------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 29 January 2000 Issue : 06/05 -------------------------------------------------------------------
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 - 2000
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + Irshad new CJ: Saeed, five others refuse to take oath + Resolving Pak-India conflict: US to continue diplomatic efforts + Plane conspiracy case: Aminullah's evidence concludes + No Pakistani link to hijacking: Nepalese sources + Independent judiciary vital to protect people's rights: Benazir + Musharraf approves pre-1973 authority for FPSC + Ishrat hints at further cut in mark-up rates + Altaf warns of launching armed struggle + Shelling on LoC continues: Pakistan takes appropriate measures + SC decision: Commission set up to Islamize financial system + Pakistan says it is victim of terrorism + Five killed, 35 injured in Karachi bomb blasts --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + CBR audit rules need complete revision + Banks tell WB mission bad debt is a key problem + ECC approves Wapda's financial restructuring + Foreign cos oppose gas price formula + Progressive textile policy under study + Banks reinvest rupee counterpart of swap funds + CBR working being reviewed + No GST on power up to 500 units + UBL seeks approval to shut 200 branches + Railways to raise fares by 15% --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + A weary scene re-enacted Ayaz Amir + Give peace a chance Irfan Husain ----------- SPORTS + Pakistan end India's hope with crushing win + Imran for change in bowling law + PCB threatens to withdraw from Sharjah contests
=================================================================== DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS 20000127 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Irshad new CJ: Saeed, five others refuse to take oath ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rafaqat Ali ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, and five of his colleagues on Wednesday refused to take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order promulgated by the chief executive on Oct 14, 1999. As a result, the six judges ceased to be the judges of the apex court. Justice Irshad Hasan Khan, a senior judge of the Supreme Court, took oath as new Chief Justice under the PCO. Those who refused to take oath, besides Justice Saeeduzzaman, were: Justice Mamoon Kazi, Justice Khalilur Rehman, Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, Justice Wajihuddin Ahmad and Justice Kamal Mansur Alam. Apart from the six judges of the Supreme Court, nine judges of the four high courts also lost their jobs as they were not invited to take oath under the PCO. The judges of the apex court who took oath under the PCO are Justice Irshad Hasan Khan, Justice Mohammad Bashir Jehangiri, Justice Sheikh Ijaz Nisar, Justice Abdur Rehman Khan, Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmad, Justice Mohammad Arif and Justice Munir A. Sheikh. Out of the SC's six judges who refused to take oath, five belong to Sindh and one from Punjab. Out of the sitting seven judges of the apex court, five are from Punjab and two from the NWFP. Notably, three out of the SC's six judges who refused to take oath were appointed judges to the high courts at a time when a PCO was enforced in the country by another military ruler, Gen Ziaul Haq. They were: Justice Saeeduzzaman, Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, and Justice Khalilur Rehman Khan. Justice Saeeduzzaman told newsmen at his official residence on Wednesday that when he was contacted on Tuesday night by the authorities he made it clear that he would not take fresh oath under the PCO. He said what he did had been done in accordance with his conscience, adding that the rest of his (five) colleagues had made independent decisions. The judges of the Federal Shariat Court also took oath under the PCO. Justice Fazal Ellahi Khan, who was recently appointed Chief Justice of the FSC, took fresh oath of office with Justice Fida Mohammad Khan, Justice Mohammad Khiyar and Justice Chaudhry Mohammad Yousuf. Two judges of the FSC were not present in Islamabad on Wednesday and they would take oath under the PCO in a few days. The fresh oath came as a surprise to many as Justice Saeeduzzaman had repeatedly said that the Constitution was intact even after the military takeover and that the judges of the superior court were not required to take fresh oath. On Tuesday, Justice Saeeduzzman had constituted the full court bench to hear the petitions challenging the military takeover. The case was scheduled to be heard on Jan 31. Sources close to the legal experts of the government said that everything was going "smoothly" till a few days back when a petition, sponsored by the PML, was filed in the SC. The petition asked the apex court to proceed against Gen Pervez Musharraf under the High Treason Act for the military takeover. The petition was entertained by the SC office. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000129 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Resolving Pak-India conflict: US to continue diplomatic efforts ------------------------------------------------------------------- WASHINGTON, Jan 28: President Bill Clinton promised continued diplomatic intervention in conflict areas of the world among which he included India and Pakistan. In his 90-minute State of the Union address, his last, he told a joint session of Congress that while the United States could not prevent every conflict from happening, wherever Washington's own interests were at stake and where "we can make a difference, we must be peacemakers". Mr Clinton declared: "We should be proud of our role in bringing the Middle East closer to a lasting peace; building peace in Northern Ireland; working for peace in East Timor and Africa; promoting reconciliation between Greece and Turkey in Cyprus; working to defuse these crises between India and Pakistan; in defending human rights and religious freedom." Out of the 90 minutes that he spoke amid continued ovation, he devoted only 14 minutes to foreign policy and world affairs. Turning to security threats of the future, Mr Clinton said:"I predict to you when most of us are long gone, but sometime in the next 10 to 20 years, the major security threat this country will face, will come from the enemies of the nation's state, the narco- traffickers and the terrorists and the organized criminals who will be organized together, working together with increasing access to ever more sophisticated chemical and biological weapons. And I want to thank the Pentagon and others for doing what they're doing right now to try to help protect us and plan for that so that our defences will be strong. I ask for your support so they can succeed." Mr Clinton appealed to Congress for a "constructive bipartisan dialogue this year to work to build a consensus which I hope will eventually lead to the ratification of the CTBT." He said: "I hope we can also have a constructive effort to meet the threat that is presented to our planet by the huge gulf between rich and poor. We cannot accept a world in which part of humanity lives on the cutting edge of a new economy and the rest lives on the bare edge of survival. I think we have to do our part to change that, with expanded trade, expanded aid and the expansion of freedom. " This is interesting. From Nigeria to Indonesia, more people got the right to choose their leaders in 1999 than in 1989, when the Berlin Wall fell. We've got to stand by these democracies, including and especially tonight Colombia, which is fighting narco- traffickers for its people's lives, and our children's lives."-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000128 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Plane conspiracy case: Aminullah's evidence concludes ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, Jan 27: Aminullah Chaudhry, approver in the October 12 plane conspiracy case, deposed in an anti-terrorism court on Thursday that Nawaz Sharif was in power when the army took control of the air traffic control (ATC) at the Karachi airport. He was being cross-examined by defence counsel Khawaja Sultan in the ATC-1, headed by Judge Rahmat Hussain Jafferi, who adjourned the hearing of the case till Friday. Mr Chaudhry said he had received the first call from the former PM after 6pm, adding he was not aware that the army had already taken over the control of the Pakistan Television, Islamabad, before 5:40pm on October 12, 1999. The former DG-CAA stated that he did not know of other designated alternative airport for Karachi in Pakistan, adding he was not aware whether Bombay and Muscat were also alternative designated airports for Karachi. He said the CAA controlled only one designated alternative airport for Karachi, which was the Nawabshah airport. The approver said it was not a fact that he had informed the former PM that because of presence of army at the Karachi airport the situation was tense and it was unsafe to land the plane there. He said it was untrue that Nawaz Sharif had asked me to allow the aircraft land safely at any alternative airport, if not Karachi. He said he had learnt the news of the removal of the COAS on the BBC news channel at about 6pm, adding he was not aware whether such news was also flashed by the PTV. He said he checked the news from the BBC TV as the PTV was off the air and greater reliance could be placed on the credibility of the foreign channel. He said the news was surprising for him. Mr Chaudhry said it was his duty to tell the chief operation officer, Yousuf Abbas, to obey the orders of the army personnel after they took over the charge of the air traffic control. He said he could not contact the PM after he (Mr Chaudhry) was informed that the army was present in the ATC. He said he was not aware of the fact that before the army took over the control tower, the PM was already arrested. The approver said he did not know whether Saeed Mehdi, then principal secretary to the prime minister, had an office in the Prime Minister's House. He said it was incorrect to suggest that there was no staff member by the name of Zia-ur-Rehman (telephone operator) with Saeed Mehdi. However, he said, he did not note down the name of the ADC Navy, who he had talked to at the PM's House. