------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 30 October 1999 Issue : 05/44 -------------------------------------------------------------------
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:
e-mail dws-owner@dawn.com
WWW http://dawn.com/
fax +92(21) 568-3188 & 568-3801
mail DAWN Group of Newspapers
Haroon House, Karachi 74200, Pakistan
Please send all Editorials and Letters to the Editor at
letters@dawn.com
(c) Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Ltd., Pakistan - 1999
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + US lifts 2 sanctions on Pakistan + Priorities outlined: CE pledges civilian rule after reforms + Commonwealth rules out Pakistan's expulsion + Nawaz declines to speak by phone + Accounts of politicians partly de-frozen: Ban on FCAs to continue + Talks with IMF positive, says Aziz + Pakistan calls for active UN role in Kashmir + Four members of NSC, three ministers named + Dr Ishrat Hussain to join State Bank of Pakistan in December + Musharraf briefs Zayed on future plans + Japan links aid to CTBT, democracy + Delhi concerned over change of govt in Pakistan + Qazi's entry in NWFP banned --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + SBP directive: Banks to submit weekly report on loan recovery + Cold response to hydropower projects + IDB approves $84m facility for oil import + Compliance of budgetary provisions ordered + PIA's short term debt shoots up to Rs11 billion + Property tax defaulters' list to be published + Customs asked to establish safer warehouses + Rupee firm: FAP denies shortage of dollar + CBR announces new rules for seized goods' disposal + Sales Tax registration improves + Leading blue chips end with clipped gains --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + Liquidation Ardeshir Cowasjee + Sinking into the sand Ayaz Amir + Please keep it short Irfan Husain ----------- SPORTS + Wasim's century in vain as Pakistan lose against Western Australia + Shoaib wants to break 100m barrier + Pakistan eager to avenge World Cup humiliation
===================================================================
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
===================================================================
NATIONAL NEWS
991029
-------------------------------------------------------------------
US lifts 2 sanctions on Pakistan
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Oct 28: President Bill Clinton swiftly used his newly-
acquired authority late on Wednesday to waive all economic
sanctions imposed on India after the May 98 nuclear tests but
retained most of them on Pakistan.
Mike Hammer, a spokesman for the White House National Security
Council, said Clinton had decided to waive only two economic
sanctions on Pakistan including the ban on US commercial lending
and on agricultural credit guarantees.
Experts said the agricultural credits were already available to
Pakistan and were being used by the US companies to export wheat
from northwestern US states to Pakistan.
Pakistan will remain ineligible for loans from the EXIM Bank, and
for IMET, the International Military Education and Training
programme. The OPIC cover for US investments in Pakistan will also
remain suspended while TDA, the Trade Development Agency, would not
be able to operate in Pakistan.
Most of the other sanctions on Pakistan will stay under Section 508
of the Foreign Assistance Act which prohibits aid to countries
where elected governments are toppled by military coups. The
authority to waive sanctions does not apply to the Foreign
Assistance Act, an official explained.
For Pakistan, the waivers do not cover US support in the IMF and
the World Bank and a senior official said that question would be
addressed when it came up. "We have chosen not to take a position
at this point. When a loan is considered, our position will be made
clear."
The official said if the US decided to vote in favour of Pakistan
at the IMF and the World Bank, then the president would have to
issue a separate waiver.
The decision, widely expected after Clinton signed the Defence bill
containing Brownback-2, the waiver authority amendment, would not
immediately allow India to import the much-needed dual use
technology from the US.
Likewise, the official said the president would have to issue a
separate waiver if he wanted to give dual use technology to India
and that had not yet been done.
The official said: "We will have to assess the progress of our
continuing dialogue with India before the president considers
waiving military sanctions, including those on export of dual use
technology."
The waivers that have been issued would open US Export-Import Bank
loans and overseas insurance cover for investments in India while
these restrictions will stay on Pakistan, besides allowing India to
get commercial US loans and IMET, the military training exchange
programme..
It has created a unique situation in the Indo-US relations in which
American military now has an exchange programme with the Indian
Army but not with the Pakistani Army which has always been an ally
of the US armed forces.
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
991030
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Priorities outlined: CE pledges civilian rule after reforms
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ihtasham ul Haque
ISLAMABAD, Oct 29: Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf on
Friday told the delegation of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action
Group (CMAG) that ruthless and across-the-board accountability
would be conducted against all those who had damaged Pakistan, both
politically and economically.
Speaking to the foreign ministers of Canada, Barbados and Ghana and
the Special Ministerial Envoy of Malaysia, General Musharraf said
that without conducting absolutely neutral accountability, the
country's institutions could not be rebuilt.
He assured the group that the accountability would be conducted in
an extremely fair manner and that his government would not do any
injustice with any individual or party.
He said that corruption was another area which needed maximum
attention of the government.
General Musharraf expressed the hope that his team comprising both
the civilian and military people would succeed in setting things
right in the shortest-possible time.
The chief executive did not give any timeframe for the revival of
democracy in Pakistan but assured the delegation that he and his
team did not have any intention to continue for an indefinite
period and as soon as their objectives were achieved, democracy
would be restored through fair and impartial elections.
Welcoming the delegation, the chief executive said that Pakistan
valued its relations with the members of the Commonwealth and its
association with this fraternity of nations. He described his
priorities, which he had stated in his address to the nation, in
particular the revival of economy, rehabilitation and strengthening
of the institutions of the Federation, law and order, elimination
of corruption, transparent accountability and reforms leading to
devolution of power to strengthen democratic institutions at the
grassroots level.
The objective was to build institutions and carry out reforms which
could promote true democracy in Pakistan. Musharraf stated that he,
along with his largely civilian government, would move the process
of reforms in all areas simultaneously.
The chief executive appreciated the offer of cooperation in the
area of institutional reforms made by the CMAG delegation on behalf
of the Commonwealth.
Sources said that the Commonwealth team assured the chief executive
that Pakistan would not be expelled from the organisation. In this
regard, the team regretted that a wrong impression was created in
the national and international media that Pakistan was being
expelled from the Commonwealth.
However, the members said that Pakistan's membership would continue
to remain suspended for some time and Islamabad would not be able
to attend some of the meetings of the council.
According to an official announcement, the meeting was held in a
cordial atmosphere. The CMAG delegation thanked Musharraf for the
courtesies and facilities extended to it during the visit and
explained the background of the decision of the CMAG to send the
team to study the situation in Pakistan.
The CMAG delegation stated that its visit had provided the members
a good opportunity to have a better understanding of the situation
in Pakistan and the circumstances which led to the change of the
government.
It appreciated Pakistan's interest in the Commonwealth and
underscored the desire of the organisation to remain positively
engaged with Pakistan to help the country at this important
juncture.
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
991029
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Commonwealth rules out Pakistan's expulsion
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, Oct 28: "There is no plan to expel Pakistan from
Commonwealth," declared Mr Kaya Whiteman, the spokesperson of the
visiting Commonwealth Ministerial Mission.
"Pakistan is still a member of Commonwealth but its membership has
temporarily been suspended following the dismissal of an elected
government in the country", he further stated.
He told reporters here on Thursday that Pakistan might not be
allowed to attend some of the Commonwealth meetings but that did
not, he added, necessarily mean that Pakistan has been expelled
from the organisation.
He forcefully dispelled the impression that the next summit of the
Commonwealth at Durban will consider the expulsion of Pakistan from
the organisation. "There may be a formal suspension in the proposed
meeting but there is no question of expulsion," he clarified.
Mr Whiteman told a reporter that the mission has made a request to
the authorities to see deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, "and we
are waiting for the reply from the authorities". But, he said, the
mission has no plan whatsoever to demand an open trial of the
deposed PM. "Let me tell you that this is not our part of agenda to
seek an open trial for Mr Sharif".
He pointed out that under the Millbrook Commonwealth Action
Programme, any unconstitutional removal of a duly elected
government was an offence and has certain consequences which also
included the suspension from the councils of Commonwealth.
Answering a question about the Millbrook Commonwealth Action
Programme, he said it was decided in New Zealand in 1995 to give
some muscle to a set of principles that the Commonwealth
established in 1981.
MUSHARRAF: The factfinding mission will meet Chief Executive
General Pervez Musharraf here on Friday morning at the Prime
Minister's Secretariat, according to an ISPR spokesman.
Earlier, reading out a statement of the mission on arrival, the
spokesperson said the mandate of the mission is to meet with the
Pakistani authorities and another body of people it may deem
appropriate in order to assess the current situation in Pakistan
and explore with the regime its plans for early return of Pakistan
to democracy.
He said the mission intends to meet with the Pakistan authorities
including President Mohammad Rafiq Tarar, Chief Executive General
Pervez Musharraf, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr Justice Saiduzzaman
Siddiqui, political leaders, the Human Rights Commission, and
representatives of civil society.
He said "the ministers are here to listen carefully to as wide
range of views as possible, keeping in mind the interests of the
people of Pakistan and the Commonwealth's fundamental principles to
which all its members subscribe".
He said the mission will prepare a report of its findings for
consideration of the colleagues in Commonwealth Ministerial Action
Group on the Harare Declaration (CMAG) adding that the following
day the CMAG will present its recommendations on Pakistan to heads
of governments.
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
991030
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Nawaz declines to speak by phone
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ISLAMABAD, Oct 29: Ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is stated to
have declined an offer on Friday to have a telephonic meeting with
the members of the visiting Commonwealth mission.
