------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 26 February 2000 Issue : 06/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Contents | National News | Business & Economy | Editorials & Features | Sports
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CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + Commanders finalize strategy: Army vows to protect borders + Clinton has not set any timeframe for visit to Pakistan + Clinton may plan separate visit to Pakistan, hints Talbott + Army to document economy: Tax base to be widened, GST from July 1 + Statements to be made public after scrutiny + Benazir objects to putting her name on ECL + Army prepared to meet eventuality, says Musharraf + Judiciary empowered to interpret any law: CJ + US senators' conditions for Clinton visit + Sindh refuses to pay wheat import dues + 115 former legislators on ECL + Illegal immigration: Canada offers help to Pakistan + Private TV channels to start operation soon + Illegal weapons can be sold to govt, says Moin --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + Diplomats to be told to boost exports + Ordinance on sick units soon: Shaukat + Cash management: Investment banks to report details to SBP + HBL loan defaults up to Rs300 billion, says ex-president + Shaukat hopes to achieve 4% growth rate + Privatized concerns still owe Rs21.6 billion + Pakistan expels three Indian High Commission officials + State Bank of Pakistan allows inter-bank transfer of frozen FCA + 10% tax on export indenting agent fixed + Food support scheme for the poor from July --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + 'Blowback' Ardeshir Cowasjee + Too many shadows Ayaz Amir + The earthquake next door Irfan Husain ----------- SPORTS + Azlan Shah hockey final: Pakistan and South Korea end undefeated + 5 uncapped players named in 18-man Pakistan Test squad + Moin to take over from Saeed after home series + National championship commences today
=================================================================== DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS 20000223 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Commanders finalize strategy: Army vows to protect borders ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, Feb 22: A two-day conference of the Corps Commanders, which concluded here on Tuesday, pledged that the country's borders would be protected at all costs against any external aggression. Informed sources said that the conference, which was presided over by Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf at the General Headquarters (GHQ), Rawalpindi, although spent most of its time in discussing professional matters, vowed to thwart India's hegemonic ambitions. The sources said that it was the unanimous decision of all the participants, including the Principal Staff Officers (PSOs), that Pakistan's armed forces should continue to exercise restraint despite provocation by the Indian leadership and almost regular firing along the Line of Control (LoC). The chief executive told the conference that the armed forces were fully alert to take on the enemy if it imposed war against Pakistan. Gen Musharraf, sources said, also told the meeting that the United States, China and important European countries today understood Pakistan's point of view better and believed that without the resolution of Kashmir problem, there could not be any lasting peace in the region. He said that Pakistan would continue to provide all possible moral, diplomatic and political support to the people of occupied Kashmir. The sources said that a two-day conference further took up various issues relating to good governance. It was told that all the corrupt government officers would soon be removed from their services and punished under the law of the land. According to a handout of the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) Directorate the conference deliberated at length on matters of professional interest. Presentations were made by the Engineering-in-Chief, Director General Logistics, Director General Command Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000225 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Clinton has not set any timeframe for visit to Pakistan ------------------------------------------------------------------- WASHINGTON, Feb 24: White House has said President Bill Clinton has not set any time frame on making the decision to include Pakistan in his next month's visit to South Asia. "We don't have any particular time frame on making the decision," White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart told a press briefing. He was responding to a question that Senator Tom Daschle and several others were urging the President to go to Pakistan. Lockhart cited last week's press conference of US President in which he did not rule out visiting Pakistan in his South Asian tour. "I will make a decision about whether to go (to Pakistan) based on what I think will best serve our long-term interest in non- proliferation, in trying to stop particularly, the arms race, and trying to help promote stability, democracy and a resolution of the conflict between India and Pakistan," Clinton had said on February 16 in response to a question at a press conference. Clinton said he hoped that his visit to South Asia would highlight to Americans the importance of that region of the world to the United States. "And the very real danger that a conflict between India and Pakistan not contained is one of the most significant security threats to the interests of the United States in this new century," he had said. "I think the President was clear last week in the press conference that he has not made up his mind, and he will make up his mind based on what he thinks is in the best interest, what is in the U.S. national interest," the White House spokesman said. "But we have not tried to put an artificial time frame on it that we've got to decide by this day or that day, and I expect that if we come to a conclusion one way or the other, we'll find a way to let you know," he added. (APP) DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000226 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Clinton may plan separate visit to Pakistan, hints Talbott ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent WASHINGTON, Feb 25: Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott on Thursday gave the strongest indication yet that President Clinton may delink a visit to Pakistan with his visit to India. "There is strong support in the administration for delinking India and Pakistan and allowing a decision on a trip to India to be made independently of one on Pakistan," Talbott said speaking at the Centre for Strategic Studies in Washington. "We believe both countries when each wants to be treated in its own light," Talbott said. "Very much in that light the president will make his decision on his itinerary," he said. His comments came as a decision by top White House and National Security Council officials was apparently delayed on Thursday and was now likely to be made sometime next week, according to informed sources. Amid an intense debate that is going on within the administration on whether the president should go to Pakistan or not, various lobbies are working full time to swing the decision. The Pakistanis were surprised by an intelligently timed leak in Washington Times two days back which raised the spectre of a security threat to the president in Pakistan and that his life may be at risk because militants had infiltrated the ISI. When Pakistan officials raised the issue with the administration they apologized for the leak, a senior Pakistani diplomat confirmed on Friday. But he said that so far the security question has not been discussed or raised as it would come up only after a decision is made by the president to visit Pakistan. The Washington Times, which splashed the security threat two days back, published the statement of Pakistan embassy's deputy chief Zamir Akram on Friday in the middle of a story on the Indian community's influence in US politics. The Times said: "Pakistani officials also disputed a report in the Times on Wednesday that the US Secret Service was against a presidential visit to Pakistan because it believed Muslim militants had infiltrated ISI. "I can deny that ISI is infiltrated by extremist groups. Senior administration officials apologized... for the leak," Mr. Akram was quoted as saying. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000225 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Army to document economy: Tax base to be widened, GST from July 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ihtasham ul Haque ISLAMABAD, Feb 24: The National Security Council (NSC) here on Thursday decided to broaden the tax base, reduce the number of taxes, slash their rates, bring tax dodgers to book and induct the army to undertake documentation of the economy. According to a press release issued after the meeting, Chief Executive Gen Musharraf, who presided over it, told the participants that provincial accountability bureaus were being established to expedite and enlarge the scope of accountability for which the army monitoring system was also being strengthened to collect and provide all relevant data "so that those who looted the country do not go unpunished." Official sources told Dawn that the chief executive sought suggestions from the members of the NSC for increasing revenues. The newly-inducted member of the NSC, Shafi Niaz, was of the view that time had come when the government would have to take strict action against those who did not pay their tax dues. Pakistan's formal economy is officially estimated at around Rs3 trillion. The informal economy, which also includes black economy and is about 50-75 per cent of the formal economy and which exists at present side by side with the formal economy, is expected to be flushed out if the entire economy is documented. The incidence of taxes in Pakistan and their rates are said to be the highest compared to other developing countries. One source said a businessman had to suffer the burden of as many as 100 different kind of taxes and their rates ranged up to 45 per cent. GST: The NSC was told that general sales tax would be recovered from July 1 this year and that no opposition whatsoever would be tolerated against it. According to the CBR, there were 2.2 million small traders who had been resisting the GST in the past and were still unprepared to pay this tax. They had vowed to observe a countywide strike if this tax was recovered from them. The military government had earlier backed out of its decision to levy the GST on retailers. However, Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz now says that this time the government means business and that GST will have to be recovered from small traders. The sources said Mr Niaz, who is an expert on issues relating to agriculture, also called for effectively levying tax on agriculture income. In this regard he said that concerned experts should devise a formula for introducing the tax to be recovered from the next financial year. The meeting was told although agriculture tax was a provincial subject and was very much there, it needed to be effectively imposed. Some of the senior officials of the ministry of finance believed that it would be a big achievement if the military government collected even Rs2 billion from this head during 2000- 2001. Earlier, both the PML and PPP governments could not collect more than Rs500 million annually on this account. The chief executive regretted that successive governments had failed to document the economy, with the result there had always been a failure to meet the revenue targets. He said his government would not tolerate revenue leakage and would bring to book both the tax dodgers and the corrupt officials of the Central Board of Revenue(CBR). The sources said the chief executive pointed out that for the first time the army was being asked to take the responsibility of documenting the economy in order to increase the revenue collection. The concerned officials, when contacted, said that the job of documenting the economy would be initiated with the help of the corporate sector, which was doing business with small businessmen who were avoiding to pay their taxes. "The corporate sector will provide the details of names and business addresses of those small businessmen with whom they are doing business and this is how we plan to undertake the exercise to document the economy and increase our revenues", said an official. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000226 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Statements to be made public after scrutiny ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, Feb 25: The anti-terrorism court (ATC), trying deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif and six others in the October 12 plane hijacking case, ruled on Friday that statements by defendants would be released to the public or media only after scrutiny by the court. Judge Rahmat Hussain Jafferi of the ATC-1 passed the order on an application of the prosecution seeking reporting ban on statements of the accused, to be recorded in the court under Section 342 of Pakistan Penal Code. The section reads: "For the purpose of enabling the accused to explain any circumstances appearing in the evidence against him, the Court may, at any stage of any inquiry or trial without previously warning the accused, put such questions to him as the Court considers necessary, and shall, for the purpose aforesaid, question him generally on the case after the witnesses for the prosecution have been examined and before he is called on for his defence." Advocate-General Raja Qureshi in his application had apprehended that statements by the accused were likely to be "scandalous aimed at tarnishing the image of the present system prevailing in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan which itself is under legal scrutiny before the apex court at Islamabad and until such time a final verdict is given, such statements relating to proceedings and challenging the present system may not be allowed to be released to the public or media for public consumption." However, defence counsel Ijaz Batalvi and Khawaja Sultan had opposed the application and argued that the defendants had right to speak and that right should not be curtailed and shortened. CASSETTE REPLAY: Judge Jafferi on Friday allowed another application of the prosecution for replaying of cassettes reproduced from the spools containing conversation between the cockpit of flight PK-805, the air traffic control and the approach radar control. The judge fi|ed the replaying of the cassettes for Wednesday when the hearing of the case resumes. ASF OFFICIAL'S EVIDENCE: The judge also disposed of an application of the defence for examining a prosecution witness as court witness and ordered that the defence was "at liberty to examine PW Mohammed Asif Tiwana in their defence at an appropriate stage." The application was filed by Malik Manzoor Ahmed, attorney for former IG Police Sindh Rana Maqbool Ahmed, under Section 540 of CrPC, for examining Mr Tiwana, the ASF official who allegedly prepared the video tape of close circuit TV at the Jinnah Terminal on Oct 12. The ASF official was among the witnesses who were given up by the prosecution on the grounds that "either they were not necessary or won over by the defence." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000225 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Benazir objects to putting her name on ECL ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Feb 24: Former prime minister and chairperson of PPP Benazir Bhutto on Thursday objected to her inclusion on the Exit Control List stating that she "has not borrowed any money from Pakistan banks" and certainly "has not defaulted on any loans". "There is absolutely no justification for my inclusion on this list," Ms. Bhutto declared in a statement issued here by PPP media cell. "I have neither borrowed money from the banks nor owe money to them. I am concerned that the National Accountability Bureau is using this list as a tool to control the movement of its political opponents and malign the reputation of innocent parties," she said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000224 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Army prepared to meet eventuality, says Musharraf ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent QUETTA, Feb 23: Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf has said that Pakistan was fully alive to the rapidly changing geo-political situation in the region and prepared to meet any eventuality. He said this while speaking to officers and troops at Zhob and Sibi garrisons here on Wednesday. Gen Musharraf said that neither the abundance of resources nor the comfort of large arsenal assured success in war. It was the combination of resolve, determination, efficient and intelligent use of available assets and the willingness to undergo any amount of hardship that attained success to which our armed forces were quite capable of, he added. He said: "Our armed forces are quite competent to foil any attempt of belligerence on the motherland and would prove the trust bestowed upon them". Gen Musharraf said the armed forces as custodian of defence of the motherland would Inshallah live up to the nation's expectation in all times to come. The chief of the Army staff said that all possible efforts were in hand to upgrade and equip "our services with most modern and state- of-the-art equipme t and weapon system". He stressed on all ranks to not only improve their existing standard of training making it more realistic and cost-effective, but also devote greater time and energy for the maintenance of weapon and logistic infrastructure held with them. He urged them to remain in close harmony with the civil administration and work for the prosperity of Balochistan and the country. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000223 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Judiciary empowered to interpret any law: CJ ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, Feb 22: Chief Justice Irshad Hasan Khan said on Tuesday that judiciary in Pakistan was independent and had the right to interpret any provision of the Constitution or any other legislative instrument. Speaking at the conference of the board of directors of Asian Ombudsman Association, the CJ said the judiciary in Pakistan was independent and enjoyed the power to interpret any provision of the Constitution or any other legislative instrument. The SC has the jurisdiction even to interpret that provision which sought to oust the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. "It [SC] claims and has always claimed that it has the right to interpret the Constitution and any legislative instrument and to say what a particular provision of the Constitution or a legislative instrument means or does not mean, even if that particular provision is a provision seeking to oust the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court." The CJ said if judicial system was allowed to function without any let or hindrance and if it worked well, the people could live peacefully and enjoy freedom, security of their persons, as well as the rewards of their labour. "If the judicial system works badly, then the lives of the people would be marred by constant fear of crime, including terrorism." The administration of justice in the civilized world, including the USA, the UK, India and Pakistan, was confronted with workload. "Continual addition of judges and courts in all branches of law is a temporary solution to the backlog crises," he added. "What is, therefore, required is the strategy to be evolved, determining the priorities and objectives in a coherent and constructive way." He said that genuine effort must be made by all and sundry for the maintenance of independence of the judiciary and encouragement of public confidence in the judicial system. The CJ said the institution of Ombudsman in Pakistan could play a very effective and meaningful role in controlling litigation explosion in courts relating to acts of maladministration of public functionaries, by providing cheap and expeditious justice to the people at their door step. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000224 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US senators' conditions for Clinton visit ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shaheen Sehbai WASHINGTON, Feb 23: Nine leading US se~ators on Tuesday urged President Clinton to visit India and Pakistan only if there were assurances of progress on any of the issues he would discuss there. In a letter to the president these senators, from both the Democratic and Republican parties, said if there could be progress, "then we would urge you equally strongly to include both India and Pakistan on your itinerary." Their letter was part of a growing, but so far implicit, public demand that Mr Clinton should review the entire South Asia visit as the signs were he might not achieve anything and would turn it just into a failed public relations exercise. On Monday the New York Times had written a long story on similar lines and had argued that President Clinton risked stirring an adverse backlash in the current charged atmosphere with India and Pakistan having dug in their heels on the most contentious issues. The Times predicted that Mr Clinton was likely to be disappointed if he was hoping to persuade India to return to negotiations with Pakistan. "Mr Clinton is overestimating the power of his personality to get the two sides talking again," it said, adding "the downside is steep either way he calls it." The nine senators told President Clinton "the historic nature of your proposed trip warrants extraordinary progress on the issues that divide the South Asian subcontinent." They also argued that given the historical uniqueness of the trip, he should consider including Pakistan in the itinerary. "American policy to the region has always been aimed at achieving a balance between the two dominant powers," they said. Many of these nine senators recently visited Pakistan and met Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf and said it might well be impossible to resolve the many contentious issues with one nation without the concurrence of the other. The signatories to the letter sent to the president include Senators Tom Daschle, Tim Johnson, Chris Dodd, Bob Toricelli, Charles Schumer, Dick Durban, Harry Reid, Byron Dorgan and Daniel Akaka. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000224 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sindh refuses to pay wheat import dues ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Feb 23: The Sindh government has refused to pay Rs4.6 billion dues to the Centre on account of imported wheat, accusing the federal government of purchasing the wheat at much lower rate than it sold to the provincial government during 1997-98 and 1998- 99. The Sindh government has further excused itself saying it is also facing serious pressure from 2.2 million alien and 0.8 million non- resident population in Karachi who have so far consumed a subsidy of Rs3 billion on wheat since 1991. The provincial government has also asked the centre to provide it Rs3 billion which it has so far paid as wheat subsidy for the alien population. The Sindh government has also accused the centre of charging inflated mark-up/interest/handling charges and gunny bags from the provincial government on account of imported wheat sold to it. Earlier, sources said, the federal government, through a letter concerning the "dues amounting to Rs4.6 billion against government of Sindh", had asked the latter to pay the outstanding amount. They said that now the provincial government, in its comprehensive reply to the centre, had disputed the federal government's claim of Rs4.6 billion. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000222 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 115 former legislators on ECL ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Feb 21: The exit control list has been updated and the names of 115 former parliamentarians have been put on it who will not be allowed to leave Pakistan. The list has been formulated by the ministry of interior after collecting reports from banks and financial institutions. The list includes names of the members of the suspended senate, national assembly and provincial assemblies. Sources said the list is revised on a weekly basis and those who have genuine reasons for their visits abroad can seek permission from the ministry.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000222 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Illegal immigration: Canada offers help to Pakistan ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, Feb 21: Pakistan and Canada have agreed to help each other check illegal immigration. According to a government handout, at her meeting with Interior Minister Lt-Gen Moinuddin Haider, Canadian Deputy Minister for Citizenship and Immigration Janice Cochrane had agreed to provide technical and training assistance to Pakistan immigration staff so that illegal immigration could be checked. On her suggestion, the handout said, it had been decided that there would be a continuous interaction between the immigration staff of the two countries on a functional basis. Mr Haider told the visiting Canadian deputy minister that the government of Pakistan was working fast on a programme aimed at modernizing its immigration system and the system of issuance of passports and identity cards. The minister told Ms Cochrane that a National Database Registration Authority, which had already been constituted, would undertake the task of issuing computerized and machine-readable passports and national identity cards to the citizens. The exercise, he said, would minimize the misuse of Pakistan passport and identity documents by criminals. The minister also told Ms Cochrane that an Alien Registration Authority had also been set up, which would collect and register the data about foreigners residing in Pakistan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000221 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Private TV channels to start operation soon ------------------------------------------------------------------- M. Ziauddin ISLAMABAD, Feb 20: Private TV channel operators will soon begin operation as official paperwork for the purpose has been completed and is awaiting the cabinet's approval. A legal framework will be put in place soon after the cabinet's approval of the proposed summary, to be followed by the setting up of an electronic media regulatory authority. The legal framework will spell out the strict criteria that would be followed while granting licenses to private TV channel operators. Under this legal framework, newspaper owners will not be barred from operating private TV channels. And the licensees will be allowed to broadcast even news and current affairs programmes in direct competition with the PTV and without direct or indirect censorship. Successive governments had balked at the idea of allowing newspaper owners to run private TV channels, fearing unhealthy accumulation of media power in the hands of few. The idea to restrict the newspaper owners intending to run private TV channels to areas where their newspapers do not have any presence was found to be unworkable in Pakistan as those newspapers whose owners had applied for permission had nation- wide presence. Another problem which successive governments had faced while taking a decision on the matter related to the impact of private channels on the business interests of the PTV. The total size of annual advertisement revenue in Pakistan is estimated to be around Rs. 4 billion with 40 per cent of it going to newspapers and 60 per cent to the PTV. A TV establishment in the private sector is estimated to cost about Rs500m annually and if the software is also considered, the costs go up to about a billion rupees roughly. This would mean the PTV and the private TV channels (if there is only one) would share about a billion and half rupees each of the advertisement revenue, bringing down the PTV's income by half. There are, at least, three parties interested in the permission to launch TV channels in the private sector: One wholly private channel, one wholly public channel (besides the PTV) and one ostensibly private but under the direct control of one of the government institutions. The new wholly public sector-owned channel has already been floated by the PTV itself under the name of Channel 3. The infrastructure for the wholly private channel, including the hiring of transponder, has already been put in place by a company called GEO which is owned by one of the leading newspaper chains in the country. The third channel will be owned by Shaheen Pay TV (SPTV) which belongs to a foundation set up and controlled by the Pakistan Air Force on the lines of the Fauji Foundation. The SPTV is expected to hire a transponder on Panamsat. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000221 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Illegal weapons can be sold to govt, says Moin ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Feb 20: Interior Minister Lt-Gen (retd) Moinuddin Haider, while admitting that the enforcement of the de- weaponization plan was an uphill task, said it could be successfully enforced with the support of the public, the media and opinion makers. Announcing concrete measures for 'de-weaponizing' society, on Radio Pakistan, he invited people to voluntarily hand over their illegal weapons to the government. He said persons in possession of illegal weapons will be provided an opportunity to sell them to the government. They would be able to do this at certain sites to be announced later. In the next phase, the government intends to introduce a sticker law to deal with those in possession of illegal weapons after the expiry of the immunity period. About the imposition of the ban on weapons in certain sporting events, the minister said the ban on weapons used in hunting and sports competition would soon be lifted, adding that it would, however, remain in place for the time being. Carrying of arms by security staff of multinational companies, embassies etc would also be regularized and only uniform-clad security guards would be allowed to carry guns. To a question about the enforcement of ban on display of weapons, he assured that indiscriminate action will be taken against infringers by ensuring strict implementation of the law. The minister noted that the complete record of the issuance of prohibited bores was available with the government which would make the recovery of assault rifles and Kalashnikovs possible. Haider dismissed the impression that de-weaponization was not possible in the NWFP and Balochistan. "I will initiate a dialogue with the people of the two provinces and convince them to put away their arms as they have already adopted a modern and progressive lifestyle in other spheres of life," he added. The minister referred to the successful campaign launched by the Taliban government of weapon-ridden Afghanistan and said, "if they made de-weaponization possible in their country, Pakistan can also do this." Haider said in order to deal with arms manufacturers in the tribal areas, the Pakistan Ordinance Factory would collaborate with them and utilise their expertise. In order to deal with the issue of sectarian violence, Haider said a dialogue with religious parties would be initiated through the inter-provincial coordination committee. He said, 99 per cent of religious institutions were not involved in militant activities and only one per cent of them were said to be involved in objectionable activities which would be rectified through holding dialogue. He said he had set an example by announcing to voluntarily return the G-3 rifle he had in his possession. The minister was of the view that large-scale weaponization of society, in the last twenty years, had brought a bad name to the country.-APP