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000125 ------------------------------------------------------------------- No Pakistani link to hijacking: Nepalese sources ------------------------------------------------------------------- KATHMANDU, Jan 24: An investigation into the hijacking of an Indian Airlines jet from here on Christmas Eve has found no evidence to back allegations the Pakistani secret service was involved, Nepalese sources close to the inquiry said on Monday. "The probe has failed to collect any solid proof of involvement by the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) of Pakistan in the hijacking," one investigation source said. But the head of the five-member investigation committee, Hem Bahadur Singh, declined to comment to reporters on whether the ISI was involved. "We have wrapped up the security and other matters in the report," said Singh, a former police inspector general. In a 64-page document to Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Vijaya Kumar Gachheddar, the investigators recommended the government beef-up security at Tribhuvan International Airport, where the hijacking started. "After presenting the report to the cabinet on Thursday, I will reveal the gist of the contents of the investigations made by the special five-man committee," Singh said. The eight-day hijack drama, which began when five men seized the flight from Nepal to New Delhi, ended News Year's Eve at Kandahar airport in southern Afghanistan. India released three pro-Kashmir Mujahideen in exchange for 160 hostages, and the hijackers disappeared from Kandahar. Pakistan has rejected Indian charges the country was involved in the crisis, saying neither Islamabad nor the ISI had any role.-AFP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000128 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Independent judiciary vital to protecting people's rights: Benazir ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Jan 27: Chairper-son of Pakistan People's Party and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto expressed her dismay on Thursday at the military regime's undermining the independence of judiciary by demanding loyalty from the country's top judges, and strongly supported those justices who had refused to take the oath of their office. "This is one giant and unfortunate step away from democracy," stated Ms Bhutto. "An independent judiciary is the foundation for protecting our people from abuses of powers," she said in a statement issued here by PPP media cell. "The removal of these respected justices for their support of the Constitution is an egregious mistake and repeats the worst offences of the Nawaz Sharif regime and General Zia's dictatorship to control the country through fiat, rather than through the rule of law." Ms Bhutto's statements came in response to the sacking of several top judges in Pakistan, including chief justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, for their refusal to sign an oath of allegiance to the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) that would prevent them from ruling against the military regime. "The people of Pakistan must ask whether it is a coincidence that the apex court was made subservient to the generals one week before their rule was to be challenged," she said. She further stated that this move by the junta was an "obvious attempt to solidify their power by removing anyone who stands against them and silencing all liberal voice of dissent." "The people of Pakistan have put their faith in the Constitution. We must return our nation to the rule of law, not the rule of the sword, or watch helplessly as prosperity and opportunity for our people passes us by," she added. Ms Bhutto said she was disappointed that action had been taken against judges, most of whom had a reputation for independence and integrity. On the other hand, some of the controversial and politicized judges had been retained. However, she noted that new Chief Justice Irshad Hasan Khan was respected as were most of the judges in the Supreme Court who had been retained. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000128 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf approves pre-1973 authority for FPSC ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ansar Abbasi ISLAMABAD, Jan 27: In a major initiative to strengthen the civil bureaucracy and ensure good governance, Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf on Thursday agreed to restore the pre-1973 authority of the Federal Public Service Commission. During his visit to the FPSC, the chief executive also agreed to grant administrative and financial autonomy to the FPSC; enhancement of the FPSC's role; fixation of non-extendable five- year service tenure for the chairman and members of the FPSC and restoration of their oath; reduction of the maximum age limit for appearing in the CSS competitive examination; all recruitments in grade 11 and above through the FPSC; and recruitment to all the posts, including those in the ISI, IB and defence division, through the FPSC, etc. The chief executive asked the chairman of the FPSC, Lt-Gen (retd) Mumtaz Gul, to give a presentation to the National Security Council for a formal approval to all these decisions. The secretary of the establishment and other authorities were asked to work out modalities for the implementations of the decisions taken in principle during the chief executive's over three-hour stay in the FPSC. When contacted, the FPSC chairman confirmed to Dawn that the chief executive had agreed to almost all the proposals presented before him by the FPSC. The chairman was overwhelmed with this development and hoped that it would usher a new era for strengthening the country's civil institutions. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000127 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ishrat hints at further cut in mark-up rates ------------------------------------------------------------------- Parvaiz Ishfaq Rana KARACHI, Jan 26: Governor State Bank Dr Ishrat Husain on Wednesday said there will be further reduction in mark-up rates if the inflation rate continues and give room for further cut on return rates of national saving schemes. This, he stated, during a closed door meeting with FPCCI managing committee members held in Federation House in which the newsmen were not invited. Participants attending the meeting told this correspondent that the governor asked business to forget about tariff and protection to local industry and added that 'the days of import substitution policy are over.' Ishrat advised the well attended meeting of trade and industry that they should focus on export-lead growth strategy instead of seeking protection for sustaining their viability. He said that profit making is an important incentive for any economic activity but it should be made within economic environment instead of manipulation of taxation laws to the detriment of the society. Sources said, the governor expressed concern over the non- utilization of credit by the private sector and said banks have reported that private sector credit was not picking up and unless this happened high growth rate cannot be achieved. Dr Ishrat was highly critical about the misuse of export refinance and said that according to a study although exports have remained stagnant during '94-99, the export finance has tripled. He asked the FPCCI to come up with suggestions to make best use of export refinance scheme for boosting exports and also called for expeditious repatriation of export proceeds so that forex reserve may increase. In reply to queries about the Shariat Court's judgment on Riba, he said until new laws are formulated the present banking laws will continue. The governor said the Shariat Court judgment has identified 16 laws which needed to be changed. He informed that SBP has formed a commission to formulate recommendations as how to comply with the injunctions of Sharia and added that Islamization of banking system will pose no problem in project financing as there will be some tangible assets against which borrowing will be made but the problem will arise for the government borrowing through treasury bills and bonds. Without giving any details and methods for increasing exports, he said that if Pakistan secured one per cent of world exports its exports will increase from $8bn to $40bn. He asked the business to diversify economic base and venture into new areas of information technology and promotion of exports. