------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 16 December 2000 Issue : 06/48 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Contents | National News | Business & Economy | Editorials & Features | Sports
The DAWN Wire Service (DWS) is a free weekly news-service from
Pakistan's largest English language newspaper, the daily DAWN. DWS
offers news, analysis and features of particular interest to the
Pakistani Community on the Internet.
Extracts, not exceeding 50 lines, can be used provided that this
entire header is included at the beginning of each extract.
We encourage comments & suggestions. We can be reached at:
e-mail dws-owner@dawn.com
WWW http://dawn.com/
fax +92(21) 568-3188 & 568-3801
mail DAWN Group of Newspapers
Haroon House, Karachi 74200, Pakistan
Please send all Editorials and Letters to the Editor at
letters@dawn.com
(c) Pakistan Herald Publications (Pvt.) Ltd., Pakistan - 2000
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + President pardons Nawaz; entire Sharif family exiled + Major changes in setup likely: Late night commanders meeting + Revival of assemblies ruled out: Polls in 2002, says Qureshi + Pakistan hopes ties with US will improve + Sharifs lose 80pc of assets, says Qureshi + Govt may reverse devolution scheme: Constitutional changes needed + Diplomat's expulsion by Dhaka regretted + Nawaz pardoned on Saudi Arabia's request, says CE + US to target Pakistan in 'terrorism' campaign + Cabinet had no idea of exile deal + Japan to resume aid in farm sector + Pakistan to suffer Rs2.8bn loss over F-16s deal + Former FIA official gets 14-year RI for corruption --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + HUBCO team arrives to discuss tariff issue + Lack of funds to hit police reforms: Act being changed + New setup by Jan 25 likely: Commanders discuss options + ADB okays $350m loan + Pakistan may sell power to India + Default risk is over, says SBP report + IMF for fiscal transparency + CE okays duty free import of tractors + Gold prices up by 7pc in five months + SBP starts buying dollar from banks: Rupee falls further --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + The frog croaks... - 2 Ardeshir Cowasjee + The moral imperative Irfan Husain + Hilarity or what? Ayaz Amir ----------- SPORTS + PCB calls off Indian team's tour + Miandad denies allegations over time-wasting + Home team's 34-match unbeaten record shattered
=================================================================== DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS 20001210 ------------------------------------------------------------------- President pardons Nawaz; entire Sharif family exiled ------------------------------------------------------------------- Nasir Malick and Faraz Hashmi ISLAMABAD, Dec 9: President Rafiq Tarar has pardoned former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's 25-year jail sentence but exiled the former prime minister and his family, a government announcement said in the wee hours of Sunday. "On the advice of the chief executive, the president of Pakistan, according to law has pardoned Nawaz Sharif's remaining jail sentence while the rest of the punishment awarded by the honourable courts, which includes fine, forfeiture of property and disqualification from public office would remain in place," the announcement said. "Nawaz Sharif and family have been exiled to Saudi Arabia. This decision has been taken in the best interest of the country and the people of Pakistan," it said. The former prime minister was awarded 14 years' imprisonment on corruption charges, fined Rs20 million and disqualified from contesting election for 21 years. Mr Sharif, who was removed by the army in a bloodless coup, was sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of hijacking the plane in which General Pervez Musharraf was travelling. He had appealed in the high court, which had rejected the plea. He was fined Rs500,000 and forfeiture of property worth Rs500 million. The official announcement said that Nawaz Sharif and his family had been appealing to the chief executive and the president of Pakistan requesting clemency. They had also filed a petition requesting for waiver of punishment awarded by the Sindh High Court and the accountability court in the helicopter case. "Nawaz Sharif and his family had pleaded his falling health and need of specialist medical care urgently requesting that he may be allowed to proceed abroad for treatment. The Sharif family had also submitted that they be allowed to accompany him," the announcement said. SAUDI ROLE: Indirectly admitting that the deal had been brokered by Saudi Arabia, the announcement said that recently, Pakistan's closest friend Saudi Arabia offered the Government of Pakistan to accept the Sharif family for medical treatment on humanitarian grounds if exiled to their country. Sources said that Saudi defence minister and former intelligence chief Prince Turki Al Faisal, arrived in Islamabad "this morning on a special plane and held detailed talks with the military government officials as well as with Begum Kulsoom Nawaz at the residence of Saudi ambassador to Pakistan. The Saudi prince, according to Raja Zafarul Haq, also met Nawaz Sharif in Attock jail this afternoon along with Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, to give final touches to the deal. Nawaz Sharif, according to latest reports, has been brought from Attock Fort and admitted to the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology in Rawalpindi. Sources in the Pakistan Muslim League claimed that Nawaz Sharif was averse to leaving the country but his son Hasan Nawaz, who is now in London, has played a decisive role in convincing his father to accept the deal. These sources said that under the deal, Nawaz Sharif and his family would not return to Pakistan for 10 years. The deal has fuelled speculations about the restoration of the suspended assemblies. However, some political analysts believe that an interim political structure will be established in the country and the army will step down after ensuring "due share" in the new political structure. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001215 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Major changes in setup likely: Late night commanders meeting ------------------------------------------------------------------- Nasir Malick and Ihtashamul Haque ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: A late-night unscheduled meeting of the army top brass at the Army House has fuelled speculations in the federal capital about a possible change in the government setup. "I can confirm that the army leadership is holding a meeting at this moment but I haven't a clue about its purpose," a senior government official told Dawn around midnight. Army spokesman Maj-Gen Raashid Qureshi was not available on phone to comment on the urgency of the meeting. A source said that the army generals began the meeting soon after Iftar and were still deliberating even after midnight. Political analysts believe that the army was considering various options, which include restoration of suspended assemblies, interim setup in which General Musharraf would be moved to the position of president, or to expand the existing setup by inducting political figures in the cabinet. Sources said that the Pakistan People's Party, which is one of the largest political parties, is opposed to the restoration of parliament or expanding of the existing setup. It has been demanding holding of transparent elections and return of army to barracks. Other political parties, including Jamaat-i-Islami, Tehrik-i- Insaf, Awami National Party, MQM and Chattha's Muslim League are also opposed to the restoration of assemblies. However, the PML (N), which has been disintegrated after the exile of Nawaz Sharif to Saudi Arabia and has little chance of winning the election, supports restoration of assemblies. Political analysts believe that after pardoning Nawaz Sharif, the military government is under intense pressure as it has lost moral ground to remaining in power. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001212 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Revival of assemblies ruled out: Polls in 2002, says Qureshi ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ihtashamul Haque ISLAMABAD, Dec 11: There is no plan to revive assemblies after the exile of Nawaz Sharif to Saudi Arabia, says a government spokesman. "This is all kite flying that with the exile of Nawaz Sharif the government will consider or is considering the restoration of assemblies", the chief executive's press secretary Maj-Gen Rashid Qureshi, told Dawn here on Monday. He said general elections would be held in 2002 as were planned and that the first step towards establishing real democracy was being taken by holding local bodies polls on December 31. "There is no such thing like restoring assemblies on the cards", he said adding that the nation was prepared to take part in the 2002 elections and that there was no need to even think about restoration of the assemblies as had been demanded by some political elements. The ISPR director-general told PPI news agency that the government had not entered into any deal with Nawaz Sharif. Gen Qureshi said all the legal requirements had been fulfilled while releasing Mr Sharif and sending him to exile. He said that the government confiscated Nawaz Sharif's property and released him after he tendered apology. Answering a question, Gen Qureshi said the written apology tendered by Mr Sharif could be made public when it was required. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001215 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan hopes ties with US will improve ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf on Thursday felicitated the newly elected US president, George W Bush and said he was looking forward to working with him, to enhance traditionally close and friendly bilateral ties. He made these remarks in a message to Mr Bush on his victory in the US presidential elections. The CE said Pakistan-US relations were marked by friendship and understanding and have greatly contributed to regional peace and stability at all times. "The relationship has, over the years, retained its inherent strength and resilience. On its part, Pakistan attaches the highest importance to further building and consolidating its relations with the United States on the basis of shared interests and values." The chief executive also congratulated Mrs Bush and prayed for the progress and prosperity of the US and the American people. TARAR: President Mohammad Rafiq Tarar felicitated the newly elected US president and hoped for further consolidation of the positive trends in the relations between Islamabad and Washington.- APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001211 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sharifs lose 80pc of assets, says Qureshi ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ansar Abbasi ISLAMABAD, Dec 10: The exile of the Sharif family to Saudi Arabia following the pardon announcement by the government, has deprived the Raiwind dwellers of their 15 assets, worth billions of rupees. A spokesman for the government, Maj-Gen Rashid Qureshi, told Dawn on Monday that almost 80 per cent of the Sharifs' property had been "taken over" by the government. According to Mr Qureshi, the 15 assets that have been taken over by the government in return for providing a safe "exit" to the Sharif family include Rs300 million in cash; industrial assets including Brother Steel Mills; Ilyas Enterprises; Hudaybia Paper Mill; Hudaybia Engineering Company; Hamza Spinning Mills; residential property including the Model Town