The leader of the CMAG mission, Lloyd Axworthy, Foreign Minister of
Canada, said at a news conference here that while the government
did not permit a personal meeting with the deposed prime minister,
the mission was allowed to make telephonic contact with him.
However, Axworthy said he was later told that Mr. Nawaz Sharif did
not wish to speak to the mission on phone.
Asked whether Axworthy believed in what the authorities were
quoting Mr. Sharif as having said, the mission leader repeated his
short response without further elaboration.
When former minister for religious affairs, Raja Zafarul Haq, was
asked for his comments on the report, he said he was not in a
position either to confirm or deny it.
"I do not know what is the real story. But we had told the
Commonwealth mission when we met them yesterday that if they went
back without meeting Nawaz Sharif, their mission would remain
incomplete and ineffective."
Another former minister said he had also heard that Nawaz Sharif
had refused to speak on phone and asked for a personal meeting with
the 4-member Commonwealth mission.
No authoritative statement has been made, even after 17 days of his
removal, about the place where Mr. Nawaz Sharif has been detained.
He is said to be somewhere in Rawalpindi Cantonment and according
to press reports, he had informed his family the other day on phone
that he was well.-H.A
APP adds: Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf, when asked
about the possibility of a meeting between Commonwealth ministers
and the deposed premier, said, "I have not allowed them to meet him
but I have allowed them to talk to him on telephone and I have
given personal assurance that I am not a vindictive man."
He said the deposed prime minister "is absolutely in good health
and being looked after and he is very comfortable. That is my
personal guarantee and assurance."
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
991028
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Accounts of politicians partly de-frozen: Ban on FCAs to continue
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Mohiuddin Aazim
KARACHI, Oct 27: The State Bank has announced conditional de-
freezing of the local currency bank accounts of politicians but
their foreign currency accounts would remain frozen till further
orders.
The State Bank asked all banks on Wednesday to allow operation "in
the local currency accounts" of politicians who are not bank
defaulters on any account nor do their names appear in reports of
SBP Credit Information Bureau. The State Bank told the banks that
conditional de-freezing would be allowed even in cases of those
accounts that still remain frozen so that the account holders could
repay or adjust their bank loans; clear utility bills and pay
salaries to their employees, if any.
Senior bankers said though the State Bank circular issued on
Wednesday did not say it explicitly yet it was clear from the
contents that the foreign currency accounts of the politicians
would remain frozen till further orders.
On Oct 15 all banks had frozen local and foreign currency accounts
of notable politicians and parliamentarians and their spouses under
the SBP instructions issued to stop capital flight in the wake of
the military take-over.
"Banks may allow operations in the local currency accounts of
politicians who are neither defaulters on any of their obligations
to the bank nor do they appear as defaulters in the reports of
Credit Information Bureau," said a SBP circular letter dated Oct
27. Bankers said the Bureau compiles lists of those whose bank
defaults are up to Rs 0.5 million or above whereas banks compile
lists of all defaulters irrespective of the extent of default. "The
SBP instruction is that the rupee accounts of only those
politicians would be revived who are not defaulters at all-whether
big or small," explained a banker.
Senior bankers say this condition would render a vast majority of
politicians including members of the defunct National Assembly and
the Senate unable to get their local currency accounts revived.
Bankers said the conditional de-freezing of the bank accounts of
politicians would help banks recover part of their defaulted loans
by Nov 16 - the deadline set for this purpose by Chief Executive
Gen Pervez Musharraf. SBP Governor Dr Muhammad Yaqub who has been
appointed as member of supreme National Security Council has
already said that the deadline would not be extended. He has asked
the defaulters to pay up 20-30 per cent of defaulted loans before
the deadline and clear the rest within 2 years at most. Some Rs 211
billion worth of bank loans are either stuck-up or non-performing.
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
991030
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Talks with IMF positive, says Aziz
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Masood Haider
NEW YORK, Oct 29: Finance Minister, Shaukat Aziz said here on
Friday that his meetings with the officials of the International
Monetary Fund "were cordial and constructive".
Talking briefly with Dawn on telephone, Aziz said: "We covered
several aspects of IMF assistance to Pakistan."
The IMF officials who called on Mr Aziz on Friday morning included
IMF's Director Paul Chaberier, and Sena Ekin.The meeting lasted for
over an hour.
On Thursday the Executive Director of IMF, Abbas Mirakhor met with
Pakistan's newly appointed finance minister and discussed IMF's
assistance programme to Pakistan.
When pressed to elaborate whether or not IMF's assistance to
Pakistan would continue as usual, Aziz said: "All I can say is that
the meetings were very positive."
Aziz stressed "I have to go back and see what programmes were
proposed by the IMF, before I proceed with any further talks".
Besides meeting with IMF officials, Aziz met with former US
Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, and exchanged ideas as how to put
Pakistan's economy back on track.
Rubin who joined Citigroup on Monday as its Co-Chairman is credited
with steering the United States economy towards what is called an
unprecedented growth in half a century. Rubin was chosen by
President Clinton in 1994 to head the US treasury department when
he was the chairman of the investment firm of Goldman Sachs.
In the week since his appointment, Aziz has had a busy schedule
meeting with various investment bankers and heads and executives of
several American companies.
An IMF official said that talks between Shaukat Aziz and IMF
officials were part of a "get acquainted" programme and follow on
from discussions with the previous government.
The IMF halted payments from its $1.8 billion loan to Pakistan well
before the army takeover because it was worried about several
issues, including fees charged by independent power producers.
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
991030
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Pakistan calls for active UN role in Kashmir
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Correspondent
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 29: Pakistan has called upon the United Nations
to play the same role in Kashmir as it has played in East Timor, to
find a just and honourable solution to the problem on the basis of
relevant Security Council resolutions.
Speaking about the right of Kashmiris to self-determination, in the
General Assembly's Third Committee on Wednesday, the permanent
representative of Pakistan, Inamul Haque, said: "The people of
Jammu and Kashmir expect justice from the United Nations. They
expect the international community to be equitable, non-
discriminatory and non-selective in the implementation of Security
Council resolutions and to support them in their just struggle."
He lauded the "courageous and far- sighted decision" by the
Indonesian government to hold a referendum in East Timor and said
this had "brought an honourable solution to a longstanding problem"
and also "established a useful model to resolve other outstanding
issues."
Mr Haque also commended the "invaluable contribution" made by the
United Nations and said "the central role played by the UN in
organizing the referendum in East Timor is a reflection of the
strong belief of the international community in this most basic of
human rights.
" Despite these encouraging developments, many oppressed people
continue to be denied their inalienable right to self-
determination," he said and added that "the hapless people of Jammu
and Kashmir have been a major victim of such a denial for more than
five decades."
He told the UN committee that "while the UN was organizing the free
and impartial popular consultation process in East Timor, the
Indian government was enacting an electoral farce in Jammu and
Kashmir, with the help of more than 700,000 troops, to perpetuate
its illegal and immoral occupation of Kashmir."
Saying that more than 78 per cent of people had voted in favour of
independence in the recently held referendum in East Timor, Mr
Haque said that "in the farce organized by India, more than 88 per
cent of the people boycotted the sham elections imposed on them by
the occupation forces in occupied Kashmir. The boycott was total."
" The overwhelming boycott by the Kashmiri people of these so-
called elections is the real referendum and a telling condemnation
of the illegal Indian occupation of Jammu and Kashmir," he
declared.
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
991026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Four members of NSC, three ministers named
-------------------------------------------------------------------
M. Ziauddin
ISLAMABAD, Oct 25: The government on Monday constituted the, much
awaited, National Security Council( NSC) naming Sharifuddin
Pirzada, Dr Mohammad Yaqub, Dr Attiya Inayatullah and Imtiaz
Sahibzada as its members.
A three-member cabinet of ministers has also been announced
comprising Abdus Sattar, Shaukat Aziz and Aziz A. Munshi.
Sharifuddin Pirzada, who has served almost all the past military
governments in Pakistan since Ayub Khan, has been named senior
adviser to the chief executive and ex-officio member of the NSC.
Dr Mohammad Yaqub is the second member of the council. During his
tenure as the Governor of State Bank, spread over two terms of
Nawaz Sharif and one of Benazir Bhutto, the rupee had tumbled by
over 100 per cent, the budgetary deficits kept soaring sky high and
the foreign currency accounts were frozen. He was brought to the
SBP from IMF by the first Nawaz government.
Dr Attiya Inayatullah, the third member of the NSC, besides being
associated with the UN activities at very senior levels, has also
served the military government of Gen Zia as a minister for social
welfare and population control.
Imtiaz Sahibzada, the fourth member of the NSC, is currently
employed as the member of Federal Public Service Commission with
one year's extension. He had retired as cabinet secretary in 1996-
97.
Former foreign secretary Abdus Sattar, who had served Moin
Qureshi's caretaker government in 1993 as its foreign minister, has
been given the same portfolio in the new cabinet. Mr Sattar had
recently joined Imran Khan's Tehrik-i-Insaf and is believed to be a
member of TI's central executive committee. He, therefore, is the
first member of a political party to be recruited by the new
military government.
Mr Sattar is also known for drafting the Simla Agreement which was
signed by Pakistan and India on Kashmir during Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto's tenure.
Vice-president of Citibank, New York, Shaukat Aziz, has been given
the portfolio of finance. He is expected to proceed on leave from
his bank job to take up the new assignment in Pakistan. He is
arriving here on Thursday from New York. Mr Aziz had also been
informally giving advise on financial matters to the previous
government of Nawaz Sharif.
