
Anyhow, the joys and tears of local politics I probably could have put up
with for some more time but the higher bondage of Lahore, and that too for
three more years, was something that would have tested the endurance of a
far steadier man than I. And so, in a manner of speaking, I have taken to
the road once again, comforted if not fortified by this dictum of H. L.
Mencken's: "...ideas that is, the follies and imbecilities of men
interest me. Blowing them up is the noblest of human occupations." What a
licence for self-indulgence. As for the educative part of my foray into
politics, I have shed a few more illusions as a consequence. I am now more
convinced than ever that there can be no radical improvement in our affairs
and that even to entertain the idea is a serious form of self-delusion. We
are destined to muddle along from one imperfect situation to another even
less desirable than the first. The political choices on offer will always
be between different sets of grasping carpetbaggers, their ambitions
setting them apart but their greed and worthlessness putting them together.
This being so, the highest aim of Pakistani politics should not be the
search for a wonder-leader, for such a leader, given the law of
probability, will only improve upon the hollowness and acquisitiveness of
his predecessors. The aim should be to devise ways and means to check the
natural criminal inclinations of the luminati elected to the highest
offices in the land.
There is no greater myth than the common belief that in democracy itself
there lies the cure for its own ills. Or, in other words, that the answer
to the problems of democracy is more democracy. There is nothing more
foolish than this notion or in the related theory that there is something
infallible and magnificent about the collective wisdom of the people.
Pakistani democracy is a sham and, as our experience so richly testifies,
it will always be throwing up one set of scoundrels or another.
Accordingly, the greatest act of gullibility that a Pakistani citizen can
be guilty of is to be taken in by what politicians or leaders say. As a
corollary, the greatest desideratum in politics is to ensure, through
institutional checks, that those in power do not work more mischief than
can be helped.
But what is equally valid is another great truth. One of the things which
makes life worth living in Pakistan is this same sham democracy. Without it
Pakistan would be a poorer place, an arid expanse like much of the Arab and
Muslim world or indeed much of what used to be called the Third World.
English newspapers (alas, increasingly badly written), pseudo-liberalism,
the tendency to refer to a set of values rooted in a mock- colonial
heritage, and the rhetoric of democracy, are things that I and I am certain
people like me have grown up with. Take these things away and our world
will irrevocably change.
To be sure, none of these things has served the country well. But what are
the alternatives? Two which are equally bad. A belief in radical solutions
which is a dangerous shibboleth because no revolution is going to arrive at
these shores. Or the barbarism of the seminary. God secure Pakistan from
both these eventualities.
The present order, for all its distortions and imperfections, its cruelties
and injustices, is therefore the best thing that we have. But it is wise to
take some elementary precautions. When the masters of this order mount
their rostrums, look solemn and prepare to launch the bromides which are
their stock-in-trade. The sagacious person, aware that he has another set
of charlatans to deal with, should just screw up his eyes, keep his peace
and console himself with the thought that this too will pass.
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990501
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Vegging out at the beach
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Irfan Husain
OVER the long weekend, I spent three days and two nights at the beach.
Alone excepting when some friends dropped in for dinner one evening, I
swam, read, cooked, gazed at the stars and listened to the sound of the
sea.
Everybody should be able to take off once in a while, shedding all
responsibility and do absolutely nothing. But few urbanites manage to
escape their daily grind, caught up as they are in the rat race and their
domestic chores. Karachiites, in particular, are not great outdoor types,
and just as well: as it is, the beach tends to get overcrowded on Sundays.
But fortunately, my stretch of the beach is fairly deserted, especially on
weekdays. I buy whatever the local fishermen have caught, and the catch
includes all kinds of fish as well as lobster and crabs which are barbecued
or stir-fried. I think I am a beach bum at heart, condemned to serve a
lifetime sentence in the city. But one day...
Friends are surprised that I spend so much alone. "But what do you do?"
they ask. "Mostly nothing", I answer. And that is precisely the point.