=================================================================== BUSINESS & ECONOMY 20000221 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Diplomats to be told to boost exports ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, Feb 20: Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf will approve a plan on February 25 to revamp the Foreign Office and its missions abroad - a development that will radically change the present trends in the country's diplomacy. Sources told Dawn that under the plan, new diplomatic techniques would be used extensively to boost exports and develop better commerce and trade relations with foreign countries. In a high-level meeting at the Foreign Office on Feb 25, the chief executive will be briefed in detail on the revamping of foreign missions and the foreign ministry. Sources in the chief executive's secretariat said that except for a few missions like Washington, London, Moscow, New Delhi, etc, which are politically very important, the main emphasis of Pakistan's diplomacy will be on trade and commerce. "We are changing the orientation of the country's diplomacy by giving trade targets to our ambassadors and high commissioners," a source said, adding, "The government intends to introduce performance-based career for diplomats." The career of bureaucrats belonging to the Foreign Service of Pakistan is being linked to their performance/efforts in improving Islamabad's trade relations with the country of their posting. The chief executive's secretariat, according to these sources, has noticed that ambassadors/high commissioners of different foreign missions in Islamabad make regular contacts with Pakistani authorities, including ministers, to promote the trade interests of their governments as well their private sectors. Sources said with the launching of the new plan, the Pakistani missions abroad will be encouraged to use their influence and connections in getting business for Pakistan's public and private sectors. In order to boost the country's exports, professionals from the private sector will be given assignments related to commerce and trade in these missions. Pakistani expatriates will be preferred for these positions, which will not only substantially cut the administrative cost of foreign missions but will also improve the country's exports. "We won't mind if these expatriates make personal benefits out of these assignments as long as they bring profitable business to Pakistan by improving its exports and trade," a source said and added that the present practice of appointing deputy commissioners as commercial attaches abroad was being done away. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000225 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ordinance on sick units soon: Shaukat ------------------------------------------------------------------- Intikhab Amir PESHAWAR, Feb 24: Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz said the government would soon introduce an ordinance to set up Cooperative & Industrial Restructuring Corporation (CIRC). The government aims to revive viable sick industrial units out of the over 4000 across the country, the minister said. "The law is under preparation and would soon be introduced," said the minister while addressing a meeting of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), on Thursday. He said that the former president of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industries Tariq Hamid would head the corporation, which would comprise professionals from the banking and private industrial sector. The CIRC would look into the case of each and every sick unit separately to determine their viability, if provided working capital. Finance minister said that government could not adopt a general policy to tackle the issue of sick industrial units as several of them were inherritantly not viable but were set up to take benefit of tariff protection. The minister's remarks elicited reaction from some of the SCCI members who held government (of the past) responsible for offering unrealistic concessions to the industrialists of some of the special areas. The minister asked them to come up with specific proposals. He assured them the government would also give serious consideration to their innovative and new ideas. Responding to SCCI members' demands for the restoration of Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate's lapsed incentives, the minister asked them to give their proposals to the provincial minister for industries Owais Ghani who has been assigned the task to carry out a study and forward his proposals directly to him (Aziz) within four to five weeks so that the same could be included under the budget for the next financial year. Similarly, he informed the industrialists that government was also working on the preparation of a law thereby, 10 per cent proceeds of every privatization deal in the future would be shifted to the fund created for the National Poverty Alleviation Programme. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000225 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash management: Investment banks to report details to SBP ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, Feb 24: The State Bank cash management account rules for investment banks are part of an overall exercise to weed out inefficient non-bank financial institutions. Senior bankers said the restrictions put on investment banks in terms of cash management are such that inefficient of them would be exposed. They said these rules would also minimise the possibility of financial irregularities by investment banks to the disadvantage of their depositors in future. The State Bank has issued a set of rules for cash management account (CMA) that call upon investment banks to make clear distinction between the funds they deploy on their own and the ones deployed on behalf of their depositors. These rules also require them to make quarterly disclosures in detail about deployment of, and income on, both types of funds. Under the rules an investment bank shall deploy the funds in approved activities acting as an agent of the customer by either (i) exercising its own discretion on behalf of its customer or (ii) operate solely at the discretion of its customer. The first type of account would be called discretionary accounts and the second non- discretionary accounts. It shall institute procedures to obtain proper identification and introduction of prospective customers for whom accounts will be operated under these rules. It shall also execute proper agreements with its customers for availing service under CMA. The investment bank shall have separate standard set of agreements for customers who wish to exercise their own discretion or who authorize an investment bank to exercise discretion on their behalf. The agreement should be for a fixed maturity period. This period should be agreed by the customer in advance at the time of signing the agreement. These agreements should invariably include a clause to the effect that all investment out of the CMA funds shall be made by the investment bank in the permissible mode of investments entirely at customer's risk with no recourse to the investment bank to the extent of losses incurred on such investments. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000225 ------------------------------------------------------------------- HBL loan defaults up to Rs300 billion, says ex-president ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, Feb 24: The actual defaulted amount of Habib Bank Ltd (HBL) stands at Rs250 to Rs300bn and not Rs146 billion as was being shown and reported time and again. This was stated by Shaukat Tareen, the immediate past president of Habib Bank at a farewell reception given in his honour by president and members of FPCCI here on Thursday. He said that bank's actual defaulted amount in 1997 was Rs250 to Rs300 billion but was shown as Rs146 billion. Similarly, the balance sheet of the bank he said showed over the table a default of Rs42 billion although the actual amount of default was around Rs70 billion. He further said that since the actual amount of default was tot made public it looks as if the defaulted amount has increased from Rs146 billion to Rs210 billion despite the recovery and rescheduling of defaulted loans. Shaukat said though HBL is ready for privatization but it may not fetch the best price due to the prevalent market conditions. He, however, suggested that the bank should be disinvested as a whole, both local and foreign branches together. It may be a joint venture between local and foreign parties and a portion of its share say 20 per cent may be sold through stock exchanges as was done in India. But Shaukat advised that the professional management of the bank may be kept intact and the restructuring work be continued. He said ha although the action taken by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) have made the wilful defaulters realise that that government was serious in its recovery drive but said that this was not a lasting solution to the problem and the financial sector needed an on-going legal system to deal with the problem. He said that the country needed a bankruptcy law and a judicial set-up to act promptly and efficiently. He further said that about 80 per cent of the bank's bad loans pertained to project financing because the banks never looked at the cash flows of the borrowers. Now the situation is changing as project cells are being activated in the banks. