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DAWN WIRE SERVICE
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Week Ending : 06 March 1999 Issue : 05/10
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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
Haroon House, Karachi 74200, Pakistan
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
+ Security for ATC judges, witnesses
+ Dhaka moot to promote trade, hopes Nawaz
+ Ghee prices shoot up by Rs 4 per kg
+ PPP accords life chairpersonship to Benazir
+ Bus service: India may set up visa office in Lahore
+ Pakistan to be poppy-free by year 2000: US official
+ SC to take up plea against LHC verdict this month
+ PAC introduces superior model of Mushshak aircraft
+ PML legislators indicted on contempt charge
+ Peace moot calls for no-war pact
+ Bill on pattern of 15th amendment under study, says Wattoo
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BUSINESS & ECONOMY
+ IPPs issue to be settled within weeks, says Gohar
+ Pakistan suffers Rs40bn loss due to crop failure
+ State Bank reduces repo rate by 1 %
+ Crunch hits provincial allocations, ADP cut
+ Pakistan out of GSM-102
+ Senate passes Companies (Amendment) Bill
+ Tax credit for banks to keep mark-up at 14 %
+ First Women Bank may not be privatized
+ KESC suffers loss of Rs2.96bn in 1998
+ Pentium III processor launched
+ Equities keep run-up position on hefty buying in MNCs
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EDITORIALS & FEATURES
+ Peace must be made Ardeshir Cowasjee
+ Count your blessings Irfan Husain
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SPORTS
+ Sri Lanka manage to make 189 for four to Pakistan's 398
+ Pakistan can win Azlan Shah hockey
+ Saleh Muhmmad beats Farhan to win National snooker title
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NATIONAL NEWS
990306
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Security for ATC judges, witnesses
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Staff Reporter
KARACHI, March 5: Army's help will be sought in the investigation
of the cases which will be referred to the proposed anti-terrorist
courts.
This was decided at a meeting here on Friday. The meeting was
presided over by Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, who has been named by
the apex court as one of the coordinators to oversee the working of
the ATCs, in addition to Justice Munawar Ahmed Mirza. Others who
attended the meeting included the Chief Justice of the High Court
of Sindh, Justice Kamal Mansur Alam, the chief secretary of Sindh,
the home secretary, the inspector-general of police, Sindh, and
Member Inspection Team of the High Court of Sindh.
The meeting also decided to deploy the Rangers for providing
security to the anti-terrorist court judges, accused and witnesses
in the 10 anti-terrorist courts, five each to be established at the
KMC Rest House on Maulvi Tamizuddin Khan Road and the Municipal
Training Research Institute, Clifton.
The meeting also noted that the anti-terrorist courts will start
functioning as soon as the federal law ministry issued a
notification regarding the appointment of the judges.
According to the decisions taken at the meeting, the army can be
called in for the investigation of the cases, as provided in
Article 245 of the Constitution. The involvement of the army in
investigations has been recommended in the Supreme Court's short
order of Feb 17.
While reviewing the existing three AT courts in Karachi, Hyderabad
and Sukkur, the meeting recalled that these courts had announced 45
death sentences commencing from September 1997 to February 1999.
Seventeen cases were decided in Karachi, 18 in Hyderabad and 10 in
Sukkur, despite all the difficulties the courts had to encounter
because of the non-cooperation of the police.
Nine cases were not challaned before the AT courts by the police
despite directions by the judges of these courts and in 84 cases
the accused were absconding and no progress was shown by the police
in their arrest.
It was pointed out at the meeting that in 34 cases, documents were
supplied to the accused, which is a mandatory requirement under the
Criminal Procedure Code.
The courts, which are administered by the federal government under
the federal law, have no photo copiers and no budget for
publication of notices in newspapers and prosecutors have not been
provided in most cases.
The inspector-general of police assured the meeting of assistance
to overcome all obstacles.
Two benches of the High Court of Sindh have been created for
hearing appeals, and one of them will specifically hear appeals
against the AT court judgments.
It was pointed out to Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid that on March 2 the
high court received the proposed names of the judges and on the
next day they were approved and sent to the ministry of law in
Islamabad for issuing notifications and allocation of budget. As
soon as that is done, the courts would start functioning.
In addition to the three existing AT courts in the province, all
the new courts would be headed by district and sessions judges and
additional district and sessions judges, who have been nominated
for their competence, honesty and integrity.
All the new incumbents have been screened by the Military
Intelligence, the Inter-Services Intelligence and the Intelligence
Bureau.
The names of the new incumbents, who are already holding the charge
of district and additional district judges, have not been revealed
officially, but Dawn learnt through reliable sources that the new
judges would be Rehmat Jafri, Abdul Hameed Abro, Sultan K.
Siddiqui, Noman Shaikh, Salman Ansari, Jawed Alam, Abdul Ghaffar,
Riaz Phulpoto and Arshad Noor Khan.
Presiding officers of the three existing AT courts are Hakim Ali
Abbasi for Karachi division, Liaquat Hussain Shaikh for Sukkur and
Larkana divisions and Salim Ahmed for Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas
divisions.
The prosecutors who were working in the military trial courts would
continue to serve in the same position and handle the same cases
they were appearing for. They are Shahabuddin Memon, Haq Nawaz
Baluch, Mehmood Bhatti and Abdul Qadir Rajput. Six more prosecutors
would be nominated so that there is one prosecutor for each case
and each court.
There would be an equal number of prosecuting deputy
superintendents of police (PDSP).
The courts would start functioning from next week.
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990305
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Dhaka moot to promote trade, hopes Nawaz
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, March 4: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said here on
Thursday that the second D-8 Summit held in Dhaka was very
successful, specially in promoting trade relations among the member
countries.
"During my stay in Dhaka, I participated in the Second D-8 Summit
and had bilateral meetings with President Suleyman Demirel, Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad and
Iran's Vice President Habibi", he further stated.
In his statement after arriving from Bangladesh, the prime minister
said that Dhaka Summit represented an important Landmark in
promoting cooperation among the D-8 countries for economic
development.
"The Dhaka Declaration identifies specific projects for cooperation
especially in the trade, agriculture, rural development, energy and
various scientific fields", Pakistan, the prime minister pointed
out, will be organising a D-8 workshop to make recommendations in
the food security sector. Another significant decision is to fully
involve the private sector with the D-8 initiative.
"I am convinced that the D-8 Group which includes the eight most
populous Islamic countries has a great promise".
The D-8 leaders reviewed the global economic situation especially
the current economic and financial crisis affecting South Asia and
many Islamic countries. They agreed that the D-8 should establish
contacts with the OIC and other groups of developing and developed
countries.
"I had detailed discussions with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh
on regional and bilateral issues. The Bangladesh leadership shares
our desire to strengthen close friendly relations which are based
on the firm foundation of common faith and history", Mr Sharif
said.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said, both countries were keen to
increase trade for which new targets should be fixed, he said.
"Prime Minister Hasina Wajed agreed with me that peace and
stability was necessary for economic progress in the region. In
this context, she welcomed my talks with the Indian Prime Minister
in Lahore".
"My talks with President of Turkey, Prime Minister of Malaysia and
Vice President of Iran were cordial. They covered bilateral
relations as well as regional and international situation", the
prime minister said.
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990305
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PPP accords life chairpersonship to Benazir
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, March 4: Pakistan People's Party on Thursday accorded
life chairpersonship to Ms Benazir Bhutto and decided to set up
action committees at district level to gear up workers for
launching a movement against the government.
At a party meeting, which was attended by presidents and secretary
generals of all the districts besides the members of central
executive committee, federal council and party legislators, several
resolution were carried including the one reposing confidence on
the leadership of Benazir Bhutto.
The opposition leader soon after chairing her party meeting went
into consultation with the leaders of Pakistan Awami Ittehad,
President Muslim League Hamid Nasir Chatta and Nawabzada
Nasruallah, which continued till late on Thursday night.
The party leaders who were in an upbeat mood assured the
chairperson that they would not hesitate to render any sacrifice,
if and when called upon to launch movement against the government.
The decision of setting up action committees at district level was
being interpreted as a preparatory steps for launching an agitation
campaign against the government.
In the same resolution which was adopted with absolute consensus,
around 350 party leaders and workers gathered from all over the
country, vowed to thwart all attempts of the government to remove
Benazir Bhutto from political scene.
Lauding the services and sacrifices of Ms Bhutto for the party they
pledged to resist any move aimed at her disqualification.
The party leaders also condemned the media trial of the opposition
leader and termed the accountability process as one sided and
politically motivated.
The party also reviewed the recently concluded first round of mass
contact campaign in which rallies were held in Sindh, Punjab and
NWFP.
"Benazir Bhutto was highly satisfied over the party performance
particularly in Punjab," PPP Punjab President Rao Sikandar Iqbal
told Dawn.
Information secretary of Punjab Qasim Zia said that the
participation in these rallies was beyond their expectations.
The attendance at the meeting was 100 per cent, said Naheed Khan.
However Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao was conspicuous by his absence.
The party sources said that his membership to Central Executive
Committee had been suspended by the chairperson following a row
over the provincial presidentship of the party.
Party secretary general Ahmed Mukhtar and Mian Raza Rabbani later
briefed reporters and said that the party welcomed the recent
detente with India and visit of Attal Behari Vajpayee to Lahore.