Freed from the need to take decisions and communicate, the mind roams
across time and space, plucking up odd memories and playing with strange
ideas. Occasionally, this mental meandering coalesces into a coherent
thought pattern, but mostly it floats away like a child's soap bubble.
This last weekend, I was preoccupied with the whole question of public
morality. Having written about Benazir Bhutto's conviction last Saturday, I
was trying to work out why people like her and Nawaz Sharif are so greedy.
They have everything going for them: good health, wealth, popular support,
and in Benazir Bhutto's case, good looks. So why do people like them want
still more? Why risk what they have for a few millions more?
In a recent international conference on corruption held in Washington, Vice
President Al Gore recounted a fable told by Saadi in his impressive speech:
"A king and his army stopped at an orchard where the king ate two apples.
He was amazed to see his general walk up to the farmer to pay him. 'Why did
you pay him? Surely he was pleased that his king ate his fruit.' 'Your
Highness, if you had eaten two apples without paying for them, your
soldiers would have stripped the whole orchard'."
And this is exactly what is happening here: when the leadership is busy
looting the country, nobody should be surprised when their minions follow
suit. And with Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto taking turns at sticking
their snouts in the public trough, there is no longer very much left to
steal. Even before them, their military and civilian predecessors made hay
when their particular sun shone. This sequence of one lot of crooks
following another reminds me of another fable that I recounted in these
columns many years ago:
"A Good Samaritan was walking through the woods one day when he saw a
wounded fox lying nearby with his cuts covered with flies. The traveller
shooed the flies away, and was walking away when the fox cried out in a
piteous voice: 'What have I done to thee, O cruel stranger, that thou
should worsen my plight?' Amazed, the traveller turned and said: 'But I
have done thee a good turn by forcing away the flies that tormented thee.'
'O wicked and ignorant man, know thee not that the flies that sat on me
were sated, whereas the ones who will now settle on my wounds will be
hungry and will therefore suck what remains of my blood'?"
But unlike the fox, we are in control and in theory at least, should be
able to stop the flies from sucking us dry. Unfortunately, even when we go
through the motions of electing a new government, the best we seem able to
do is pick yet another collection of crooks. Is there no way out of this
cycle of corruption? Amazingly, even when a politician is convicted on the
basis of overwhelming evidence, supporters and party hacks will shut their
eyes to the truth and insist that their leader is as innocent as a newborn
babe. Presumably, come the next election, PPP diehards will do their
damnedest to foist BB (or her nominee if she cannot hold public office) on
us yet again, just as Nawaz Sharif's cohorts will exert all their
considerable sinews to grab another term for their party. And like the
wounded fox, we will be unable to ward off the hungry flies from our
carcass.
For many years, I supported BB on the basis of her being the lesser of the
two evils. Finally, at the height of her rapacious second stint in office,
I said to myself that I had had a bellyful of evil of all description, and
could no longer support her government in good conscience. Indeed, I made
the cardinal mistake of going overboard and actually voting for the PML
because I reasoned that I could neither vote for any sectarian or religious
party, nor did I want to abstain. Also, I kidded myself into believing that
a sharp businessman like Nawaz Sharif would be good for the economy. Like
many of us, I forgot that sharp businessmen only look after number one. But
one lives and learns. However, despite all the bitter lessons we have
learned over the years, we seem incapable of applying them to good use. So
where do we go from here? Are we perpetually locked into a vicious cycle of
corruption and poverty, or can we break free? It is an unfortunate fact
that none of the major actors currently strutting on the national stage
inspire much confidence. Nor do either of the mainstream parties appear
capable of purging themselves of their corrupt leadership.
In his speech, Al Gore also quoted from Kant and his concept of "moral
man." Basically, the philosopher held that there is a certain universal
morality that transcends religion, race and geography. All faiths agree
that it is wrong to kill, lie and cheat. Indeed, even non-believers accept
this credo and live by it. So why is it that well-to-do Pakistani
politicians who profess to be Muslims rob and break all the rules when they
are in power?