Aziz A. Munshi, who has been appointed as the attorney general of
Pakistan, is a leading constitutional expert. Twice earlier, Munshi
was appointed attorney general. Firstly during Zia-ul-Haq's tenure
and later by the Nawaz Sharif's first government. He has served as
a junior partner of Sharifuddin Pirzada in his law company for many
years.
According to an ISPR press release on the recommendations of Chief
Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf, President Mohammad Rafiq Tarar on
Monday appointed the members of the National Security Council (NSC)
and ministers for finance and foreign affairs.
In his October 17 address Gen Pervez Musharraf had announced that
the NSC, to be headed by the chief executive, will comprise six
members. These members will be chief of naval staff, chief of air
staff, a specialist each in legal, finance, foreign policy and
national affairs.
Sharifuddin Pirzada, the ex-officio member, has apparently been
appointed for his expertise in legal and constitutional matters.
Pirzada got prominence during the first military rule of Gen Ayub
Khan when he was appointed as foreign minister after the sacking of
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Pirzada had also served as attorney general as well as law minister
of Pakistan during the military rule of Gen Zia. Pirzada had also
served as secretary general of the OIC (Organisation of Islamic
Conference).
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
991028
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr Ishrat Hussain to join State Bank of Pakistan in December
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, Oct 27: Dr Ishrat Hussain, who has agreed to join the
State Bank of Pakistan as its governor, will take up the new
assignment in December.
Official sources said here on Wednesday that Mr Hussain had told
military authorities that he could not immediately join the State
Bank because of his preoccupation as Director, Central Asia, at the
World Bank. Till then, the sources said, Dr Yaqub had been directed
to continue as SBP Governor.
Dr Hussain, who was on a visit to Pakistan, left for Uzbekistan on
Wednesday. His application for leave is being processed by WB
authorities, but, in principle, the World Bank has agreed to lend
his services to the new government in Pakistan.
" The Citibank has allowed their Executive Vice-President Shuakat
Aziz to go on leave for an indefinite period to help improve his
country 's economy", a source said. Similarly, the World Bank
President, Mr Wolfenson, has agreed to relieve Mr Hussain for the
time being so that he could help in setting things right in
Pakistan, particularly in the banking sector. However, a formal
decision on his leave will be taken by the Board of Directors of
the World Bank.
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
991028
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Musharraf briefs Zayed on future plans
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ABU DHABI, Oct 27: The Chief Executive, General Pervez Musharraf,
said on Wednesday that the new government would try to bring about
good governance through accountability and clean administration in
Pakistan.
During the meeting with the UAE President, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan
Al Nahyan, Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf said steps
towards good governance were essential requisites of stability,
economic revival, national integration and genuine functional
democracy.
General Pervez Musharraf, soon after his arrival at the Amiri
Airport from Saudi Arabia, drove straight to Al Wathba Palace where
he was warmly greeted by UAE President Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al
Nahyan.
The officials said they exchanged views on bilateral relations in a
very cordial atmosphere reflecting the brotherly relations and
long-standing traditions of the two countries.
The deliberations between the two leaders covered the entire range
of bilateral relations as well as regional and global issues of
common interest with a special focus on Kashmir and Afghanistan.
The chief executive briefed Sheikh Zayed on the extra- ordinary
circumstances that necessitated the change of government in
Pakistan and apprised him of his future plan of action, both in
domestic and external fronts.
General Pervez Musharraf told President Zayed that his immediate
pre-occupation would be restoration of civilian government.
He briefed President Zayed on aims and objectives of his government
which the people of Pakistan had welcomed wholeheartedly.
The chief executive also reiterated his government's resolve to
strengthen friendship and cooperation with particular reference to
the UAE and other Islamic countries.
He thanked for the support and understanding that Sheikh Zayed had
conveyed to him over telephone immediately after the change of the
set-up in Pakistan.
Sheikh Zayed renewed his full support and solidarity with Pakistan
and the agenda of the new administration which he was confident
would lead the country towards stability and ensure the welfare of
the people of Pakistan.
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
991028
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Japan links aid to CTBT, democracy
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
ISLAMABAD, Oct 27: Japan has linked its future assistance to
Pakistan to the restoration of democracy and the signing of CTBT.
"The visiting State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Ichiti Yamamoto,
has told the president,
the foreign minister and a member of the NSC that Japan wants the
military government to announce a timeframe for the revival of
democracy in Pakistan, and a date for the signing of the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty", said Mr Kinafuchi, Political
Counsellor at the Japanese embassy.
Briefing reporters here on Wednesday on the short visit of the
Japanese state secretary for foreign affairs to Islamabad, he said
Mr Yamamoto had held detailed meetings with President Rafiq Tarar,
chief executive's senior adviser Syed Sharifuddin Pirzda, Foreign
Minister Abdul Sattar and a member of the National Security
Council, Dr Attiya Anayatullah. He had also met senior vice-
president of the Pakistan Muslim League, Ejaz- ul- Haq.
" Mr Yamamoto gave a clear message to the higher Pakistani
authorities that unless there is a complete return to democracy,
and a specific date for the signing of the CTBT, Japan would be
constrained to offer any financial assistance to the country", Mr
Kinafuchi said.
He said Japan had been offering 300 to 500 million dollar annual
assistance to Pakistan, which could not be offered under the
present circumstances.
Quoting his state secretary for foreign affairs, the political
counsellor said there was an extraordinary situation and that Japan
was keenly observing emerging events in Pakistan.
Asked about the reaction of the president and other authorities in
Pakistan, he said the Japanese state secretary was told that all
efforts were being made to revive the democratic process in
Pakistan. "They had also talked about the problems due to which it
was difficult to give any firm date for the signing of the CTBT",
he said.
Nevertheless, Mr Kinafuchi said the Mr Yamamoto's visit was very
fruitful. He said Japan hoped that democracy would be restored in
Pakistan at the earliest, "because what we see today is not a
democratic system".
Responding to a question, he said Mr Yamamoto could not meet Chief
Executive General Pervez Musharraf as he was currently away from
Pakistan. "Had Gen Musharraf been in Pakistan we might have got
some clear reply on the issue of timeframe for the restoration of
democracy and signing of the CTBT", he added.
He told a reporter that Japan would make a"comprehensive review" of
the situation in Pakistan before deciding to resume financial
assistance.
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
991026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Delhi concerned over change of govt in Pakistan
-------------------------------------------------------------------
NEW DELHI, Oct 25: Indian President K.R. Narayanan said on Monday
the military takeover in Pakistan was a matter of serious concern,
and that only democracy could guarantee peace and understanding
between countries.
"The recent military takeover of Pakistan is a matter of grave
concern. Democracy alone can guarantee peace, understanding and
cooperation among countries and people," Narayanan said in an
address to parliament laying out the new government's policies.
"We are watching the situation in Pakistan with careful attention,"
Narayanan said, adding that Islamabad must stop "cross-border
terrorism" in occupied Kashmir and "elsewhere in the country".
New Delhi will follow the "principle of zero-tolerance" in dealing
with terrorism, Narayanan said.
India was committed to global nuclear disarmament but would
preserve its "strategic autonomy", the Indian leader said.
"This will be done in a way that India's legitimate security
concerns are suitably addressed, in keeping with our own assessment
of the evolving international security environment," he said.
Narayanan said the national security council will advise the
government on the establishment of a credible nuclear deterrent.
New Delhi unveiled a draft nuclear doctrine in August, saying it
would pursue a credible nuclear deterrent based on aircraft, ships
and mobile land-based missiles. Government leaders said the
doctrine had been made public to generate debate. -Reuters
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
991024
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Qazi�s entry in NWFP banned
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Bureau Report
PESHAWAR, Oct 23: The government of NWFP has banned the entry of
Jamaat-i-Islami chief, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, in the province for a
period of 30 days, says a handout issued by the provincial
information department here on Saturday.
The order said that the government considered it necessary to
prevent Qazi Hussain Ahmad from acting in a manner prejudicial to
public safety and maintenance of public order in the province.
Therefore, in exercise of powers conferred under section 5(1)(a) of
the West Pakistan Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance, 1960, the
provincial government had ordered that Qazi Hussain Ahmad shall not
enter, reside or remain in the province for a period of 30 days.
Reasons cited for banning the entry of the JI chief, as per the
NWFP government order, were that public rallies, gatherings and
meetings have been banned and his visit to the province would cause
serious harm to public peace and tranquillity. Additionally, it
said, there were reasons to believe that Qazi Hussain Ahmad will
make inflammatory speeches or indulge in activities prejudicial to
public safety and maintenance of good order in the province.
LOUDSPEAKERS: The sub-divisional magistrate, Peshawar, on Saturday
imposed ban on the use of loudspeakers and other electronic
equipments in mosques other than for Azan and Friday sermons. The
order was issued under section 144 Cr.P.C.