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000225 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shaukat hopes to achieve 4% growth rate ------------------------------------------------------------------- Intikhab Amir PESHAWAR, Feb 24: Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz hoped on Thursday that the government would achieve 4 to 4.5 per cent growth rate during the current financial year owing to good results being shown by the agriculture sector. "We are expecting a bumper wheat crop this time round whereas cotton, onion and potato crops have already showed better results than previous years," said Mr Aziz in his address at a gathering of local industrialists. He said the government's move to fix wheat support price at Rs300 had brought about a positive change and there might not be any need to import wheat next year. He expected a record wheat production of 20 million tons in the coming season. The minister said that the situation for Pakistan was becoming all the more encouraging with the international cotton market picking up. It was expected, he added, that the country's total export during the current financial year would end up between $8.5bn and $9bn, recording an increase by 8 to 10 per cent in comparison with the last financial year. He said that with the achievement of over 4% growth rate - from the 3pc during the last financial year - there would be enough liquidity in the market. Therefore, he said, there should not be any serious problems viz-a-viz foreign currency reserves even after repayment of certain loans. He viewed a proactive and holistic role for the banks to play in the future by increasing their economic expertise to facilitate the industrial sector. Banks were not only supposed to give loans and receive interest but they also needed to explore good projects to lend money. Banks' loans, he said, had not grown to bigger proportions even after effecting a 2pc reduction in the investment saving schemes and lowering down the rate of interest. They needed to seek out good projects to extend loans, he added. He said the government was considering effecting more reduction in the banks' interest rate to achieve the required results. He hoped that further reduction would bring about positive financial impact on the government which itself was a major borrower. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000225 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Privatized concerns still owe Rs21.6 billion ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ikram Hoti ISLAMABAD, Feb 24: The unpaid privatization proceeds on about 45 state sector enterprises have surged to Rs21.6 billion. Government sources told Dawn here on Thursday that in September 1998 these unpaid proceeds amounted to Rs15bn. Some of the installments were received in 1999 from 13 parties to help curtail the amount from going up, but in December 1999 this amount was Rs20.43bn as most of the buyers of state sector units had stopped paying. These buyers, they said, had gone into appeal in courts against the notices being sent for recovery, defying which the buyers had been facing legal action. During the entire 1999, however, the privatisation commission has been able to process anti-buyer litigation case for recovery of 14 different installments only and that, too, totaling Rs47 million, due from the purchase of nine units. In all, these buyers purchased 67 state-controlled industrial units from 1991 onwards. In addition, losses worth Rs11bn have also been incurred on units retained in the public sector, due to the default on the operational loans they obtained since 1992. The dues on proceeds have been accumulating and now, according to official estimates, these dues account for almost 75 per cent of the privatisation proceeds by the government through auction of all units ever since 1993. The sources said there had been a criminally poor performance on the part of the responsible authorities in retrieving the dues and auctioning the state-owned organizations. For this poor performance, however, the government has been offering the plea that the market has not been favourable enough to put the remaining state sector enterprise to auction. These units thus could not get the favourable bids which could offset the losses incurred and for retiring the banks' debt, rising at a fast pace. Officials processing the losses, the non-paid arrears against the auctioned units, also confirmed that there had been a tendency of defaulting on paying up the arrears of the remaining amounts after the buyers made the down payment at the time of successful bidding for the units put to auction, and after they paid three to five initial instalments. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000221 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan expels three Indian High Commission officials ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ansar Abbasi ISLAMABAD, Feb 20: Pakistan on Sunday declared three Indian High Commission officials persona non grata. A handout issued by the Press Information Department (PID) said that these Indian officials had been found indulging in "activities incompatible with their official status". These officials, Mr Gopal Chandra Ray, Mr Asit Bran Das and Mr R. Sankeranarayanan, have been told by the government of Pakistan to leave the country within a week by February 27, 2000. The deputy high commissioner of India in Islamabad was also summoned to the Foreign Office and was informed of this decision. "A strong protest was lodged against the undesirable conduct and activities of these officials," the handout said. The Foreign Office Spokesman, Tariq Altaf, declined to elaborate when asked by Dawn to explain the nature of the activities these Indian officials were involved. Only two days back, on February 18, India had announced that it was expelling three officials of the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. These embassy staffers, identified as Mohammad Khalil, Rana Mohammad Saghir and Mohammad Amin, were asked to leave India by January 25. Two of these staffers were mistreated by the Indian agencies which had declared their involvement in "activities incompatible with their official status". Pakistan on Friday had lodged a strong protest with the Indian High Commission regarding the uncivilised and inhuman treatment meted out to the two officials of the Pakistan High Commission. The Indian deputy high commissioner was called to the Foreign Office and a strong protest was lodged with him on the above incident. He was reminded of the responsibility of the government of India in accordance with the Vienna Convention and the bilateral Code of Conduct for the treatment of diplomatic and consular personnel. The two officials were picked up by Indian intelligence agencies on February 17th and kept in illegal confinement for more than five hours. During this illegal confinement, the Pakistani officials were severely beaten up and extensively interrogated. One of these officials suffered serious injury to his eardrum. Pakistan had also deplored the expulsion of its officials and termed it an action that clearly heightened the tensions and further strained the relations between the two countries. Pakistan had also protested to the Indian officials against another related incident of harassment, involving a woman officer of the Pakistan High Commission, by the Indian intelligence staff on January 27th in which the rear windscreen of the high commission's vehicle was shattered. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000225 ------------------------------------------------------------------- State Bank of Pakistan allows inter-bank transfer of frozen FCA ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, Feb 24: If you hold a frozen foreign currency account you can now transfer it to the bank of your choice under a fresh rule announced by the State Bank on Thursday. An SBP circular says people holding FCAs can transfer the same to other banks without actual movement of foreign currency. It says it has allowed only transfer of entire balance of FCAs with accrued interest-and not partial transfers. An SBP circular says the permission of transfer of accounts is not applicable on swap funds that also formed part of frozen foreign currency accounts. Senior bankers say out of $11 billion worth of FCAs frozen on May 28, 1998 less than $3.0 billion including swap funds of around $1.5 billion are outstanding: the rest has been converted into rupees or dollar bonds. Bankers say the transfer of accounts will benefit particularly those account holders whose banks are paying negligible or zero rates of return on frozen foreign currency accounts. "These people can now get the accounts transferred to the banks that pay some return," said head of treasury of a major bank. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000223 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 10% tax on export indenting agent fixed ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Feb 22: The Central Board of Revenue has announced that the 10 per cent withholding tax from the export indenting agent or an export buying house. Through a CBR Circular No 3 (10)SS(WHT)/99 dated February 17, 2000, the Income Tax Department says: In continuation of the CBR Circular No 13 of 1999, dated August 25, 1999, it is clarified that clauses (2A) inserted in part II of the Second Schedule to the Income Tax Ordinance 1979, vide SRO 1052 (I)/99, dated September 17, 1999, and subsequently amended vide SRO 1313 (I)/99, dated November 30, 1999, provides that the tax chargeable in respect of commission received by an export indenting agent or an export buying house shall be at the rate equal to the rate of tax applicable to the exporter on export of goods to which such commission relates. In view of the foregoing, the general rate of withholding tax for indenting commission remains 10 per cent as per paragraph CCCC of part-I of the First Schedule to the Income Tax Ordinance 1979. But the reduced rate applicable in respect of commission received by an export indenting agent or an export buying house shall be 0.50 per cent or 0.75 per cent or 1.00 pc, depending on the goods exported to which such commission relates. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000223 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Food support scheme for the poor from July ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sabihuddin Ghausi KARACHI, Feb 22: The government is launching a food support scheme from July for those poor people whose monthly income is Rs2,000 or less. The scheme is being launched as a component of the poverty alleviation programme. Since the country has no precise definition of poverty, the scheme is considered to be a "calorie-intake-based approach" targeting those who have no access even to the subsistence level existence. About 2 to 2.2 million poor households are expected to be identified at the district level. Each of the identified families will get about Rs500 for every quarter or Rs167.67 a month to help them meet the cost of wheat following the 25 per cent rise in its support price and the resultant escalation in its market price. Unofficial estimates put at least 36 million people or six million households below the poverty line and the proposed programme, if administered scrupulously, would address hardly one-third of the target groups.Back to the top