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000128 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Altaf warns of launching armed struggle ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent LONDON, Jan 27: Muttahida Qaumi Movement appears close to declaring unilateral declaration of independence as its chief Altaf Hussain on Thursday sounded, what he termed, "bugle" of war by warning the establishment that if killings of Mohajirs are not stopped he will have no other option but to launch an armed struggle and seek support from a neighbouring country. Talking to Pakistani reporters at MQM's international secretariat at Colindale area of London after its formal inauguration, the MQM chief said that he had tried every method while remaining within the four walls of the Constitution but the "Punjabi establishment" has refused to accept Mohajirs and the mandate given to the MQM by the people. "We are termed anti-Pakistani, agents of (Indian intelligence agency) RAW, and anti-state," he said while referring to the oft- repeated charges levelled by the intelligence agencies against his organization. A few years ago the ISI had claimed to have unearthed MQM's plan of creating "Jinnahpur" but the MQM had denied the plan and said it was a conspiracy to defame Mohajirs. Mr Hussain said the ISI from the very beginning had been accusing him as an agent of RAW, a charge he denied vehemently. The MQM chief regretted that despite all his assurances to the army and other authorities that neither he nor the MQM, nor Mohajirs were anti-Pakistani, they were being persistently pushed against the wall. Asked whether he was close to declaring unilateral declaration of independence, the MQM Chief said "Khuda Karey" (may God help in doing so). The MQM chief, who told the Pakistani establishment to take his today's statement as a "bugle" of war, said he was not anti- Pakistani and wanted to remain in Pakistan. SINDHI-MOHAJIR UNITY: Meanwhile the MQM chief in an open letter, said Sindh had virtually become a colony of Punjab, and that the Sindhis had been denied their rights. Addressing the people of Sindh, he asked them to give serious consideration to his letter, in which he posed the question: "Have the common Sindhis of the province of Sindh got freedom after the creation of Pakistan? " DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000124 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shelling on LoC continues: Pakistan takes appropriate measures ------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAMB SECTOR (LoC), Jan 23: Heavy fire and mortar bombardment which began on Saturday morning by the Indian army on Pakistani posts continued till Sunday evening. This was stated by the Commander of Chamb Sector, Brig Zahid while briefing the journalists from international and national media who visited the Pakistani posts along the Line of Control on Sunday. The Indian attack was repulsed and appropriate measures had already been taken in this regard, he said.-APP Faraz Hashmi, who visited the Chamb sector on Sunday, adds: Indian army on Sunday continued heavy mortar and machine gun fire at the Akbar post here in Chamb sector at the Line of Control, where two Pakistani soldiers had embraced martyrdom and five went missing in an attack on Saturday morning. Pakistan army made no claims about the Indian casualities, however soldiers manning Akbar post said that Indian had suffered heavy loss of life as they were in the open and attacking Pakistani post. The post which after the Indian attack named as Akbarpost, a derivative from Allaho Akbar, is located across the river Tawwi and surrounded from three sides by Indian posts. One of the Indian post is only 100 yards away from the Akbar post. Rattle of machine gunfire echoed in thevalley,whena group of national and international mediamen crossed River Tawwi and inched towards the post through the trenches. "They might have seen our movement... please don't speak and keep your heads down," the officers leading the reporters said when the first burst came from the Indian side. At the Akbar post two mud bunkers were completely destroyed. Two other bunkers were intact and Pakistani soldiers were looking at the Indian positions from these. The whole area was littered withthe empty shells used by Indians in the attack.India in Saturday's left behind several cases of live ammunitions which they had brought with them to blow upthe bunkers. Pakistan's Chief Executive, General Pervez Musharraf, said in remarks published on Sunday that Pakistan would "teach India a lesson" if its troops crossed the LoC. Musharraf has called on India to resume peace talks but the new coalition government of Atal Behari Vajpayee has said it will not enter into talks until Pakistan stops backing "terrorists" fighting Indian rule of Kashmir. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000124 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SC decision: Commission set up to Islamize financial system ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, Jan 23: The government has set up a high-level Commission to lead the process of transformation of the existing financial system with the one confirming to Shariat. The Commission formed in the State Bank, has been fully empowered to carry out, control and supervise the process of transformation of the existing financial system to the one conforming to Shariat. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000123 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan says it is victim of terrorism ------------------------------------------------------------------- M. Ziauddin ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: Pakistan was as much committed to combating terrorism as anybody else and that Pakistan itself was a victim of state sponsored external terrorism, said Foreign Office spokesman Tariq Altaf here while answering a question at a briefing on Saturday. He was asked about Pakistan's response to the visiting US Assistant Secretary of State Karl Inderfurth's queries on terrorism during his two-day interaction with the Pakistani officials. According to the FO spokesman the Americans were concerned about terrorism as a global phenomenon and when they spoke to Pakistan or to India on terrorism "they do not necessarily mean to focus on some so called terrorist acts here and there." Referring specifically to the two-day discussions on the subject with Karl Inderfurth, the spokesman said that the Pakistani side had made quite detailed and specific comments during these exchanges that took place between the two countries. "I do wish to take this opportunity to say that I am sure the Americans have carried the impression back that Pakistan is as much committed to combating terrorism as anybody else and I am sure that they must also have carried an impression from here that Pakistan itself is a victim of state sponsored, externally sponsored terrorism," maintained the FO spokesman. He said he was sure the Americans kept a good count of all the terrorist incidents that took place in Pakistan. "I think the international community is well aware that the Indians are indulging in state terrorism and are trying to repress the Kashmiris where indigenous struggle continues for the realization of right of self determination," he added. "What is important is," he said, "in the past two days and particularly in his press briefing Mr Karl Inderfurth specifically referred to Kashmir and to the need for the amelioration of the situation there as well as for a just and fair solution on the basis of the wishes of the Kashmiris." When asked what Pakistan was doing to track down the hijackers of the Indian Airlines plane, he said the Indians have given neither to Pakistan nor to anybody else in the world any clue to the identity of the hijackers. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000129 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Five killed, 35 injured in Karachi bomb blasts ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sarfaraz Ahmed & Arman Sabir KARACHI, Jan 28: At least five people were killed and 35 injured in two bomb blasts on Friday. The bomb blast that shook the City Courts in district South was followed by another inside a mosque at Sohrab Goth in district Malir within an hour. In the second blast, four persons were killed and 31 others injured when a bomb went off in a mosque in an Afghan settlement near Sohrab Goth on the outskirts of the city, at 1.45pm. One of the injured succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The bomb was placed inside the mosque under a mat that remained hidden on the space created by an opened door and the wall adjacent to it, according to bomb disposal squad chief Moinuddin. He said it was an improvised explosive devise with a 150 to 200 grams weight and was fitted with a 15-minute timer. He added that the blast had caused a crater of seven inches deep and one foot in dia. A visit to the mosque showed that the blast had completely dismantled the entire roof structure of asbestos sheets of the main hall and had also caused damage to the sheets made of asbestos and tin in mosque's veranda.