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990301
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Bus service: India may set up visa office in Lahore
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Mahmood Zaman
LAHORE, Feb 28: The Indian government is considering a proposal to
set up a visa office in Lahore for issuance of visas to the people
desiring to travel to Delhi by bus.
According to official sources, the proposal was made by the
Pakistani foreign office to the Indian government after the two
countries signed a protocol in New Delhi on Feb 14 which provided
for issuance of visas by road.
The protocol was signed when a Pakistani technical mission
travelled from Lahore to Delhi by a PTDC bus to sort out details
for the Lahore-Delhi bus service.
Sources say that the proposed Lahore visa office of India will
consider in the first phase applications for travel by road. But
the facility may be extended to visas by train and air which are
presently being issued by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
When the formal road link between the two countries will be
established is yet to be decided by the government of Pakistan. But
the PTDC, the government's authorized tour operators, is said to
have made all arrangements to operate the bus service.
To begin with, an inaugural bus will run between Lahore and Delhi
carrying some ministers, other elected representatives and
journalists. According to sources, Foreign Minister Sartaj Aziz,
Information Minister Mushahid Husain and Minister for Tourism
Sheikh Rashid Ahmad may be included among the passengers of the
inaugural bus service.
However, sources believe even this service may not be possible
before mid-March. As for regular buses plying between the two
cities, it will take another one week before all requirements,
particularly issuance of visa by road, are met.
A senior PTDC officer says the bus service will begin as and when
the government gives a green signal. An agency news item, also
carried by Dawn, that the bus service is beginning from Monday
(March 1) was contradicted by him.
According to the officer, the PTDC has purchased two luxury buses
for the service. One of them has been made available to the
corporation and another will reach in next 10 days or so.
As for the bus terminal at Faletti's Hotel in Lahore, all
arrangements like a waiting lounge and cafeteria, have already been
completed, according to sources.
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990304
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Pakistan to be poppy-free by year 2000: US official
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, March 3: The delay in the prosecution of major drug
offenders has become a "great source of frustration" for the US
efforts against drug trafficking in the region, US Counsellor for
Narcotics Affairs, James R. McHugh, said here on Wednesday.
The cases of two prominent drug offenders, Sakhi Dost Jan Notezai
and Munawar Hussain Manj, a former MNA, have been pending for the
past several years, Mr McHugh said expressing disquiet over the
delay in the trials of drug offenders.
"Corruption is widespread in Pakistan, and low salaries paid by
government to enforcement and judicial personnel create a
substantial risk which threatens the integrity of law enforcement
and judicial institutions," said a summary which Mr McHugh
circulated among the press corps.
He said that 22 extradition requests of the US government were
already pending before the government of Pakistan. The government
of Pakistan, he said, had passed a law in 1997 to set up special
courts for trial of drug-related cases but lack of resources
prevented creation of any special court in 1998.
However it noted that atmosphere for cooperation on drug control
between Pakistan and the US improved significantly. Pakistan, he
said, extradited two narcotics fugitives to the US, an improvement
over 1997 when none was extradited.
Nonetheless US President Bill Clinton on the recommendation of
Secretary of State Albright certified on Feb 26, 1999, that
Pakistan had been fully cooperating with the United States or
taking adequate steps to combat the illicit drug problem.
The 22 countries which had won certification by the US President
are Aruba, The Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia,
Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica,
Laos, Mexico, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Taiwan, Thailand, Venezuela
and Vietnam.
Mr McHugh appreciated the efforts made by the Pakistan government
over the last ten years to eliminate poppy cultivation. "Pakistan
has done remarkable job," he said adding that poppy production,
according to the US estimates, was reduced by 26 per cent last
year. Pakistan would become a poppy-free country by the end of year
2000, he said.
As regards the data collection mechanism, he said, they had a
satellite-based data gathering system, which, he claimed, was very
accurate.
Mr McHugh said most of heroin being produced in this region was
smuggled either to Europe or to Britain. Almost 80 per cent of
heroin being consumed in Europe was going through this region,
whereas a very small quantity was smuggled to the US. He said
around 20 per cent of what was being consumed in the US, was going
from this region.
He said for the US cocaine was a major problem than heroin as
heroin addicts were estimated at only 250,000. In Pakistan, he
added, there were around two million heroin addicts.
Commenting on report of the Taliban destroying heroin labs, he
said, no independent verification was available. However, they were
trying to verify these reports, he said.
Mr McHugh pointed out that the Taliban authorities did not arrest
any owners of these laboratories located in Nangarhar province.
Only few poor workers were arrested and punished, he said.
"According to the USG figures, Pakistan produced an estimated 65
metric tons of opium in 1998," said a summary on Pakistan.
"While Pakistan has been reducing its opium production, Afghanistan
has become the world's largest producer. As a result, Pakistan
faces major challenges caused by the flow of opiates from
Afghanistan and by Pakistan's rising heroin addiction problem. In
addition, Pakistan is an important transit country for the
precursor chemical acetic anhydride (AA), en route to Afghanistan's
heroin laboratories. Pakistan's only AA factory was closed down in
1998," it said.
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990304
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SC to take up plea against LHC verdict this month
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, March 3: A bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice
Ajmal Mian, will take up the petitions for leave to appeal filed by
the federal government against the Lahore High Court verdict in
which it had declared that the decision to freeze the foreign
currency accounts was void. The petition will be taken up in the
third week of this month, Dawn learnt on Wednesday.
The court would also take up the petitions filed directly in the
Supreme Court under its original jurisdiction. The petitions would
be taken up by a bench of three judges.
A three-member bench of the LHC in its decision on Jan 27, 1999,
had declared section 2 of the Foreign Exchange (Temporary
Restriction) Act, 1998 freezing foreign currency accounts as void,
and had ordered their immediate restoration.
The Lahore High Court decision was given on 121 petitions. The
decision was stayed by Justice Irshad Hasan Khan of the Supreme
Court the next day. Justice Irshad had referred the case to Chief
Justice Ajmal Mian with recommendation that the matter should be
placed before a seven-member bench.
The petition filed in the Supreme Court by the Foreign Currency
Account Holders residing in European countries of Pakistani and
non-Pakistani origin, would also be taken up by the bench.
The petition was filed from the platform of Association of Foreign
Currency Account Holders, which claimed to have over 7,000 members
residing in the UK, Norway, Germany, Denmark and the US.
The petition filed through Pakistani-US constitutional jurist,
Barrister Dr Farooq Hasan had hinted to the apex court that if
their grievances were not redressed they would be free to approach
the international forums like International Court of Justice for
the recovery of their "frozen funds."
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990303
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PAC introduces superior model of Mushshak aircraft
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ISLAMABAD, March 2: The Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC), Kamra,
has upgraded the Mushshak aircraft by incorporating several
modifications in its existing version.
Sale of the upgraded version, named "Super Mushshak," is being
negotiated with potential buyers like Saudi Arabia, defence sources
told APP here on Tuesday.
The PAC has retrofitted the 260 HP Lycoming engine and McCauley 3-
blade speed propeller, upgrading the performance of Mushshak.
The production of Mushshak aircraft reflects the high level of
skill of PAC engineers. Besides Pakistan, this aircraft is being
used by Sweden, Denmark, Oman, Syria and Iran.
According to the sources, modalities for the sale of additional
four Mushshak to Oman have been finalized by both the countries and
a final contract is likely to be signed soon.
Co-production of Grifo-7 airborne radar is also expected to be
completed by May 2000. The infrastructure, including production
equipment, has been completed at the PAC, according to the sources.
The programme is scheduled to have four phases: experiment,
procurement of production equipment, training of manpower and
regular production. The first three phases have been completed.
According to the sources, the recovery of 50 grounded Mirage
aircraft and their avionic upgradation are the two main projects
which are nearing completion and most of the requirements have been
met through indigenous sources.
All the PAC factories have achieved ISO-9000 certification. As a
result, they have gained confidence of their customers and have
achieved international reputation.
The PAC Kamra launched a deletion programme to promote
indigenization. As a result 511 metallic pipes out of 585 are being
fabricated locally by the MRF thus saving a substantial amount of
foreign exchange.
As many as 243 structural parts are also being manufactured locally
by the factory. Investment casting facility and meteorological
centre have been established in the F6 RF which are used for
manufacture of high consumption small parts and supersonic drop
tanks and for calibration of equipment and testers.
The facilities will also provide services to civil sector on
commercial basis. Co-production of the MPDRs, CRC, RWR and
overhauling of power generators is also another achievement made
indigenously by the PAC through a delegation programme.
The Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) established in 1979 to
manufacture, modernize and rebuild tanks and APCs of the Pakistan
Army is also on the forefront to meet the defence needs.
The years 1997 and 1998 have remained extremely eventful and
rewarding for the HIT from the production, technical developments
and administrative improvements point of view. During this period
while achieving optimum production targets, historic contract was
concluded with USA for manufacture of APCs and, above all,
development phase of MBT-2000 Al-Khalid was completed successfully.
PRODUCTION OF TANKS AND APCs: During the period between February
1997 and December 1998 the HIT manufactured, rebuilt and upgraded a
large number of tanks and APCs.
MANUFACTURE OF PACs: The HIT was allocated $126 million by the
Pakistan Army to manufacture APCs M113P. In line with the
government's policy to obtain maximum cost benefits and keep
dealings transparent, the HIT administration embarked upon an
extensive market research and devised a new strategy for material
acquisition and production management.