=================================================================== EDITORIALS & FEATURES 20000220 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 'Blowback' ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ardeshir Cowasjee 'BLOWBACK' is a CIA term of art for the unintended spilling over of agency tricks abroad onto life in the United States." Such is the opening sentence of Jim Hoagland's column, 'Turncoat Terrorists' published in the January 16 issue of the 'Washington Post', in which he questions the practices, and even the existence, of the CIA in this post-cold war world. The word 'blowback' was origially coined to counter the wash back into the US information flow of planted phoney news items from overseas. Now, says Hoagland, 'blowback' has assumed a deadlier form than mere falsified journalism. Washed back into the US itself are terrorist bombs ferried in by the messengers of death linked to the network of leftovers of the single-minded Islamic warriors recruited, funded and trained by the CIA to fight in the Afghan war of the 1980s against the Soviets and their communist supporters. These wars are still being fought, to our detriment, between Afghans of different ethnic and sectarian bents, one side still supported and aided by Pakistani and Arab youths trained in the art of fanatic warfare. The United States may well have hastened the end of the cold war and the disintegration of the Soviet empire, but it did so at a terrible future cost to itself and to those, such as Pakistan, who helped it. This cost was either unforeseen or ignored by the CIA which presumably simply wished to get on with the job at hand and let tomorrow take care of itself. Tomorrow came, and with it terrorists, bombings, killings and bloodshed. The thousands of Pakistanis and Arabs sent in did their jobs, fought the 'holy war' against communism, and when that ended they turned their sights to another holy war, on a much grander scale, against those perceived to be enemies of their particular militant version of Islam. In its zeal to eliminate the bogey of communism the CIA had blundered. It had discounted the possibility of a blowback and the form which that blowback might take. It had also ignored the lessons of recent history, of the aftermath of the break-up of the great colonial empires of the Middle East and North Africa. The Agency's tricks bounced back with a vengeance. The 'holy terrorists', as Hoagland terms them, are now personified by Osama bin Laden, whose operatives in their murderous attacks use bomb- making techniques taught in the training camps for Afghanistan run by the CIA in the 1980s. A recent attempt to smuggle explosives from Canada into the US was intercepted and the smuggler was found to have links with the veterans of the Afghan wars (now known as 'Afghans') and with Bin Laden. The US is not the only one to suffer from the CIA's games. By 1991, over 100 Algerians recruited to fight in Afghanistan had joined the Islamic Front for Salvation, a particularly violent group responsible for the widespread massacres of innocent Algerians. 'Afghans' have fought in Bosnia, Chechnya, Kashmir, and wherever else the Islamist activists have joined battle with the 'infidels'. Hoagland cites the prescience of George Orwell who in his 1939 essay 'Marrakesh' (obviously overlooked by the CIA) related how he had asked himself, when watching a column of Senegalese soldiers marching by under the command of French officers, how long the colonialists would continue to kid themselves. How long would they continue to shut their minds to the inevitable? How long would it be before the native soldiers of the colonial lands turned the weapons provided to them by the colonialists upon the colonial masters? The Afghan adventure of the CIA may have boomeranged on the US and on the other powers seen to be opposing the advance of the violent brand of Islam, but it is Pakistan which has been the major recipient of the wash back. It serves no purpose to repeat how this country has suffered. We all know too well how the homeful effects have afflicted every aspect of our lives, law and order being the major casualty, the proliferation of the Kalashnikov, the decline of the economy, drug smuggling and drug addiction being just a few others. The madressah system of education has been institutionalized. Most of it turns out thousands of young blinkered bigots who have been taught only to parrot the misguided teachings of almost illiterate mullahs ingorant of the true tenets of their religion. There are also a sizable number of madressahs which send out into the world militant youths, schooed to fight, to kill and to die for the 'cause'. Politicized and established also are terrorist groups such as the Lashkar-i-Tayyaba, and the Harkat-ul-Ansar, funded by the CIA, which was declared a terrorist organization by the US State Department last year and promptly changed its name to Harkat-ul- Mujahideen. These groups practice their own version of Jihad. The Taliban, sitting on our border, were admittedly created in the main by Pakistan, but at the instance and with the help of the CIA. That Pakistan is regarded by some as a terrorist state, encouraging and aiding international terrorism, must largely be credited to the CIA. It is difficult to sympathize with the US in its post-cold war predicament, particularly when Pakistan has to bear the brunt of accusations in the US press that not only does it aid terrorists but was also associated with the planning and execution of the recent hijacking of the Indian airliner. The ISI which in the past worked closely with the CIA is now accused of having links with Osama bin Laden, of masterminding the release of the radical Maulana Masood Azhar from the Indian jail. Tariq Ali, once the 'enfant terrible' of left-wing politics, writing on Talebanisation in a recent issue of 'Outlook' has this to say : "With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the cold war came to an end. leaving behind orphan-states on every continent. The effect in Pakistan was catastrophic. The fundamentalist groups had served their purpose and, unsurprisingly, the US no longer felt the need to supply them with funds and weaponry. Overnight, the latter became violently anti-American and began to dream of revenge. Pakistan's political and military leaders, who had served the US loyally and continuously from 1951 onwards, felt humiliated by Washington's indifference." Pakistan was awarded posthumous honours for aiding the US to enter China and Afghanistan. However, foreign policies of nations must be forward-looking and cannot depend upon history and forgotten goodwill. The US acts in its own interest, firmly believiing that the means justify the ends, as does India. The wise men of India have no wish to annex Pakistan and share borders with countries which are even more unstable, irresponsible and violence-prone. They would rather have a lame, deformed and orphaned Pakistan, barely alive, and we seem to be doing all we can to help them in this preference. The world accepts India's size and weight, even if we do not. But, then, it takes a confident leader to assess correctly his country's weaknesses. Russia and Vladimir Putin have their own way of dealing with troublesome fundamentalists, as can be seen from the photograph of Grozny on the day the Russian flag was hoisted there. China deals quietly with the fundos in its south-west areas, in true inscrutable Chinese manner. Its advice to Pakistan on the 'Kashmir issue' is to wait, have patience, give it time, let changed circumstances come into play. But China has always thought in terms 'eternal'. It waited for 442 years before accepting Macao back into the fold and it is not hurrying to claim Taiwan tomorrow. By and large, General Pervez Musharraf has chosen his men, civil and military, on merit. His programmes on education and health, both vital issues, are commendable. But should his public relations adviser, Javed Jabbar, not emphasize that what is said in a village in Pakistan, to raise the villagers' applause, is heard worldwide within the hour? The general's Muzaffarabad speech was ill- conceived and counter-productive. Weakened and bankrupted as we have been, should we now not take tangible steps to reduce the tension which has been created? Without major global support we cannot hope to have the Kashmir issue settled in the way we wish. A heightened, hyped nuisance value can only imperil our country and its people. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000225 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Too many shadows ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayaz Amir DO we not have eyes to see or the wit to understand into what pitiless swamp the steady tramp of our heavy boots might conceivably lead us? If the American CIA had wanted to devise a method for the destruction of the Soviet Union it could not, in its wildest dreams, have invented a figure such as Mikhail Gorbachev. On the erstwhile Soviet empire Hitler's armies did not wreak the havoc which this latter-day czar - with no small subsequent help from Czar Boris - inflicted. Hostile as that empire was to Pakistan I can have no sympathy with it but I merely point, by way of illustration, to the fate worse than death which has befallen it because of self-induced folly. If RAW wanted to cook up a plan to break the concentration of the Pakistan army and set it to the task of chasing shadows and other figments of the imagination it could not have done better than what we are doing ourselves. Anyone not completely oblivious to reality will be aware of the slow war dance being played on our frontiers. Even if both Pakistan and India are equally to blame for this fraught situation - because both countries lack statesmanship as well as the capacity to reconcile ends with means - it requires no extraordinary wisdom to realize that while this situation lasts the Pakistan army, to the exclusion of every other distraction or consideration, should be devoting its entire attention to this danger from without. Instead of which the army, as every baffled citizen can make out, is involved to its teeth, and getting more involved by the day, in an open-ended agenda which includes, may the Heavens protect us, canal desilting, district monitoring (under the overall supervision of the Chief of General Staff, Lt Gen Aziz), railway reorganization (under the command of retired Lt Gen Javed Qazi who is being helped by a host of regular officers), the managing of electric utilities (WAPDA having been put under the command of Lt Gen Zulfikar Ali Khan), accountability (under Lt Gen Amjad), national reconstruction (under retired Lt Gen Naqvi), and the reorganization of cricket under the leadership of Corp Commander Lt Gen Tauqir Zia. Too many beribboned generals chasing too many shadows. General Pervez Musharraf who wears three hats - army chief, chairman joint chiefs of staff committee and Chief Executive - lets no opportunity go by without declaring that the army is prepared to meet every eventuality and that its operational readiness has not been affected by its other duties. That may be so