------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 15 April 2000 Issue : 06/16 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Contents | National News | Business & Economy | Editorials & Features | Sports
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CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + Suspension of Pakistan from IPU feared + Polls under PR system being considered, says adviser + Three more cases against Nawaz ready + New counsel appointed to represent government + Appeal ought to be decided in a week: Nawaz's counsel + PML reconfirms Nawaz as party chief + Kulsoom blames JI, others for ouster of PML govt + Azhar urged to take over PML presidentship + FO slams C'wealth official + Musharraf terms Nawaz trial fair + OAU rebuffs India for propaganda + Pakistan alert: ISPR + Pakistan, India to continue rail service + India accuses Pakistan of troop build-up + India told no talks if terms set + Pakistan not to press India for talks: Sattar + Rejection of talk's offer: Islamabad slams Delhi + Bodies of Kashmiri youths reburied + Pakistan asks Kabul to close terrorist training camps + Charge of N-material trafficking denied + Delhi's quest for SC seat doomed + US to back India for UN Council seat: envoy + Manzoor Wattoo challenges conviction + Hoti shifted to Attock Fort + Usman Farooqui, wife and daughter sentenced + Usman, wife, daughter file appeals in high court + NAB acquires documents against ex-CBR chief + Osama issue: UN threatens Taliban with more sanctions + New visa rules for Umra from July 1 + Former NWFP chief secretary charge-sheeted + Grenade attack on Imambargah leaves 14 dead + Troops deployed in Punjab sensitive areas + Court seeks prompt action on Edhi's application + Lahore runway work to lead to PIA flight rescheduling + 15 killed in Kashmir gun battles + PPL chief's kidnappers get death sentence + Oil well fire: situation termed under control + Four arrested for setting oil well on fire --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + WB chief urged to resolve HUBCO dispute + IMF wants SBP to validate tax figures + Aziz terms meetings productive + Washington meeting this week: Talks with IMF team end + Lowering of tax target IMF rejects CBR proposal + IMF for speeding up reforms + Outside review panel to monitor IMF work + CBR offer for audit rejected + Protection margins for industry excessive: IMF + Private sector borrowing nose dives + Privatization of PTCL deferred + Software exports: State Bank unlikely to offer credit line + Stocks stage smart recovery --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + Pity the Pakistani people Ayaz Amir + All in the family By Irfan Husain ----------- SPORTS + Poor batting lets down Pakistan + Rose destroys Pakistan + Pakistan in upbeat mood after Sharjah triumph
=================================================================== DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS 20000414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Suspension of Pakistan from IPU feared ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent LONDON, April 13: The 139-member International Parliamentary Union (IPU) is likely to suspend Pakistan's membership when it meets in the Jordan capital, Amman, on April 30, diplomatic sources told. They were of the view that the week-long statutory conference, to be hosted by Prince Hasan bin Talal, might take up the issue of Pakistan's membership in the context of Oct 12 military coup. "There is a very strong possibility that Pakistan may be suspended from the IPU," one of them remarked on condition of anonymity. "Pakistan is no more a functioning democracy," he added. The question of Pakistan's membership might surface when Namibia, advocating contribution of parliaments to the prevention of military coups to oust democratically elected governments, would table a motion for debate, the source said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Polls under PR system being considered, says adviser ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent LONDON, April 13: Javed Jabbar has said that the government is considering to hold elections on proportional representation (PR) system or allow only those candidates to enter the assemblies who secure at least 51 per cent votes under the current first-past-the- post system. He said the government is also thinking to make voting compulsory. Mr Jabbar said that the system of first-past-the post was not working well so the government wants that those returning to the assemblies should represent majority of the people from that area. For this purpose it is considering to hold general elections under the PR system. He said if that was not possible then the changes will be made in the present system by declaring only those persons elected who secure at least 51 per cent of the total votes. He said the PR system, if agreed, would be first tried and implemented in the local bodies elections, which have already been announced by the government. Mr Jabbar said that the government is also planning to make voting compulsory, though, he admitted that there would be some problems. He said the voting was compulsory in many countries like Singapore, Greece, Belgium and Australia. He said those not exercising their right to vote could be fined, or refused passport or some similar punishment. The adviser said that the Election Commission has already recommended compulsory voting and the government would consider this recommendation seriously. CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES: Mr Jabbar hinted that, if need be, the government would not hesitate to bring changes in the constitution to tailor it to its own requirements. He said the government wants the constitution to work but if at any stage it becomes an obstacle in the way of government, it would be changed. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Three more cases against Nawaz ready ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, April 12: Ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who appealed against two life terms, now faces charges of corruption, the military government's top corruption prosecutor said. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had sent three cases or references to court and more charges of corruption and misrule were being investigated, NAB prosecutor-general Farooq Adam Khan told Reuters Television. He said the accountability process against Mr. Sharif and some of his associates had been stepped up after Anti-Terrorism Court in Karachi sentenced the former premier last week to two concurrent life terms for hijacking and terrorism. Mr. Khan said the investigations could lead to "multiple arrests" and even women in the Sharif family might be involved as directors of companies. But he added, "we are going out of our way" not to take the women into custody. Mr. Sharif's lawyers filed an appeal before the Sindh High Court challenging his conviction and the life term, which means 25 years in jail. The court has yet to set a date for the hearing. "There are other charges, or other allegations which require probing, are being investigated, inquired into and when we feel that we have sufficient evidence or record that we are capable of filing a reference, we will file a reference before the court," Mr. Khan said. "I do believe there will be more references." FAMILY BUSINESS: Mr. Khan said the NAB was investigating the Sharif family's huge business empire which had been accused of benefiting from his tenure as chief minister of Punjab and two short terms as prime minister. Mr. Sharif has denied any wrongdoing. " Now when a family empire like that is being investigated it makes it a little bit more complicated in specifying who has done what," Mr. Khan said. "That is a factor in the investigations which we are looking into, we are dealing with it." He said the charges the Sharif family would face, included massive defaults in repaying bank loans, misusing the tax-collecting Central Board of Revenue and laundering illegal money. MASSIVE DEFAULT: "... (there are) massive default cases where the banks have actually been utilized to finance their empire and they have defaulted deliberately... in the repayment of those dues as a matter of policy rather than compulsion. " We have in that particular aspect cases where they have misused their authority, misused their influence in getting those loans or reschedules," Mr. Khan said. " Then we have cases against Nawaz Sharif in his capacity as chief minister and as prime minister where the misuse of authority is blatant, and misuse of influence is obscene in many instances," he said. " And cases are then being investigated... where (there has been) such misuse of authority, misuse of the taxation system, utilizing the CBR to give benefits for his (Sharif's) own empire, deliberate use of the CBR to do that. "All these cases, kickbacks, commissions and contracts being awarded, money-laundering in its most blatant form that you can ever think of, the deliberate use of SROs (statutory regulatory orders) to that effect. All these cases we are looking into," he said.-Reuters DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- New counsel appointed to represent government ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, April 12: The Sindh government has appointed Barrister Zahoor-ul- Haq Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) and Advocate-General Raja Qureshi, Mohammed Ilyas Khan and Abdul Latif Yousufzai Additional Public Prosecutors (APP) to represent it in an appeal preferred by Nawaz Sharif in the October 12 plane-hijacking case. According to a notification issued by the Sindh Home, the appointments have been made in exercise of powers conferred by Section 18 of the Anti-terrorism Act. Meanwhile, the Sindh Home Department, through another notification dated April 08, issued to the press accorded the necessary permission to the advocate-general to prefer an appeal/revision against the ATC judgment in the plane- hijacking case acquitting the six other accused.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Appeal ought to be decided in a week: Nawaz's counsel ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, April 12: Nawaz Sharif's counsel has said the appeal has to be decided within seven days as per provisions of the law. Speaking to journalists in the Sindh High Court after filing appeal in the deputy registrar's offices, counsel Azizullah Sheikh said the defence had filed the appeal within the time period stipulated by law. Answering a question, he said he did not know how much time the appellate court would take to give decision on the appeal, adding: "The Anti-terrorism Act says that an appeal challenging the judgment of the ATC shall be decided by the appellate court in a week's time. But the preparation of paper books containing the case documents, translation of vernacular-language documents into Urdu, etc, which are to be provided to the counsel by the court before the case is fixed for regular hearing, always requires time. This means one could not say with any degree of certainty about the actual time the appellate court would take for the disposal of the case," he said. In reply to another question, the lawyer said he had found a lot of scope for defence after studying the judgment and was hopeful that the high court decision would be in Nawaz Sharif's favour. At the appellate court, he said, there would be reappraisal and re- appreciation of evidence brought forth by the prosecution at the trial court. "I have seen numerous inherent contradictions in the individual deposition of each of the prosecution witnesses," he added. Asked whether Nawaz Sharif would be appearing in the high court, the counsel said: "No. It is not necessary," adding that an appellant could appear when he himself wanted to speak in the court at any stage of the hearing. Asked about his feelings about defending a former prime minister vis-a-vis his position in the past as a noted leader of the National Awami Party, Mr Sheikh said: "That chapter was closed 25 years ago. Now, I am only a professional lawyer. I have cases of almost all parties and groups. My clients are from the PPP, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and various other parties." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000410 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PML reconfirms Nawaz as party chief ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Faraz Hashmi ISLAMABAD, April 9: Begum Kulsoom Nawaz managed to save PML presidentship of her jailed husband by getting passed from a top- level party meeting a unanimous resolution that reposed confidence in Nawaz Sharif's leadership. "This joint session of Muslim League central working committee, its parliamentary group and allied parties reposes confidence in the leadership of Nawaz Sharif, and fully supports a demand that Nawaz Sharif should remain the president of the party," said the resolution that was read out later at a press briefing. However, most of the members demanding a change in the leadership left the meeting very early, saying they had not been given a chance to speak. Mian Azhar, Wasim Sajjad, Begum Abida Hussain, Sarwar Cheema, Fakhar Imam, Maqbool Niazi, Abdus Sattar Laleeka and a number of other leaders left the meeting halfway through the deliberations. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000410 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Kulsoom blames JI, others for ouster of PML govt ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ashraf Mumtaz LAHORE, April 9: Kulsoom Sharif has alleged that the movement against the PML government before its ouster as a result of the October 12 military action enjoyed the support of Gen Pervez Musharraf. Talking to Dawn, she said Jamaat-i-Islami Amir Qazi Husain and leaders of other parties opposed to Mr Sharif were continuing their struggle with the backing of Gen Musharraf. "They were getting support from him (the General). Otherwise they could not have dared work against an elected government", she said. The parties opposed to the PML government were keeping silent after the removal of the Sharif government because they had achieved their target, she added. Begum Kulsoom said that the despite the role of various parties in the ouster of the PML government, her party wanted cooperation from all democratic forces for the revival of the political system. "We want cooperation from every party and every individual, whose opinion matters, for the restoration of the democratic system." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000412 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Azhar urged to take over PML presidentship ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter LAHORE, April 11: Some office-bearers of the local PML units urged former Punjab governor Mian Muhammad Azhar to take over the PML leadership no matter whether the existing leadership stepped down or not. In a signed letter they handed over to Mian Azhar, they warned that if Mian Azhar did not respond to the call of the hour, the party might go to the wrong hands. The letter said after the conviction of Mian Nawaz Sharif, workers felt that the entire leadership should be changed. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000410 ------------------------------------------------------------------- FO slams C'wealth official ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, April 9: Pakistan has condemned the Commonwealth secretary general's reported desire to seek country's exclusion from other international organizations. "It is beyond the mandate of a civil servant," foreign office spokesman said in a statement, adding, "international organizations do not take dictation from the secretary general of the Commonwealth. He should keep his counsel to himself." The spokesman also took strong exception to the reported remark of Don Mckinnon, the secretary general, regarding the court verdict against the former prime minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif. Reacting to media reports on his statement, the spokesman of the foreign office recalled that the transparency and open and fair proceedings of the trial had been appreciated by the international media and the observers from a large number of countries who were given free and unhindered access. The defendants themselves and their lawyers had also publicly expressed their full confidence in the integrity of the court and the fair manner in which the trial had been conducted. Thus, he added, for the secretary-general to reject the court verdict was to betray a biased approach and amounts to interference in the judicial process as well as in the internal affairs of Pakistan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000411 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf terms Nawaz trial fair ------------------------------------------------------------------- PARIS, April 10: The Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, said that the life term handed down to the deposed prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, was "extremely fair" and should not be criticized by the West. "The trial could not have been fairer than what has taken place," Musharraf told newsmen after his meeting with the French Foreign Minister, Hubert Vedrine, during a brief stopover in France ahead of a visit to Cuba for the Group of 77 summit. Gen. Musharraf specifically responded to the comments by the Commonwealth Secretary General, Don McKinnon, who had said that he was "dismayed" by the severity of the sentence and urged the CE to grant a full amnesty to Nawaz Sharif. "I think criticism from Europe is absolutely unfounded," the CE said. He also suggested that legal action against Nawaz Sharif was not over saying: "there are dozens of corruption cases pending against the ex-prime minister." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000411 ------------------------------------------------------------------- OAU rebuffs India for propaganda ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON, April 10: India was rebuffed by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) against Pakistan at its ministerial meeting at Cartagena. The Indian delegation, led by its External affairs Minister Jaswant Singh, launched an anti-Pakistan campaign, asking the OAU to attach a proviso to an internal decision of the Organization on democracy in African countries and make it applicable to the entire membership of the Non-Aligned Movement. Many NAM delegates were critical of India's self serving efforts to malign Pakistan and India was forced to withdraw its proposal. India's proposal was directed against Oct 12 military takeover in Pakistan and it sought a censure of military governments in different parts of the world citing OAU decision as the precedence. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan alert: ISPR ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, April 13: "We are alert," said Major-General Rashid Qureshi, chief of ISPR, when his attention was drawn to reports emanating from Western and Indian sources that New Delhi seemed set to engage Pakistan in " a limited war" either along the LoC or on the international border. He, however, hastened to add that an aggressor generally did not issue such warnings before launching an attack. " We don't have any such indication", said the general, when asked about state of alert reportedly declared by Pakistan and deployment of troops on this side of LoC and on the international border to effectively respond to any aggression. Qureshi, however, said that the Indian political and military leadership, including its defence minister and the army chief, had been issuing threatening statements. He was not sure what the real intention of the Indians was. But he sounded confident that Pakistan was fully capable of defending its frontiers. He, however, again denied the Indian claim that Pakistan was massing troops along the border. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000415 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan, India to continue rail service ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter LAHORE, April 14: The railway authorities of both Pakistan and India agreed to continue Samjhota Express train service between Lahore and Attari. The negotiating teams comprising railway officials of both the countries held detailed discussions on the Indian side of zero point (Wagah). They decided that the train service would be operated under an interim arrangement for the time being and further negotiations would be held at the same venue on April 26 for another round of talks to settle the modalities for its future operation. An 11-member team of the railway officials headed by additional general manager (business) Aurangzeb and comprising among others chief mechanical engineer Anwar Saleem, Lahore DS Saleemur Rehman Akhund, railway division deputy secretary Nasir Zaidi and COPS Saifur Rehman Qaisarani represented Pakistan at the meeting. The Indian team was headed by the railway board executive director (coaching), N M Chopra, while executive director Vinod Sharma was among its members. It was decided in the meeting that the Pakistan Railway would continue to provide rolling stock for the operation of train service till the final settlement of the issue.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000411 ------------------------------------------------------------------- India accuses Pakistan of troop build-up ------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW DELHI, April 10: Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes accused Pakistan of reinforcing troops along the border with India after US President Bill Clinton's tour of South Asia last month. When asked about Islamabad's "attitude" after President Clinton's March 20-25 tour, Fernandes said: "There is a build-up of Pakistani troops in the Kutch region", on the border with the western Indian state of Gujarat. -AFP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000415 ------------------------------------------------------------------- India told no talks if terms set ------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW DELHI, April 14: Pakistan said that peace talks with India could not resume while New Delhi laid down preconditions for dialogue. "Pakistan's position with regard to dialogue it that you simply can't make pre-conditions for a dialogue. Neither can we make them of you nor can you make them of us," Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Pakistan's High Commissioner to India, said in an interview on Doordarshan. "...if you lay down what appears to the other side to be preconditions, the assumptions of which are not accepted, for the talks to get under way in the first place, the end result is inevitably going to be no talks at all. Is that what India wants?" he said. Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on Tuesday set terms for talks with Pakistan, saying Islamabad must accept it violated the understanding on the Line of Control (LoC). Vajpayee also told the public meeting that Pakistan should stop what he described as "the anti-India campaign".-Reuters DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000410 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan not to press India for talks: Sattar ------------------------------------------------------------------- CARTAGENA, April 9: Pakistan said that it would not press India for resumption of the stalled dialogue as New Delhi had spurned its formal offer to hold talks. "We had made the offer of holding talks with India anytime anywhere. India has rejected it. We are not going to force the pace," Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar told reporters on arrival here to attend the two-day Non-Aligned Ministerial Conference. -NNI DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000409 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rejection of talk's offer: Islamabad slams Delhi ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Hasan Akhtar ISLAMABAD April 8: Pakistan has made a "serious offer" of talks to India for setting up mechanisms to monitor alleged cross-border infiltration's which New Delhi has rejected, a foreign office official said. Speaking at a news briefing the FO spokesman Tariq Altaf said although it was for the Indian government to decide its policy "we think by rejecting dialogue, they are going against the trend of the times and against the will of the international community." He said Pakistan had made an offer of talks to India, which had been conveyed about 10 days ago by the foreign secretary to the Indian High Commissioner. But, Altaf regretted that India had rejected it, pointing out the statements by senior Indian officials such as National Security aide to the Prime Minister, Brijesh Mishra, and other "credible" Indians. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000409 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bodies of Kashmiri youths reburied ------------------------------------------------------------------- SRINAGAR, April 8: Officials in Kashmir handed over the exhumed bodies of five men to relatives who identified them as the Muslim youths missing since last month, an official spokesman said. The bodies were then buried again by grieving relatives in Anantnag, where a strict curfew was in force for a sixth day to prevent any violence. A communiqu� from the Kashmir government said DNA tests would be carried out to confirm their identities. Medical experts took samples from the bodies, which were sealed in the presence of officials and the relatives. Khurshid Ahmed Ganai, divisional commissioner of Kashmir, told AFP: "All the five bodies have been recognized by the family members. The government is waiting for tests to be conducted before saying anything on the issue."- Agencies DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000409 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan asks Kabul to close terrorist training camps ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Nasir Malick LONDON, April 8: Pakistan has asked Afghanistan to close down training camps on its soil and extradite all those people who have taken shelter there after committing sectarian killings in Pakistan, Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider said. The minister said the government is determined to root out sectarianism from Pakistan and make it a civilized society. "I have made it clear to Sipah-i-Sahaba and Sipah-i-Mohammad to stop (sectarian killings)," the interior minister said. "If they don't stop we will get them by neck." Mr. Moinuddin Haider said sectarian killings are not only tarnishing Pakistan's image abroad but also having negative impact on the society. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000409 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Charge of N-material trafficking denied ------------------------------------------------------------------- TASHKENT, April 8: Kazakhstan denied allegations by Uzbekistan that radioactive substances were concealed in a truck that was stopped by Uzbek customs officials on its way to Pakistan. Kazakhstan ambassador to Tashkent Umurzak Uzbekov told a news briefing that some parts of the truck's load of scrap metal were contaminated, but he dismissed an Uzbek statement that 10 containers carried radioactive substances. "Contrary to reports by the Uzbek customs committee, no lead containers with radioactive materials were found when the scrap metal was unloaded," Uzbekov said. A Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokesman also denied involvement in the incident, which has strained already tense relations between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. "Pakistan has nothing to do with this episode. We are not in any way connected with this shipment. This is obviously an attempt to falsely implicate Pakistan, which we condemn," he said. Yerlan Kozhagapanov, head of customs for the Southern Kazakhstan province bordering Uzbekistan, said Uzbek officials had most likely mistaken old furnaces for containers used for storing radioactive materials. -Reuters DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000412 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Delhi's quest for SC seat doomed ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Masood Haider UNITED NATIONS, April 11: "There is no chance for India to secure a permanent seat in the UN Security Council," despite the declaration of US support to the New Delhi's bid, diplomats and officials involved in the process of expansion and reforms in the Council said. "It is not for the United States to grant seats in the Council and its support does not carry any significant weight over 189 members of the General Assembly who are involved in discussions to expand and reforms the Council," said a diplomat whose country is also vying for a seat in the Council. "Moreover", he added "at the United Nations, US has just one vote like everybody else and presently its clout has been eroded due to its unwillingness to pay full dues to the world body." As far back as 1991, the then US president, George Bush, had announced US support for Japan's claim to a permanent seat in the Security Council and similarly in 1996 Bill Richardson, who headed the US mission here had reaffirmed US support to Japan and Germany bid, but so far there has been resistance to the idea. Presently in the 15-member Security Council, China, Britain, France, Russia and the United States are permanent members. The non-permanent members are elected for a period of two years by consensus among various regional groups. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000410 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US to back India for UN Council seat: envoy ------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW DELHI, April 9: The United States is prepared to support India's bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, US ambassador to India Richard Celeste said. "The US has to be prepared and will be prepared to give India serious consideration for the permanent membership of the Security Council," Mr. Celeste told the state-run Doordarshan TV. The ambassador said US President Bill Clinton believed that a stable and prosperous global community would require India as one of its leaders. "We anticipate India as a true global leader looking down the road 10 or 20 years." He said the United States also believed the Security Council needed to be recast and "we are prepared to give India every consideration." Mr. Celeste said a political document signed between Mr. Clinton and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee laying a road map for future ties would hold good in the future. -AFP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Manzoor Wattoo challenges conviction ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter LAHORE, April 12: Former chief minister Mian Manzoor Wattoo challenged his conviction by an accountability court in the plots case in the Lahore High Court. Filed by Advocate Chaudhry Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and likely to be heard on April 17, the appeal says that the law allowed the CM to allot plots in his discretion and he allotted the plots in exercise of his lawful authority. The allottees were in no way related to Mr. Wattoo and the reference became invalid according to the Ehtesab Act - the law under which it was made - once it excluded 'others' and included only 'spouse and relatives' in the definition of 'beneficiaries'. The appeal, which is to be heard by a division bench comprising justices Riaz Kayani and Khwaja Muhammad Sharif, also claimed that the prosecution has failed to produce any evidence to show that the plots were allotted injudiciously. The allegation that the allotments were made without applications, it said, was belied by the Lahore Development Authority, according to which applications were duly entertained and processed before being forwarded to the chief minister. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000410 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hoti shifted to Attock Fort ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report PESHAWAR, April 9: A former federal minister and ANP leader, Azam Khan Hoti, who was due to be produced in local accountability court No 2 was, instead, shifted and produced in the Attock Fort. Hoti is facing charges of large- scale embezzlements in official funds and kickbacks in the motorway project. The said court issued orders of shifting Hoti to Attock Fort from where he was remanded to Attock jail by the said court. The judge also ordered shifting of the accused from Attock Fort to Peshawar central jail. The former bureaucrat is facing charges of selling out on throwaway prices a large number of plots in Hayatabad town. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Usman Farooqui, wife and daughter sentenced ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, April 12: Mr. Usman Farooqui, former chairman of Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM), Ms Anisa Farooqui and Ms Sharmila Farooqui, wife and daughter of Usman Farooqui were sentenced to five year imprisonment in a corruption case by Accountability Court. Ms Anisa Farooqui and Ms Sharmila Farooqui who were on bail were taken into custody when Judge Javed Alam announced the judgment. Mr. Usman Farooqui is already in custody. The former Steel Mills chairman was found guilty of corruption and accumulation of illegal wealth. His wife and daughter were sentenced for hiding the ill-gotten money. An Ehtesab Reference was registered against the three when an FIA team probing into the alleged corruption of Mr. Farooqui recovered saving certificates worth Rs. 39.5 million from the possession of accused ladies. The case was transferred to Accountability Court after the promulgation of NAB Ordinance 1999. - APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000415 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Usman, wife, daughter file appeals in high court ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, April 14: Former Pakistan Steel Chairman, Dr Usman Farooqui, his wife Anisa and daughter Sharmila Farooqui filed appeals before the Sindh High Court challenging the sentences awarded to them by the Accountability Court No 4, headed by Judge Javed Alam. They were convicted and sentenced to 5 years R.I. besides confiscation of misappropriated wealth in favour of the state in a corruption case involving an amount of Rs39.50 million.- APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000410 ------------------------------------------------------------------- NAB acquires documents against ex-CBR chief ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent ISLAMABAD, April 9: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has acquired documents for filing a reference against Mian Iqbal Farid, former chairman of the Central Board of Revenue, for issuing 12 customs notifications allegedly "to the benefit of certain business groups," sources said. Mr. Farid is under the FIA custody since Dec 23 last for un-stipulated charges. Through a CBR circular to all customs collectorates, details on notifications issued for this alleged purpose by the former chairman, as per demand from the NAB, were sought from the Customs House, Karachi (CHK). The CHK submitted the required details to the CBR along with notes indicating revenue implications, which had accordingly been forwarded to the NAB, the sources said. They said the details regarding the beneficiaries of the amendments made in the previous notifications through the new ones would also be submitted shortly. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Grenade attack on Imambargah leaves 14 dead ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent RAWALPINDI, April 12: Fourteen people were killed and 30 others injured when terrorists lobbed three hand-grenades and opened fire with Kalashnikovs at an Imambargah, in Attock district. A Majlis was in progress in the Imambargah at the Malohwali village when the terrorists made the attack at 10-30pm. Eight people, including a policeman, were killed on the spot, two died on their way to hospital and the rest succumbed to injuries in various hospitals. According to the police, the number of the deceased was 11. There were conflicting reports about the attack. Eyewitnesses said that moments before the attack a flame-thrower was used from the other side of the street where the Imambargah was located. They alleged that the hand-grenades were thrown from a mosque. Others said that the terrorists had gathered outside the Imambargah before they threw hand-grenades. According to another version, masked assailants first shot dead the policeman when he offered resistance. Then they lobbed the hand-grenades on the crowd before resorting to shooting. No official version was available. Following the incident, troops were deployed in various cities and towns throughout Punjab. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Troops deployed in Punjab sensitive areas ------------------------------------------------------------------- LAHORE, April 13: Troops and police commandos have been deployed in all sensitive areas of the province to ensure peace on Ashura day. Troops have taken positions and started flag march in all the sensitive areas of the province. Chief Secretary Punjab Hafeez Akhtar Randhawa told APP that troops are also utilizing the services of trained sniffing dogs to help detect suspicious objects. The army will also check the activities of suspects, subversive and unscrupulous elements and use these dogs to help identify the culprits involved in heinous crimes and trace out their hide-outs.- APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000411 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Former NWFP chief secretary charge-sheeted ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report PESHAWAR, April 10: The accountability court No. 2, Peshawar, charge-sheeted the former chief secretary of the NWFP, Khalid Aziz. The judge of the accountability court Attaullah Khan framed charge of misuse of authority by Mr Aziz. He has been booked in a NAB reference for allegedly misusing his authority, when he was the chief secretary, to benefit his family's personal business - Hayat Furnitures, his spouse is the managing director of the firm. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000409 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Osama issue: UN threatens Taliban with more sanctions ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Masood Haider UNITED NATIONS, April 8: The Security Council has threatened to impose more sanctions against Taliban regime if it does not end fighting and hand over Osama bin Laden to the US for trial in bombing of two American embassies. In a strongly worded statement, the Council reaffirmed "its readiness to consider the imposition of further targeted measures". DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000411 ------------------------------------------------------------------- New visa rules for Umra from July 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, April 10: Saudi Arabian authorities have formulated new rules for issuance of Umra visa, which will be effective from July 1, said a source. The ministry of religious affairs here had not yet been officially apprised of the new rules, ministry sources said. Under the proposed measures, those desirous of performing Umra will be assisted by authorized agencies which will make entire arrangements regarding visa, travelling and accommodation in the holy land. The agencies, virtually acting like tour operators, will also be responsible for sending back all pilgrims after they perform religious rites. The amendment to the rules aims at enhancing revenue receipt from existing $3bn to 20 billion annually on account of Umra visits, besides effectively checking those foreigners who may slip away and seek some petty job instead of returning home. The new rules will also prohibit Umra pilgrims from staying with their friends and relatives in Saudi Arabia. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Court seeks prompt action on Edhi's application ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter LAHORE, April 12: Maulana Abdus Sattar Edhi selected two sites - one each for destitute women and runaway children - near Lahore and a three-member bench of the Lahore High Court asked the authorities concerned to take prompt action to make them available to the philanthropist. The proceedings, which originated from a petition by Advocate M. D. Tahir for protection of runaway children in the wake of killings by Javed Iqbal, were adjourned till May 15 to enable Maulana Edhi to work out details of his project and finalize a deal with the departments concerned. In a written report, Maulana Edhi said he was shown round three sites by the Lahore and Sheikhupura deputy commissioners as directed by the court and he thought a 45-acre site between Shahdara and Muridke and a 30-acre stretch near Phool Nagar would serve his purpose well. But the government must ensure that the sites were free form any encumbrance and did not involve any litigation. The bench consists of Justices Khalilur Rehman Ramday, Tasadduq Hussain Jilani and Asif Saeed Khosa. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000409 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Lahore runway work to lead to PIA flight rescheduling ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter LAHORE, April 8: PIA anticipates an estimated loss of Rs 20 million due to rescheduling of its Boeing 747 flights from Lahore to Islamabad and Karachi for 10 weeks starting from April 20 as a consequence of the closure of the existing runway to link it with the new airport terminal building. "PIA has rescheduled its international 747 flights from Lahore and they will operate from Islamabad and Karachi during the interim period. We will try our level best to ensure that our passengers do not have to suffer too much inconvenience because of the rescheduled plan," Lahore PIA district manager Mahmood Talat told reporters at a briefing here on Saturday. The closure of the runway for 747s will disturb as many as 28 flights a week - 17 operated by PIA, three by Emirates and four each by Singapore and Saudi Airlines. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000410 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 killed in Kashmir gun battles ------------------------------------------------------------------- SRINAGAR, April 9: Fifteen people, including nine freedom-fighters, were killed in three gun battles between the Mujahideen and security forces in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. A defence spokesman said five freedom fighters were killed in an encounter with the Indian army at village Pazalpora. In another clash, three mujahideen and three paramilitary soldiers were killed in village Nasu, near Bandipora town, a police spokesman said. He added that three soldiers and three civilians were also wounded. Four more people were killed in a third gun battle, which took place in village Seer, 40km (25 miles) south of Srinagar.- AFP/Reuters DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000412 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PPL chief's kidnappers get death sentence ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, April 11: Ajab Ali Rind and Nazar Mohammed Brohi, Two kidnappers of Pakistan Petroleum Limited chief Munsif Raza, were sentenced to death by Anti-Terrorism Court No. 3 headed by Arshad Noor Khan. According to the prosecution the accused/convicts kidnapped Managing Director of PPL, Munsif Raza on January 22. He was taken to a village at the border of Sindh and Balochistan from where the accused were arrested after the recovery of Mr. Raza and his jeep. The accused were sent for trial before ATC-3. The prosecution examined 12 witnesses and the judgment was reserved on Monday for Tuesday. The accused were also sentenced to serve different terms totaling 17 years and were fined Rs200,000 each.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000412 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Oil well fire: situation termed under control ------------------------------------------------------------------- HYDERABAD, April 11: Situation at Boby oil field is under complete control and there is no cause for concern for villagers in the surrounding area, an ISPR press release said. The General Officer Commanding, Hyderabad Garrison, Maj-Gen Khalid Munir; the Commander, Corps Engineers, Brig Asif Ghazali, and other technical military officers visited the site of Well No 6 on Tuesday and took stock of the situation. They were briefed by OGDCL officials and managing director of Alert Disaster Control, a Singapore-based American-Canadian company, whose services have been acquired to control the fire. " The amount of loss is disastrous. Five to six hundred barrel of oil and 1.5 million cubic feet gas are burning per day but the situation is under complete control and the fire will be extinguished within 10 days", the visiting military officers were told. "The fire is deliberately kept alive because the gas, sprouting out of the well, is quite heavy and if left unburnt, it will spread along the ground and become injurious to the health of the people of the area," the experts added. The Managing Directed of OGDCL, Mr. Farid; and the Director, Planning, OGDCL, Najam Kamal Haider, said they were working in collaboration with Alert Disaster Control on a 14-day program. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000415 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Four arrested for setting oil well on fire ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent SANGHAR, April 14: The police claimed to have arrested four people responsible for setting an oil well at the Bobby Oilfields on fire on April 6 while stealing crude oil. The SSP, Sanghar, Ghulam Quadir Thobo, at a press conference at the Nauabad Police Station told newsmen that Shahbaz Khan Laskani, the owner of the land where Well No 6 is situated, had conspired to steal crude oil from the well. He also said that several inquiries were being made regarding the incident and strict action would be taken against those responsible for the negligence.
=================================================================== BUSINESS & ECONOMY 20000415 ------------------------------------------------------------------- WB chief urged to resolve HUBCO dispute ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, April 14: The chairman of the US House International Relations Committee, Congressman Benjamin A. Gilman, has urged the president of the World Bank, James Wolfensohn, to intervene and resolve differences between the government of Pakistan and Hub Power Company (HUBCO). According to diplomatic sources, a group of 14 Congressmen, led by Mr Gilman, invited the president of the World Bank in Washington to their office on April 11 and said that Pakistan government was hurling allegations of corruption against HUBCO to "discredit" foreign investors. "The unfortunate end result might well be a complete halt to the World bank and IMF involvement and an unwillingness of the private sector to cooperate with the Bank in future power sector projects. Your prompt and immediate consideration to this issue would be greatly appreciated," said the chairman of the US House International Relations Committee in his written opening remarks, a copy of which was made available to Dawn. He asked for specific follow-up actions by the World Bank and urged Mr Wolfensohn to use the opportunity of the visit of Pakistan Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz to Washington to make progress on this matter. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000415 ------------------------------------------------------------------- IMF wants SBP to validate tax figures ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ikram Hoti ISLAMABAD, April 14: The IMF mission that concluded its revenue appraisal has conveyed to Central Board of Revenue that it would not accept in future the tax collection figures as valid without the counter signature of governor State Bank of Pakistan. Having rejected the final figures of tax collection for 1998-99 and for the first eight months of 1999-2000 as 'fudged', the IMF mission sought a validation mechanism for the collection figures submitted to the IMF local representative, Dawn learnt from official sources. The governor SBP has been informed that the figures obtained by his office from the CBR's directorate of statistics and research (DRS) will have to be duly reconciled with the actual deposits. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Aziz terms meetings productive ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Masood Haider WASHINGTON, April 13: Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz said that talks with the International Monetary Fund were proceeding at a normal pace and expressed confidence that the Fund would resume credits to Pakistan by June. He refuted reports that the talks between the Fund and the Pakistan government had failed saying "it's an on-going process" and "no overnight agreements can be made." Mr Aziz said in Washington the talks between Pakistani delegation and IMF officials would continue in the light of Islamabad's discussions after which another IMF mission would visit Islamabad next month. "Following that IMF board would meet in June to consider Pakistan's package" he added. Describing talks between IMF officials and Pakistan as very productive," he said IMF officials have appreciated the program outlined by the government. "It's a step by step process," Aziz said, adding "I expect positive results." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000412 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Washington meeting this week: Talks with IMF team end ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, April 11: The formal talks between Pakistan and the five-member IMF review mission concluded without any understanding on major economic issues. Official sources told Dawn that the mission leader, Ms Sena Ekin, remained non-committal to the resumption of IMF assistance. However, she said that she would place her recommendations before the IMF's executive board for a final decision. A meeting of the board is expected to be held in Washington during the week. Pakistan had requested for the conversion of existing $1.5bn-ESAF/EFF loan into a new three-year $2.5billion PRGF (Poverty Reduction Growth Facility. But, according to the informed sources, the review mission made no commitment to oblige Islamabad over the issue. The Finance Minister, Shaukat Aziz, will be holding another round of talks with senior IMF officials. He will be joined by the secretary general, Ministry of Finance, Moeen Afzal, and the additional secretary and the spokesman of the ministry, Dr Waqar Masood Khan. The IMF review mission had reportedly objected to the budget deficit which has now been placed at 4.4 per cent of the GDP. It insisted on bringing it down to 3.3 per cent as agreed upon originally for 1999-2000. According to the sources, the government side kept blaming the former finance minister Ishaq Dar for not apprising the IMF officials of a true picture. It tried to convince the IMF mission that bringing down the deficit to 3.3 per cent was not possible. Some officials conceded at the meeting tat the deficit might even rise to 5.4 per cent. Revenues was the other subject on which the two sides failed to narrow down their differences. The mission did not agree to reduce the revenue target from Rs360 billion to Rs340 billion. Rather, the sources said, it called for an increase of Rs5 to 10 billion in the original target. The government side contended that it would require more time to address the issue adequately. The two sides also discussed in detail an improvement in the banking sector by implementing financial sector reforms program for which the World Bank had provided $200 million. In this regard, sources said, the SBP governor told the mission that he was seeing to it that the branches of all the nationalized commercial banks and the Development Financial Institutions (DFIs) were made economically viable and that insolvent and loss-making branches would be closed down. He reportedly referred to the Habib Bank Limited which had already closed down many of its branches. Pakistan was also advised to reduce its trade deficit which had reached $1.3 billion by the end of last month. According to the sources, the Pakistan team told the review mission that the government was concentrating on boosting exports for which new markets were being explored. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000410 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Lowering of tax target IMF rejects CBR proposal ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent ISLAMABAD, April 9: The IMF mission has rejected the CBR's proposal of downward revision of tax collection target for the financial year 1999-2000 which stands at Rs360 billion. The proposal was discussed during the negotiations over the last four days between the mission members, conducting the revenue collection appraisal, and the CBR officials. A sum of Rs238 billion (officially claimed Rs240bn) had been collected in federal taxes by the end of March 2000. The amount yet to be collected stood at Rs120-122 billion, which, the CBR experts indicated, could not be collected. At the best, they said, Rs90 to 95 billion could be collected in April-June period. In a communication, made through its local representative in Islamabad, addressed to finance minister Shaukat Aziz, the Fund experts underlined five major causes for the imminent shortfall and suggested corrective measures. The CBR, say official sources, however, made a presentation focusing on the proposal for revising downward the year's collection target further downward by Rs20-25 billion. The IMF experts agreed that they too apprehended a shortfall of that amount but advised the CBR to stick to its original agenda of attaining a growth in direct taxes and sales tax which formed one of the most essential components of the IMF-assisted reform package of 1996-97. This package was to be realized in all aspects by 1999-2000, its last component being the GST on retail sector. Other components of the program either remain partially implemented or ignored altogether. The letter sent to the CBR through the finance minister indicates that the measures to be taken for broadening the tax-net under the direct taxes and the sales Tax, were not applied as per the program. If these steps are promptly taken, says the communication, "in that even a collection of Rs365-370 billion should still be attainable." The current fiscal year's target has already been reduced twice from Rs380 billion to Rs370 billion, the second time to Rs360 billion, and now the CBR is looking for bringing it down further in the range of Rs340-345 billion. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000411 ------------------------------------------------------------------- IMF for speeding up reforms ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, April 10: The five member IMF review mission headed by Ms. Sena Ekin held its detailed internal meeting and concluded that the government needed to accelerate the process of economic reforms in Pakistan. Informed sources said the leader of the mission said that she has been able to get a first-hand review of Pakistani economy by holding extensive talks with senior authorities, specially the Minister for Finance Shaukat Aziz, State Bank Governor Dr. Ishrat Hussain and Sec Gen Ministry of Finance Moeen Afzal. These sources said the meeting was of the view that the government required to boost its revenues, exports and revive sick industrial units quickly. It said the process of Balancing, Modernizing and Replacement (BMR) of the sick units be undertaken so that the country could be able to have surplus industrial production for the purpose of exports. The mission has not decided anything about the government's request to convert the $1.5bn ESAF/EFF into the proposed $2.5bn Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). The mission will place recommendations about its assessment of the economy before the IMF executive board, expected to meet within this month. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000412 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Outside review panel to monitor IMF work ------------------------------------------------------------------- WASHINGTON, April 11: The International Monetary Fund, responding to complaints about its secretive operations, agreed to appoint a group of outside experts to monitor its work, an IMF statement said. The brief statement said the IMF would work out over the next five months exactly how its new evaluation office would work, reporting back in time for the IMF's annual meeting in Prague this September. IMF board member Thomas Bernes, who chaired a committee examining the options, said it would increase transparency at the international lender. Bernes said the new panel would be authorized to examine any aspect of IMF activity, including IMF lending in individual countries. The fund, which recently has commissioned three independent reviews, still would be authorized to call for separate independent assessments, and staff would continue to review their actions on a regular basis. But some IMF sources questioned whether the new review body would be truly independent or if it would just add another level of bureaucracy to the IMF. An independent panel at the World Bank has carried out reviews of individual projects, but there have been delays in releasing the information and the bank's panel cannot make formal recommendations about what bank management should do.-Reuters DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000411 ------------------------------------------------------------------- CBR offer for audit rejected ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent ISLAMABAD, April 10: The Central Board of Revenue has offered to the visiting IMF mission to conduct an audit of the tax collection for whatever period they chose. The Fund has been communicating its serious reservations about the tax collection figures submitted for a specified period by the CBR, and the matter remained to be one of the important issues discussed between the currently visiting IMF mission and the CBR officials. Sources said that the issue was discussed between the Fund mission members and the CBR officials at length, the former insisting that there did occur a fudging in the first half of the current financial year, and for a good part of records on 1998-99. The Fund members had, in January 2000 pointed out to the CBR that as per their calculations, the CBR had not collected Rs 158 billion in July-December period, as officially claimed by the CBR. Later, in a number of communications, say CBR officials, it was claimed that the figures of collection had been fudged by showing certain amounts as collected which had actually not been collected. These amounts were "promised" by a number of manufacture sector taxpayers but were shown on ledgers as collected, without having actually received deposits on these counts. The officials further said that the mission members did not offer any documentary evidence in support of their impression regarding the figure-fudging but said they were convinced by certain pieces of information received in this regard. "They suspect that the Customs department officials showed in collection the tax amounts on un-cleared consignments, the Income Tax department did so on the assessments orders without deposits, and the Sales Tax department followed suit by showing un-deposited amounts from the manufacture sub-sectors", said a senior CBR official. He added that the mission members also pointed out that the figures obtained from the National Bank sources and those reflected through Final Tax Collection Statements on a collection made over an examined period, did not tally. The CBR figures were ledgered beyond the NBP figures. "When we pointed out to them that there is a routine practice with the NBP not communicating the actual figures of deposits under the head of federal taxes for long periods, the mission members did not agree. They referred to (about) a year old communication (from the Fund to CBR) wherein the CBR was asked to launch a CBR-NBP coordination for instant communication of the tax deposits from the latter to the former. The CBR had then given out a contract to an international firm to bring about this coordination and the Fund was informed that the problem had been removed." After these long drawn argument about fudging charge, the CBR offered to the Fund mission to conduct an audit on the figures of collection over whatever period they suspected as doctored. "They (mission members), however, did not agree, and said the CBR knew such a thorough audit needed countrywide checking of tax receipts, their date and amount wise tallying at the collecting/assessment points and the NBP branches. Since this needed a long time and giving out contracts (for auditing) to credible firms, the Fund would not be able to accept this offer. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000411 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Protection margins for industry excessive: IMF ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ikram Hoti ISLAMABAD, April 10: The IMF believes that the government was offering excessive margins of protection against imports to the notified industries and equally excessive rebates to the export manufacturing sector. The IMF officials are reported to have brought it to the notice of the Central Board of Revenue officials that, according to their calculations, the margin of protection to industries enjoying lower tariff rate which is meant for protecting them against cheaper imports, has remained far above the actual requirement of the relevant sub-sectors over the past three years. Similarly, they have pointed out that the export rebate rates offered to the manufacturing sector for earning foreign exchange through exports, have been far in excess of the revenue losses incurred in this sector. Dawn learnt from relevant officials that the IMF mission members have reminded to the CBR officials that a major area of (IMF's) concerns has been distortions in the procedures for taxation of certain areas, including the manufacture sector and taxable supplies without registration. They referred to their communication made last year regarding the margin of protection wherein they had asked for thorough analysis on the following: irregular notifying of manufacture sub-sectors for protection against cheaper imports; existing margin of protection enjoyed by them through tariff rate and the amount of protection envisaged in the agreed formula (between IMF-Islamabad) to these sectors; the amount of deletion of sub-sectors which fall in the first lot of industries chosen for rebate rationalization; and overall export subsidization notified by the CBR through rebate SROs versus the amount of rebate agreed for each export sub-sector. The mission members brought it to the notice of the CBR officials that the revenue losses incurred due to excessive tariff protection (over and above the agreed formula) has become one of the most irritating issues. They supplied the CBR officials with their calculations according to which the reduction of tariff rate for the notified protected industries has been far in excess to what actually was needed for them. It has been pointed out in these calculations that no thorough exercise was conducted for bringing down the tariff rates in the 1998-99 budget from 35% to 25 and 15% on recommendations from the relevant wings of the ministry of finance. The same was the case in the 1999-2000 budget, wherein tariff rates for a host of items for the listed (protected) sub-sectors were brought down without thorough item-analysis. This practice caused (in the Fund's view) losses in Customs Duty in the vicinity of Rs 3-4 billion in the first half of the 1998-99 and about Rs 5 billion in the same period this year. Regarding the rebate rates for export sub-sectors, the mission members are said to have expressed their "surprise" over announcement of increased rates on more than 300 items in the second half of 1998-99. These rate-increases were not backed by any exercise to substantiate that the relevant export sub-sectors did need the duty subsidization to that extent, they pointed out. Sources revealed to Dawn that the Fund experts on import duty subsidization have asked for a thorough review of this phenomenon and urged CBR to extend all kind of assistance required by the international consultants who last week launched a rebate-rate rationalization exercise at the Customs House, Karachi. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Private sector borrowing nose dives ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Mohiuddin Aazim KARACHI, April 12: The borrower and the banker tell different stories but the theme remains the same: credit flow towards the private sector is not picking up. Senior bankers say the private sector made a net borrowing of only around Rs28 billion in a little less than nine months of this fiscal year-between July 1, 1999 and March 15, 2000-against the full year target of Rs104.5 billion. In the same period of last fiscal year, the private sector had received Rs46 billion of bank credit. Is it a sign of banks becoming poor? Not at all. They offered Rs25 billion of net credit to the government during this period. (In the comparable period of last fiscal year the government had retired Rs18 billion credit instead of making fresh borrowing). So what else is holding down the growth of private sector credit. Businessmen say bankers are still afraid of lending liberally to the private sector for fear of being caught for nothing by National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Bankers say this is part of the truth. The other part is largely reflective of an economic slump. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000412 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Privatization of PTCL deferred ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, April 11: The Cabinet Committee on Privatization (CCOP) deferred the privatization of Pakistan Telecommunication Company with a view to getting a better price for it. The committee observed that it would off-load 26 per cent shares of the PTCL with the transfer of its management to its strategic buyer when the internal and external economic environment was improved, official sources told Dawn. The privatization of the PTCL was on the agenda and one of the reasons for its postponement was that the finance minister had left the meeting quite early to leave for Washington. Egypt, sources said, had shown willingness to take part in the privatization of the PTCL. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 000412 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Software exports: State Bank unlikely to offer credit line ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Mohiuddin Aazim KARACHI, April 11: Software exporters should not expect banks to offer liberal credit because the State Bank is in no mood to create a credit-line for this purpose. But the silver lining is that state-run banks may allow them slightly increased access to credit if they move fast into world markets weathering all odds at home. "Creating a credit-line as such seems to be out of question- at least at the moment," a source close to the SBP told Dawn. He said the SBP might consider this if software exports rose to a substantial level. Official statistics on software exports are not available but the industry sources estimate them between $15-20 million per year. The paltry sum presents a sharp contrast to software export of India estimated at $3.5 billion last year. Senior executives of five lead banks say they seldom finance software exports. And when they do that they make sure that the exporters furnish personal guarantees or pledge liquid assets or real estates as collateral. They say most of software exporters seeking credit are those with no borrowing history that makes it difficult for banks to lend to them. Besides only a limited number of exporters meet standards of credit worthiness in terms of their projections of cash flow and business potential etc. Local and foreign private banks-though much smaller in size than state-run and partly privatized banks-are not that rigid. "The reason is our bad loans are not that big. But we too do not offer clean credit to software exporters," said a senior private banker. Bankers close to the SBP say software exports qualify for export refinance scheme. The SBP had declared software exports eligible for the scheme as early as in March 1997-four months after laying down a set of rules for software exports. But people in the business say the rules are cumbersome and need to be made simpler. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000415 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Stocks stage smart recovery ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, April 14: The KSE 100-share index showed a smart rally of 34.56 points at 1,967.01 as compared to 1,932.45 a day earlier as leading base shares, notably PSO, PTCL and Hub-Power were massively traded. Leading gainers were led by EFU Life, Knoll, PSO, Kohat Cement, Nishat Chunian Nishat Mill and MCB, which posted gains ranging from Rs2.00, largest being in Nishat Mills and MCB. Suraj Cotton, Faisal Spinning, Umer Fabrics, BOC Pakistan and Glaxo-Welcome also showed gains ranging from Rs1.75 to 2.00. Losers were lead by leading MNCs, notably Engro Chemical, Fauji Fertiliser, Shezan International Shell Pakistan and Clariant Pakistan, falling by Rs 1.05 to 4.00. Trading volume rose to 210m shares from the previous 167m shares as gainers forced a strong lead over the losers at 137 to 52, with 39 shares holding on to the last levels. Ibrahim Fibre, which has been in strong demand over the last about two weeks on news of import duty cut topped the list of most actives for the first time, relegating other market leaders to the secondary position, up Rs1.65 at Rs20.05 on 35m shares followed by ICI Pakistan, higher 65 paisa at Rs17.40 on 31m shares, PTCL, firm by 45 paisa at Rs31.80 on 25m shares, Dewan Salman, higher Rs1.20 at Rs55.50 on 20m shares and Dhan Fibre, firm by 75 paisa at Rs17.30 on 15m shares. Other actives were led by Chakwal Cement, unchanged on 11m shares, Fauji Fertilizer, off Rs1.05 on 9m shares, MCB, higher by Rs5.20 also on 9m shares, Sui Northern, up Rs1.05 on 8m shares and Hub- Power, higher 40 paisa on 7m shares. DEFAULTER COMPANIES: Trading on this counter was relatively slow where only shares of seven companies came in for trading, most active among them being Azam Textiles, lower 20 paisa at Rs 1.30 on 11,000 shares. Other actives were led by Allied Motors, off 50 paisa at Rs2.50 on 6,000 shares, Crescent Board, up five paisa at Rs3.30 on 4,000 shares and Mian Textiles, higher 25 paisa at Rs3.80 on 3,000 shares. BOARD MEETINGS: Crescent Spinning and Central Insurance on April 18, New Jubilee Insurance April 19, Sindh Abadgar's Sugar April 24. Market at a glance TONE: firm, total listed 763, actives 228, inactives 535, plus 137, minus 52, unc 39. KSE 100-SHARE INDEX: previous 1,932.39, today's 1,967.01 plus 34.56 points. TOP TEN: gainers Pakistan Refinery Rs7.00, Nishat Mills 5.70, MCB 5.20, EFU Life 3.60,Knoll 3.45. LOSERS: Clariant Pakistan Rs4.00, Shezan International 4.00, Shell Pakistan 1.70, Engro Chemical 1.55, Maqbool Textiles 1.50. TOTAL VOLUME: 209.449m shares. VOLUME LEADERS: Ibrahim Fibre 35.367m, ICI Pakistan 31.478m, PTCL 24.589m, Dewan Salman 20.152m, Dhan Fibre 15.171m shares.Back to the top
=================================================================== EDITORIALS & FEATURES 20000414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pity the Pakistani people ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ayaz Amir THE people of Pakistan - not ones to be put down by repeated assaults on their intelligence - braced themselves for the start of a grand national awakening after the tumultuous events of October 12. What they have received instead is a lesson in confusion and drift they will long remember. They were looking for heroes. They have been given a cast of characters, from those in the national security council and the federal cabinet down to the provincial governments, about as exciting as a collection of sleeping pills. Forgetting past experience and putting their badly-bruised faith in the vows of their latest saviors, they expected a dramatic form of house-cleaning that would make the future safe for effective and sustainable democracy. They have been rewarded with the legal nightmare of General Amjad's attritional accountability. They expected the Mians and the Zardaris to be knocked out of the political arena. They are seeing instead that the leaden-footed march of the new regime is helping keep these discredited figures politically alive. Pity the English-speaking middle classes who saw hope in the two puppies that General Musharraf held in his arms for the benefit of foreign photographers. They are learning the hard way that vision and a broad mental horizon entail more than puppies and well-cut suits. The people of Pakistan expected a new beginning. Consider the deepening well-springs of their disenchantment when the tap-water (and not the old wine) being served to them comes in ancient bottles. The people of Pakistan were not expecting miracles. Let us be clear on this point. They just wanted the assurance that the country finally was set on the right path. Imagine their sense of dismay as they watch the Chief Executive and his colleagues dissipate their energies on inconsequential things while leaving larger issues untouched. It is easy, and tempting, to exaggerate Pakistan's misfortunes. But this is no exaggerating matter. If there were an instrument to check the national pulse all it would show would be dejection and despair. If in six months this is where the country has been brought, where will it be in a year and a half when General Naqvi finishes, or so at least he assures us, with his district devolution plan? Fierce partisans apart, there is no longer any fervid popular interest in the fate of Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto or the future prospects of Begum Kalsoom Nawaz or Punjab's little Hitler, Mian Shahbaz Sharif. But there is also no great appetite for seeing the army make, for the fourth time in historical succession, a hash of things. The national predicament is indeed baffling. In war college what are budding Montgomerys and Rommels taught? I suppose one of the lessons for higher commanders would be to concentrate on the larger picture. General Musharraf's reforming government has been doing just the opposite: instead of concentrating on strategy (the larger picture) it has been chasing every rabbit that runs across its path. For every problem, from canal-cleaning to economy documentation, the Generalissimo's answer is simple: send in the troops. Nothing is achieved because half the time officers and men do not even understand the problems they are asked to solve. But the army, as the source of power, attracts the blame reserved earlier for the mandarin and the politician. Not having an eye for the larger picture also means that there is no sense of priorities. The primary and the secondary, the important and the unimportant, get mixed together. This can have fatal consequences for a country with limited resources and an infinity of problems. Having seized power in 1917, Lenin was faced with a stark choice: prosecute the war against Germany (Russia being a part of the anti- German alliance) or consolidate the Bolshevik Revolution. Over the objections of his colleagues, Lenin opted for peace even though it came in a humiliating package. But Lenin was clear in his mind. Safeguarding the revolution was more important than riding the horse of misplaced nationalism. Mao did much the same thing during the Long March. He traded territory for survival. The Red Army escaped encirclement in order to fight another day. What are our priorities? Setting our house in order or emulating the feats of Genghis Khan? We have to make up our minds because we cannot have it both ways. Courting regional isolation because of our identification with the Taliban and encouraging a strange mix of extremist factions to keep alive the fires of insurrection in occupied Kashmir are aims at odds with the task of national reconstruction. This scarcely means Kashmir be abandoned. Only this that the Kashmiris themselves should lead their fight for independence. As for our nuclear capability, it fits in with nothing. It does not enhance our security and only gives us a false sense of self- importance. All the same, if the army was the natural party of government our quest for political stability would come to an end. The army could set up a General Political Department and political parties could be required to register with it. The more eligible politicians could then jockey for position under the army's umbrella. But if Pakistan's history makes anything clear it is that although politicians can ignore the army's point of view only at their peril, the army cannot lead politics from the front. Influencing events from the sidelines is a different thing altogether. Accordingly, despite illusions to the contrary, the army is not the natural party of government. But what is to be done when politicians left to their own devices also turn out to be unqualified disasters?. It is not only Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto who are to blame. Without delving too much into the past, suffice it to say that anyone in a position of power in the last 20 years has contributed to the national mess: Ishaq Khan, General Aslam Beg, the late General Asif Nawaz, Farooq Leghari, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah. Power went to the heads of all of them. Besides, to a man, they were bereft of anything approaching vision. It is thus not the failure of individuals which is the issue but the bankruptcy, intellectual and moral, of an entire class. What then should a new beginning (that people were expecting after October 12) have consisted of? Nothing more radical than a quick round of house-cleaning - swift, visible and, if such was the need, arbitrary - followed by a quick restoration of a hopefully chastened democracy. One caveat, however. The completion of this agenda would have required, for a brief period, a military- political partnership in order to take Pakistan out of the woods. There is of course no shortage of democratic purists who will scoff at the notion of any such partnership. Such people will never stick out their necks for anything but to hear them talk in the safety of their homes or through the anonymity of the internet (the internet having spawned more heroes than any recent invention) is to marvel at their bravery. In politics, however, what is workable is more relevant than the ideal. Even so, how can a military-political partnership come about? Its first condition is a sense of urgency that Pakistan is at a cross- roads and cannot afford a wrong turning. Its second condition is a measure of wisdom and understanding. These conditions have to be met before we can think of scaling the mountains. But where is the sense of urgency? The Chief Executive should be at his desk trying to work out the causes of things. Instead, like all Pakistani saviors, he is acquiring a taste for foreign travel. And where is the sense of any wisdom? Where the army should be concentrating on a few select problems, it is spreading itself thin. Where it should be working on a restricted schedule it has set out on a road with no clear end in sight. Six months ago there was a sense of hope in the country. Far from being mourned, Nawaz Sharif's departure was greeted with a sigh of relief. Everything seemed possible in that hour. That euphoria has vanished. The corrosive cynicism which is the hallmark of the Pakistani middle class has risen to the surface once again. Can a rescue operation be mounted? Can some of that hope be rekindled? Can the strands of a military-political partnership be put together? The signs are not promising. While the challenges facing Pakistan are great, the national response to them is pathetic. Adding to the pervading gloom is the thought that the golden moment of opportunity which General Musharraf had is lost forever. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000415 ------------------------------------------------------------------- All in the family ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Irfan Husain IS NOTHING sacred? Must just about everything and everybody in Pakistan be tainted by sleaze? Can't we even make a film about Jinnah, the founder of the country, without accusations and counter-accusations? The production itself was mired in controversy as everything from the original surreal script to the choice of Christopher Lee to play the Quaid was questioned in the press. In the face of this raging debate, the government decided to withdraw its financial support. To his credit, Akbar S. Ahmad, the moving spirit behind the project, persevered and finally prevailed. Last year, the film was completed and has since been shown to a few select audiences. Not being part of this august company, I will withhold critical comment until have seen the movie; however, audience response has been somewhat mixed. Although the film is due to be finally launched in Pakistan later this month, it has yet to be accepted by a major distributor abroad. Meanwhile, the Guardian of London ran a major story last month carrying serious allegations of financial impropriety by those responsible for raising funds for the project and authorizing expenditure. Apparently, Jamil Dehalvi, the director and producer of the film, has sued Akbar S. Ahmad and has made a a number of serious allegations in articles he has written for various Pakistani publications. For me, the most shocking charge was that not only did Akbar Ahmad charge 50,000 pounds for himself as "writing fees," he also doled out 70,000 pounds to his son and his son-in-law. On top of this, his wife is the managing director of the Quaid Project. None of these accusations have been denied by any member of the family. Akbar Ahmad's money went into an offshore account which is pretty fishy in itself. All this would have been par for the course in a country that has witnessed a depressing amount of corruption at the very highest levels. But what makes it all so much worse is that after the movie was made, this government appointed Akbar Ahmad our high commissioner to the United Kingdom. Initially this was perceived as a good move as he was generally well regarded in academic circles in Britain because of his TV series on Islam as well as his anthropological studies (hence the nickname "anthro-panthro" bestowed on him by columnist Khalid Hasan). Now, however, this government is in the highly embarrassing position of having its representative to the Court of St. James's dragged through British courts on charges of sleaze, Presumably, members of his family will also be called upon to testify. It goes without saying that, given the nature of the case, the media will have a field day. Apart from the unsavory financial details that have surfaced, Akbar Ahmad's intellectual integrity has also been questioned as it has been alleged by Dehlavi that although the former did not contribute to the script, he has claimed equal credit for it with the director. In actual fact, it appears that Farooq Dhondi was the principal scriptwriter, and he agreed to stay in the background. However, now that the matter has become public, Dhondi has confirmed his role in the film. Quite apart from the legal, artistic and intellectual questions raised by the Guardian article and the subsequent publicity, the most pressing issue to my mind is the morality involved in paying large sums to close relatives who have no qualifications for the work they have been paid for. How can somebody with a lifetime of government service behind him be unaware that such rank nepotism is unacceptable even in Pakistan? and since most of the money for the film was raised abroad, surely our high commissioner should have maintained an even higher standard of probity. In her somewhat disjointed and confusing defence published in the monthly Herald, Mrs Zeenat Akbar Ahmad has stated that the money received by her husband was put back into the project. This is good to know, but some documentary evidence would have been more convincing. She justifies the payments made to her son and son-in- law as being in the interest of the project. She does not, however, tell us their qualifications for this work. Dehlavi is categorical in dismissing their contribution to his film. Nepotism is endemic in our part of the world, and people think nothing of giving jobs, junkets and contracts to close relatives when they are in positions of authority without seeing anything wrong with this practice. One would have expected that as a scholar, serving civil servant (now a diplomat) and somebody with much exposure abroad, Akbar Ahmad would have refrained from doing the desi thing of putting his whole family on the project payroll. Unfortunately, the temptation of furthering family interests at the expense of the film seemed to have proved too powerful to resist, and the project is in danger of entering the long and dishonorable list of scams made in Pakistan. This is a pity because I am sure Akbar ahmad had entirely honorable intentions when he started off to make the film. Virtually from the time Attenborough's film "Gandhi" made such an impact on the world nearly 20 years ago, he has been dreaming of producing a cinematic response based on Mr Jinnah's life and struggle. To have achieved his goal and then get bogged down in such a sleazy saga is as sad as it is unnecessary. What makes this scandal specially reprehensible is that the subject of the film was a man of such absolute and towering integrity. Not even his worst enemy has ever accused him of fiscal impropriety, and if he was seen as uncompromising, it was because there were no skeletons in his closet. For his name to be associated with a project that has become the center of controversy, even posthumously, is a national disgrace. Both Akbar Ahmad and his wife have tried to brush off these accusations as being part of a plot concocted by the "Indian lobby" to discredit him and the film. I'm afraid this is not good enough a defence. Surely this lobby did not make him involve his immediate family in the project and pay themselves large amounts of money. The fact that the foreign office has recently written him a strong letter pointing out various financial improprieties alleged to have been committed by him would seem to indicate that where there is smoke, there is a fire. Incidentally, the press reports carrying excepts of this letter have not been denied or contradicted. No Pakistani could derive any pleasure at the unfolding of this saga, but it is in the nation's best interest for the government to intervene before it turns into an even bigger international scandal.