Its efforts duly supported by the government paid rich dividends
and a contract was concluded to manufacture 1200 APCs. Production
cost of the HIT is far below the international prices and has
allowed huge savings to Pakistan.-APP
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990302
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PML legislators indicted on contempt charge
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Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, March 1: The Supreme Court on Monday indicted seven
persons including six ruling party legislators on the charges of
contempt of court for storming the court building on November 28,
1997. The court however, withdrew show cause notices issued to the
executive and police officers of Islamabad.
Those who were formally indicted on Monday are Tariq Aziz, MNA;
Mian Munir, MNA; Akthar Rasool, MPA,Punjab; Chaudhry Tanveer Ahmad
Khan, MPA, Punjab; Akhtar Mehmood, MPA, Punjab; Sardar Nasim, MPA,
Punjab; and Shahbaz Goshi, head of Nawaz Sharif Force.
The incident had taken place when a Supreme Court bench headed by
the then Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah was proceeding with contempt
of court case involving Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif and seven
other ruling party legislators.
The bench which passed the order on Monday consisted of Justice
Nasir Aslam Zahid, Justice Munawar Ahmed Mirza and Justice Abdur
Rehman Khan.
The maximum punishment, under the Contempt of Court of Act 1976, is
six month simple imprisonment and fine upto Rs 5,000 or both.
The president had issued ordinance called Contempt of Court
Ordinance, 1998 in which the amount of fine was enhanced upto one
hundred thousand rupees. The ordinance promulgated on October 27,
1998 stood repealed on February 26, 1999 when it completed its life
of four months.
The court read out the charge to all the seven persons in the court
and provided them one week time to give their responses whether
they plead guilty or not guilty. The case will again be taken up on
March 8.
The charge framed by the court reads as: "You were part of the
crowd/people who had gathered in and around the Supreme Court of
Pakistan building, Islamabad in the morning of 28.11.1997 and were
involved in acts of rowdyism including raising of slogans and
display of banners against the judiciary with the intention of
bringing the authority of this court into disrespect or disrepute
and /or to lower its authority and/or to disturb the order or
decorum of the Court, and by your actions you have committed
contempt of this Court, and rendered yourself liable to punishment
under Article 204 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan and read with section 3 and 4 of the Contempt of Court Act
1976."
The court which passed the order in the morning, made little
alteration in it when it assembled at 11.30am. A court official
pointed out to the court that Sardar Nasim who was issued show
cause notice was neither cleared from charges nor was indicted.
The court clarified that the name of Sardar Nasim, was omitted from
the list of indicted persons due to typographical mistake. The
court charge sheeted Sardar Nasim at 11:30am.
The court accepted the apologies of Mushtaq Tahir Kheili, political
secretary of prime minister, Tariq Saleem Lone, the then IGP,
Islamabad, Altaf Hussain, SSP Islamabad, Bashir Ahmed Nasir, ASP,
Islamabad, DSP Liaquat Ali, DSP Ashiq Farooqui, Inspector Jamil
Hashmi (SHO P.S. Secretariat), Inspector Mussarat Khan (SHO
Barakau), Abid Ali, the then Acting Deputy Commissioner, Chaudhry
Mohammad, Assistant Commissioner and Iftikhar Ali Shalwani,
Assistant Commissioner.
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990301
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Peace moot calls for no-war pact
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Reporter
KARACHI, Feb 28: The Pakistan Peace Conference called upon India
and Pakistan to abolish all nuclear weapons and missiles, sign CTBT
and no-war pact, and in the context of Kashmir called for
withdrawal of troops as well as end to foreign sponsored militancy
in the region.
In a declaration adopted on Sunday at the end of the two-day
conference, organized by Pakistan Peace Coalition the PPC expressed
concern over human rights violations and threat to human survival,
and advocated global denuclearization and disarmament.
It called upon both India and Pakistan to sign the Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), not to deploy nuclear weapons and refrain
from ballistic missile development.
It also urged the two countries to halt development of fissile
material forthwith and channelise the existing fissile stocks for
peaceful civilian use.
The conference called upon the two governments to take other
confidence-building measures to ease tension and gradually
eliminate the risk of war in the region.
The declaration resolved that "nuclear weapons offer no solution to
fundamental political problems of a state, they exacerbate them."
The conference therefore, rejected these weapons and their
"attendant nuclear nationalism", which is based on hatred and fear,
and reinforced existing systems of patriarchy, class exploitation,
ethnic and religious differences.
The conference welcomed the recent initiatives towards peace by the
prime ministers of India and Pakistan and called upon them to go
beyond symbolism and goodwill generated by the Lahore Declaration
and take concrete steps towards peace and de-escalation of tension
in the region.
The conference also called upon India and Pakistan to end
confrontation on Siachin and urged to implement forthwith the
agreement they reached 10 years ago.
The experts group on regional conflicts, which dealt with the issue
of Kashmir called for the demilitarization of the territory and
emphasized that Kashmiris should have a say in determining their
future and Pakistan and India should not impose their will on them.
"Their views are primary and what India, Pakistan and others were
saying is secondary," said I.A. Rahman, Director Human Rights
Commission of Pakistan while briefing newsmen at the conclusion of
the two-day conference.
Participants of this group were of the view that Pakistan should
stop supporting the militants and India should pull out its troops
from the occupied territory.
The conference also deliberated upon the recent increase in the
Indian defence budget and held that nuclear arms race was the
greatest threat to peace and human survival in the region. It
called for exerting pressure on both the countries to slash their
defence expenditures, realizing that increasing defence budget
would make life impossible for the people of the region.
The conference was of the view that Kashmir should not be allowed
to hold back Pakistan-India cooperation in all possible fields,
especially trade and culture.
This cooperation, it said, was only possible if the people of both
the countries were allowed to emerge from the paranoia that had
marked the Pakistan-India relationship. In this context it
emphasised free movement of people between the two countries and
sharing of media and culture, including an exchange of newspapers
and periodicals.
The conference also called for wider public participation in
setting national priorities.
In this context the conference established a commission on
alternative security policy to examine implications of
nuclearization and suggest confidence-building, arms control and
disarmament steps necessary to protect the people of Pakistan and
the subcontinent against the danger of nuclear war.
The commission would also determine the parameters of legitimate
security arrangements for Pakistan, prepare an alternative defence
policy and affordable defence budget.
The commission, which comprise of Air Marshal Zafar Chaudhry
(convener), Dr Mubashir Hasan, Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy, Shahid Kardar
and Brig A.R. Siddiqui and M.B. Naqvi, was required to submit its
first report by May 28, 1999.
The conference also discussed Afghanistan situation. In this
context some participants said Taliban were not the sole
representative of the Afghan people and that any government there
should include all shades of people. The participants also
suggested demilitarization of that country and called upon
suppliers of weapons not to do so.
In the global context the conference called upon the nuclear
weapons states, particularly the US, to abolish nuclear weapons and
missiles and demanded withdrawal of military forces from the
region.
The PPC also set up a South Asia People's Commission on Minorities
because it felt that the treatment of minorities in the states
contributed to confrontation and conflict, both within their
societies and between states.
Eminent human rights activists Asma Jehangir was nominated its
convener who had been asked to report to the PPC not later than
June 1999.
The conference also adopted a resolution which called upon the
government to investigate the impact of nuclear explosion on the
people and surroundings of Chaghi.
It also called upon the Senate to set up a standing committee for
undertaking independent study to determine the impact of the blast
on the local people.
The conference also denounced the rise of intolerant,
fundamentalist ideologies and violence, whether sectarian or
communal. This, coupled with the trend of settling disputes and
differences with guns, had negatively impacted vulnerable groups,
particularly women, who became the targets of a male-dominated
culture that seeks to restrict their freedom, the conference
resolved.
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990303
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill on pattern of 15th amendment under study, says Wattoo
-------------------------------------------------------------------
By Our Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, March 2: Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs
Mohammad Yasin Wattoo on Monday informed the House that a bill on
the pattern of the 15th Amendment Bill was under study of the
government and requested opposition Senator Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch
to withdraw his bill which he moved on the private members day.
He took the floor after Dr Abdul Hayee Baloch introduced the bill.
Dr Hayee's bill said that in order to secure adequate
representation in the service of Pakistan for the persons belonging
to various areas/class, it has become necessary to amend the
Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The bill, the
mover said, sought to achieve the objective of adequate
representation in the services of Pakistan. When the minister
proposed that the mover should withdraw the bill, Dr Hayee Baloch
did not press for the matter and agreed that it should be deferred
in view of the federal minister's explanation.
The minister said that the government's bill had come back from the
standing committee after its consideration there and it was now at
the advanced stage.
Syed Iqbal Haider's bill called the Drug Amendment Bill was moved
in his absence by Senator Raza Rabbani in Senate.
Health Minister Javed Hashmi, however, informed the House that the
Government had already moved the bill on the subject in the
National Assembly. The bill demanded severe penalties for spurious
and fake drug manufacturers and traders.
Mr Hashmi said that the bill was now before the standing committee
of the House. He assured the House that the government was willing
to accommodate the opposition's point of view in the bill.
The House unanimously adopted a resolution moved by the opposition
after a slight amendment from the treasury that "the word further
be added to the resolution. The amended resolution read:
"This House expresses its concern over the incidents of killing and
terrorism in the country in the name of religion and considers it a
conspiracy against Islam and Pakistan and also expresses its
solidarity with the innocent and fasting Muslims who were shot dead
in a mosque and calls upon the Government to take further concrete
steps to improve the law and order situation in the country."