=================================================================== BUSINESS & ECONOMY 991026 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SBP directive: Banks to submit weekly report on loan recovery ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, Oct 25: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Dr. Muhammad Yaqub Monday directed banks and DFIs to submit a weekly report to the central bank giving details about amount recovered from defaulted loans and balance and warned those mis-reporting facts will be penalized under Banking Companies Ordinance 1983. Chairing a meeting of head of banks and DFIs here at the SBP he asked them to focus on major loan defaulters. "Those defaulters having weak collateral or taking loans on the basis of over- valuation and leading lavish lifestyle should be focussed,"he told them. He directed for negotiated uniform rescheduling of loans with a maximum down payment while rest should be payable within two years time. There should be justice in the process and no discrepancy will be tolerated in rescheduling process. He further directed that all chief executives of banks and DFIs should head the recovery teams formed to approach defaulters to reach negotiated settlement before November 16, 1999 after which law will take its course. He asked banks to increase lending to small and medium size industries and lower mark up rates as their recovery ratio was much higher than the large industrial sector. He also stressed upon lending to agriculture sector to increase its productivity. Dr. Yaqub however, made it clear that all lending should be prudent and according to institutions financing policies. He said banks have the opportunity that they have no political pressure and can disburse loan according to policies. SBP had asked bank loan defaulters to take the Chief Executive of Pakistan General Pervez Musharraf's warning giving four weeks to defaulters to repay, seriously and reach negotiated settlements before November 16, 1999 after which the amount will be recovered with penalty. 'It was basically a pat on the back of the bankers to go ahead with the recovery drive without any fear and also a warning that no excuse will be accepted if they fail to achieve the task,' one banker said after he and colleagues met State (central) Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governor Mohammad Yaqub. The central bank has set November 16 as the deadline for borrowers to return an estimated Rs211 billion ($4 billion) owed to the banking industry. The banker said Yaqub also told the bankers that after expiry of the November 16 deadline, the army will not only take action against the borrowers, but bankers failing to recover the defaulted amounts would 'also be taken to task'.-PPI/Reuters DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 991030 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Cold response to hydropower projects ------------------------------------------------------------------- Intikhab Amir PESHAWAR, Oct 29: NWFP has received no response to the prequalification bids for the four hydropower projects offered for execution to the private sector on BOOT basis, it was learnt on good authority here on Friday. The last date for applying under the prequalification of bidders process had been fixed for Nov 12, 1999. However, after the negligible response, the deadline for submitting bid documents had now been extended to Feb 16, 2000, sources told Dawn. The four hydropower projects offered on Built-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis include 72 mw capacity's Khan Khawar in Swat district; 35 mw capacity's Daral Khawar in Swat district; 106 mw capacity's Golen Gol in Chitral district and 28 mw capacity's Summer Gah in Kohistan district. "Cold response to the hydropower projects by the private sector specially the international firms is explained by investment climate in the country which got affected by the raw handling of the IPPs issue by the last government," said a well placed official of the provincial government. The four projects, whose feasibilities and environmental assessment have already been done, would be developed in accordance with the government of Pakistan's July 1998 policy for new private independent power projects. After the offer received negligible response from the foreign investors the Private Power Cell (PPC), of the government of NWFP, is set to re- advertise the four projects. At the completion of the prequalification of bidders process, said the sources, the PPC in consultation with the Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) and WAPDA would prepare a short list of prequalified bidders who would afterwards be invited to bid for the project(s) on International Competitive Bidding (ICB) basis. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 991030 ------------------------------------------------------------------- IDB approves $84m facility for oil import ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ihtashamul Haque ISLAMABAD, Oct 29: The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) has approved 84 million dollar two step Morabaha financing facility for Pakistan to import of petroleum and petroleum products, according to the ministry of finance. State Bank governor Dr Muhammad Yaqub will lead a delegation to Jeddah to attend the 23th annual meeting of the IDB to be held from Oct 31 to Nov 2. He will also meet the board of directors of the Bank as the IDB governor from Pakistan. Official sources expect that the IDB will also extend financing facility to import crude oil, and palm oil from Malaysia. President of the Bank Dr Ahmad Muhammad Ali, sources said, has assured to provide maximum lending to Pakistan. Pakistan also believes that IDB will provide funds from its proposed $1.5 bn infrastructure fund for investment in infrastructure projects. The Singapore-based Emerging Markets Partnership (EPM) owned by former caretaker prime minister Moeen Qurashi has been appointed as Principal Advisor by the IDB to mobilize 1.5 billion dollar infrastructure investment fund for OIC member states. This infrastructure fund will be established in Bahrain as limited partnership with Equity Capital targeted at one billion dollars (with a first closing of 500 million dollars) and Complementary Finance Facility (CFF) targeted at 500 million dollars. The IDB will initially be providing 250 million dollars for infrastructure investment but the major funding will be mobilized by the Moeen Qurashi's firm - Emerging Markets Partnership. Sources said that Dr Yaqub during his two-day stay in Jeddah would also discuss new funding for the private sector. "We hope to largely benefit from the decision of the IDB to set up a Corporation to offer loans to the private sector of the members of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC)", an official said. The board of directors of the Bank would also soon approve 13 per cent increase in funding of the bank for member countries. Officials said that there will be 250 million dollar increase for Pakistan which will be used for project and trade financing. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 991030 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Compliance of budgetary provisions ordered ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, Oct 29: Sindh Finance Secretary, Abdul Wajid Rana, has asked the heads of all provincial government departments to direct their regional heads, subordinate offices and field units to comply with the instructions of the Finance Department in letter and spirit. He said that officers dealing with the budget in respective departments should be directed in clear terms to release the budget within one week after receipt from Finance Department. In a communication to ACS (Dev), Senior Member Board of Revenue, administrative secretaries and IGs of Sindh and Prison, Finance Secretary said it has been observed with great concern that administrative departments and operational offices were incurring expenditure without budgetary authorization. Consequently liabilities are raised against Government of Sindh which most of the time, have been found billed at inflated rates. Thus, racketeering has emerged over the period to fleece the Government of Sindh. Of course, he observed, this cannot be possible without active connivance of those handling accounts of Government of Sindh at the field level. Finance Secretary said it has been further observed that DDOs, particularly of major departments, are drawing salaries of lower staff in lump sum refleting only the sanctioned strength and total salary without providing requisite details. This, he pointed out, has led to emergence of "Ghost Employees Mafia" besides causing huge losses to Provincial exchequer. Certainly, he said, this unchecked resource drain cannot be allowed. Instances have also come to the notice that it takes 4-6 weeks for the budget to reach at field offices after it is released by Finance Department.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 991029 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PIA's short term debt shoots up to Rs11 billion ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, Oct 28: PIA's short term borrowings/ overdrafts have shot up to 11 billion rupees as of todate from Rs 5.7 billion on June 30, 1997. The 100 percent increase in the liquidity crunch is an ample proof of the total failure of the previous management, a cursory look at the PIA's financial health reveals. According to PIA sources, the period of two and a half years from May 1997 to October 12, 1999 enjoyed by the previous management, was littered with policies, plans and endeavours which can be best described as "suicidal". With reference to Rs 2408 million early retirement schemes funding, the management imposed mandatory retirement scheme from November 1997 on the employees of all cadres who were retiring in June 2000, by giving them full emoluments for the balance service period. Around 1100 employees falling in the scheme were paid Rs 482 million. This scheme was defective and self-defeating as no where in the world people are given such benefit. Moreover the vacancies created by implementing the scheme in the higher cadre of management were filled up, thereby burdening the payroll bill. The management embarked on voluntary golden handshake scheme to reduce the payroll. The benefit, if any, which was accruing on the implementation of the scheme was nullified by defective policy of out sourcing with special reference to Sabre contract which on an approximate basis was to cost the airline 15 million dollars per year. The wage increases and outsourcing of functions were self- defeating when viewed in the context of reducing the payroll bill. Pointing to yearly cash deficiency, the sources maintained that no effort was made to arrest the decline in the overall health of the company with monthly deficit having gone up gradually over the last two years and stood at Rs 2649 million per annum at present. As regards the retrieval of blocked funds from PIA Investment Limited, the management followed the wait and see policy, although the financing against PIAIL property of Roosevelt Hotel in New York was available since March 1999 and the same was delayed on one or the other pretext. The delay for no valid/viable reasons left the airline on the verge of major default/collapse. Discussing the defective/self defeating outsourcing measures, the sources described the internal audit function outsourcing at Rs 12 billion per annum as undesirable in view of existing in house facilities. Referring to defective revenue generation measures, the sources observed that the management embarked on marketing strategy which was based on decreasing fares and increasing loads, thus lending to zero revenue growth. Although massive investment was made in introducing the new strategy in terms of automation upgrade, IT, advertising support, the new marketing strategy based on revenue management techniques had no positive impact on the net revenue of the airline. They pointed out that defective wage agreements were signed which had no relationship with the Company's financial health. Unfair concessions were given to the unions/associations which were not linked with productivity. Reference was made to increase to CBA in January 1999 for the period July 96-98 of over 40 percent, having a yearly impact of Rs 800 million and MOUs signed with CEPIA except CBA for making adhoc payment of 190 percent before finalization of agreement which comes to about Rs 650 million. They also pointed to disinvestment of shareholdings in subsidiaries IAL and DFSL at throw away prices and said Duty Free Shop was sold for Rs 12.5 million and IAL sold for Rs 5.5 million. The sources continued to point out that plans were underway to outsource PIA's key core functions like ground handling, flight kitchen, engineering, cargo etc. This would have crippled the airline as these services are a source of great strength and support to its operations. In the USA various books have been published, declaring airline outsourcing as a "complete failure". Decision was also taken to close down PIA's operation to many points. This would result in converting the airline from an international operator to a regional carrier. Management's policy of discontinuing services to important Islamic countries like Iran, Syria, Jordan, Egypt was outrightly discouraged and airing of one's professional views was not liked by the management. Senior management and down the line were expected to follow the dictates of the top management.