=================================================================== BUSINESS & ECONOMY 20000128 ------------------------------------------------------------------- CBR audit rules need complete revision ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent MULTAN, Jan 27: Rules and regulations regarding audit by the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) need complete revision as tax payers and business concerns are alike disgusted with its procedural complications. This point was conceded by the member coordination (sales tax) of the Central Board of Revenue, Riaz Ahmed Malik, here on Wednesday while addressing a select gathering of local businessmen at Multan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI). The CBR official was on a visit to Multan to allay apprehensions of the business community regarding sales tax. He mostly listened to the complaints and suggestions and took note of where the rules hurt the tax payers. He said CBR was making all possible efforts to collect relevant information about each and every tax payer so that no one could obtain more than one tax number. He also hinted at the abolition of negative list of ST-exempted goods to reduce complications.Besides, he continued, the government was considering to reintroduce 'no duty no drawback' scheme for the exporters. Mr Malik also hinted at the rationalization of rate of penalty on the sales tax defaulters as the present 5% per month was rather too high.Earlier, MCCI president Fareed Mughees Sheikh welcomed the CBR member and presented some 24 proposals to simplify the existing sales tax collection system. The CBR official later also held talks with the representatives of retailers headed by the central vice chairman of All Pakistan Chamber of Small Traders and Cottage Industry and discussed all the controversial issues hampering imposition of general sales tax (GST) at retail level. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000128 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Banks tell WB mission bad debt is a key problem ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mohiuddin Aazim KARACHI, Jan 27: Three state-run banks have told the visiting World Bank mission that recovery of bad debt still poses the most challenging task for Pakistani bankers. "We told the mission that recovery of bad loans still remains problem number one," said senior executive of a state-run bank where the mission received a briefing. A World Bank mission headed by Joseph Pernia is currently in Pakistan to assess the performance of the financial sector here. The executive said top bankers told the mission that creation of Corporate Industrial Restructuring Corporation was a healthy development in tackling the issue of sick units. The corporation - a modified version of Resolution Trust Corporation - would take over bad industrial loans of state-run banks and DFIs. It would then sell the sick units concerned or dispose of their real estates and other fixed assets to recover the loans. Senior executives of National Bank, United Bank and Habib Bank told the mission that recovery of bad debt had become a complex issue particularly in the backdrop of the ongoing economic slump. The mission is here to see how the financial sector has shaped up under the financial sector reforms initiated with the help of the World Bank in 1997. The mission has so far received briefing by State Bank, three state-run banks and Karachi Stock Exchange. Senior officials of state-run banks said the mission was keen to know how the State Bank was discharging its regulatory and supervisory role. "We told them that SBP has made a significant improvement in this area with the technical help from the World Bank," one of these officials told Dawn. They said they had told the mission that SBP had enhanced the balance sheet disclosure requirements thereby making banking operations more transparent in Pakistan. They said the mission was further told that SBP performance in foreign exchange regime has also improved and made a special reference to the efforts SBP had made to prevent a possible run on banks triggered by the millennium bug. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000126 ------------------------------------------------------------------- ECC approves Wapda's financial restructuring ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ihtashamul Haque ISLAMABAD, Jan 25: The Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet has approved Wapda's financial restructuring plan, establishment of a health insurance company and import of 700,000 tons of wheat. The ECC, which met here on Tuesday with Finance Minister Shoukat Aziz in the chair, projected over 4 per cent GDP growth rate during 1999-2000 against the target of 5 per cent, fixed by the deposed government last year. The committee was presented a report on the financial re- structuring of Wapda and was told that the organization's financial problems had risen due to a number of factors, including heavy line losses. It approved Wapda's financial restructuring plan which included conversion of government's outstanding loans into equity. The financial restructuring of Wapda was a part of its overall strengthening which will include its corporatization. Additional secretary and the spokesman for the finance ministry, Dr Waqar Masood Khan, told Dawn that with the approval of the plan, Wapda would come out of red."It will no longer face a default situation", he said adding that the purpose was to improve the cash flow of the authority. "It will certainly lower the financial burden of the authority", he added. He said he did not know the exact outstanding amount that Wapda owed to the Centre to be converted into the equity. ECONOMY: The meeting was told that on the basis of data available so far, it appeared that the overall GDP growth rate was likely to be over 4 per cent for the current financial year against 3.1 per cent achieved last year. "As such there were indications that the growth was beginning to accelerate as compared with the previous year", claimed a handout issued at the end of five-hour-long meeting. However, a participant of the meeting said that the growth rate for the year would remain well within 5 per cent. "The ECC believed that the GDP growth rate will be in the region of 4.1 to 4.8 per cent", he said adding that things have certainly improved as compared to 1998-1999 when the growth rate remained 3.1 per cent. The ECC discussed at length the performance of the economy in the first six months of the current year. It was told that the inflation rate was well below the annual target of 6 per cent and that the GDP growth in agriculture and large-scale manufacturing was showing considerable improvement. WHEAT STOCK: The ECC also reviewed the wheat situation and was told that the stock in the country was satisfactory to cater to the local requirements. However, to firm up the reserves, the meeting approved the import of 0.7 million tons of wheat in addition to the wheat already lined up. According to the food and agriculture ministry officials the government has finalized arrangement for importing 3.5 million tons of wheat which also includes 0.8 million tons for the provinces. So far 1.2 million tons have already been imported from Australia, and a credit of $125 million received from the United States for import of wheat from that country. They said that the government preferred to import wheat from Australia because the freight charges from that country was less than the others and the price quoted was $132 per ton ex-Karachi. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000128 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Foreign cos oppose gas price formula ------------------------------------------------------------------- Kamal Siddiqi KARACHI, Jan 27: The military government's efforts to attract foreign investment through Pakistan's lucrative oil and gas sector may not yield positive results as foreign oil and gas exploratory companies have not accepted the gas price formula proposed under the New Pricing Policy (NPP), saying that it severely erodes the value of any investment and it is not economically sustainable. Under the '94 and '97 petroleum policy statements, the Pakistan government had set up four zones, depending on their risk profile and set their gas prices accordingly. The policies guaranteed payment in foreign exchange for the full amount payable to foreign petroleum companies. These incentives stimulated increased exploration activity in Pakistan, which resulted in the discovery of over 6 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of gas reserves in the past three years. This response was much better than what the government had expected. This is where also problems began as the Nawaz Sharif government held back payments to companies owing to foreign exchange constraints. Negotiations for signing gas sales agreements (GSA) were unnecessarily slow and only one GSA has been signed for concessions granted after the '94 policy. Things have not changed since then. The Pakistan is currently refusing to nominate buyers to which the gas prices that itself had