Earlier, the opposition was opposed to the amendment but
subsequently after talks between the two sides, the government side
moved the amendment which was adopted by the House unanimously.
===================================================================
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
990305
-------------------------------------------------------------------
IPPs issue to be settled within weeks, says Gohar
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, March 4: Minister for water and power Gohar Ayub
Thursday said the IPPs issue would be settled in few weeks.
He admitted that the row could harm foreign investment in Pakistan
but hinted that a final agreement was expected to reach between the
IPPs and the government in the coming few weeks. 'Things
are moving in right direction,' Gohar said while responding to a
question by Dr Safdar Ali Abbasi in Senate during the question
hour.
The minister said the government was improving its agreement with
the IPPs which include reduction in the tariff structure.
When asked by Senator Abbasi whether the government intends to
withdraw termination notices (NIT) it had served against different
IPPs because of failure to find any evidence of corruption against
them, he said: 'I have no apparatus to get the investigation done
into these corruption charges and so could not find concrete
evidence."
He said in case the IPPs were involved in international
arbitration it would create difficulties for the government as the
international courts required substantial evidence in such cases.
And if the allegation could not be proved it could lead to huge
damages.
'Pakistan is not in a position to bear such damages,' the minister
said, adding that the withdrawal of NIT notices, however, did not
mean that the government could not move against the IPPs on
corruption cases.
'The government has the right to proceed against them whenever it
gets the evidence', Gohar said.
In his written reply, the minister for water and power told the
Senate that 14 IPPs are currently under different stages of
construction whereas 6 others are generating power and supplying it
to their respective grid stations.
The 14 IPPs: Altern Energy; Davis Energen (Pvt); Eashatech (Pvt);
Fauji Kabirwala Power Co; Habibullah Coastal Power (Pvt); Japan
Power Generation (Pvt); Liberty Power Project; Northern Electric
Co; Power Generation Systems; Tousch (Pakistan) Power; Saba Power
Co; Sabah Shipyard Pakistan; Southern Electric Power Co; and Uch
Power.
The 6 IPPs already generating power are: AES Lalpir; AES Pak Gen.
(Pvt) Co; Gul Ahmed Energy; Kohinoor Energy and Hub Power Project.
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990301
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pakistan suffers Rs40bn loss due to crop failure
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ISLAMABAD, Feb 28: Pakistan has suffered a staggering Rs 40.84
billion loss during 1998-99 in three crops, due to the long dry
spell.
Official sources, however, admit that this loss could also be
attributed to the slackness of the federal and provincial
agricultural authorities.
"Nature (drought) has caused lesser damage to cotton, sugar-cane
and wheat crops but an intolerable and unendurable loss has been
caused by the traditional criminal negligence of the government
agencies," an official said on condition of anonymity.
The government's much trumpeted target of 11 million bales of
cotton yield in 1998-99, was cut down to 10.5 million bales only,
to be further reduced to 10 million, then to 9.5 million before
finally slipping down to 8.7 million bales.
He said cotton crop production dropped by 2.3 million bales,
accruing a loss of Rs 27.60 billion rupees, at the rate of Rs 1,200
per raw cotton bale. "This happened only because of the usage of
inferior quality and uncertified seed."
The views obtained from experts revealed that the growers had used
70 per cent uncertified or low quality cotton seeds. That badly
undermined the targeted yield of raw cotton.
"It is the traditional laxity, heedlessness and delinquency on the
part of the ministry of food & agriculture, scientists and
provincial administrations, which failed to evolve cotton variety
of better yield and also failed to provide 100 per cent certified
cotton seed to growers," the official said.
Experts said the effects of low-quality cotton seeds came to
limelight only under the dry spell, as during the past few years
the torrential rains, hill torrents and floods appeared to have
destroyed the cotton crop diverting expert's attention from the
frightful role uncertified seed can play.
"... Nature (drought) has finally exposed that the flunkey seed can
cause much more devastation than rains and floods to this major
cash crop," the official said.
The experts are apprehending a one million tons shortfall in the
projected (and required) production of wheat during 1998-99 due to
the dry spell and depletion in the area under cultivation by 10 per
cent.
This is being attributed to the government's inaction regarding the
required increase in the support price of wheat. The government had
estimated 19 million tones of wheat yield this year, for which it
gave Rs 40 billion credit to farmers.
However, drought and non-increase in the support price of wheat
discouraged its sowing by farmers and can lead to lesser output of
wheat, by one million tones. This factor could force the government
to import more wheat in 1998-99 for meeting the local consumption
requirement.
In terms of value, a one million tons shortfall in wheat amounts to
Rs six billion, if calculated at the rate of Rs 6,000 per ton (at
the rate of Rs6/kg).-NNI
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990304
-------------------------------------------------------------------
State Bank reduces repo rate by 1 %
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mohiuddin Aazim
KARACHI, March 3: The State Bank on Wednesday cut its interest rate
on short term lending for up to three days by 1 per cent to 15.50
per cent - sending a signal to all banks to follow the lead.
SBP issued two separate circulars to announce the decision that
would take effect from March 4 1999. In June 1998 the SBP had
reduced its short term lending rate from 18 to 16.5 per cent.
"The impact of one per cent cut in SBP lending rates would not be
significant," said treasurer of a local bank. "The cut only serves
as a signal to the banks that they should also reduce their own
lending rates," he said.
Senior bankers say their cost of fund would hardly come down after
the cut in SBP lending rates - and as such banks would not be able
to slash their own rates - particularly in the absence of a real
demand for bank borrowing.
SBP lends short term funds up to three days against Treasury Bills
and Federal Investment Bonds to help the banks overcome their
temporary liquidity problems. The maximum yield on Treasury Bills
currently hovers around 13 per cent. Federal Investment Bonds of 3-
year and 5-year maturity carry an interest rate of 13 and 14 per
cent and that of 10-year offer maximum yield of 15 per cent.
"It would be too much to expect banks to buy T-bills at 13 per cent
and use them for raising short term finance from State Bank at 15
per cent," said treasurer of a foreign bank. "Besides the SBP short
term lending is meant only for those banks that fail to square up
their position on a certain day and want to cover it by borrowing."
He said the SBP short term lending against government securities
was not a regular mode of raising funds for the banks.
Senior bankers said inter-bank lending rates for up to three days
remained pegged at 1 per cent on Wednesday adding that the market
was wallowing in surplus liquidity estimated around Rs15 billion.
They said one-year funds were available at 12 per cent.
Sources close to ministry of finance told Dawn that weighted
average lending rates of banks fell from 16.09 per cent in June to
15.62 per cent in December 1998 - showing a fall of only 0.47 per
cent within six months. They said the 1.5 per cent cut in short
term lending rate in June 1998 was partly attributable for this
fall. Top bankers argue that keeping this in mind it would be too
much to expect a significant fall in banks lending rates after 1
per cent cut.
Finance Minister Ishaq Dar has been on record saying that the
government was aware of the high cost of borrowing.
He has also said time and again measures would be taken to enable
the banks to cut their lending rates. Top bankers say the cut in
SBP rate is one such measure from the government viewpoint adding
that the other measure already taken was setting up of Small and
Medium Enterprises Authority (SMEDA) to create additional demand
for bank borrowing.
The objective is to pull out the economy from a slowdown the signs
of which are very obvious - the most prominent being an absence of
project financing by the banks for last one and a half year.
The government is also considering a proposal on providing tax
rebate to banks as an incentive if they reduce their lending rates.
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990305
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Crunch hits provincial allocations, ADP cut
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Shaukat Ali
LAHORE, March 4: The federal government has informed all provinces
that it will not be able to honour its financial commitments made
in June last year in view of the low collection of revenues for the
year current financial year.
Well-placed sources told Dawn here on Thursday that following this
intimation, the provinces had substantially axed their development
and non-wage operations.
"Punjab has cut down its Annual Development Programme (ADP) by over
Rs two billion as supply of funds according to the budgetary
provisions for the current fiscal year is not forthcoming from the
federal government," senior Punjab government officials told this
reporter, confirming the reports of funds undersupply from
Islamabad.
Sources in to the ministry of finance said that Sindh and the NWFP
would also reduce their development plans by anything from 11 to 16
per cent for the current financial year.
"Instructions have been issued to all the provincial government
departments to immediately reduce expenditure on petrol, telephone,
stationery, travelling and purchase of durable goods. No bill in
this connection will be reimbursed to any department from now on
unless a prior permission for such an expenditure is obtained by
them from the finance department," the official sources here said.
Though the officials remained tight-lipped in unveiling the exact
amount of the cut which the federal government is applying on
transfers (from the divisible pool of taxes) to the largest
province, insiders said it would be more than Rs 5.45 billion.
The province, they said, was nowhere near getting Rs 68.48 billion
from the divisible pool of federally collected taxes which was
projected for the Punjab by Islamabad in the annual budget for
1998-99.
Reduction in import duty and a less than estimated GDP growth rate
has forced the government to refix the revenue collection target,
first at Rs 334 billion, then at Rs 324 billion and it now rests at
Rs 318 billion.Hence reduction in funds to the federating units
would commensurate with the federal government's income.