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 991029 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Property tax defaulters' list to be published ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sabihuddin Ghausi KARACHI, Oct 28: A list of "chronic" defaulters of property tax in the city is being given final touches by the provincial Excise and Taxation Department. This list, according to the officials, contain names of the Senators, MNAs and the MPAs belonging to both the ruling and the opposition parties as well as those of ministers in the cabinet of dismissed Chief Minister Liaquat Jatoi and members of the Advisory Council of Syed Ghous Ali Shah. To be made public in next few days, this list, the officials say also include the names of the prominent business leaders who have been ignoring repeated notices by the Excise and Taxation Department. The officials allege that all these defaulters were not responding to the property tax notices for over last five years. These notices incorporate a warning of attachment of property in case of default which has never been taken seriously. About half a dozen government and private institutions which have already been served with the property tax notices are the Aga Khan University Hospital for Rs 21 million, Federation House of the apex trade body, the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry Rs 1.60 million, the Karachi Shipyard Rs 7.20 million, Karachi Development Authority Rs 26.83 million and the Board of Intermediate Secondary Education Rs 9.08 million. The Aga Khan University Hospital is understood to be seeking exemption from the levy of property tax on the ground that it was a teaching and a medi-care institution. But looking at its high service charges and exorbitant rooms rent that almost match the five star hotels, the officials insist on recovering the property tax. The KDA has been asked to pay for the Civic Centre and other buildings which have been rented away and generate revenue for the Authority. The government is associating Rangers and other para- military forces in the collection of accumulated property tax from the defaulters and senior officials are at present engaged in finalising an institutional framework for this coordination. The officials have also dug out a pre-independence era Sindh Debt Recovery Law which was reported to have been adopted and adopted by the Sindh Assembly after 1947. This particular law, the officials say describes all liabilities towards the government as 'debt' for the recovery of which it stipulates harsh and stringent provisions that include the arrest. Those who would offer bail and guarantee for the release of tax defaulters will be given a specific time frame for clearance of this 'debt'. In case of default the guarantor would also suffer the imprisonment and fine. "Our legal consultants are reviewing this law and if there is a need for more harsh provisions it could be further amended" a senior official said. These officials do not rule out the application of this law on the defaulters of banks loans. In its drive for the current recovery, the department has collected Rs 270.13 million property tax in the first quarter of the current fiscal. It represents over 111 per cent of the proportionate target set for July-September 1999 quarter. The total target for the whole fiscal is Rs 960.60 million. Almost 95 per cent of the property tax in the province is collected from Karachi alone while 5 per cent is collected from other parts. This is despite the fact that all the headquarters of the 21 districts in the province (including five districts of Karachi) are the rated areas plus the sub-rated areas as well. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 991027 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Customs asked to establish safer warehouses ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ikram Hoti ISLAMABAD, Oct 26: The CBR has asked the customs department to create safer ware houses throughout the country to minimise theft and waste running into millions of rupees annually. No seized goods would be allowed to be stored at places other than these warehouses to be created by law enforcement agencies including civil armed forces of Pakistan delegated anti-smuggling powers. Gold/silver bullion and articles including jewellery, precious stones and ornaments, narcotics, coins, currency, antiques, watches and other articles declared as valuables, shall be stored therein. For the purpose, a new procedure has been announced by CBR through Customs General Order No 43, dated Oct 26, '99 which says: Sec 169 of the Customs Act' 69 stipulates that the goods seized in Customs cases will be delivered to the care of the same or the nearest Customs House or at the nearest place appointed by the collector Customs. It is thus mandatory that each collector having jurisdiction should specifically issuenotifications appointing state warehouses as and when required by these agencies, and the custodians thereof, and regularize by formal notifications all functional state warehouses by these agencies. On-the-spot inventories of seized goods shall be prepared of seized valuables, put in sealed bags in presence of at least two independent witnesses/mushirs with their signatures on the bags, along with those of the accused. All such packages should carry written date and time of seizure; places of seizure; name/full postal address of the accused; goods' name/description; quantity; distinguishing marks; state serial number in case of currency; trade marks; place of manufacture; signature, rank, address of the seizing officer. 'A' class warehouses would be created at the headquarters of these agencies, while 'B' and 'C' class would be proposed by the heads of these agencies and duly appointed by the collector Customs having jurisdiction. It is for the collector to select the placeswhere state warehouses are required and facilities exist for establishing them. The premises selected for the state warehouses should be secure in all respects, containing the following: steel almirahs and cash sheets fixed in the walls; inflammable store-rooms as per the specification of Department of Explosives; and increased number of guards. A custodian and deputy custodian will be appointed by collector Customs from the concerned agency at each of the 'A' class warehouses. Commissioned officers appointed would be the in-charge of the 'B' and 'C' class warehouses. Custodian/in-charge shall give a receipt to seizing officer of the goods being deposited at the state warehouses. If a court case is made on seizure, the de-sealing of the bags containing goods shall take place only in the court of law. All seized goods shall be dispatched to 'A' class warehouse on completion of investigations and valuables shall be sent to the State Bank of Pakistan for safe custody at once, after being received at the 'A' class state warehouses, in prescribed boxes. Whenever valuables are required for inspection by the adjudicating officer, a notice should be sent well in advance to the accused asking him to appear on the fixed date and time. The same notice shall be sent to custodian concerned to send the seized valuables through, preferably, the officer who originally seized them. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 991027 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rupee firm: FAP denies shortage of dollar ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, Oct 26: The Pak Rupee remained firm against US dollar in the kerb market on Tuesday as green bill had no demand, dealers claimed. The money changers continued to buy and sell dollar at Rs 54.35/54.40 as compared to the same rates prevailed on Monday. Dealers further claimed that trend in the money market was bearish and that dollar was available to people without any restriction. "Dollar is available up to limit of $10,000 without any restriction," said Malik Bostan, President Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP). He, however, said that authorized money changers are bound to refer the major transactions of $10,000 and above to State Bank. "There is no condition of any documents, passport for purchase of dollar in lesser amount," he said. In the inter-bank market also, the dollar rates remained subdued. The Forex Association of Pakistan (FAP) expects dollar rates to slide further allowing the Pak Rupee to gain ground as speculative activity has come to a an end. The SBP had placed a ban of at least 12 days on money changers to prevent capital flight and speculative activity in the open currency market.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 991027 ------------------------------------------------------------------- CBR announces new rules for seized goods' disposal ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Oct 26: Central Board of Revenue has announced new procedure for disposal of seized and confiscated goods to check irregularities which are causing loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer. The items covered by the new disposal procedure (Customs General Order No 43, dated Oct 26, 1999) would include gold, currency, silver, precious stones, consumer durables, motor vehicles, arms and ammunition, antiques, mobile telephones, batteries, parts and accessories. Narcotics, liquor, expired/banned drugs, acetic anhydride, medicines and chemicals which are health/environment hazards and obscene films and literature, shall continue to be destroyed. Gold shall continue to be deposited with the State Bank of Pakistan while currency should be directly tendered to the National Bank of Pakistan for realisation of proceeds to the government account. Grading of silver ripe for disposal will be carried out by the Pakistan Mint, Lahore, and sold to it if the mint is interested in buying. Grading and valuation of precious stones will be done by the Customs Valuation Committee constituted with gemstone experts, and offered for sale. Durable consumer goods like TV sets, VCRs, refrigerators, deep freezers, microwave ovens etc., and other goods shall be offered for sale to Utility Stores Corporation, Canteen Stores Department, Cooperatives Stores organizations of the provincial governments, NLC, Frontier Corps, Balochistan and NWFP, through their retail outlets. Controller Valuation, Customs, shall determine sale prices. Motor vehicles shall be disposed of only through public auction at the appraised value of the custom collectorate concerned. Arms and ammunition of prohibited bores shall be offered to the civil armed forces, police, FIA, PNCB, Customs and other forces for official use. Non-prohibited arms and ammunition shall be offered for sale through open tenders to licensed arms and ammunition dealers at prices pre-determined by the controller of Customs Valuation. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 991026 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sales Tax registration improves ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD; Oct 25: Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has recorded an improvement in the Sales Tax registration as the number of the department's assessees rose from 62,000 in June '99 to 65,000 at the end of the July-Sept quarter of '99-2000. Apart from bringing 2000 new assessees into the ST net, the Sales Tax department has reduced to zero the refunds pendency against the claimed amounts by exports manufacturers in the first quarter of the year. CBR had a total of 45,400 persons registered with the Sales Tax department by the end of Oct '98. In the first quarter of the current financial year, the achievement in expanding the net is unprecedented in view of the fact that one quarter (11,100) had to be de-registered during the financial year '98-99. This de-registration had to be carried out mainly due to these registered persons having paid not even a single rupee in sales tax by the end of Oct '98, forcing the CBR to decide de-registration. The Sales Tax increased the number of its registered persons' from 42,007 to 60,211 between June 30, '98 and June 30, '99, through an aggressive campaign, during which 5900 persons got de-registered, Dawn was informed by CBR officials. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 991030 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Leading blue chips end with clipped gains ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, Oct 29: Strong speculative buying in Hub-Power aided by optimism of an early settlement of the tariff cut issue with the Independent Power Producers (IPPs), featured the Friday's stock trading where leading blue chips ended with clipped gains owing to weekend selling. This optimism was based on reports that a World Bank team, one of the guarantors of the project, is due on Nov 1 to have detailed talks on the stand off and settle the 30-month old issue after reaching a consensus formula, analysts said. An idea of strong speculative buying in it may well be had from the fact that it alone traded for 82m shares out of the total turnover of 144m shares, up 75 paisa at Rs20.00 after hitting the day's best bid at Rs20.20. 'Massive volume in Hubco reflects that no one among the investors was inclined to miss the bandwagon and rode it violently amid rumours that the new set up wants to settle the tariff issue once for all', said member of the KSE. He said the current buying euphoria in it may continue next week also as the presence of the World Bank team in the capital is sure to generate fresh speculative buying at the current levels. The KSE 100-share index finished after moving either-way, rising by eight points and falling 4 points, finally ended at the last level of 1,189.33 points, showing no change over the day. 'It perhaps for the time that it showed a zero change, reflecting that investors are not inclined to take a bearish view of the developing situation on the corporate front', said a dealer. 'The settlement of tariff cut issue with the Independent Power Producers (IPPs), may not re-open the floodgate for foreign investment, it will certainly signal a major policy change regarding foreign stakes', they added. The new set up led by finance minister-designate, Shaukat Aziz will have to go an extra mile to reassure foreign investors including the IMF and World Bank highups, and 'Pakistan stands for a major policy change in real financial terms'. Floor brokers said there were fears in investor minds owing to financial pressures and economic worries but underneath them is a sense of optimism and they are willing to give an 'appropriate time to the new economic managers.' 'As the developing scenario indicates, the index is sure to be stabilised above 1,200 point barrier and some of the leading shares may well prove the trend-setters', they added. Leading shares in bank, energy, chemical, auto, insurance and some other sectors are ruling at the attractively lower levels and may attract any amount of short-covering giving the needed push to the market, they said. Prominent gainers were led by Bank of Punjab, Indus Bank, Tata Textiles, Abbott Lab, Millat Tractors, Pak-Suzuki Motors and BOC Pakistan, rising by one rupee to Rs7.00. Losers were led by Islamic Bank, Attock Refinery, Shell Pakistan, General Tyre, Pakistan Cables, Philips and Knoll, falling by Rs 2.00 to Rs5.25. DIVIDEND: Grindlays Modaraba, cash 22.5% and Lawrencepur Woollen, cash 22% for the year ended June 30, '99.Back to the top