but even Napoleon's Grande Armee would have been hard-pressed to display the virtuosity or versatility which is currently being expected of the Pakistan army. Indeed one could dwell on this point a bit more. What brought Napoleon to his doom? He took on too many enemies. What led Hitler to his ruin? The same megalomaniac failing: taking on Russia before finishing with England. We seem to be doing one better than both Napoleon and Hitler. Any army would think it had its hands full with a situation like that obtaining in Kashmir and our long border with India. And yet not a day passes without the army command adding one more mind-boggling item to the already lengthening list of its internal functions. The argument repeatedly deployed by the Chief Executive that it is the army's duty to look after external and internal security is only half-correct. Without cavilling at the external aspect of national security, safeguarding which constitutes the army's principal function, what constitutes internal security is open to question. The country's financial condition, the state of law and order, the quality of its justice system are all aspects of internal security. Is the army the institution best equipped to deal with these problems? Our own history would tell us it is not but if, despite the evidence, generals still insist on playing at administrators and law-givers it is an exercise in self-delusion to think their professional skills will not be affected. None of this is to cast a reflection on the bravery and skill of our men in arms. The quality of our soldiers is second to none but time and again - in 1965, 1971 and even later - they have been betrayed by the blindness and ineptitude of their senior commanders. Must we keep repeating the mistakes of the past? If not, then the best service we can do ror the army is not to burden it with tasks it can neither fully appreciate nor effectively handle. Of course politicians have made a mess of things. Of course the army and the other services cannot be expected to look on indifferently as the country goes to the dogs. But this argument is convincing only up to a point. If politicians have behaved irresponsibly, the military, which in various guises has ruled the country longer than politicians, has shown itself no better at the art of government. Indeed the biggest disasters in our history can more honestly be laid at the door of military saviours rather than civilian incompetents. This is not to excoriate the present government but only to make a timid plea for a bit of understanding and humility when we dish out blame for the country's travails and problems. If Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif were the only things wrong with Pakistan, we would have nothing to worry about. But our problem is that the bleakness of the horizon which makes Pakistanis the world's leading moaners and breast-beaters extends far beyond the exploits of these twin captains of democracy. Sad though it is to say so, in Pakistan no holy institution or body of men (including the shining knights of the fourth estate) can lay claim to all-round rectitude or perfection. The army thus must be clear about what it wants. If external security weighs upon its mind then it must concentrate on that and forego the temptation of wanting to run the country as well. But if it remains in thrall to the mistaken belief that saving Pakistan internally - that is to say, saving Pakistan from itself - is also a sacred mission entrusted to it, then, in all fairness to itself, it has cut down on its external involvement by reducing tensions with India and putting 'jehad' on the back-burner. This means reorienting the country's foreign policy so that Pakistan, instead of having a messianic view of its place in the world, learns to live with its limitations. It does not mean abandoning Kashmir or giving up on our nuclear programme, only the eschewing of unsustainable bellicosity. It also means Pakistan and the Taliban breaking out of the cycle whereby they strengthen each other's isolation. In 1917 Lenin came to the conclusion that protecting the Bolshevik Revolution was more important than fighting Germany. So he accepted a loser's peace, with utterly humiliating conditions, at Brest- Litovsk. But events proved him right, for Germany was soon defeated while the Bolsheviks, helped in no small measure by the breathing space they had gained, consolidated power across the vast expanses of Russia. The choice before the Pakistan army is less cataclysmic. It is not between humiliation and survival but between, to put it roughly, external vigilance and internal involvement. The army's commanders might be tempted to think they can carry off both these roles with aplomb but our history, which is a subject in depression, tells us they cannot. In trying to ride two difficult horses at the same time they risk putting an unbearable strain on their riding capabilities. Greater entities than Pakistan have come to grief (if not perished) from softness or over-stretch. Pakistan is in no danger of being soft. But its guardians are in danger of over-stretching themselves by fighting against too many enemies on too many fronts. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000226 ------------------------------------------------------------------- The earthquake next door ------------------------------------------------------------------- Irfan Husain FEW election results in the recent past have had as profound an impact on geopolitics as those that have emerged in Iran this week. The rout of the conservative clergy signals to the rest of the world that Iran is ready to take its rightful place in the international community after a 20-year interregnum. But it is in the region that the shock-waves will be felt most strongly. After years of extreme rhetoric and active support for radical Islamic movements, if President Khatami manages to rein in the more fundamentalist elements in Iran, his country will become a major force for moderation. But even if the contradictions between the reformists and the hardliners take some time to resolve, the direction modern Iran will take in the foreseeable future is clear. With 70 per cent of the population under 30, the entrenched theocratic order will not survive for long in its current form. However, this is the inevitable path revolutions have taken in recent history: after the initial ideological zeal has worn off, reality asserts itself and compromises are inevitably made. All revolutionary movements in the last century have travelled this route, so recent events in Iran should not surprise us. Given its oil wealth and the energy and talent of the Iranian people, there is little doubt that this ancient and proud civilization will soon take its place as a major regional power. One of the first priorities President Khatami and his reformist allies have set themselves is the normalization of relations with the United States as well as other western countries. Iran was always an important market as well as a source of oil and gas under the Shah; now that oil has crossed the $30 per barrel mark, western companies are panting to get back and do business. There is little doubt that US sanctions will be lifted in the near future and the Iranian economy will realize its true potential. Once relations with the West are normalized, Iran will have less time and sympathy for a chaotic Pakistan that is supporting the begotted Taliban in Afghanistan, and failing to protect its own Shia minority against repeated attacks by extremist organizations. Once the revolutionary rhetoric and fervour in Tehran are toned down, Iran will become more likely to support stability and peace so that it can rebuild its shattered economy. Inevitably, its relations with other powerful neighbours like India and China will improve even further. In short, Iran will rapidly become a modern, progressive Muslim country while we continue our march backwards. Indeed, an immediate outcome of the election results in Iran is that we stand further isolated. Together with Afghanistan, Pakistan is viewed as a haven for fundamentalists and terrorists. If we want to avoid being branded a rogue state, we will have to take steps to demonstrate that we do not support terrorism, no matter what the cause. The ban on the display of arms is a good first step, and one that should have been taken much earlier by elected governments. But while General Musharraf has the means to take on the extremist groups and armed militias, he has yet to demonstrate the will to do so. As long as they are not disarmed and disbanded, they will continue to pose a threat to our citizens, as well as to Pakistan's image and our external relations. In its current issue, a Karachi monthly magazine has interviewed a number of leaders of alleged terrorist groups. One of them demanded that the West needs to make a distinction between jihad and terrorism. This is unlikely to happen because one man's jihad is another man's terrorism. When the Mukti Bahini activists were fighting the Pakistan army in 1971, they were termed bandits and terrorists and worse. The maquis in France and the partisans in Italy who resisted German occupation were hunted down by the Wehrmacht as terrorists, and yet they were heroes in the eyes of their people. It should be clear to all of us that our perceived role in supporting extremists in Afghanistan and Kashmir is winning us no friends. The fact is that there is an international network of such groups operating in much of the Muslim world. Governments in these countries are deeply disturbed by the fact that many of these extremists receive training in camps located on Pakistani and Afghan soil, and then attempt to destabilize them. Indeed, it is now extremely difficult for Pakistanis to get visas to visit most Arab countries. We must realize that we are going against the norm in our supposedly covert support for these groups. Nobody abroad accepts the official line that our backing is only moral. Moral support does not result in the level of fighting we saw in Kargil last year. We need to understand that we are not powerful enough to insist that we will play by our own rules, forgetting that we are part of an international system and community that does not countenance terrorism. Saying that country X or Y gets away with it does not absolve us of our responsibility to behave according to accepted norms. Returning to Iran, we see how a country gradually resumes its rightful place in the community of nations while we are rapidly losing ours. There is a growing realization in even the most backward nations of the world that cooperation and interdependence are now the way forward, not isolation and insularity. The vast majority of Iranians have voted to get their country back into the global system. In Pakistan, despite the fact that religious parties have always been thoroughly rejected at the polls, they and their more extreme brethren have managed to hijack the national agenda to their own ends while successive governments have remained supine spectators. Pakistani leaders are fond of repeating that our relations with China and Iran are "eternal", and their support for our position on Kashmir is open-ended. This is living in a world of delusion. Both are moving away from rigidly ideological policies to greater pragmatism and a desire to improve their economies. For this, they need to work with inimical powers like the United States. But as we know, there are no permanent friends or enemies in international relations; only permanent interests. It is high time we realized that we have interests other than Kashmir, and that we cannot count on the few friends we have left to endlessly support us in our hugely expensive and seemingly futile quest.