bungalow; three houses at Mall Road Murree; property at 135 Upper Mall Lahore; a plot at Model Town Lahore; a plot at Upper Mall, Lahore; agricultural property including 10.2 kanals of land at Khanpur Sheikhupura Road Lahore; 41 acres and 7 kanals of land at Sheikhupura; 14.2 kanals of land and another 35 kanals at Bhaipharu in Chunnian and 88 kanals of land at Raiwind. The Raiwind palace of the Sharif family, which ruled the country for almost 15 years, has however not been confiscated by the government. Mr Qureshi dispelled the impression that there had been any underhand deal between the government and the Sharif family. He said the government had simply responded to the repeated mercy petitions filed by the Sharifs. Contrary to what the Sharifs were pretending before the public and in their statements to the media, Mr Qureshi said they had been writing to the government including the chief executive and the president, appealing for pardon. "We were receiving their requests for mercy in the past three to four months particularly after the courts handed over decisions against Nawaz Sharif," he said. These requests were renewed recently following Nawaz Sharif's reported ailment. Mr Qureshi stated that since the chief executive had repeatedly said that he was not vindictive so he recommended to President Tarar that the imprisonment of the Sharifs be pardoned and turned into exile while the rest of the punishments including fines, forfeiture of property and disqualification should stay. When told that the people in streets felt as if they had been betrayed by the government for allowing a safe exit to the Sharifs, the government spokesman said, "the government has actually taken a compassionate view of the situation and converted the imprisonment into exile." Qureshi dispelled the impression that a "deal" was 'brokered' either by a Saudi prince or was the exit the consequence of Saudi Arabia's pressure. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001216 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Govt may reverse devolution scheme: Constitutional changes needed ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ansar Abbasi ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: The government's devolution plan has hit a major constitutional snag threatening the reversal of the scheme, it is learnt. "The implementation of the plan would require a fundamental amendment in the constitution to devolve the law and order responsibility of the provinces to the proposed district governments," a source said, adding such an amendment would deface the existing provinces. The source in the national reconstruction bureau (NRB), which conceived the much-publicized devolution plan, confided to Dawn that the plan unveiled on Aug 14 could not be implemented through an ordinance proposed by the NRB. The provinces on the other hand, according to sources, are also not ready to sacrifice their major responsibility for the maintenance law and order. The NRB has engaged some constitutional lawyers to find a solution to the problem. Zila nazims would require powers of a chief executive to exercise authority in the district and in fulfilling their responsibility towards the maintenance of law and order. The NRB wanted to delegate these powers through an ordinance, but it is not so simple. The transfer of province's authority over matters of law and order, to the district government is only be possible through a constitutional amendment. "But such an amendment will be of fundamental nature and would change the face of the provinces," the NRB was told. Sources said it was proposed that the said amendment could be avoided if zila nazim was made subordinate to the provincial chief executive. But the authors of the devolution plan were not ready to accept this. In their view, this would weaken the office of zila nazim. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001216 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Diplomat's expulsion by Dhaka regretted ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hasan Akhtar ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: Pakistan "deeply regretted" the Bangladesh decision to declare its deputy high commissioner in Dhaka, Irfan Raja, persona non grata, asking him to leave the country by Friday. In a statement on Friday, the foreign ministry spokesman said the Pakistan government also rejected the "baseless allegation made by the Bangladesh government that the deputy high commissioner had carried out activities incompatible with his status as diplomat". The expulsion decision, Pakistan stated, was "not in keeping with the spirit of friendly relations between the two countries." Islamabad's rejection of the diplomat's expulsion was conveyed on Friday morning in Dhaka by the Pakistan high commissioner to Bangladesh's acting foreign secretary. The statement said the Bangladesh foreign ministry had already been informed that in view of the unfortunate controversy surrounding remarks by the DHC at a seminar on Nov 27, he had been transferred from Dhaka and was preparing to leave in the next few days. The Bangladesh government decision requiring the deputy high commissioner to leave by Friday was "therefore, surprising and unjustified", the spokesman stated. The deputy high commissioner's remarks at the seminar concerning the tragic military conflict of 1971 had sparked strong denunciation and demonstrations in Dhaka. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001214 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Nawaz pardoned on Saudi Arabia's request, says CE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ihtasham ul Haque ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf has said that the decision to pardon Nawaz Sharif has been taken in the larger national interest and in consideration of a request made by Pakistan's closest and brotherly country Saudi Arabia. He expressed these views on Wednesday while briefing the federal cabinet on the government action of pardoning the former Prime Minister. Official sources said that the CE defended his decision and said that time had come to bring to an end the politics of revenge and confrontation. He said he did not have anything personal against anybody and that the nation should be saved from the confrontational course. Official sources said that most members of the federal cabinet requested the chief executive to make public Mr Sharif's request for pardon. However, these members endorsed the government decision on the matter and felt that the move would reduce polarization and bring about harmony on the political scene. The chief executive, who presided over the meeting, said though the presidential pardon remitted the former prime minister's rigorous imprisonment, it did not waive off his disqualification from holding political office and the imposition of fines. The sources said that Gen Musharraf pointed out that now the economy of the country would improve, bringing relief to the common man. He said the action would boost the stock market which otherwise had been showing a downward trend for the last many months. He said he had earlier briefed the corps commanders on the release of Mr Sharif and told them that his decision would improve political climate in the country. The sources said that CE told the meeting that it was wrong to say that Mr Sharif did not seek pardon as had been claimed by some members of his family. He agreed with the cabinet members that the deal should be made public to dispel such an impression. He said the government was considering making the deal public, adding that the action had been taken with good intentions and he had full support of his senior military colleagues. The sources said that the CE told the meeting that his military colleagues had endorsed his views that the country needed to be rid of the politics of confrontation. The chief executive said those who thought that the government had lost its credibility or become weak because of the action were wrong. The CE assured the cabinet members that he would continue to take them into confidence on all major national and international issues. The cabinet approved ratification of the agreement establishing an Advisory Centre on the WTO law. The cabinet kept in pending the issue of eight to 10 per cent increase in the prices of petroleum products and the matter would now be discussed in the next meeting. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001216 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US to target Pakistan in 'terrorism' campaign ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent WASHINGTON, Dec 15: The United States is preparing a new publicity drive as part of its terrorism prevention and rewards campaign, and Pakistan will be one of the major target areas of the new drive. The US has always praised the cooperation extended by Pakistan in its efforts to contain terrorism, according to officials. A State Department official concerned with America's counter- terrorism rewards programme said at a briefing on Thursday the response from Pakistanis to previous rewards campaign had been significant. The programme had received 600 letters last year from informants, 42pc of which were terrorism related and of the latter, 67pc were from Pakistan. There had also been some response from within Afghanistan. Nearly 12 per cent of all information provided concerned Osama bin Laden, the official said. Mr bin Laden has been much in the news here since the attack on the USS Cole, and his name continues to figure in reports relating to investigations into the destroyer bombing. The State Department has so far said no direct link between the Cole incident and Mr bin Laden has been established. But the department's counter-terrorism chief, Mr Michael Sheehan, only on Wednesday informed a House committee of an all-out diplomatic, economic and political pressure campaign against the Taliban government, which the US accuses of providing shelter to Mr bin Laden. The rewards programme official who briefed reporters on Thursday said advertisements released in Pakistan for information and leads provided as a result of that information had played an important role in the arrest of Ramdi Yusuf, who was alleged to be involved in the World Trade Centre bombing in New York and who was arrested in Pakistan on Feb 8, 1995. He is currently in jail. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001213 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Cabinet had no idea of exile deal ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ansar Abbasi ISLAMABAD, Dec 12: The government did not consult the cabinet but took into confidence the military elite while granting pardon to Nawaz Sharif and sending the family into exile. A well-placed government source confided to Dawn that the dramatic decision had been taken purely by the men in uniform. The matter was discussed in the closed circles of the military before being put to the corps commanders at their two-day meeting last week. Asked whether the matter was placed before the cabinet, the source said: "No". It was too sensitive a matter to be discussed by the cabinet, he added. The military elite's support to the idea came when it was explained that the pardon and the exile was being allowed following Saudi Arabia's request. It was said that the Saudi government had given assurance that the Sharifs would not take part in politics "for quite some time". "Besides, the Sharifs, too, had given the undertaking in writing not to take part in politics," the source said. Asked how Saudi Arabia would prevent any of the Sharifs to travel to London and issue political statements from there against the military regime, the source said: "If the Saudis