set would apply. Instead, producers are being told that they are free to sell to third parties at negotiated prices allowed under the petroleum policy. However, companies argue that the policy's vision of third party sales depended on liberalization, privatization and independent regulation of the gas sector, which has still not happened. As such, 'there is no free market for gas,' says one analyst. In July '99, the director general gas informally discussed with gas producers a proposed new pricing policy (NPP) for cases where Pakistan did not wish to nominate a buyer. The proposal also specified that the nearest transportation pipeline or consumption centre as the delivery point, with no pipeline tariff allowed to producers. In addition, Pakistan also proposed a discount for below pipeline specification gas and part payment in Rupees to foreign produces based on their expected Rupee expenditures. By December '99, Pakistan offered two options to gas exploration companies for the resolution of their year old stand-off on the pricing mechanism for newly discovered gas, as part of a new oil and gas package announced by the military government. Under the package, the government has said that either the gas exploratory companies accept the revised tariff prescribed by the government or the government would not offer any commitment on gas purchase, as has been made clear in the previous petroleum policies. 'This is going back on their word,' says one company head. Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Usman Aminuddin clarified that agreements with two companies had already been concluded on the basis of the price package which is slightly lower than what was agreed earlier. Under the new package, the government changed its policies on issues like gas and oil pricing, new gas discoveries, gas supply in winter, import lines for natural gas, restructuring of public sector entities in the power sector, fuel substitution, increased use of CNG in transport, opening up of the Balochistan province for oil and gas exploration and resumption of a restructuring process in state owned Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL). Aminuddin said that there had to be some 'quid pro quo on the tariff issue' if the gas companies wanted the government to deviate from previous petroleum policies but added that companies were not being forced to accept any of the options as the government did not want to send negative signals to the investors in the private sector. He said that active negotiations with the industry were going on and the government was hopeful to reach agreements with these companies very soon so that it could move ahead with the production at newly discovered fields. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000126 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Progressive textile policy under study ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, Jan 25: A high-level meeting was held on Tuesday which discussed formulation of a long-term progressive textile policy. Minister for Commerce, Industries and Production, Abdul Razak Dawood chaired the meeting which was attended by stakeholders of textile sector. It was participated also by the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Shafqat Ali Shah Jamot, Sec, Industries and Production, representatives of growers, ginners, spinners, weavers, garment manufacturers and exporters. The commerce minister said that 'textile is our main industry and it is going to get our full attention in future as well. No doubt, we are trying to diversify our export base but textile will retain its predominant position'. He urged stakeholders to help the government to frame a textile policy which should ensure Pakistan's rightful position in the international textile trade and pointed out that silver lining was visible and it was the result of this year's cotton surplus. 'Allah has blessed us with this opportunity and we should not waste it', he said. Gradually the economy was recovering from slumber and these signs of revival were being reflected by the recent stock-exchange upsurge, he said adding that growers could not get due price this year, hence future textile policy should look-after growers interest as well. The minister said that Pakistani pavilion in Frankfurt's textile fair out-shinned other participants from the developing world. 'However, the range of our product was not very wide but the quality was of par excellence'. According to press release of the ministry of commerce, it was an open debate and stakeholders also expressed their view point. Suggestions and problems were put forward. It was pointed out that Pakistan's product range was quite narrow which needed to be made wider to tap the international market adequately. Need of joint venture with foreign investors, improvement of staple size, forward-market mechanism to protect growers and improvement of quality and crop insurance system were proposed in the meeting. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000126 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Banks reinvest rupee counterpart of swap funds ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mohiuddin Aazim KARACHI, Jan 25: Major local and foreign banks are reinvesting with the State Bank, the rupees equivalent of foreign currency swap funds they had rolled over in late '98. They are doing this to earn a guaranteed 14.5% or more return at a time when the yield on one- year treasury bills has fallen to 10%. Senior bankers say this is one of several reason behind the present liquidity crunch in the inter-bank market. They say over half a dozen banks, including local and foreign ones. have reinvested with SBP in past two-three weeks huge amounts of the rupee counterpart of the foreign currency swap funds rolled over in '98. The SBP had $1.450bn worth of swap funds rolled over by these banks after Pakistan plunged into a financial crisis triggered by May '98 nuclear explosion. In December last, SBP started repaying 20% of the rolled over swap funds as agreed in the agreement reached with the banks at the time of the rollover. Senior bankers say SBP has so far repaid some $150m on this account and it would repay another $130m by the end of March to complete repayment of 20% ($280m) of the total $1.450bn worth of rolled over swap funds. Senior bankers say the rupee counterpart of the remaining 80% ($1.120bn) of the rolled over swap funds were with the banks. Here begins the story. As the yield on treasury bills fell after five lead banks cut their lending rates early this month, most banks began reinvesting the rupee counterpart of the $1.120bn worth of rolled over funds with SBP. The trend goes on as it ensures a very attractive return of 14.5% per year for these banks. When SBP had the swap funds rolled over, it had agreed to pay a guaranteed return of around 14.5% to the banks on the rupee counterpart of these funds. That is why, SBP cannot say No to these banks, or offer them a lesser return. This is bringing bonanza for the banks that had rolled over their swap funds: they are earning at least 4.5% more by reinvesting the rupee counterpart of the rolled over swap funds with SBP than what they could have earned by investing them in T bills. 'This is one of the chief reasons for the liquidity crunch in the market,' said head of a European bank that had rolled over its swap funds. Senior bankers close to SBP say reinvestment of the rupee counterpart of rolled over swap funds means that the cost of government borrowing remains high. 'But there is no such thing as free lunch,' one of them remarked implying that it was the price the government has to pay after holding interest rates down. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000126 ------------------------------------------------------------------- CBR working being reviewed ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Jan 25: The government's teams have started on-the-spot review of performance of Central Board of Revenue (CBR) in the tax collection, implementation and administration. A team led by Maj Gen Mohammad Ashraf, visited the CBR on Monday and Tuesday and discussed with its chairman, Members and heads of various tax sections the performance in collection and implementation/administration. The team was reportedly supplied with data on revenue collection. Official sources revealed to Dawn that the army officers' team put a number of questions regarding monitoring and assessment system of tax potentials and the CBR's capacity to tap the revenues to the maximum. The CBR officials were informed by the team as to which of the posts and positions in the CBR and the field formations is programmed to be taken over by the army officers for monitoring and performance assessment. Three major wings made presentations. The team was informed that the CBR has evolved its own system of estimation and monitoring of collection, and that the right-sizing would make the field formations more efficient. The CBR officials presented with the help of charts and graphs a 6- month review of the estimates of tax collection vs estimates made for the July-Dec '99 saying that more than 41 per cent of the tax estimated for the entire financial year has been collected in the past six months. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000123 ------------------------------------------------------------------- No GST on power up to 500 units ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) announced here on Saturday that General Sales Tax (GST) on electricity chargeable from the consumers is conditioned to reduction of 15 per cent in additional surcharge. A spokesman of Wapda said here that "GST is being imposed at the standard rate of 15 per cent which will be collected from all categories of consumers. However, in case of domestic, agricultural and commercial consumers who consume less than 500 units of electricity per month, GST would be adjusted against the additional surcharge to make the electricity billing neutral, as such there would be no increase in the price of electricity for these consumers." All other categories of consumers, including commercial consumers who use more than 500 units per month, would be levied general sales tax over and above their existing tariff. The GST has been levied on all the electricity bills to be issued with effect from January 1, 2000, the spokesman added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000127 ------------------------------------------------------------------- UBL seeks approval to shut 200 branches ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mohiuddin Aazim KARACHI, Jan 26: State-run United Bank Ltd wants to shut down 200 more branches by the end of 2000. But it cannot implement the plan without the State Bank permission. "We are waiting for a nod from the State Bank," said a senior UBL official. He said UBL closed down 219 branches during the past two years with the permission of the State Bank. The number of UBL branches fell to 1424 at the end of December 1999 from 1643 in December 1997 when a new management took over. The official said the State Bank considers an area "Unbanked" if there is no bank branch within 2km radius. "UBL has asked SBP to change this to 10 km so that it could close down commercially unviable branches," the official said. He said UBL management had prepared the blueprint of its plan to shut down 200 more branches and the only thing that is needed to carry it out is the SBP permission. The official declined to say how much saving UBL would make in its expenditures by closing down 200 more branches. "It would certainly reduce our operating cost. But I cannot give numbers," he said. UBL had 15619 employees at the end of December 1997: The number fell to 14006 in December 1999 with the closure of 219 branches in two years. But UBL officials say the workforce did not shrink because of closure of branches. "The shrinkage was natural. People retired or left the bank," one of the officials said. UBL executives say closure of 200 more branches and resultant cut in operating cost would make the bank "a better buy" if the government goes on to privatize it. Senior officials say UBL has sought State Bank permission also for investing more in information technology and human resources to make UBL more profitable-and more viable for privatization. "The State Bank has put sort of freeze on our expenditures and that freeze is quite understandable in the backdrop of how things had been at UBL," said one senior official. "But now that the bank has turned around it makes sense that we spend more in the areas where investment would make the bank more profitable." He said SBP was yet to respond to the request. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000123 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Railways to raise fares by 15pc ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: Pakistan Railways has decided to raise its fares on all routs to overcome deficit, APP learnt here on Saturday. Likely to be increased by about 15 per cent, the new fare schedule will be implemented after its approval by the government. About the percentage of the increase, the sources said, final decision in this regard will be taken by the government. They said the increase in fare had become inevitable due to the recent raise in petrol price and increase in pay and pension of the railways employees, including the ad hoc relief. "This has added to the burden on railways to the tune of Rs1.2 billion per annum." The deficit, they added, has now increased to around Rs18 billion, that is badly affecting the development of one of biggest public service departments. They said it had become imperative, as the department was meeting its huge expenditure through over-drafts amounting to Rs20 billion from the State Bank. There will be maximum increase in the fare of lower classes, they added.Back to the top
===================================================================
EDITORIALS & FEATURES
20000128
-------------------------------------------------------------------
A weary scene re-enacted
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayaz Amir
POLITICS in Pakistan is the death of the imagination. The same
scenes repeated endlessly, even some of the directors, as in the
case of Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada, performing the same role from one
generation to the next. The actors of course change but as if in
obedience to a higher dramatic law they too stick closely to the
ancient script.
Consider the latest circus (for it is a bit more than a play)
arranged for the benefit of their lordships of the superior courts.
Such a circus was expected because with the Constitution set aside
and displaced by the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO), it
stood to reason that sooner or later this contradiction would have
to be resolved. But the need for such a circus also stood on firm
historical ground.
In March 1981 a similar exercise was ordained by another benign
military figure, General Ziaul Haq, whose protestations to hold
elections in 90 days were, if anything, more vociferous than
General Musharraf's proclaimed determination to return Pakistan to
the fold of 'real' democracy. Barring a few honourable exceptions,
most of their lordships, led by the pragmatism which has been the
guiding spirit of the Pakistani higher judiciary, preferred
discretion to valour by swearing allegiance to General Zia's PCO.
The master of ceremonies on that occasion too was Syed Sharifuddin.
As if to prove that while the world may have moved on we remain
stuck in the same grooves, 19 years later as Pakistan heroically
enters a new millennium, another generation of judges has been
called upon by another military saviour to negotiate a similar
obstacle course. Again, shunning rashness and opting for
pragmatism, the overwhelming majority of their lordships, 89 out of
102, have sworn fealty to another PCO.
In a land where nothing is surprising anymore, it is still not a
little remarkable that the moving spirit behind both the circuses,
otherwise separated by a distance of 19 years, should be the same
eminence grise: Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada. Active in General Ayub
Khan's service when many of us were in school, he has raised a
monument to longevity by serving another military figure as his
principal legal adviser, with a seat in the National Security
Council and the freedom to continue with his legal practice. If
Pakistan's fate is to remain in the grip of military rule, it is
the fate of our military rulers to remain captive to Syed
Sharifuddin's beguiling advice. This is the closest thing we have
to immortality in this country.
Whether the superior judiciary - its conduct tarnished in many ways
- deserves what it has got is beside the point. Of greater
relevance is to see the implications of the latest move for the
country's immediate future. Since this is a nation where the level
of gullibility remains high, it was scarcely surprising if on the
morrow of the celebrated 'counter-coup' of October 12 there was no
shortage of people who were ready to believe that the promised land
had been sighted and a new coming was at hand. In that exalted mood
the pronouncements of the Chief Executive were greeted with
enthusiasm and criticism of his intentions was considered almost
akin to sacrilege.
That was then. Today the feeling is different. The performance or
rather non-performance of the military government over the last 100
days (which is the time it took Napoleon to leave the island of
Elba and fight the battle of Waterloo) has been such that even some
of the fiercest partisans of military rule are a bit down-at-heart.
After the judicial drama just enacted in Islamabad this mood can
only be strengthened because by now it should be clear even to the
congenitally benighted that what we are witnessing on the national
stage is not so much a temporary reform movement - which will pick
up its tools when its immediate task is done - as the kind of long-
drawn-out military rule which (to its grievous cost) the nation has
experienced once too often in the past. That General Musharraf
seems to be playing for keeps is the real significance of the
trauma through which their lordships have been put.