"Not only has a downward revision in the funds made the task of the
provincial government difficult for financial adjustment in the
remaining part of the year, it has also put financial managers in
the Punjab in a quandary about planning next fiscal year's
allocation to various departments and projects," the sources quoted
senior government officials as saying.
The official sources said that so far the Punjab had not asked for
an overdraft from the State Bank of Pakistan bank to manage its
recurring expenditure under the new situation. "But the way things
are shaping up you cannot rule out the Punjab demanding an
overdraft from the central bank," they added.
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990305
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pakistan out of GSM-102
-------------------------------------------------------------------
WASHINGTON, March 4: Pakistan is still suspended from the US
Agriculture Department's GSM-102 export credit programme because
the country is behind on payments to the department, USDA aides
said on Thursday.
'They are still on suspension,' one USDA aide said. Another aide
said the country was still in arrears when he checked the records
an hour ago.
Pakistan is scheduled to tender for 300,000 tonnes of soft white
wheat on March 8.
Pakistan, normally a major US wheat customer, has been suspended
from the programme for most of fiscal 1999, which began October 1.-
Reuters
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990305
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Senate passes Companies (Amendment) Bill
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Correspondent
ISLAMABAD, March 4: The Senate passed unanimously on Thursday a
bill called The Companies (Amendment) Bill, 1997, as reported by
the Standing Committee, providing for full disclosure of companies'
matters in the directors report, qualification of auditors for
private companies and publication of prospectus in abridged form.
The bill was moved by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Muhammad
Yasin Wattoo. The opposition did not oppose the bill.
The bill was originally introduced in the Senate by Minister
Incharge for Finance on December 5, 1997. After its introduction,
the bill was referred to the standing committee for examination and
report.
The bill has six clauses but it did not recommend any changes in
clauses one and two. Similarly the committee did not recommend any
amendment in Clause 5.
After amendment in Clause-3, the inserted amendment reads as
follows: "(1A) A sufficient number of copies of the prospectus
issued under sub-section (1) shall be made available at the
registered office of the company, with the stock exchange at which
the company is listed or proposes to be listed and with the bankers
to the issue, and the prospectus in its full text or in such
abridged form as may be prescribed, shall be published at least in
one Urdu and one English daily newspaper."
Amended clause of the bill reads: "(1) A person shall not be
qualified for appointment as an auditor; (i) in the case of a
public company or a private company which is subsidiary of a public
company unless he is a Chartered Accountant within the meaning of
the Chartered Accountants Ordinance, 1961 (x of 1961); and (ii) in
the case of a private company having paid up capital of three
million rupees or more unless he is a Chartered Accountant within
the meaning of the Chartered Accountants Ordinance, 1961 (X of
1961)."
Statement of objects and reasons of the bill said that the purpose
of this bill is to amend the Companies Ordinance, 1984, with a view
to improve the Ordinance for healthy growth of corporate
enterprizes and to remove certain practical difficulties
experienced during the period of its enforcement.
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990302
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tax credit for banks to keep mark-up at 14 %
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Nasir Jamal
LAHORE, March 1: The government is considering a proposal of giving
what Board of Investment (BoI) Chairman Humanyun Akhtar termed 'tax
credit' as a fiscal incentive to banks which keep the interest rate
as low as 14 %.
Akhtar revealed the proposal on Monday in his meeting with All
Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA-Punjab) leaders. Punjab
APTMA Chairman Abid Farooq chaired the meeting.
He did not divulge the details of the proposal, but added: 'It (the
tax credit incentive) will be pretty useful for banks making
money.'
'The government doesn't intend to put pressure on the banks to
reduce their interest rates or offer credit to unviable projects.
We are just trying to give fiscal incentives to them to encourage
them to recommence advancing credit, something they are not doing
at present,' Akhtar explained.
When proposed that the textile industry be allowed credit at a
concessional interest rate to maintain buffer stock of cotton, he
said it was simply impossible because IMF would not like the idea
of subsidizing financing by the banks. He said IMF already wanted
that the subsidized credit be done away with. He said the central
bank was also not in favour of offering subsidy on credit because
of the prevalent economic conditions.
His remarks dashed the APTMA hope of securing export refinance for
cotton yarn below 30 counts. Nevertheless he encouraged APTMA to
'mount pressure on the government (to seek facilities) for the
revival of the industry'.
'You know whenever an industrial association puts its pressure on
the government it gets things done. Be more assertive,' Akhtar told
the APTMA committee. However, he said everyone was at a loss as to
how to reduce interest rates despite a strong wish for it.
He said liberal fiscal incentives were in place to attract the
foreign investors. He conceded that inflow of foreign investments
had dipped after July, but claimed the 'graph had started to rise
after the recent deal with IMF'.
He said the BoI intended to undertake a vigorous campaign for
promoting Pakistan and bringing foreign investors to the country.
He also intends to undertake several visits to the Middle Eastern
as well as western capitals for this purpose. He did not agree to a
suggestion that the poor law and order situation and illiteracy was
impeding the flow of foreign investment.
He said the law and order situation had improved in the recent
months and 'we still have educated, skilled unemployed workers to
be absorbed by new industries'.
Earlier, Punjab APTMA Chairman Abid Farooq apprised him of the
several problems facing the textile sector and put forward number
of proposals for its revival.
He said the textile industry employed about 40 % of the industrial
workforce and generated over 60 % of the export earnings.
The export performance of the textile industry had declined in the
first seven months of the current fiscal year after remaining
stagnant for three years. He said it was imperative to revive the
industry if the economy was to grow and expand.
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990302
-------------------------------------------------------------------
First Women Bank may not be privatized
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Shaukat Ali
LAHORE, March 1: The Privatization Commission has decided not to
privatize the First Women Bank after seeing the bank's performance
during the last two calendar years, Dawn was told by official
sources on Monday.
The FWB had faced a critical time during 1996 when it suffered
financial losses and was offered for sale. 'The bank's fate was to
be determined by its performance '97 which was not very encouraging
although it was not as bad as in the preceding year. The bank
improved its financial outlook during '98 which it ended with a net
profit of over Rs35m and averted the danger of selling it out to
private sector', the sources close to the PC said.
The other major factor which made the government not to privatize
the bank, the sources said, was the high rate of repayment of its
loans. 'It is perhaps a record in the financial sector that
returning of the loans advanced by the FWB is 98%', the sources
added quoting last year's figures.
The bank has so far disbursed loans amounting to around Rs 2.93bn
among about 1,100 women. The loan range is from Rs 25,000 to Rs
50,000. In exceptional cases the loan ceiling is enhanced.
In the meantime, the Bank which has been allowed by the federal
government to set up a Business Centre at its main Gulberg branch
here, has started providing E-mail service to women for the
promotion of their business. The centre will also disseminate
information among women about the export potential of different
articles relating to women and help them promote their businesses
for the local markets.
'Funds will be made available to women who want to expand their
entrepreneurship or who receive export orders for items produced by
them', the sources said.
The centre is linked with the local offices of the Export Promotion
Bureau and the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry for
obtaining and passing on business opportunities coming from the
local as well as foreign markets to businesswomen.
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990304
-------------------------------------------------------------------
KESC suffers loss of Rs2.96bn in 1998
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dilawar Hussain
KARACHI, March 3: Directors should brace themselves to face furious
shareholders at the KESC's annual general meeting (AGM) on March
31. Promises were made at the previous AGM that 1998 would be a
better year, but things stand far worse from what they were a year
ago.
The financial figures released by the KESC on Tuesday, show that
the corporation made a mind-boggling loss of Rs2.960 billion for
the first six months (July-December 1998), which works out to a
loss of nearly Rs500 million a month.
The figures for all of the previous year to end-June 1998 have also
been simultaneously released, which puts the loss for the year to
Rs6.857 billion and the accumulated losses to end-December 1998 at
spine-chilling Rs14.797 billion.
The last cash dividend had been paid by the KESC to the
shareholders, eight years ago at 10 per cent in 1989, but bonus
issues were a regular feature until 1995 when one-for-ten shares
were issued.
Although capitalisation of profit did dilute the shareholders'
equity and earnings, a payout in any form was, nonetheless, better
than none.
The year 1996 and 1997 went blank and a dividend for shareholders
for 1998, was again out of the question and the board has
recommended none.
The 10-rupee share in KESC has shed 64 per cent of its value in
about a year from Rs23.80 on December 31, 1997 to Rs8.65,
currently.
Which ever way one may look, the utility appears in a financial
mess. There are countless problems. But Transmission & Distribution
Losses (T&D losses) top them all. At a huge 35 per cent, T&D losses
have been eating into more than $200 million or Rs10 billion of the
Corporation's potential revenue.
The report of the statutory auditors on the accounts have almost
always been qualified and the most grievous of the qualifications
pertain to the T&D losses and the exorbitant payments to employees
on account of overtime.
The T&D losses which touched all-time record at 34.53 per cent for
1997 had again taken off after only temporarily receding to 31.20
per cent for 1996 from 31.37 per cent in 1995. T&D losses have
mounted from 18.84 per cent ten years ago in 1988 and 23.80 per
cent seven years ago in 1991.
Even the company auditors had gone as far as to comment: "One of
the factors for this increase (in T&D losses), is the rising trend
of theft of electricity, which has directly affected the
profitability of the corporation; the amount of theft however,
could not be determined and billed as it is subject to
identification."