can get the Sharifs freed, they can also make them behave accordingly. They (the Saudis) are very strict in their commitments." The source, however, refused to accept that there was any Saudi "pressure" on the government to get the Sharifs off the hook. In reply to a question, the source said that those exiled to Saudi Arabia would remain there. "If anyone of them goes to some other country he would be bound to come back to the country of exile," the source said. "We have the best example of Idi Amin who lives in Saudi Arabia with his 19 wives but as a completely non-political entity." Persuading the government for pardon, the Saudi authorities had said that not only would it be an Islamic act to set Nawaz Sharif free after the payment of Qisas but it would also be politically helpful to the military regime. "We were told by the Saudis that they had also tried to get Zulfikar Ali Bhutto freed but Pakistan's response in negative had plunged the country in an unending political turmoil," the source said. He stated that the military government was expecting that the departure of Sharifs' from politics would set things, particularly economic situation, right for the country. The government, he said, hoped that the present state of "shock" and "uncertainty" would not last long. "Don't you agree with the idea of throwing the dirt out to get the house in order," the source commented. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001215 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan to resume aid in farm sector ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rauf Klasra ISLAMABAD, Dec 14: Japan has agreed to resume financial and technical assistance to Pakistan, in order to help the country in developing its agriculture sector on modern lines, despite Islamabad's refusal to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Official sources told Dawn that the Japanese ambassador to Pakistan, Saddali Numata, informed Pakistan of his government's decision to resume the assistance - which was suspended in May 1998 after Pakistan conducted a series of nuclear tests - during his meeting with Federal Agriculture Minister, Khair Mohammad Junejo, on Thursday. Secretary Agriculture, Dr Zafar Altaf, also attended the meeting. Sources said, Mr Numata told Mr Junejo that the CTBT was a great obstacle in the way of resuming Japan's financial assistance to Pakistan as it (Japan) cannot extend its full cooperation unless Islamabad decides to sign the treaty. However, he informed the agriculture minister that despite this serious constraint the Japanese government had decided to continue helping Pakistan in the field of agriculture as 70pc of the country's population was fully dependent on this sector. Sources said that the Japanese ambassador also informed Mr Junejo that his country would continue to assist the drought- affected people of Sindh and Balochistan on a sustainable basis. In this regard, he added, the Japanese government would provide water pumps to the people of the affected areas. He also informed the minister that the Japanese government would send a team of farm experts to help Pakistan in bringing about improvements in its agriculture sector. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001213 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan to suffer Rs2.8 billion loss over F-16s deal ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Dec 12: Pakistan will suffer another loss of Rs2.8 billion on account of import of soyabean and soyabean oil from the United States under the F-16 money deal, an official report revealed. The economic affairs division had submitted the report to the government before signing of a revised agreement with the US government in September last for import of soyabean oil and seed, worth $80 million, to settle the F-16 issue. It had sought the comments from Pakistan Oilseed Development Board on the issue. The PODB in its comments had said that the US soyabean and soyabean oil prices were much higher than the prevailing market rates and theirdisposal in Pakistan would become a problem. But the EAD did not give any heed to this warning and went ahead to sign the agreement on the dotted lines of the US government. The government had also formed a working group on the F-16 issue, which met in August to review the soyabeen import under PL 416(b). During the meeting, it was pointed out that the US had offered 125,000 tons of soyabean at $269 (Rs14,795) per ton. Thus the total cost was worked out at $33 million or Rs1.8 billion. The price for 96,420 tons of soyabean oil was calculated at $486 or Rs26,730 per ton. The total cost worked out was $46 million or Rs2.5 billion. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001213 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Former FIA official gets 14-year RI for corruption ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, Dec 12: An Accountability court on Tuesday sentenced a former deputy director of the Federal Investigation Agency to 14- year rigorous imprisonment with Rs100 million fine for corruption. Judge Dr Qamaruddin Bohra also convicted co-accused Mohammed Hanif, an FIA constable, and Mukhtar Ahmad, a servant of the principal accused Chaudhry Mohammed Sharif. Both the co-accused were awarded 14-year RI with Rs10 million each. Chaudhry Sharif would have to suffer an additional RI for seven years in case he failed to make the payment. The additional terms for the co-accused were set five years each in case of default. The judge ordered the forfeiture of the entire movable and immovable property of the accused to the government. All the three were disqualified from holding any public office for 21 years. Chaudhry Sharif, who was arrested after the military takeover, was prosecuted for amassing huge wealth "through illegal and corrupt means and beyond his known and declared sources".