=================================================================== SPORTS 20000414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Poor batting lets down Pakistan ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Qamar Ahmed KINGSTOWN, April 13: Pakistan batting failed to come to terms with the variable bounce of Arnos Vale pitch in the triangular one-day series. Chasing a target of 214 in 50 overs, Pakistan were devastated by the Jamaican fast bowler Franklyn Rose, who bagged a career best haul of five for 23 to bowl the tourists out for only 117 in 41.3 overs. After containing the West Indies for 213, the target of just over four runs an over was made to look a huge struggle by Pakistan's inept batting. Their fragility and the gaping hole in their batting line-up was fully exposed as wickets one batsman followed another. If not for a solid and defiant unbeaten 51 in 94 deliveries by the in-form Inzamam-ul-Haq the outcome could have been even more embarrassing. His partnership for the sixth-wicket with his captain Moin Khan (20) was the only resistance that Pakistan could offer after losing five wickets for just 41 runs in twenty overs. Imran Nazir had no clue when a delivery from Curtly Ambrose reared at him and got the inside edge to wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs in the first over. Shahid Afridi hit one in the air and was caught at mid-off by Philo Wallace off Reon King after making five. Younis Khan (15), like Afridi, looked impetuous and committed the same blunder as he pulled and mistimed Rose to King at mid-on to Reon King. In the same over, Yousuf Youhana flicked one to leg off Rose and held at short square leg by Wavell Hinds before he had scored. Rose then forced Abdur Razzaq to play on to his stumps for two. The bald pace bowler later accounted for Moin Khan (20) and Wasim Akram in his second spell. Later local by Nixon McLean picked up two wickets in one over to signal the end. Earlier, West Indies, after having won the toss, were restricted to 213 for seven in the allotted 50 overs as spinners Mushtaq Ahmed, Arshad Khan and medium-pacer Abdur Razzaq bowled a tight length to bag two wickets each. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rose destroys Pakistan ------------------------------------------------------------------- Monitoring Desk KARACHI, April 12: A career-best five for 23 by Franklyn Rose helped West Indies beat Pakistan by 96 runs in Kingston's. The West Indies, defending a modest 213, shot Pakistan out for 117 in 41.3 overs to record their third straight victory. Pakistan restricted the West Indies to 213 for seven in the triangular one-day series fixture. Pakistan succeeded in keeping the West Indies scoring under check due to some tight bowling by their spinners, Mushtaq Ahmed, Arshad Khan and paceman Abdur Razzaq. The three equally shared six wickets between them. The West Indian openers Philo Wallace and Sherwin Campbell put on 49 runs in 14 overs before being parted by leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed who bowled the former off googly for 21. Soon after the 50 was hoisted in the 15 over, the West Indians lost the wicket of Campbell who was caught at first slip by Inzamam-ul- Haq off Razzaq for 22 in the 17th over. Wavell Hinds and Jimmy Adams the shared a stand of 87 at a snail's pace to take the score to 138 in the 41st over. By then Pakistan bowlers were well in control of the situation. Wavell Hinds, who survived a run-out when Yousuf Youhana hit the stumps from mid-wicket, went on to make 40 but consumed 82 balls and managed to hit a solitary boundary. He was finally bowled round his legs by Mushtaq Ahmed. In Mushtaq's one over, however, nine runs were taken as Adams and Christopher Gayle attempted to increase the scoring rate. Adams added 32 with Gayle for the fourth wicket before being caught sweeping Arshad Khan but not before he had made 50 with only one four off 87 balls. In the same over, Arshad accounted for Gayle as well who was taken off a loose shot at cover by Imran Fazil for 15. In the 46th over West Indies were 171 for 5. Ricardo Powell was caught at long-on by Younis Khan off Wasim Akram who was playing his first match of the tour. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000410 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan in upbeat mood after Sharjah triumph ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Lateef Jafri After its resounding success in the Sharjah triangular the national cricket squad appears to be in an upbeat mood to take up the challenge of Zimbabwe and West Indies in the Cable and Wireless tri-nation competition in the Caribbeans. Who would have expected that the crestfallen side, having been decimated at home by the Sri Lankans earlier in the one-dayers and two of the Test duels, would stage a revival in their next schedule of engagements and would even bring to earth such globally top-rated outfit as South Africa. One thought that Javed Miandad, having taken over as coach just eleven days ago and before the launch of the Sharjah contest, had made an over-optimistic statement by saying that his team had started peaking. Maybe he wanted to encourage and back up a team which had gone to the Gulf sheikhdom without a trusted and experienced opening batsman and when the physical fitness of some of the players was doubtful. Miandad may have come out with his assessment in line with the building-up policy of the cricket board. An effort, whether successful or not, is being made to search for new batting and bowling talent to confront the lightweights and heavyweights of world cricket. In Sharjah they were on the point of being written off as a team without resilient qualities, verve and vigor, when they were outplayed by India, a pack having a mediocre bowling strength, and South Africa, in the first two tournamental ties. However, in both the matches the newcomer Imran Nazir displayed the soundness of a seasoned campaigner and had exhibited the gift of finding the gaps in the fields. One was happy that at last the problem of a partner for Saeed Anwar, trying to get back his fitness, has been solved. The clash against South Africa in the first match may have been won but for the ill-planned drafting into the set of off-spinner Shoaib Malik, whom the Springboks faced without any discomfort when they were made to sweat for every run, even though the target to be chased was just 197. According to Press reports and electronic media commentaries the outcome of the match was still unpredictable when Waqar Younis gave away 11 runs in an over and it was all over bar the shouting. But weren't two clicks of Boje that went to the fence, though difficult chances should have been snapped up by wicket-keeper-captain Moin Khan? The complexion of the game would have completely changed and the South Africans may have been pushed to the wall. If Miandad's early and over-rated estimate is to be taken as valid, the team did not look back after the two initial setbacks. India could hardly parry the menacingly fast stuff of Waqar Younis, previously shunted out of the squad or brought in, for reasons better known to cricket officialdom to beef up an inadequate attack. In reply to a Pakistani total of 272 for 3, India, despite the presence of Tendulkar, could with much difficulty reach 174 for 7 in 50 overs. Pakistan took a sweet revenge in a game which was enjoyed by the spectators for the scintillating stroke-play of Younus Khan (44), the unbeaten century of Inzamam, an equally fine display of batsmanship by Yousuf Youhana (56 n.o.) and glorious bowling of Waqar. The searing speed of Shoaib Akhtar in his fourth over just shattered and destroyed the South Africans when they were proceeding comfortably ahead to cross a simply easy target of 169. >From 74 for 1 the Springboks were reduced to 74 for 4. After this superb and sublime effort Shoaib could only send down five more deliveries, aggravating his groin injury. South Africa surrendered for only 101 runs, failing in the match by 67 runs. Pakistan broke a 14-match losing streak against South Africa. Though the penultimate tie should have been a dress rehearsal for the final as Pakistan had suddenly been installed as a favorite from an under-dog, there were still doubts among Pakistan's supporters for its batting had been mostly frail except for the match against India. However, in the final the openers, Imran Nazir and Shahid Afridi, played sensibly and responsibly to put on 121 during their first-wicket stand. It was a solid base. There were other significant contributions from Inzamam (53), Yousuf Youhana (26), and Abdur Razzaq (28), to take the total to a respectable 263. Perhaps the score may have soared to 300 but Inzamam, as usual, was slow in running between the wickets. But there was no sense in out-of-form Moin Khan preceding Razzaq in the batting order only to return to the pavilion after making just two runs, three South African batsmen viz, Cronje, Boucher and McKenzie batted splendidly to make a valiant bid for their side's success. In fact, for a time it appeared that the McKenzie-Cronje partnership would remain unseparated and take their team to the shores of victory. Later, Boucher played briskly and boldly but his effort too went in vain. In the final, as against India, Waqar's venomous pace of alarming velocity, with control over line and length, shook the South Africans in their shoes. In his second and third spells he was almost unplayable and even though the last over, (the 10th one), was rather costly he removed Pollock to end any chance of the rivals' win. Still the South Africans tried hard and lost the match by just 16 runs to make it a thriller as the fans desired. Waqar Younis deservingly got the man of the final and man of the competition awards. Like Shoaib in the earlier match he sent back three batsmen when the South Africans, at 198, were sailing comfortably towards the victory target. One hopes that the Imran Nazir-Shahid Afridi combination clicks even in the Caribbean campaign. Now that Younus Khan, Inzamam and Yusuf Youhana have struck form and have played gutsy knocks in Sharjah the fans expect them to display their wristy strokes in the Cable and Wireless one-dayers and later on in the Tests against the West Indies. One notes that the captaincy is proving rather straining for Moin Khan as in Sharjah his contributions had been 14, zero, zero and two. He had been sadly out of form after the World Cup. It is a surprise to all how he has forgotten to demonstrate his aggressive and belligerent style. As a wicket-keeper too he has been found wanting and numberless chances have gone abegging to the discomfiture of the onlookers. It was good to see Arshad Khan perform well enough in the absence of the reputed Saqlain. Since Shoaib Malik lacks the experience and the necessary training of international exposure one hopes the officials do not induct him in the main squad for he still has to learn the delicate art of spin and often he proves costly to the detriment of his team. After the Sharjah triumph the tails of the Pakistani cricketers must be up and they are supposed to give a good account of themselves in the triangular there, the first such contest in the West Indies. Even in the Tests their chances should be taken as bright for the West Indies also are in the building-up process. Both their bowling and batting departments are on trial. Last season Pakistan had a good record against the West Indies in Toronto and in the Champions Trophy of Gulf. There is no reason why the national team does not repeat its success over the Caribbeans after the impressive win achieved against Zimbabwe. The national set is a blend of youth and experience. Coach Miandad has to see that the ground work and catching of the players show improvement. Even the running between the wickets is below par. In any case one expects thrilling combats on far-away venues of the West Indies. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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