As regards the overtime, auditors stated in their 1997 report: "The
overtime paid to employees amounted to Rs807.9 (1996:Rs 728.6)
million, representing an increase of Rs79.3 million or 10.9 per
cent over the last year (1996); the overtime paid is also
substantial as compared to basic pay of employees which aggregated
to Rs546.1 million for the current year (1997)."
Utility analysts estimate that the T&D losses for the year 1998 may
have risen further to touch 40 per cent. Lately, the government is
reported to have approved a financial restructuring plan for the
KESC.
The Rs30 billion package, approved by the Economic Coordination
Committee (ECC) in November last contain several measures including
the permission to KESC to issue Rs11.5 billion in bonds to be
guaranteed by the government. The proceeds from the bonds are
envisaged to clear KESC's dues to PSO and SSGC.
A power sector analyst said that the KESC had been asked to reduce
its T&D losses to 22 per cent by 2001 under the commitment to the
World Bank.
And he concluded: "All the financial restructuring will be futile
unless the operating leakages, the root cause of KESC's
deterioration, are plugged".
Government holds high hopes of being able to sell the utility. But
with such financial and operational muddle and by the KESC
management's own admission that the new owners would be obliged to
make a capital expenditure of at least $350 million in order to
make the corporation viable, will a genuine buyer come forward
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990303
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pentium III processor launched
-------------------------------------------------------------------
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, March 2: Intel Corporation launched on Tuesday the Pentium
III processor-the first microprocessor designed to power a new
internet experience filled with rich audio, video, animations and
3-D.
The new processor of 450 MHz and 500 MHz versions is readily
available while 550 MHz version will be available in the second
quarter of 1999.
According to Intel, the processor enables the most powerful
personal computers to run media rich software both on and off the
internet at home and at business.
Users can expect to find fully configured systems at prices
starting below $2000 along with a wealth of optimized web sites and
software applications.
The Pentium III processor of 500 MHz is 93 per cent faster than the
Pentium II processor of 450 MHz on CPU intensive 3-D calculations.
The Pentium III processor core, with 9.5 million transistors, is
based on Intel's advanced P6 microarchitecture and is manufactured
on 0.25 micron process technology.
Country Manager, Intel Corporation, Mohsin Iqbal, highlighted the
additional features of the new processor.
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990306
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Equities keep run-up position on hefty buying in MNCs
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Staff Reporter
KARACHI, March 5: Stocks on Friday maintained their upward drive as
investors continued to build-up long positions on the blue chip
counters buoyed apparently by some positive developments on the
corporate front. The KSE 100-share index rose by another 14 points
at 984.39 point or 1.40 per cent.
The sustained run-up, however, owes its strength largely to heavy
buying in most of the leading MNCs, notably some leading chemical
shares under the lead of Engro Chemical, Fauji Fertiliser, Dawood
Hercules and prominent energy shares including Shell Pakistan PSO,
and some of the IPP issues notably Japan Power and Hub-Power.
"The management of the Hub-Power may deny the news about settlement
of the tariff issue and withdrawal of corruption charges against
it, it is now not a distant possibility when the details are
announced," said a leading analyst.
It was perhaps the perception of a settlement of the IPP issue,
which has lured foreign investors back in the rings and they are
making an extensive buying in all the low-priced energy shares set
up by the Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
Analysts said the weekend rally is always considered a good omen
for the market as instead of taking profits, investors make fresh
buying apparently for some good reasons or on inside information.
The KSE 100-share index is heading to attain its base level of
1,000 points possibly by the middle of the next week and that could
well prove a turning point for the future share business outlook,
they added.
It was last quoted at 984.39 as compared to 970.77 a day earlier,
showing a fresh recovery of 13.62 points or about 2 percent.
"The presence of foreign fund buying on a massive scale though on
selected counters has boosted the morale of the general investor
who is now not inclined to miss the rising market", they said.
Plus signs were again covered the entire list, with some of the
blue chips finishing with sharp gains under the lead of Shell
Pakistan, Dawood Hercules and Nestle Milkpak, which posted gains
ranging from Rs7.40 to 10.00.
Other good gainers were led by EFU General Insurance, Askari
Insurance, Adamjee Insurance, EFU General Insurance, Askari
Insurance, Reckitt and Colman, Cherat Paper, Rafhan Miaze and Lever
Brothers, rising by Rs1.50 to 3.65. FFC-Jordan was also actively
traded in response to news that its DAP plant has resumed
production and truck loads of the commodity are being sent to the
distribution network. It rose by Rs1.05 at Rs12.05 on over 4
million shares.
Losses on the other hand were mostly fractional and reflected lack
of support rather than large selling. IGI Insurance, BOC Pakistan,
Ghani Glass and Mitchell's Fruits were, however, an exception,
which suffered fall ranging from Rs2.00 to 8.00.
Trading volume was maintained on the higher side thanks of fresh
massive buying in Hub-Power on market talk of settlement of the IPP
issue, falling to 114 million shares from the previous 161 million
shares but gainers maintained a strong lead over the losers at 76
to 45, with 29 shares holding on to the last levels.
The most active list was again topped by Hub-Power,lower 10 paisa
on late weekend selling at Rs15.70 on 47 million shares followed by
PTCL, easy five paisa at Rs18.45 on 20 million shares; Fauji
Fertiliser up Rs2.35 at Rs48.45 on 11 million shares; PSO up 80
paisa Rs69.05 on 7 million shares; FFC-Jordan Fertiliser higher
Rs1.05 on 5 million shares; Engro Chemical firm Rs3.95 at Rs105.95
on 4 million shares; and Adamjee Insurance higher by Rs3.65 on
3.200 million shares.
Other actively traded shares were led by ICI Pakistan up 25 paisa
at Rs8.45 on 3 million shares; Telcard higher 90 paisa on 3.410
million shares; KESC easy five paisa on 1.013 million shares; Sui
Northern up 25 paisa on 1.298 million shares; Japan Power firm 10
paisa on 0.966 million shares; MCB up 20 paisa on 0.815 million
shares and Southern Electric lower 10 paisa on 0.747 million
shares.
Defaulting companies: Shares of Salman Noman and Suzuki Motorcycle
came in for active selling and ended lower by 35 and 75 paisa on
1,000 and 3,500 shares. Gammon Pakistan was also marked down by
five paisa on 2,000 shares.
Board meetings: Taj Textiles, Nafees Cotton on March 6; Yousuf
Weaving, Kohinoor Spinning, Chakwal Spinning and United Sugar on
March 8; and Pakistan Tobacco on March 17.
Back to the top
===================================================================
EDITORIALS & FEATURES
990228
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Peace must be made
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ardeshir Cowasjee
AND so the Indians came, and were accorded right-royal treatment.
They were low-key, they were polite. Pradhan Mantri Atal Behari
Vajpayee spoke well and meaningfully, as did Wazir-e-Azam Mian
Nawaz Sharif.
The stone-throwers, slogan-mongers, windshield-breakers, and jehad-
fighters should ask themselves exactly where it is they have
brought their country over the past 50 years. In 1948, had our
'freedom-fighters' advanced with some purpose and any sort of
discipline and made for the Srinagar airfield, rather than
deviating into an orgy of looting at Baramulla, we could have
seized the Vale and held it. Thereafter, the three wars with India
have cost us the loss of half of our country, whereas discussions
and diplomacy have added to our territory - Gwadar - the only
territory gained since 1947.
Today we find Nawaz Sharif's government doing the right thing as
far as relations with neighbour India is concerned. The opposition
(if we can call it that), headed by the likes of Messrs Tahirul
Qadri, Aslam Beg, Chattha, Nasrullah, and Ms Benazir Bhutto oppose
purely for the sake of opposing. They matter little. The sole party
to attempt to cause a physical impediment to the Sharif-Vajpayee
meeting on our soil was the unelectable and unelected Jama'at,
headed by Qazi Hussain Ahmad and his street-forces.
Why do the opposers of friendship not try to learn from history? It
takes years of sustained effort to overcome the bitterness caused
by past enmity. Take France and Germany. From 1870 to 1945, the two
countries fought three destructive wars, all to do with territorial
gains and losses.
The war of 1870 was swift and decisive. Then came World War 1,
fought over four long bitter years from 1914-1918, which cost the
lives of almost 1.5 million Frenchmen and marginally less Germans.
World War 2, lasted for six years during which over 600,000
Frenchmen and 4.5 million Germans were killed. The impregnable
Maginot Line and the mighty Siegfried Line proved useless.
When Germany was divided in 1945, no one doubted that one day it
would reunite, but few alive today thought this would happen in
their lifetime. But it did. It was all a question of time - time,
the great healer - and circumstances. Germany is one today, and
France and Germany stand united in a united Europe.
As for Qazi Hussain Ahmad, he is not as scary as his press photos
and his fiery utterances make him out to be. A year or so ago, one
of his naib-amirs came calling to tell me that his Amir was in
Karachi for a Jama'at conference and it was his 'khwahish' to call
on me. I would call on Qazi, I replied. So, I was invited to
dinner.
The Qazi ran true to form, itching for confrontation, ready for a
fight. The preliminaries dispensed with, he announced that he reads
what I write and does not agree with any of it. As our conversation
went along, he conceded he agreed with certain points. By the end
of the evening, he admitted that he agreed with the larger part of
what I wrote.