To be sure, judicial freedom and military rule were incompatible
from the start. But it is only now that this incompatibility was
about to be tested in the shape of the constitutional petitions
before the Supreme Court challenging military rule. The critical
hour approaching, it was judicial independence which had to submit
before the exigencies and higher requirements of military rule.
Nor could it be otherwise. In Pakistan it is not only power which
flows from the barrel of a gun. Legality and validation also flow
from the same source. Every dictator in Pakistan's history has
received approval and benediction at judicial hands. It would have
been unrealistic to assume that General Musharraf or anyone else in
his place would have allowed this hallowed tradition to be broken.
Why after all was Sharifuddin Pirzada hired in the first place?
Just for this eventuality.
The trouble is that there is so much else that is incompatible with
military rule: fundamental rights as a whole for one, press freedom
for another. How long will the saviour in General Musharraf
tolerate these deviations from the military norm? One illusion
that it is in our best interests to get rid of fast is regarding
the American concern for democracy in Pakistan. From Washington
Pakistan is just a blip on the world screen and although democracy
and human rights are issues with which the US likes to whip other
countries when it wants to, of greater concern to the US as far as
Pakistan is concerned is a raft of other issues: terrorism, Osama
bin Laden and the CTBT.
If we are forthcoming on these issues democracy can take a back
seat. The military government also understands this, which is why
it has started this wholly unnecessary debate regarding the CTBT.
To sign or not to sign it should be our sovereign decision quite
uninfluenced by such ephemera as Clinton's forthcoming visit to
South Asia. What if he misses Pakistan? Will the heavens fall? We
obviously think they will, which is why the likely itinerary of
Clinton's visit is such a hot issue in Pakistan.
Anyway, what happens at home is of greater importance. Nawaz Sharif
no longer is the issue. If he had overreached himself he has met
his just deserts through the operation of those forbidding laws
which hold sway over Pakistani politics. The issue today is
different. The lack of direction from which the country suffers is
only made worse by a regression to militarism because just as
judicial freedom and military rule are incompatible, vision and
military rule are two different things.
Accordingly, if getting rid of Nawaz Sharif's luckless rule seemed
to be the overriding national imperative on the evening of October
12, the imperative today is how to shorten the lengthening shadows
of military rule. How do we go about this? How does the nation
persuade the military? This is the foremost problem facing Pakistan
today.
Tailpiece: Last week while in New Delhi I was visiting the Pakistan
High Commission to pay my respects, I felt my heart sink when I saw
in the foyer the photographs of President Rafiq Tarar and General
Pervez Musharraf, the latter in full military regalia. While it
goes without saying that the two together make a striking
advertisement for Pakistan, why not simply a picture of Jinnah
instead?
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
20000129
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Give peace a chance
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Irfan Husain
GREECE and Turkey signed four agreements last week. Not being of an
earth-shaking nature, this news item was duly reported on page 8 of
this newspaper.
But one aspect of this report deserved closer attention: the two
countries have long been arch enemies, and their mutual hatred goes
back to the earlier part of the last century when Greece won its
freedom from the Ottoman Empire, and then joined the Allies when
they invaded a prostate Turkey after the First World War. Rightly
or wrongly, the Turks felt betrayed while the Greeks thought they
were avenging centuries of occupation by their neighbour.
Another bitterly divisive element in their rivalry has been Cyprus:
the Greeks view its forcible partition as an aggressive act aimed
at dividing a Greek island while the Turks feel it to be their duty
to protect the Turkish minority from Greek oppression. Finally,
both sides have territorial claims on some of the islands in the
Aegean Sea. As usual in such bitter historical feuds, both think
they are right and the other side is totally wrong.
Given these differences, this dispute was one of the constants in
international relations through most of the 20th century. For
decades, the Greeks thwarted the Turkish bid to enter the European
Union, while the Turks missed no opportunity to block Greek
ambitions whenever they could. The first signs of a thaw came last
year when earthquakes hit both countries and caused enormous
damage, particularly in Turkey. The Greeks immediately sent
assistance to their neighbour. When a quake struck Greece, the
Turks were quick to reciprocate.
Against this backdrop of animosity that has coloured relations
between the two nations for generations, it took a genuine act of
statesmanship for their leaders to go against the flow of public
opinion and take the first, tentative step towards peace. The
agreements signed recently may not in themselves be very important,
but they signal a change in the atmospherics in the region. Wisely,
they have not tried to tackle the knotty question of Cyprus and the
Aegean islands immediately, preferring to improve relations through
trade and cultural links before embarking on tough negotiations to
resolve the other outstanding issues.
This pragmatic approach could serve as a model for India and
Pakistan. If two bitter foes like Turkey and Greece can begin a
process to end their long-running dispute, surely, the leaders in
New Delhi and Islamabad suffer from a blinkered vision that does
not permit them to see the wider world as they pursue their narrow
agenda. Like moles, they burrow deeper and deeper into the ground
without paying attention to the changes taking place on the
surface.
Pakistan is fixated on a 'Kashmir-first-and-last' policy that
precludes discussing any other issue with India, while India is
willing to discuss everything else except Kashmir. In actual fact,
India is currently refusing to discuss anything on account of its
reservations about the 'legitimacy' of Pakistan's military
government. This is a myopic view, and one that seeks only to score
points. In fact, the reality is that this is probably the best time
to negotiate a settlement of all outstanding issues.
Traditionally, the Pakistani military has called the shots on
Kashmir and Afghanistan, even when elected governments have been in
the saddle. Neither Nawaz Sharif nor Benazir Bhutto could
significantly alter the official policy in our relations (or lack
of them) with India. In her first stint, there was a narrow window
of opportunity for Ms Bhutto in 1989 when she signed an agreement
with Rajiv Gandhi in Islamabad to end hostilities on the Siachen
glacier. This was accompanied with a flurry of other agreements
dealing with trade, culture and tourism. Unfortunately, the Indian
government soon went back on this accord, and the following year a
full-fledged uprising broke out in Indian-occupied Kashmir. The
last decade has seen bloodshed on an unprecedented scale as freedom
fighters have escalated their activities, and Indian security
forces have clamped down ruthlessly.
Even if stark economic compulsions have gone unheeded, the nuclear
tests conducted by India and Pakistan in 1998 have lent greater
urgency to the need to resolve this conflict. But the Indian
refusal to talk to a military regime flies in the face of the
political realities of Pakistan. One reason why Benazir Bhutto was
sacked in 1990 was the perception in GHQ that she was "soft" on
Kashmir. Nawaz Sharif, too, was kept on a short leash, despite his
avowed desire to make peace with our neighbour. The battle on the
Kargil heights effectively derailed the nascent peace process begun
earlier last year with the famous bus trip taken by the Indian
prime minister from Amritsar to Lahore.