Maybe, just maybe, the Pakistani voter is now so fed up with corrupt
leaders that instead of voting along party lines, he will vote for the best
candidate in his constituency. This way, there will be no 'heavy mandate'
and every possibility of a coalition government of reasonably clean
politicians. I agree that this is a very far-fetched idea, but then I tend
to be optimistic when I am vegging out at the beach!
===================================================================
SPORTS
===================================================================
990430
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Sarfraz demands inquiry against Javed Miandad
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ISLAMABAD, April 29: An inquiry should be instituted against Javed Miandad
for triggering controversy at an ominous time just before World Cup, former
Test cricketer Sarfraz Nawaz demanded on Thursday.
Sarfraz Nawaz appealed to President and Prime Minister of the country as
well as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials to order probe as to why
Javed Miandad had raised the issue of his resignation as coach when the
entire nation had attached much expectations with the national team to
regain World Cup.
Javed Miandad, he said, would have done better to wait for a month for
World Cup to conclude before his resignation.
Sarfraz Nawaz also urged President Mohammad Rafiq Tarar, who is Patron-in-
Chief of PCB, to send his representative to England to observe the
situation during the course of World Cup and report back.
He was of the opinion that it was the leadership of Wasim Akram, rather
than coaching of Javed Miandad, that helped change the fortunes of Pakistan
team over the last three months. "Otherwise, Pakistan lost home series even
to Zimbabwe, what to speak of defeat by Australia under his coaching and
Aamir Sohail's leadership."APP
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990429
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Wasim Akram plays down concerns of team morale
-------------------------------------------------------------------
LONDON, April 28: Pakistan flew into England on Tuesday as one of the
favourites for the World Cup and with captain Wasim Akram insisting his
team's chances will not be harmed by the match-fixing row.
The tournament favourites arrived at Manchester Airport 24 hours before a
commission investigating the claims holds its final hearing in Lahore.
But despite the disruption to his team's preparations for the tournament,
which begins next month, a bullish Wasim was quick to play down concerns of
team morale being affected.
"The match-fixing issue doesn't matter to the Pakistan cricket team," he
said. "We have been winning for the last three months, not just against
India but also Sri Lanka and England. As for any other concerns apart from
cricket, we are not bothered about it.
"I think the Pakistan team is sick of the allegations that have been going
on for the last year and a half.
"So we just decided in the end we will not be bothered by the allegations
and we will just get on, play our cricket and enjoy our cricket.
"That has been our motto for the last three or four months and everything
has been going well for us.
"We are tough boys and the best thing about us is we want to work hard, do
well and have consistency in our side."
Wasim was careful not to overplay his team's excellent chances of winning
the tournament but is happy they are rated good enough to take the trophy
home with them.
"Our team is very confident. We have been winning for the last three months
but in England it's a different ball game altogether," he said.
"It's nice to be the favourites, not the main favourites but in the first
two or three. I think South Africa, Australia and England all have good
sides.
"But in my opinion any team can win the World Cup, any team. Pakistan is up
there with those teams so let's see what happens."
Squad: Wasim Akram (captain), Moin Khan, Saeed Anwar, Shahid Afridi,
Wajahatullah Wasti, Salim Malik, Ijaz Ahmad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Azhar Mahmood,
Mushtaq Ahmad, Waqar Younis, Saqlain Mushtaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Yousaf
Yohanna, Abdur Razzak.AFP/Reuters
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990429
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Jansher says he is not retiring
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, April 28: Eight time consecutive winner of World Open, Jansher
Khan set aside speculations about his retirement from squash here on
Wednesday.
"I have played enough squash but I still love the game and want to play for
another three years," he told newsmen at his residence here. He said he
took part in the PIA Open to regain confidence after prolonged absence from
the game. That was all the more necessary to find his weak points before
entering the international circuit.
The former World No 1, apparently not bothered by his defeat in PIA Open
final, advanced the justification that it was due to his absence from the
game for quite some time.
"Absence from game naturally affects the quality and he felt his
performance fell far short of his own expectations as well as of his
admirers and well-wishers," Jansher admitted. "I am now in a better
position to overcome my weaknesses in various departments of the game," he
said confidently.
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