He was keen to discuss religion. I was not. He asked when the
Zoroastrians, the Parsis, had first come to Karachi. In 1847 or so,
I said, but he heard 1947. (With him as is the case with far too
many in this country, the world was created in 1947.) Was it in
that year we ran from Iran, he asked? That was over 1300 years ago,
I explained, when the Zoroastrians suffered oppression and
persecution by the conquering Arab Muslims and decided to leave for
more peaceful shores. At this, he banged his fists on the table,
told me I was wrong, that Mussalmans never commit 'zulum.'
I reminded Qazi of the Battle of Qadisiya. (Before Yasdezird III
sat upon the throne of Iran, the Muslim Arabs, driven by poverty
and religious fervour, had begun to attack the rich lands bordering
their deserts. In 636 AD they overran Syria and Mesopotamia and met
the Imperial Iranian Army at Qadisiya. A bitter battle was fought
and the Arabs were victorious.) I reminded him of the oppression
that started thereafter. But, I said, I am not interested in what
happened over 13 centuries ago and am certainly not willing to
argue or fight about it, so let's agree that there was no
persecution. Then why did you leave Iran and come to India, he
asked?
The Zoroastrians had set sail for better climes, for the largely
uninhabited island of Madagascar where the 'aabo-hawa' was
excellent, food grew in abundance, and the wildest of animals were
fun-loving apes. During the voyage our spirited navigators imbibed
to such an extent, befuddling their senses, and they sailed off-
course, eventually landing at Surat, on the West Coast of India.
Tired, there they stayed, and were welcomed by the benign monarch
Jadev Rana. There ended that tack.
Qazi again took off on his favourite topic, reminding me that I
lived in a Muslim country. I needed no reminding on that score, I
assured him. Whereupon he picked up a knife. Were someone to hold
this at your throat and tell you he would kill you unless you
recite the Holy Kalma, what would be your reaction, he asked? I
requested him to put down the knife, recited the Kalma for him,
explaining that I was not willing to die for my religion and
certainly did not wish to die for his.
Thereafter he adjudged me to be a reasonable man, and we parted as
friends.
The cynics say that the Indians are wily and capable of inveigling
us into situations from which we will not be able to extricate
ourselves. Who is to blame if we are inveigled? Pragmatic they are.
They know what they want and they know what they can get. One
story, symbolic though it may be, augments the point.
In 1965, the powerful Bombay-based consortium Associated Cement
Company (ACC) owned two excellent well-run cement manufacturing
units, one at Wah, one at Rohri. No profits were being repatriated
to India and there was no hope of any Pakistani buying the units
and remitting the sales proceeds. The Hindu and Parsi directors
met, decided it would be wise to abide by the premise of the old
saying "Wania mooche neechee" (no English phrase literally
translates this). They had done their homework and knew there was
but one man in Pakistan to whom they could talk, with whom they
could settle, and who would deliver what he promised. That man was
the Nawab of Kalabagh, Ayub Khan's Governor of West Pakistan.
The Chairman of ACC, Dharamsey Khatau, was asked by the Board to
meet Kalabagh. His instructions : "Pooroo kari avo." Khatau arrived
with his director, Bobby Mistry. Mahmud Alam, then looking after
the affairs of ACC in Pakistan, asked Kalabagh if he would meet the
two. Of course, was the answer, and they will stay as my guests
whilst in Lahore. Alam thanked him, and then quietly informed the
household comptroller who was standing by that Dharamsey was a
vegetarian. Kalabagh overheard the exchange and butted in, "As long
as Khatau is under my roof, no meat will be served at my table."
Throughout Khatau's stay Kalabagh ate daal-bhaat, dahi, and
tarkari.
Khatau proposed a price and said that over a specified period of
time India would accept cement across the border in lieu of cash.
The Nawab nodded, and said it seemed reasonable, and asked Alam if
Pakistan could deliver. Yes, came the answer. "Done," pronounced
Kalabagh.
Then came the '65 war. Many politicians tried to persuade Kalabagh
that the two plants could justifiably be taken over as enemy
property without any compensation beng paid to the Indians. "Over
my dead body," said the Nawab, "my promise will be kept."
Thinking and attitudes have changed, gentlemen of their word are
now few and far between. When the Pradhan Mantri dined with our
Wazir-e-Azam, Nawaz did not eat dhal-baat. The banquet menu read :
"Cream of Mushroom, Assorted Breads/Katlama; Lahori Fried Fish,
Channa Masala; Paya Curry, Paneer Kofta Masala, Taka Tin, Curry
Pakora, Seekh Kebab, Palak Paneer, Chicken Karahi, Sarson ka
Saag,Vegetable Pillau, Roti, Kulcha, Makai di Roti; Gajjar ka
Halwa, Pethay ka Halwa, Gulab Jamon;" all accompanied by Lassi.
India will not give up Kashmir. To hope that it will do so by our
merely asking for it is folly. First things first - we, and they,
must ensure that no more Kashmiri lives are lost through the fault
of either side. Talks and more talks must continue, on and on.
Nawaz will have to make a reciprocal trip to India, after having
practised squeezing himself into and out of a Maruti.
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
990306
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Count your blessings
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Irfan Husain
IN the wake of the recent presidential elections in Nigeria, there
have been the usual allegations of vote rigging. Olu Falae,
trailing with 11 million votes to winner Obasanjo's 18 million, has
accused his rival of ballot stuffing on a 'monumental' scale.
So what else is new? It seems that no election is possible in a
developing democracy without similar charges from the loser. Tom
Stoppard, the brilliant British playwright, once wrote: "Democracy
is not about voting; it is about counting." Extending this epigram,
one can add that democracy is also about accepting the result of
the count. But from Lahore to Lagos, it has become a tradition for
unsuccessful candidates to cry 'foul' after every election.
In far too many instances, alas, it is not entirely a case of sour
grapes. Given the power and patronage victory brings, and the
inevitable persecution the loser is subjected to, an electoral
exercise in the Third World takes on all the intensity and ferocity
of gladiatorial combat. In Pakistan, we have seen at close hand the
results of electoral victory and defeat. One ex-PM's father has
been dragged to jail, and another's husband spends the time his
wife is not in power in prison. Both acts of vengeance were
committed in the name of a one-sided accountability process
launched by the party in power against the opposition.
In the late eighties, there was general euphoria as democratic
movements toppled autocratic regimes around the world. The process
of democratization was triggered by the success of Aquino in the
Philippines, and gathered momentum until the harshest dictatorship
was forced to make some concessions to the will of the people. But
a decade of relative democracy has provided us with mixed results.
With greater freedom of the press has come the inevitable flood of
accusations of corruption and incompetence in high places. These
charges, too often true, have tarnished the system and those
politicians and parties working within it. Investigative reporters
have exposed huge scams, and members of the opposition have
ventilated them on the floor of parliament. Simultaneously, there
is a growing worldwide awareness of the economic cost of
corruption. Thus, the international media now carries a multitude
of stories about wrongdoing in developing nations.
One factor compounding the fiscal pressures faced by many emerging
democracies is that the last decade has witnessed a steady decline
in bilateral assistance. Countries like Pakistan are struggling to
balance their books as American and Arab aid has slowed to a
trickle for a variety of reasons. As a consequence, they have been
forced to turn to commercial banks as well as the World Bank and
the IMF. The first extract very high interest from governments
teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, while the latter two impose
strict conditions. Both carry a very heavy political, social and
economic price tag.
With this worsening economic scenario has come a deterioration in
the law and order situation as unemployed and frustrated young men
join sectarian, ethnic and openly criminal gangs. A corrupt and
inefficient law enforcement machinery is unable to arrest this
rising tide of criminality, and the government becomes increasingly
unpopular, with people comparing its performance unfavourably with
their memory of despotic rule.
Against this backdrop of discontent and the huge backlog of unmet
needs that is inherent in underdevelopment, the opposition has a
sitting target in the shape of the government of the day. As soon
as a leader and his party are sworn in, political rivals begin
plotting their downfall. The entire electoral process is called
into question, and groups and alliances are formed to topple the
elected government. This cycle is then repeated when fresh
elections are held.
Given these problems in the system as it is practised in emerging
democracies, it is relevant to ask whether democracy is indeed the
answer in such backward societies. When largely illiterate voters
elect corrupt and incompetent leaders time after time, people have
begun to question the utility of the system.
This question is best answered with a counter-question: what does
one replace democracy with? Long and bitter experience with
military rule has shown us that the most flawed democracy is
preferable to dictatorship. People tend to forget that by
definition, there is no freedom of expression under martial law.
Thus, most of the scams and abuses of power committed during this
period remain hidden from public view. And as there is no
parliament, nobody can question the junta's acts of omission and
commission. Hence on the surface, at least, there is an impression
of honest and competent government.
The reality, however, is very different. A banker friend recently
made the point that during the Zia era, loans from foreign sources
as well as domestic debts shot up without any visible projects to
show for them. For example, non-bank borrowing rose from 1.9 per
cent of the GDP in 1981 to 4.5 per cent in 1989. There were no IMF
conditionalities to make life hard for the late dictator. But over
the last decade, both Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif have striven
to bring the budget deficit under control by containing government
expenditure.
But if there were no major projects launched during that decade,
where did all the money go? Apart from some well-known cases,
defence colonies around the country are dotted with well-appointed,
palatial houses. How they were financed is an open secret. At the
time when the armed forces were in charge, there was no question of
investigative reports being published in the press. Now, hardly a
day passes without a major story exposing one politician or
another.