=================================================================== SPORTS 20000225 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Azlan Shah hockey final: Pakistan and South Korea end undefeated ------------------------------------------------------------------- KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24: Pakistan ended their challenge for a place in the final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup undefeated here Thursday with a 2-1 win over Canada at the National Hockey Stadium. Pakistan had already made sure of their place in Saturday's final with four wins and one draw for 13 points and second place in the table behind South Korea on goal difference. Pakistan and South Korea meet in the final on Feb 26 (Saturday). Tomorrow (Friday) is the rest day. Against Canada Pakistan played well below full throttle contenting them with reacting to threats. It took a goal for Canada by Sean Campbell in the 25th minute off a Ronnie Jagday pass to jolt Pakistan out of their complacency. Seconds before halftime Imran Yousuf drew his team level by flicking Pakistan's second penalty corner high into the net. In the second-half Pakistan showed bursts of activity mixed with lassitude taking he lead in the 50th minute when Muhammed Sarwar capped a fine run by scoring from close range. Pakistan held the lead despite Canada's frequent incursions into their circle that brought them a rash of corners but no goals. Pakistan's opponents in the final, South Korea, wrapped up their first phase campaign with a nine-goal thriller against Malaysia. The Koreans, regarded by many as favourites for this week's crown, had already secured their place in the final. They overcame a spirited Malaysian side 5-4 to also end unbeaten. INDIA BEAT NEW ZEALAND: India beat New Zealand 2-1 and put themselves in the playoff for third and fourth placings on Saturday. India will meet Malaysia in that placings match that will preceed the South Korea-Pakistan final. India should have won by a bigger margin but it was the usual tale of their not being able to convert possession into goals. Umesh Parag shot New Zealand into the lead in the 22nd minute when he scouped in off New Zealand's second penalty corner. India equalised four minutes later through Deepak Thakur who deflected in Baljit Singh Dhillon's shot off a penalty corner.-AFP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000224 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 uncapped players named in 18-man Pakistan Test squad ------------------------------------------------------------------- Samiul Hasan KARACHI, Feb 23: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) advisory council on Wednesday continued their policy of giving the youngsters a taste of the highest form of the game by picking five uncapped players in an 18-man squad for the three-Test home series against Sri Lanka. The first Test begins at Rawalpindi from Saturday while the second Test starts at Peshawar from March 5. The third and final Test will be played here in Karachi between March 12 and 16. Younis Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Imran Abbas, Bazid Khan and Irfan Fazil were all named on Wednesday in a formidable lineup that also includes recalled Inzamam-ul-Haq, Waqar Younis, Wajahatullah Wasti, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Akram. Younis, Faisal and Imran had also played in the three-match one-day international series against Sri Lanka which the tourists won 3-0. Paceman Shoaib Akhtar and all-rounder Azhar Mahmood were not considered because of injuries. Shoaib has a groin injury and has been advised two-week rest while Azhar is suffering from a back strain and has been advised a six-week rest. While the five seniors were reinstated in the team after being ignored for the one-day series, Ijaz Ahmad was overlooked for the longer version of the game following a poor performance in the 1999 calendar year. However, Aamir Sohail has been given another opportunity to prove if he still has more to offer. Aamir was tied with Ijaz for the troublesome No 3 batting slot. The former captain always had his nose in front of Ijaz after scoring more than 800 runs in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy recently. He had also struck four centuries which gives evidence of his patience, temperament and ability to convert good starts into big scores. The selection of Shahid Afridi may raise some eyebrows but fact of the matter is that the all-rounder picked five wickets on his Test debut against Australia and then followed up with a match-winning 141 against India at Chennai a year ago. He has played just five Tests and this performance is by no means unimpressive. Younis Khan was always going to be an automatic selection after his superlative performance in the recent Quaid Trophy where he scored over 1,100 runs. He is all set to make his Test debut at Rawalpindi. However, Faisal Iqbal, Bazid Khan and Irfan Fazil are all teenagers. Faisal and Irfan played in the Youth World Cup in Sri Lanka last month while Bazid, who was also selected for the tour of pearl island, preferred to play for Pakistan Reserves in the Quaid Trophy. Imran Abbas retains his place in the Test side after his unsatisfactory performance in one-dayers because of his 964 runs in Quaid Trophy for Agriculture Development Bank of Pakistan (ADBP). Irfan Fazil earned the cricket officials' nod after taking five for 120 against Sri Lanka in the three-dayer at Rawalpindi. Also benefiting from the three-dayer was opener Naveed Qureshi who stroked a fine 62. Naveed played in a Test against Zimbabwe in December 1998. According to officials, Faisal, Bazid, Irfan, Imran Abbas and Naveed Qureshi have been picked so that they stay with the Pakistan team and learn more from the senior players. "They have the potential and skills but are still not ready for five-day games. However, it was felt that instead of leaving them, they should be picked so that they move with the team, adjust to the dressing room atmosphere besides train with the squad," they said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000223 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Moin to take over from Saeed after home series ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, Feb 22: Wicket-keeper Moin Khan will take over from Saeed Anwar after the conclusion of the home series against Sri Lanka, official sources said on Tuesday. They added that it has been decided in principle after Moin had a meeting with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia. "Moin has agreed to captain the team after declining to skipper the side in the home series," sources, requesting anonimity, confirmed. Immediately after the home series, Pakistan fly to Sri Lanka for the triangular series also involving India and South Africa. From the desert city, Pakistan travel to the West Indies for a tri- nation one-day series and three-Test rubber. From the West Indies, Pakistan go to Dhaka for the Asia Cup and then proceed to Sri Lanka in June-July for a three-Test and tri-nation series. Sources said Moin, during his recent meeting with the PCB Chairman, had laid down some conditions, most important being a say in selection. "The chairman has accepted Moin's suggestion," sources said. Moin has captained Pakistan in a drawn Test against Zimbabwe and four one-day internationals, winning all. He has been vice-captain since 1998. Sources said Saeed Anwar was appointed captain for the home series after Wasim stepped down from captaincy and Moin too expressed his inability to lead the team. Although the PCB has decided to replace Saeed, the official announcement of a new captain will be made during the Karachi Test to be played between March 12 and 16. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000221 ------------------------------------------------------------------- National championship commences today ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ian Fyfe FAISALABAD, Feb 20: Former World and Asian amateur champion Mohammad Yousuf will be returning back to the snooker fold after a year's long absence when the Red & White National Snooker Championship gets under way here at the Serena Hotel on Monday morning. The eight-time champion was banned by the Pakistan Snooker and Billiard Association (PBSA), for breach of code of conduct but later an amicable out of court settlement by the PBSA and Mohammad Yousuf enabled the veteran to be among the top 32 cueists from all over the country vying for the prestigious crown. Yousuf is joint top seed with the defending champion Saleh Mohammad, ranked No.3 in the world circuit last year. In Yousuf's absence Saleh dominated the proceedings in the year gone by by winning all the four major titles and being thg first player in Pakistan to achieve the Grand Slam. Challenging these two giants will be the former National and Junior Champion Farhan Mirza from Lahore. The bespectacled cueist, recently married in London and ranked No.2 in Asia, will indeed be a constant thorn in the side of the joint favourites. Former Junior Champion Naveen Perwani is ranked at No.4 and is followed by an exciting youngster Khurram H. Agha, who caused quite a stir in the Six-Nation tournament held in Dubai last year, when he toppled former Asian Champion Yasin Merchant when Pakistan beat India 4-1 to reach the finals. Another two promising youngsters Atiq Latif Bux, scion of the late and great Latif Amir Bux, and Vishan Gir are ranked sixth and seventh respectively behind Peshawar-born Mohammad Shafiq. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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.
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