=================================================================== EDITORIALS & FEATURES 991024 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Liquidation ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ardeshir Cowasjee "LET me, however, make this clear, in case there should be any mistake about it in any quarter. We mean to hold our own. I have not become the King's first minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire. For that task, if ever it were prescribed, someone else would have to be consulted." That was Winston Spencer Churchill, at his roaring best, when he spoke at the Mansion House in London on November 10, 1942. Four years later, with Churchill out of power, someone else was consulted and the empire was lost. In 1951, a Wykhemist friend of mine remarked, "Well, the Empire has gone, and with it a lot of chingchongs, oongaboongas and nignogs. The educated and the hardworking amongst them will rise, the rest will end up eating each other." We fell in the last category. What have our 'educated' leaders done with this nation? Where do we 140 millions find ourselves today? In effect, those who followed Jinnah have spread the belief that the world owes us a living, that we do not have to work for ourselves, that manna will fall, if not from heaven, from the willing open hands of powerful friends. The motley leaders we have had, be they potentates, dictators, autocrats, basic-democrats or pseudo-democrats have all tried to rule by emulating the West but without making any attempt, even the feeblest, to educate the illiterate masses. Within 25 years half the country was lost. Now, 25 years later, with the way things are going, no one can be sure for how long, or even if, the remaining half will remain intact. When great empires can be lost, so can puny weak countries. What goes in our favour is that there are no serious takers - "We will eat grass if we have to, but we will make the bomb." How are we regarded? What is the perception the outside world has of us? The heading of an editorial in 'The Times' of January 8, 1997, when Caretaker Farooq Leghari was supposed to be righting the wrong, was : 'Time for Pakistan - Delaying elections may be better than it appears.' It read ". . . . .A time limited delay of the February elections would not necessarily be as damaging to Pakistani democracy as it seems. The two leading contenders have both been dismissed from office on corruption charges; three months was always too short a time for credible choices to emerge from such polluted political machinery. Time would also allow the interim government to toughen up its accountability law, intended to disqualify politicians guilty of corruption. It was hastily drafted and has allowed too many big fish to slip through its meshes. In particular, there is need to tighten the new rules designed to bar politicians who have damaged the country's banking system by refusing to repay massive personal loans to which nothing but their political influence entitled them. Most of the technocrats filling the political vacuum are doing a respectable job. They have made deep cuts in the size of government, reduced the scope for political patronage, advanced privatization and introduced deep banking and tax reforms. They have also cancelled most 'development' projects, too many of which aim to buy votes with profligate public works schemes." Leghari disqualified nobody, wangled in Nawaz Sharif, with the aim of sitting in the saddle himself. Two and a half years later, an editorial in 'The Times' of October 13 1999 was headed 'Distortions of democracy - the military may be a less bad option for Pakistan today.' To quote from it : "In domestic tussles with the presidency, the judiciary, the growing number of political enemies, the press, religious factions, and the military, Mr Sharif has done little but try to extend his own powers . . . . . . . Mr Sharif's sorry record may be why Washington, despite its earlier warnings, is taking an unusually softly-softly tack, calling only for the swift restoration of democracy 'if a coup has taken place'. The outside world, like Pakistan's frustrated voters, may feel that a new government, even one brought in by the army, might be less bad for Pakistan than the distorted democracy it has endured until today." On October 18, came a further editorial headed 'Time and the General', part of which reads : "His [Musharraf's] message yesterday, therefore, was simple; give Pakistan a chance. He deserves to be heard. On virtually all matters, what he said was sensible. But Pakistanis will judge him by what now follows. Many want to see the smack of firm government, especially if it hits those who have corrupted the suffering country . . . . General Musharraf now has the chance and the determination to stamp out graft and bring in the austerity measures from which his predecessors shied away. As a member of a minority, he also made clear that the government will clamp down on religious persecution, ethnic conflict and tribal clashes that have threatened to pull Pakistan apart." A news report in 'The Economist' of October 16 has it that : "There were spontaneous celebrations at the ousting of Mr Sharif. The deposed prime minister had systematically undermined every institution capable of challenging or even questioning him, from the courts to the press to parliament." And, from a column in the 'Asian Wall Street Journal' of October 21 : ". . . . . . . . . Mr Sharif became intoxicated with the notion of running what he referred to as 'the most powerful civilian government in Pakistan's history'. To this end he secured the removal of a president, a supreme court chief justice . . . . . . . . . He appointed judges beholden to him . . . . . . . . . . His disregard for democratic institutions became obvious when he ordered his party members to storm the supreme court and prevent the hearing of cases of past corruption against him." On a more frivolous note, the 'Daily Telegraph' on October 21 opined that "Surely the Queen would rather have entertained the new leader of Pakistan . . . . General Pervez Musharraf who seized power last Tuesday seems a more decent fellow than President Zemin. For a start, he could chat to the Queen about his dogs - General Musharraf has two Pekinese called Dot and Buddy. . . . 'The Guardian', which normally puts military dictators in the same category as fat cats, called General Musharraf 'charming, articulate and approachable'. The US ambassador to Pakistan said he was 'a man of rectitude and sincerity'. . . . . . . A liberal Muslim, he has limited patience with Islamists and has promised to open his own tax returns for inspection." Also on October 21, Jim Hoagland in the 'Washington Post' wrote "Justifiable homicide is one way to think about the coup Pakistani General Pervez Musharraf staged against the corrupt, inept, democratically elected civilian government in Islamabad last week. Musharraf deserves no applause for what he has done. But thus far he has not earned hanging, either . . . . . . 'We have hit rock bottom,' Musharraf said in his first address to a nation that must treat that assessment as unbridled optimism. For three decades Pakistan has been ruled by charlatans, crooks, fanatics and a certifiable war-criminal or two. The considerable talents and graces individual Pakistanis manifest have been relentlessly driven out of their national politics . . . . . . Throughout the downward spiral - with brief respites when sober-minded technocrats were put in charge - the United States has been there to cheer on the quack of the day as the only hope that things would not get even worse, and to welcome the next quack when things did get even worse . . . . "I experienced the strength of the US tilt towards Pakistan in covering, from Calcutta and then Islamabad, the 1971 India-Pakistan war, a conflict in which Pakistan's leaders had authorized genocidal campaigns against the population of Bangladesh. That was not what counted in Washington. The United States sought to build up Pakistan as a counterweight to a huge headstrong Indian democracy that Washington had never been able to accommodate easily in its strategic thinking . . . . . If the Pakistanis do not draw lessons from the dead end they have reached - and history and human nature suggest they won't - the United States must nonetheless seize this opportunity to show that it has finally learned where its paramount interests lie. Washington has nothing further to gain by manipulating, cajoling or overestimating Pakistan as a regional ally, or by pretending to treat it on an equal footing with India, or as strategic bridge to China . . . . . "Pakistan has become a sideshow in geopolitical terms . . . . The Clinton administration does not shed even crocodile tears over Sharif's fate. Washington urges only a return to democracy, not restoration of a prime minister who systematically undermined Pakistan's other institutions." Every (repeat every) institution of the state necessary for the maintenance of law and order, for the dispensation of justice, and for good governance has allowed itself to be destroyed or has recklessly and selfishly destroyed itself. We go back to 1947 and to what Jinnah said in the creed he enunciated on August 11 of that year : "The first observation I would like to make is this : you will no doubt agree with me that the first duty of a government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property and religious beliefs of all its subjects are fully protected by the state." To General Musharraf I say : Make haste slowly. Stand firm and excel. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 991029 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sinking into the sand ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayaz Amir THIS was supposed to be a blitzkrieg, carrying everything before it, smashing the pillars of corruption and turning the waters of the five rivers red with the blood of accountability. It is acquiring instead all the hallmarks of a classic battle of attrition reminiscent of the trench warfare of 1914-18. Nothing so strikingly illustrates this as the first batch of names chosen for the National Security Council (NSC) and the cabinet. After 15 days of frenzied consultations, is this what the army has to show for its pains? It does not say much for the skill employed in the search or indeed for the abundance of talent available in the Islamic Republic. Sharifuddin Pirzada as the principal adviser to the Chief Executive? The mind boggles. Pirzada has been adviser, legal counsel, eminence grise to every tinpot dictator since Field Marshal Ayub Khan. What are the generals hoping to get from him? If they want the status quo defended, he is their man. But if this takeover is about changing the nation's destiny, as the Chief Executive insists it is, what will be Pirzada's role who is already saying that his inclusion in the new set-up is not a full-time job? Interestingly, as in the deal he swung with General Zia whose legal adviser he also was, membership in the highest councils of government will not debar Pirzada from his private practice. The finance commissar of the revolution unfolding before our eyes is Dr Yaqub who in his extended term as State Bank Governor may not have done much to turn the economy around but who has definitely set a record of survival which most politicians would envy. Although a clutch of scandals and scams have hit the banking sector during his stewardship of the State Bank - the Mehran Bank scandal, the travails of Bankers Equity Ltd, Nawaz Sharif's various yellow schemes, the Mera Ghar programme - the reputation for probity and financial brilliance of Pakistan's very own Alan Greenspan remains intact. At Attiya Enayatullah's inclusion in the NSC the mind does not only boggle, it goes into a bewildered sleep. She is a charming lady and a great lobbyist of the causes she espouses (population control, her own career, and not necessarily in that