So when we compare the performance of democratic leaders with that
of their autocratic predecessors, we need to put things in
perspective. In the "good old days" of Ayub, Yahya and Zia,
opponents and critics could be thrown arbitrarily in jail without
any mention of due process. This still happens, but our superior
judiciary still protects the individual against the state. An
exuberantly free press keeps politicians and government
functionaries on their toes. It is true that in the absence of
enforceable libel laws, reporters and editors often go overboard by
printing unsubstantiated reports that smear individuals without
giving them a chance to defend themselves. Nevertheless, we now
have access to information that was denied us during the dark days
of dictatorship.
So all in all, when we decry democracy and mock politicians (albeit
with good reason), we need to remember that with all its flaws, we
really have no alternative but to make the system work.
===================================================================
SPORTS
990306
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Sri Lanka manage to make 189 for four to Pakistan's 398
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ilyas Beg
LAHORE, March 5: Pakistan ended second day of the five-day Asian
Test Championship game in a commanding position, thanks to an
excellent maiden century by Wajahatullah Wasti and fine knocks by
Yousuf Youhana, Moin Khan, Imran Nazir and effective bowling by
Saqlain Mushtaq at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.
In reply to Pakistan's formidable first innings total of 398, Sri
Lankans were struggling at 189 for four when the two umpires David
Shepherd (England) and Rudi Koertzen (South Africa) stopped the
game at 5:26 pm due to bad light rather than extending the play
till 5:45 pm as planned.
If opener Wajahatullah held one end to help Pakistan reach 398 in
102.1 overs in 420 minutes, opener Russel Arnold hit a solid knock
of 81 in 206 minutes to keep Sri Lanka's hopes of qualifying for
the final of the competition. Saqlain Mushtaq dealt three deadly
blows to make the visiting team struggle during the post-tea
session.
Russel Arnold faced all the five Pakistani bowlers used by skipper
Wasim Akram, including himself, boldly. A model of concentration
and application, Arnold faced 135 balls and hit thirteen
exquisitely-timed boundaries in his unbeaten knock because he did
not spare any loose delivery bowled by young pacemen Fazle Akbar
and Shahid Nazir. Arnold looked well-set for a well-deserved
century. Arnold saw four batsmen crashing on the other end but kept
his nerves till draw of stumps.
Saqlain Mushtaq again proved why he was rated so highly as a
spinner by destroying the Sri Lanka top-order batting after Fazle
Akbar had broken the opening partnership which yielded 84 runs.
Avishka Gunawardene tried to hook Fazle Akbar but only succeeded in
top-edging it to young Imran Nazir at deep fine leg.
Earlier, Pakistan's first innings closed at 398, twenty minutes
after the lunch break. The innings lasted 102.1 overs. Atapattu ran
in a few steps from mid-off to take a good catch of Shahid Nazir
(10), who tried to hoist Pramodya Wickremasinghe out of the ground
but holed out the catch. Shahid Nazir was the last Pakistani out.
He was Wickremasinghe's sixth victim, who conceded 103 runs to
emerge as the most successful Sri Lanka bowler.
The overnight batsmen Wajahatullah Wasti and Yousuf Youhana
continued good batting and both extended their fourth-wicket
partnership from 87 to 178 before being separated. Both had batted
cautiously on Thursday but thrashed the Sri Lanka bowlers on Friday
morning to plunder quick runs obviously under the instructions of
the team management.
Off-spinner Ruwan Kalpage succeeded in breaking the stubborn stand
with the fifth ball of his tenth over. A lapse in Yousuf Youhana's
concentration cost him dearly when he looked well set for a
century. He came forward to drive an off-break of Kalpage but could
not control his shot and the bowler himself held a fine, low catch
during his follow-through. The partnership between Yousuf and
Wajahatullah lasted 187 minutes. Yousuf hit a polished knock of 83
on 152 balls. Besides hitting Bandaratilleke over long on boundary
for a six, Yousuf hit 11 boundaries mostly through elegant drives
and cuts.
Kalpage claimed his second and last wicket of the innings on catch
of the match swooped by Gunawardene at silly point on last ball of
his tenth over. Shahid Afridi powerfully drove the first ball he
faced into Gunawardene's mid-riff, leaving the fielder writhing in
pain after affecting that catch. Both wickets fell at the total of
283. Wajahatullah Wasti played the first ball of Kalpage's 11th
over to deprive the off-spinner of a hat-trick.
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
990305
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pakistan can win Azlan Shah hockey
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Reporter
ISLAMABAD, March 4: Pakistan team has all the ingredients required
to win the forthcoming Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament at Kuala Lumpur
and also to repeat its performance at the coming Champions Trophy
at Brisban in June.
This was stated by team coach Olympian Shahnaz Coach while talking
to Dawn here on Thursday.
The team has played 20-25 international matches during the last six
months, he stated. The coach said that Pakistan, being the most
experienced side, should win Azlan Shah Tournament in the Malaysian
capital, starting on April 2.
Former olympian Shahnaz said that all the team are in the re-
building process and the new-look Pakistan team has tuned up well
during the last six months.
He maintained that the nine-match series with India, besides
polishing the skills of the players, has done wonders with their
moral. "A win is a win whether it is against Europeans or Asians
and Pakistan was without any win since 1994," he Olympian said.
Shahnaz stated that the recently concluded series has allowed
Pakistan to test its players. "We have given every player a good
chance to show his performance. Therefore, now we clearly know
where each player stands", he said.
He further said that since Indians have taken up a strategy of
attacking in the Asian style and defending in European, it helped
Pakistani team to gain experience of tight marking and pressure
tackling.
He commended the performance of the team, who travelled a 1000
miles during the longest series ever played by Pakistan. We have
found two nippy wingers in Mohammad Irfan and Asim. In Atif Bashir
we have a scoring spearhead. The centre-halfs Mohammad Saqlain and
Mubashir need improvement but they played well. Similarly the
keepers have shown improvement, the coach said.
Commenting on the drawbacks in defence, Shahnaz agreed that the
weakness was there and required extra work.
Pakistan conceded 53 penalty corners during the series out of which
seven were converted. On the other hand Pakistan scored 10 goals on
35 penalty corners. Overall Pakistan slammed 27 against 21 goals
scored by India.
"Although, there are loopholes in the defence, the forwardline also
failed to assist the defence in the Pakistan leg of the series,
pointed out the coach.
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
990301
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Saleh Muhammad beats Farhan to win National snooker title
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ilyas Beg
LAHORE, Feb 28: Showing consistency and artistic game, Saleh
Muhammad defeated Farhan Mirza by eight frames to six in the
final to win the 24th National Snooker Championship at the
Lahore Gymkhana on Sunday evening.
It was a neck-and-neck race till the 12th frame when both tied at
6-6. However, Saleh Muhammad put pressure on Farhan Mirza in the
last two frames to win 89-25 and 70-11 to clinch the championship.
As Saleh Muhammad pocketed balls with consistency and claimed
the 14th frame rather easily at 70-11, he flung his arms in air
and a select gathering of snooker lovers at the Lahore Gymkhana
gave him a standing ovation.
Saleh won the final 77-29, 27-64, 0-77, 70-57, 69-59, 69-49, 63-
50, 12-75, 14-106, 98-37, 24-70, 1-70, 89-25, 70-11.
One must also give credit to Farhan Mirza, who was
brilliant in patches. At times, Farhan rose to great heights but
frittered away chances in some other frames. That brought his
downfall. Farhan had six breaks as against four registered by the
champion Saleh Muhammad. During the final, Farhan Mirza also had
the highest break of 83 during the ninth frame, which he won by a
big wide of 106-14.
At conclusion of the championship, Punjab Governor Shahid Hamid
gave away the prizes and souvenirs. Saleh Muhammad got a
beautiful trophy and a cash prize of Rs 55,000. He also won the
prize for the highest break. Farhan Mirza received the trophy and a
prize of Rs 30,000. The losing semi-finalists Khurrum Agha and
Zartash Husain got Rs 13,000, each.
The governor lauded the efforts of Pakistan Billiards and Snooker
Association for the promotion of the game in the country.
Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association president Ali Asghar
Valika said that the hard-work was bearing fruit and Pakistan has
achieved the distinction of winning gold medal in the Asian Games
through Shaukat Ali and World Amateur and Asian titles through
Muhammad Yousaf. He said that snooker will win more laurels as
many talented youngsters like Khurrum Agha were emerging on the
national scene.
Saleh Muhammad began the 15-frame final in an imposing style by
winning the first frame at 77-29. Saleh had a break of 38 in this
frame. However, Farhan Mirza levelled the score 1-1 by wining the
second frame at 27-64. Farhan registered a break of 48 during this
frame. He won the third frame at 77-0. But Saleh registered a
break of 32 in the fourth frame to win that at 70-57 and thus
levelled the score at two frames all.
Saleh hit another break of 32 and took 2-1 lead by winning
the fifth frame at 69-59. Not only that, he claimed the sixth
frame 69-49 and the seventh frame 63-50 to widen the lead 5-2.
Farhan came back into the final by hitting a break of 40 and
winning the eighth frame 75-12. That followed the best break (83)
of the final registered by Farhan. He walked away with the ninth
frame at 106-14. Thus Farhan narrowed the lead of Saleh to 4-5.
Saleh increased the lead to 6-4 by winning the 10th frame 98-37.
Saleh registered a break of 65 during this frame.
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