Given the pre-eminence of the army in our dealings with India, it
makes eminent sense for New Delhi to agree to negotiations now. The
Indian leadership is well aware that ultimately, it is the army
high command that will determine the course of any future talks
from the Pakistan side, irrespective of who is occupying the Prime
minister's House in Islamabad. Mr Vajpayee and his colleagues would
do well to remember that it took Richard Nixon, a right-wing
Republican president, to re-establish ties with Communist China
after decades of hostility. A liberal democratic initiative would
have been unacceptable to the American establishment. Similarly,
the Pakistan army can deliver on a deal without the hawks going on
the rampage.
Clearly, the Indian government feels that they are in control of
the insurgency in Kashmir, and they are probably right in this
assessment. But the price India pays will not be restricted to the
Vale: right or wrong, the Kashmir dispute will continue to poison
relations between the two countries, as well as preventing any
regional grouping to work effectively in South Asia. As the bigger
and more powerful party in the dispute, it is for India to take the
lead and set the pace for a peace process. Saying that Pakistan has
to somehow 're-establish trust' between the two countries is a
clear cop-out as there was very little trust to begin with.
Peace will only dawn on the subcontinent when the leaders of both
countries begin to comprehend that far more than Kashmir is
involved. Without peace, neither country will reach its potential
as each squanders billions on defence every year. After all, if
arch-enemies like Greece and Turkey can start talking, why can't
we?
=================================================================== SPORTS DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000129 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan end India's hope with crushing win ------------------------------------------------------------------- PERTH, Jan 28: India's tour of misery continued here on Friday night when they were crushed by 104 runs by Pakistan in a tri- nation series match at the WACA Ground. India collapsed for 157 in only 46 overs to the pace of skipper Wasim Akram (3-10 off seven overs), Waqar Younis (2-33) and the spin of Shahid Afridi (3-42). They were replying to Pakistan's 8-261 from 50 overs after they won the toss and chose to have first use of a wicket which played consistently well. India's innings began chaotically and at one stage, with 33-5, they seemed unlikely to reach their all-time one-day low - the 63 they made against Australia in Sydney 19 seasons ago. It was India's sixth defeat in seven matches in the current competition, totally ruling them out of any possibility of qualifying for the final series. Sachin Tendulkar's men were also whipped 3-0 by Australia in the Test series immediately before the limited-overs festival began. While India have sunk to the depths of despair, Pakistan are shaping as an increasingly competitive unit and must have high hopes of giving Australia a good run for their money in the finals starting in Melbourne next Wednesday. Until this match, there was a tiny theoretical possibility India could still become Australia's opponents, as long as they won by a huge margin in this encounter and handed out a thrashing to Australia on Sunday in the last qualifying clash of the competition. India's goose was probably cooked as soon as Pakistan romped to their handsome total - a score which promised to be even bigger as opening pair Saeed Anwar (44 from 52 balls) and Afridi (41 from 61 balls) smashed 77 in the opening 13.2 overs. In a curious innings in which most contributed well, but none topped 50, Pakistan also had good service from Inzamam-ul-Haq (35 from 43 balls) and Wasim Akram (31 not out from 38 deliveries). Seam bowler Saurav Ganguly (3-34) was the one Indian bowler who contained the batsmen. To have any chance of challenging the Pakistan score, India had to start well and have plenty of wickets in hand. Instead, they were 33-5 after 12.1 overs - with skipper Sachin Tendulkar among the parade of victims. The Indian hopes disappeared almost as soon as they took their turn to bat when the top order slumped after Tendulkar was controversially given out for 17, caught by wicket-keeper Moin Khan off Waqar Younis. It was perhaps symptomatic of India's plight that injured batsman Jacob Martin was sent out to the middle at number four - and then humiliatingly ordered back to the changing rooms by umpires Darrell Hair and Simon Taufel because he had been off the ground with an injury during the Pakistan innings. Under the rules of the competition, players leaving the field in the first innings cannot bat in the second until the innings is as old as the time they were off or until the fall of the fifth wicket. Pakistan players, apparently aware of the rules, drew the umpires' attention to them, leaving the men in charge with no choice but to send Martin off. Martin had limped off earlier with a sprained left knee. Indian officials should have been familiar with the competition's regulations. The right-hander returned to the crease, with a runner, at 33-5, with India in dire straits, and pluckily figured in a fighting stand of 86 with Robin Singh. Singh top-scored with 51 from 106 balls, while Martin composed 39 from 72 balls. With their final hopes now gone, India face Australia in the final preliminary match, an all day affair at the WACA, on Sunday while Pakistan will fly to Melbourne to prepare for the first final.- AFP/Reuters DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000128 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Imran for change in bowling law ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, Jan 27: Pakistan's legendary fast bowler Imran Khan on Thursday backed his fellow countryman Shoaib Akhtar and called for a change in the bowling law. "I hope he gets a fair deal and can concentrate on his career after all the trouble he was subjected to," Imran said. "Sooner or later the law of illegal deliveries has to be changed because its a faulty law, just like the law of ball tampering which is faulty," said Imran. The ICC should revise its laws, Imran said. "There is no way possible for an umpire to detect an odd ball that is thrown. The ICC should deal with the matter seriously now that more than a few cases have come to the fore," he said.-AFP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000127 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PCB threatens to withdraw from Sharjah contests ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter ISLAMABAD, Jan 26: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said here on Wednesday that it would not participate in any tournaments in Sharjah on present participation fee. The chairman of the PCB, Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia, said the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) has been informed of the decision. "For this season, we have agreed to play but for 2001 we will demand an increase in participation fee," Gen Tauqir said at a reception held in his honour by the Rawalpindi Division Cricket Association (RDCA) at a local hotel. The PCB last year had also refused to play in Sharjah. But the dispute was settled when the board and CBFS signed a fresh three- year deal. Pakistan play India and South Africa in March-April in a Sharjah tournament to be contested on double league. General Tauqir said the PCB has succeeded in getting the number of beneficiaries in Sharjah event increased from two to three. He said the board was also working out a beneficiary plan for Pakistan cricketers in the age bracket of 50-60-70. The PCB boss said efforts were being made to increase its sponsorships and generate more funds. PCB's share of $3.3 million from the profits of the 1996 World Cup is also expected to be released by the PILCOM soon, he said. General Tauqir said a system was being evolved that would allow the selection of cricketers at the grass roots level. "No one will be ignored because he was poor or had no one to influence the selection," he vowed. He said the board has already put together a "confidential" plan to prepare team for the 2003 World Cup. "In fact, the team shaped up by next year would carry the stakes for Pakistan's chances at the next World Cup," the chairman said. Setting up of cricket club houses at Karachi and Rawalpindi will be the priority of the PCB chairman. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: .