order), but as far as having a measure of Pakistan's problems is concerned, she is simply out of her depth. The fourth person to have been inducted into the NSC is Imtiaz Sahibzada. He is a nice person (every one seems to be a nice person around here) and a Gallian (alumnus of Lawrence College) to boot. But, pray, what in heaven's name is he expected to achieve? Foreign minister is Abdus Sattar. As foreign secretary he was taken seriously. Ever since he takes himself seriously, a sense of humour seemingly alien to the man. To plumb his depths further read the longish dissertation on nuclear matters which he recently co- authored with Mr Agha Shahi and Air Chief Marshal Zulfiqar Ali Khan although I suspect most of it was written by him. That a single document should bristle with so many contradictions and half-baked generalizations is quite amazing. Finance minister is a New York import (Citibank), Shaukat Aziz. Why this country must remain dependent upon such fly-by-night reformers will remain a mystery till the cows finally come home. Fifteen days if not more of anguished cogitation, and 140 million people to choose from, and this is what we get. Obviously, there is no escaping the glitter of mediocrity in this country. General Jahangir Karamat has a lot to answer for: for the weakness he showed at several turnings when a bit of firmness was demanded and for this idea of a national security council (the reason for his quarrel with Nawaz Sharif) which his successors have picked up from him. What good will it do? Apart from the other service chiefs who are in it as of right, its other members are creatures of the Chief Executive. Will they be able to advise him in the real sense of the word and check him should the need so arise? If not, and they simply sing to his tune, or pander to the shibboleths which become the received wisdom of the moment, what useful purpose will they serve? As a check on a democratically-elected government, an NSC can make sense from the military's point of view (I repeat from the military's point of view). But in a military set-up it is not only a contradiction in terms but also an exercise in redundancy. There will be the corps commanders calling the shots from the wings. There will be the cabinet advising the Chief Executive and helping him implement policy (or whatever passes for policy in Pakistan). How many more layers of advice does the country need? All this amounts to running on the same spot. What does it betoken? To most people it would look like confusion. If something looks like a duck, waddles like a duck and quacks like a duck, in all probability it is a duck. In the same way, something smelling so strongly of confusion is probably confusion.Most of this confusion stems from a lack of clarity about aim and objectives, a serious failing in any endeavour but absolutely fatal in a military undertaking where decisiveness of action is lost if the mission is not defined with clarity and precision. Reviving the economy, carrying out accountability, strengthening national cohesion are objectives which have tested the collective wisdom of the Pakistani nation for the last 52 years. How much time does the Chief Executive want for fulfilling this agenda? In Saudi Arabia he said it could take anything from six months to three years or even longer. A six months' limit we can safely discard for if it took 15 days to pick Sharifuddin Pirzada and his team, it gives us an idea of the speed at which this dispensation is likely to work. As it is, the economy is being revived since Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's time. Accountability became a catchword under Zia, a good 22 years ago. Strengthening national cohesion is an open-ended exercise. Free elections will follow not precede the fulfilment of these aims. We are talking therefore of a flexible time-frame made finite or infinite depending upon the convenience of the time-keepers. The trouble is that whenever the army has ridden into the political arena it has done so on the back of iron certainties, convinced that to every problem there is a black and white solution. It has usually not tended to understand (1) that life is a complex affair, often a messy one, with little of the beguiling simplicity of the parade ground; (2) that politics is not a search for perfection, because perfection we will find only in heaven, but an undertaking in which a choice all the time has to be made between lesser and greater evils; and (3) that given its make-up and ethos, its conservative background and the intellectual limitations of its higher echelons, the Pakistan army can never be a wholly satisfactory or ideal instrument of lasting reform. It is not a question of individuals being good or bad. General Musharraf may be a very nice person but that is not the issue. The issue is that power, especially untrammelled power, encourages arbitrary and whimsical behaviour. This has been the sub- continental norm throughout history. This has been the Pakistani norm since 1947. Ghulam Muhammad, Iskander Mirza, Ayub Khan, Yahya, Bhutto, Zia, Benazir, Nawaz Sharif: all of them, regardless of whether they were elected or not, have exercised power in the manner of mediaeval despots, treating the state as their personal estate, the state's servants as their personal retainers. This is the Pakistani problem and from it flow the other symptoms which so agitate us and form part of our national discourse: corruption, misuse of authority, the looting of banks, the squandering of national resources, etc. How can the army solve this problem when its first and last resource in the political arena is the untrammelled exercise of authority? Wherein lies the answer then? At the risk of sounding anti- climactic, it lies in creating an ethos in which institutions are developed and laws respected. If this task requires time and hard work it begins with a crucial step: ensuring that in all seasons the state's functionaries are chosen for their merit and talent and not their political usefulness. If the army can provide just this, if it can leave in place constitutionally-protected checks which ensure, firstly, that in the judiciary and bureaucracy the best available people are appointed and, secondly, that the administration of justice and the maintenance of law and order are insulated from the influence of politics, sifarish and money, it will have done its job and earned the nation's gratitude. Addressing the other problems facing the country can then proceed in an institutional rather than an ad-hoc manner. The army's own self-interest is tied to this approach. More than most countries in the same league, Pakistan needs a professionally competent and politically neutral military, qualities put at risk when generals, admirals and air marshals acquire a taste for power. The choice, accordingly, is simple: to be distracted by an open- ended agenda and sink, inevitably, deeper into the mire or concentrate on essentials and get out while the sun still shines? DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 991030 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Please keep it short ------------------------------------------------------------------- Irfan Husain SOON after she returned from exile in those heady days of 1986, Benazir Bhutto complained that giving her advice had become a cottage industry. And in truth, many of us columnists were guilty of offering the exciting young politician reams of gratuitous counsel. Thirteen years later, we are still at it. No sooner had General Pervez Musharraf announced that he was taking over that he was virtually inundated in a flood of advice from every quarter. Even those who a few days earlier had been praising Nawaz Sharif to the skies pitched in with suggestions on how the country should be governed. Critics of the previous government were equally free with their advice. But no matter what direction these exhortations came from, the one thing they had in common was that evenhanded accountability of politicians should be carried out. So far, I have resisted the temptation to add my two paisa worth to this tidal wave of wisdom flowing towards the GHQ from every point on the compass. Expatriate Pakistanis are especially keen to have their voices heard: several have copied e-mails to me containing "Open letters to General Musharraf". The bottom line for most of them is that crooked politicians should be hanged immediately. If many of them had their way, Nawaz Sharif, in particular, would be in for a very tough time. As I write this, over two weeks have passed since the coup, and I will do what Oscar Wilde did when faced with temptation: give in. But before I hold forth, let me share a very appropriate quotation from Alexander Pope: "For forms of government let fools contest: Whate're is best administered is best". Just so. If the present regime can give us a modicum of good governance, a respite from the madness and hysteria that have engulfed this country for decades, and a moderate revival of the economy, we will have reason to be grateful. But any misguided notion that the army has a magic wand to solve all our problems needs an immediate reality check. The same army has tried and failed several times before, and there is no reason to believe that experience has been a good teacher. Despite the best will in the world, no army in the world is trained to address issues like the reform of local government and banking laws. If there is currently consensus on anything, it is that accountability needs to be enforced across the board and the economy needs to be revived. The third point on this short agenda is that elections should be held as soon as the first two tasks have been completed. Any good manager knows that to succeed, a few quantifiable and achievable targets should be fixed. The longer the agenda, the fewer the chances of meeting any of the goals. Dissipation of focus and resources must be avoided to achieve optimum results. So far, the junta has moved with all the speed of a wounded glacier. The generals must realize that the goodwill they currently enjoy is a very perishable commodity. Public approbation is a fickle thing. Sooner rather than later, people will tire of the masterly inaction we have witnessed thus far. The government should take the tough decisions now while it is still riding a groundswell of popularity. One of the things General Musharraf said in his policy speech to the nation appealed to me strongly, and that was his firm stand against sectarian violence of any kind. Although this is outside the three-point agenda I have outlined above, the fact is that no economic revival can take place if peace is not restored to this divided nation. He should make it illegal to preach violence against any sect or faith, and come down very heavily on offenders. We have witnessed leaders of sectarian militias being arrested and then released time and again as timid politicians have backed off from trying these zealots. The police, too, are frightened of these gangs. Clearly, this is a job only the army can do. We have seen that international reaction to the coup has been largely negative. While this may stem from a lack of understanding of the political realities in Pakistan, the fact remains that military regimes are in bad odour worldwide. As long as the country is led by a general in uniform, foreign aid, loans and investments will slow to a trickle. In addition, India will have a valid excuse not to sit down at the conference table with Pakistan. Internally, an open-ended dictatorship is bound to unite and galvanize politicians and political parties into uniting against the regime. For all these reasons, a clear timetable for the return to democracy needs to be announced now. This is another argument for keeping the junta's agenda short. A two-year timeframe for accountability and a revival of the economy does not seem unreasonable. Clearly, bank defaulters and tax evaders would need to be tried in special courts as the present system is not geared to try hundreds of such cases in a reasonably short period of time. And once the IPP issue has been resolved, we can hope for an improvement in the investment climate. So far, there have been no human rights violations committed by the military regime, and this is a record it must maintain. But Nawaz Sharif and some of his henchmen are still under detention at undisclosed locations without any charges being framed. While I have little sympathy for them, I feel their legal rights must be respected. By all means throw the book at them, but only within the ambit of the law. Even if Nawaz Sharif is released on bail, he is such an unpopular figure that he is unlikely to lead the people to the barricades against the army. The signals one gets from Islamabad are of indecision and drift. The team named thus far does not fire the imagination as it is composed largely of unexciting personalities who, despite their personal integrity, have shown no signs of innovation or creative energy even in the prime of their lives. Now, in the twilight of their careers, they will plod on at best but seem unlikely candidates for the role of saviours they are being asked to play. Indeed, one of them, Dr Mohammed Yaqub, the governor of the State Bank, has presided over the looting of foreign currency accounts by successive governments as well as the milking of nationalized banks by Nawaz Sharif and his cronies. I do not recall him lodging any protests over this blatant misuse of power. But I, for one, am willing to suspend cynicism and disbelief for a while, and let the Chief Executive deliver on his many promises. However, I would urge him not to overstay his welcome.
=================================================================== SPORTS 991028 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Wasim's century in vain as Pakistan lose against Western Australia ------------------------------------------------------------------- PERTH (Australia), Oct 27: Pakistan were defeated by Western Australia by three runs despite a hard-hitting century by right- handed batsman Mohammad Wasim here Wednesday night in the World Cup finalists' first major game of their Australian tour. Pakistan had appeared set for victory, but lost three wickets in the last over of their innings to finish with 250-9 after Western Australia had reached 253-7. Wasim, batting at number three, hammered 100 from 116 balls. The morale-sapping loss followed the tourists' seven-wicket drubbing by an Australian Cricket Board Chairman's X1 in a carnival game at Lilac Hill Park near here Tuesday. With one over of their innings to go, Pakistan were 248-6, needing just six runs for victory off six deliveries. Medium pace bowler Kade Harvey became a hero for the local team by trapping Wasim with the first ball and bowling both Mushtaq Ahmed for one and Shoaib Akhtar for a duck with his fifth and sixth balls. Other important batting contributions for Pakistan came from opener Saeed Anwar on 31, acting Captain Ijaz Ahmed with 35 and Yousuf Youhana with 25. Sub-standard fielding and a slow over rate cost Pakistan dearly in the Western Australian innings. Two catches - both off express bowler Shoaib Akhtar - were grounded, general ball handling was sloppy and the overs were sent down so slowly that the team was penalised by having three overs deducted from their batting allocation. On the credit side, 19-year-old speed merchant Abdur Razzaq excelled, maintaining the promise he showed in this year's World Cup, and fast bowling sensation Shoaib Akhtar worked up a blistering pace. Razzaq, who earned 13 wickets during the World Cup in England, captured a well-merited 4-64 from his 10 overs.-AFP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 991026 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shoaib wants to break 100m barrier ------------------------------------------------------------------- PERTH (Australia), Oct 25: Pakistan's explosive fast bowler Shoaib Ahktar revealed here Monday he is planning to become the first man in the world to be recorded hurling the ball down at 100mph (161kph). And the 24-year-old right-arm firebrand said he aimed to break that barrier in the next month, during the three-Test series against Australia, starting in the Queensland state capital of Brisbane November 5. "I am ready for the fire now," he said, declaring he was fully recovered from a bowling shoulder injury which has sidelined him for the past three months. "I will try to bowl really fast and I would like to break the 100mph barrier on this tour - I am really looking forward to it," he said after the tourists' first training session at the WACA Ground Monday afternoon. "God made me like I am and I cannot help it," he said, referring to his explosive action which made a massive impact during the World Cup in England earlier this year when Pakistan reached the final before being crushed by Australia in the final at Lord's.-AFP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 991025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan eager to avenge World Cup humiliation ------------------------------------------------------------------- Qamar Ahmed At the end of the month Pakistan will be embarking on another tour of Australia, their ninth, since they first stepped in the Antipodes in 1964 under the master batsman Hanif Mohammad. The two countries have since played forty Test between them at home and away of which Australia has won 14, Pakistan 11 and 15 Tests have ended without result. Surprisingly however, whereas Pakistan has a rather envious record of seven wins against only two by Australia in Pakistan in17 Test played here, Pakistan somehow has failed to dominate the Aussies Down Under. Of the 23 Tests in Australia Pakistan has won only four and Australia incredibly 12 matches. And Pakistan is yet to win a series on their soil. The only worth mentioning success in Australia has been Pakistan's win in the World Series Cricket (WSC) in 1996 when they outplayed both Australia and the West Indies in the finals at the MCG. That indeed is a big credit in itself as not many countries have the privilege of winning the WSC championship. Every time that Pakistan takes off on a tour of Australia they are well focussed on winning the elusive Test series. On occasions they managed to come near it but yet remained too far. The forthcoming tour by Pakistan once again facing a similar situation. Last time that they met in the Test series was in Pakistan last year, Australia took the series 1-0, their first win in a series in Pakistan for 39 years. Mark Taylor, the then captain had then struck 334 in the second Test at Peshawar in a drawn Test after Australia had won the first Test of the series at Rawalpindi with the support of the leg-spinner Stuart MacGill. Pakistan had played poorly in that series after Aamir Sohail had taken over the captaincy briefly. The humiliation, has to be avenged, says the present Pakistan captain Wasim Akram who after all the aches and pains of recent controversies in Pakistan cricket has been reinstated. Despite some brilliant performances in the last World Cup they failed to rise in the finals against Australia at Lord's having had tremendous success in the preliminary matches. Thoroughly professional Australia had however, reserved trump cards for the finals as they came from behind and took away the cherished prize. For the last one month I was with them in Sri Lanka during the three match Test series. They had lost their first one-day trophy against the Indians and Sri Lanka which surely was shocking to say the least for the Australian followers who only a couple of months ago had given their team a ticker-tape reception for the World Cup victory against Pakistan. In the Tests they looked an ordinary side. Sri Lanka easily beat them in the first Test at Kandy by six wickets and within three days and if rain had not come to their rescue they might have even lost the series at Galle before the final Test at Colombo. With the last two Tests drawn Sri Lanka won their first ever Test series against them and they looked a lot better side than the Australians as the visiting captain Steve Waugh himself admitted after the series. Injuries to Jason Gillespie and Steve Waugh who had collided in the Kandy Test while attempting a catch, lack of form of the rest of the batsmen like Mark Waugh who had make five ducks in six innings in Sri Lanka on various visits and that of the other batsmen had given Sri Lanka the edge. That outing in the emerald island should however not be taken as the measuring stick for the Australians ability to spring back and shock their visitors on their home grounds. Every thing favours them, the bouncy pitches, the atmosphere and the crowd all contribute and that is not only true for the Australians but for every country. Pakistan however has tremendous capacity and also enormous talent which makes them a dreaded opponent. Australians that I talked to on my recent visit to Sri Lanka are acutely aware of this. They consider Pakistanthe biggest threat to them. Steve Waugh considers Wasim Akram the most dangerous bowler and the team as unpredictable as ever. "We are looking forward to Pakistan visit, they are a very strong side, we all know and we will have to raise our standards if we have to damage them and stop them from winning against us in Australia," says Steve Waugh. Pakistan in full strength could be a daunting prospect, they have an allround team with their weaknesses in batting and fielding meticulously studied by the Australians who had a close look at them during the Test series in Pakistan and in the recent World Cup. If only Saqlain Mushtaq, Mushtaq,Ahmed, Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram remain fit and untested Shabbir Ahmed is able to show form, Pakistan bowling could be a handful on the bouncy tracks of Australia. ------------------------------------------------------------------- You can subscribe to DWS by sending an email to <subscribe.dws@dawn.com>, with the following text in the BODY of your message: subscribe dws To unsubscribe, send an email to <unsubscribe.dws@dawn.com>, with the following in the BODY of you message: unsubscribe dws ------------------------------------------------------------------- Back to the top.
Dawn page
Webbed by Philip McEldowney
Last update: .