BUSINESS & ECONOMY 20001214 ------------------------------------------------------------------- HUBCO team arrives to discuss tariff issue ------------------------------------------------------------------- Faraz Hashmi ISLAMABAD, Dec 13: A five-member HUBCO delegation, led by Sheikh Ali Reza, arrived here on Wednesday to resolve the three-year long tariff row with WAPDA. "We have come on the special invitation of chief executive Gen Pervez Musharraf," Mr Reza, who had refused to visit Pakistan earlier this year, told Dawn on his arrival in Islamabad. Pakistani Embassy in Riyadh had extended the invitation to HUBCO's chief on behalf of the chief executive. Also, HUBCO received a letter from Gen Musharraf inviting them for talks. HUBCO's delegation comprising Ashraf Tumbi of Xenel (a Saudi company), Peter Giller of National Power, David Jones of CGC, and Najam Farooqui, who is representing Brain Chang a stake-holder, will begin talks with the government on Thursday. Finance minister Shaukat Aziz, secretary general finance Moin Afzal, secretary Water and Power Zafar-ullah Khan, and chairman WAPDA Lt. Gen Zulfikar will represent the government. A government official said that chief executive earlier today asked the government team to chalk out a strategy for holding negotiations with HUBCO. The chief executive, during his visit to Washington last year, had offered HUBCO 5.5 cents per unit - the same tariff which had been given to AES power company. HUBCO had rejected the offer and insisted on 6.2 cents per unit. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001216 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Lack of funds to hit police reforms: Act being changed, says Moin ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ihtashamul Haque ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: The government is working on a plan to improve the working of the police and make it more responsive to the situation prevailing in the country. "Police reforms currently being finalised will be implemented in phases due to financial constraints," said Interior Minister Lt Gen Moinuddin Haider while talking to Dawn here. He said that 99 per cent work on the plan has been completed which is being prepared with the help of National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB). He said the Police Act of 1861 was being changed. He claimed there were no differences between the ministry of interior and NRB on the formulation of a new plan to reform working of the police. "The plan seeks to have another 1,000 vehicles for Punjab province in 2001. The other provinces will be given new vehicles in 2002," he said. In the initial phase, he said, new Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASPs), Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs) and constables will be inducted in the police. Responding to a question Mr Haider said police will be raised and trained on modern lines and the major thrust will be to have educated people in the police force. He said both short and long term measures were being considered to improve the law and order situation. Those areas, he said, which do not require finances were being looked into on priority basis. He said police reforms will make it possible that police is kept under control and they do not misuse their power. "All those things which do not require legislation are being done in the first phase to reform the police". Answering a question Lt Gen Moinuddin Haider claimed that law and order situation was not that bad. "Apparently things are O.K. but when we see any incident of sectarian killing or bomb blast, we get worried," and pointed out that "law and order situation could not be improved overnight." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001216 ------------------------------------------------------------------- New setup by Jan 25 likely: Commanders discuss options ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: Army top brass remained in session on Friday for the second consecutive day, supposedly chalking out a strategy for a new governmental setup, reliable sources told Dawn. However, it is still not clear whether the new arrangement will be a revival of the assemblies or an interim arrangement. Asked about the sudden marathon sessions of the army top brass, the source said the process of consultation has been triggered by the formation of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy, of which PPP and PML are major components. Sources in Pakistan Muslim League confirmed that speaker of the suspended national assembly Illahi Buksh Soomro has been tipped by the "authorities" to prove his strength. He has already convened a meeting of the parliamentary party on December 20 at Islamabad for the purpose. The new setup, is believed will be headed by a leader from Sindh, though other names, including PPP's Amin Fahim, are also being considered. PPP sources said that the authorities were in touch with the PPP leadership indirectly. He said that at least two or three Corp Commanders would be replaced. It is evident that they would be taken into confidence before any possible change in the government. "You can expect a change in the government setup by January 25, 2001," the source added. The army top brass want to see the PPP and the PML as an alternative and not leave the field open to the fundamentalists, he said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001216 ------------------------------------------------------------------- ADB okays $350m loan ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: The Asian Development Bank's board of directors at its meeting in Manila on Thursday approved a $350 million loan for Pakistan's energy sector. "We have been officially informed that the ADB has approved $350 million energy sector loan which includes $250 million for the restructuring of the Karachi Electricity Supply Corporation," Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz said. Talking to Dawn, he said the loan would particularly help in achieving the long-awaited restructuring of the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation with a view to reducing its line and distribution losses and improving its services. "The KESC is so important to us that the chief executive held an important meeting on it two days ago," said the minister. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001214 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan may sell power to India ------------------------------------------------------------------- Monitoring Desk NEW DELHI, Dec 13: Pakistan has confirmed the availability of 300MW of power for export to India, for 10 years, which could be further increased to 600 MW depending on the availability, the Rajya Sabha was informed today. Minister of State for Power, Jayawanti Mehta, told Brahmakumar Bhatt in a written reply that two rounds of discussions had been held on power supply from Pakistan. The methodology for arriving at tariff rates and operating agreements for the purchase of power was also discussed with the Pakistani officials, the minister said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001212 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Default risk is over, says SBP report ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, Dec 11: The risk of defaulting on external debt is over but Pakistan must meet tough IMF conditions to keep the economy on track, says State Bank. In its report on the first quarter of the current fiscal year (July-September), the SBP warns economic managers to contain deficit, enhance exports and limit non-concessional external borrowing to manage the risks, associated with the IMF conditions. The report, released here on Monday, says "establishing a track record of meeting these (IMF) criteria is essential to enhance Pakistan's credibility both domestically and internationally," says the report. It says implementation of the IMF programme will enhance utility and gas prices, allow exchange rates to be determined by market forces alone and reduce job-generating capacity of public sector organizations. The IMF programme will also render many employees jobless in the state-owned organizations that are to be privatized. "However, these costs will ultimately benefit the economy at large and bring about the desired change," the report maintains. "But for those public sector employees who are likely to be rendered surplus, businessmen who have to pay taxes in full, consumers who have to pay higher utility bills and for fresh graduates who remain unemployed, these real and onerous costs are likely to become apparent with immediate effect." The report says the country is currently paying the price for avoiding "politically sensitive decisions and opting for softer options." But it does not elaborate on this point. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001210 ------------------------------------------------------------------- IMF for fiscal transparency ------------------------------------------------------------------- M. Ziauddin ISLAMABAD, Dec 9: The International Monetary Fund has asked Pakistan to immediately strengthen its core fiscal reporting system, and suggested a range of measures to improve fiscal transparency. In a report on the observance of standard and codes (ROCS) in Pakistan prepared by the Fund's staff, the whole range of accounting systems in the country has been subjected to scathing criticism. The 15-page report released on the IMF website this week has made three major proposals to widen the range and improve the quality of fiscal data. These proposals include publication of a statement on contingent liabilities; development of a report on tax expenditure, including all donor-financed expenditures in the budget and annual accounts; and incorporating quasi-fiscal activity carried out through credit funds in the State Bank of Pakistan in the budget. The report, which was actually submitted to the Fund's executive board the day before it approved the standby arrangement for Pakistan, has also stressed the need to develop a medium-term budget framework to identify continuing costs of government policies more clearly. According to the report, in terms of fiscal data the boundaries between the government and the rest of the economy have become blurred. Discussing privatization, the report attributed the current slow down in the process to lengthy procedures and delays and lack of an effective regulatory environment. The report said non-performing loans remained a serious issue for the developmental financial institutions (DFIs) and that no comprehensive overview of the government's public enterprise borrowing or assets and other equity holdings were being maintained. While all taxes were under the authority of a law, many opportunities existed for discretionary application and the Income Tax Ordinance, according to the report, was over complex and more than a third of the text was taken up by exemptions. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001216 ------------------------------------------------------------------- CE okays duty free import of tractors ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rauf Klasra ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf has agreed to agriculture ministry's proposal to allow duty free import of tractors for farm purpose, as they were more cheaper than the locally manufactured. Sources said on Friday that Gen Musharraf agreed to this proposal of duty free import of tractors only to modernize the farm sector. Sources told Dawn that in this regard, Gen Musharraf had also asked the commerce ministry to look into the proposal and immediately submit a summary to him so that a formal decision could be taken. Sources said, earlier, the issue of import of tractors was raised by the federal Agriculture Minister Khair Mohammad Junejo during a briefing on agriculture strategies here last week, which was attended by the provincial governors, Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, Commerce Minister Abdul Razzak Dawood, Advisor to CE on Agriculture M. Shafi Niaz, Secretary Agriculture Dr Zafar Altaf and others. Sources said, during the briefing, Junejo informed the CE that farm machinery had become old and obsolete which needed immediate replacement. He said it was only possible when the federal government would give incentives to the farmers and importers. The minister was of the view that to facilitate the rapid mechanization of farm sector, it was required that the duty exemption on their import should be allowed. Junejo pointed out that since the imported tractor was much cheaper compared with the price of locally produced, therefore, its duty free import could help the farmers to get tractors at reduced prices. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001210 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Gold prices up by 7% in five months ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mohiuddin Aazim KARACHI, Dec 9: A ten per cent fall in the rupee value against the US dollar since July 20 has raised gold prices by more than seven per cent. On Saturday 24-carat gold closed at Rs 5365 and Rs 5401 per 10 gram respectively in Karachi and Lahore markets up from Rs 4980 and Rs 5040 per 10 gm on July 20. The State Bank had removed an unofficial cap on exchange rates on July 20: Since then the rupee has fallen by around 10 per cent in the open and inter-bank market. Traders say gold prices went up by more than seven per cent in less than five months mainly because of the rupee depreciation. Since traders purchase dollars from the open market to finance gold any change in exchange rates has an impact on local prices of gold. This correlation is so strong that gold prices moved up in the country despite a fall in international prices of this precious metal. Gold prices came down to $273 per ounce in world markets this week from $281 in mid July. High prices of raw gold plus higher than normal making charges make gold ornaments costlier. But jewellers say demand for gold ornaments this year has not peaked so far. "Normally demand for gold and gold ornaments rise manifold in Ramazan (ahead of Eid festival) but we have not seen any big jump in demand this year," said a leading jeweller in Karachi. Publicity banners fluttering across Zaibunnisa Street announcing huge prizes in cash and gold for ornaments buyers are a proof to it. "These colourful banners are attracting people but not many of them really make big purchases," said owner of a shop on Zaibunnisa street that is a key market of gems and jewellery. Analysts say the demand for gold and jewellery is not picking up as the financial crisis that engulfed the country after its 1998 nuclear blasts and the consequent slowdown in the economy is far from over. They say that the drive launched to broaden tax net has also led to flight of capital reducing private investment in gold and jewellery and real estate. Pakistan imports a small percentage of its estimated demand of 120 tonnes of gold every year: the bulk of the yellow metal comes in through smuggling-in the shape of undeclared personal baggage and misdeclared Afghan transit cargo. Of late the country has started exporting jewellery and Export Promotion Bureau says it has plans to raise it substantially in future. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001214 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SBP starts buying dollar from banks: Rupee falls further ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mohiuddin Aazim KARACHI, Dec 13: The State Bank on Wednesday purchased dollars from banks in one-month swap with rupee funds in a two-pronged strategy to keep banks liquid and reduce its net domestic assets. Bankers said SBP swapped $10-$15 million at 30 paisa above the spot price. But SBP officials neither confirmed nor contradicted the figure. Sources close to SBP said the central bank would swap $250- $300 million in next few days to keep banks liquid enough to refrain from overnight borrowing from SBP against treasury bills. Bankers said the swap would save banks from being stripped off liquidity in the face of outflows of rupee funds falling due next week. This in turn will stop banks from borrowing overnight funds from the State Bank and that will help SBP keep its net domestic assets from moving up. Net domestic assets or NDA of SBP goes up with its lending to banks if there is no matching increase in its net foreign assets. Normally banks borrow overnight funds from the central bank at the year-end in an effort to strengthen their balance sheets. But that raises net domestic assets of SBP. But this time SBP cannot afford it. Because under the IMF standby loan programme it is supposed to keep the expansion in NDA at minus Rs 26.3 billion by end of December 2000. This is one of several key conditions Pakistan has to meet not only to remain on track with the $596 million 10-month standby but also to qualify for a larger long-term poverty reduction and growth facility-PRGF. RUPEE: Meanwhile the rupee lost 26 paisa in inter-bank market on Wednesday and finished at 58.19 to a dollar against 57.93 on Tuesday. Bankers said the rupee declined on debt payments and corporate dollar buyings. The dollar rose past Rs 58 after several weeks. In the first week of October it had risen to Rs 59.95. But an immediate tightening of monetary measures including an increase in cash reserves of banks and hiking of SBP overnight lending rates kept the rupee stable in November. Bankers say the rupee may remain under pressure on debt payments and corporate demand for dollar in the remaining part of this month. They say as the rupee has begun to fall the inflow of export dollar has also slowed because exporters are waiting for more depreciation of the local currency. That in turn is due to weaken the rupee further. In the kerb market the rupee shed 10 paisa to close at 60.80/60.85 to a dollar against the previous close of 60.70/60.75.
SPORTS
20001210
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The frog croaks... - 2
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ardeshir Cowasjee
FRAUDS! That is what we are. We are large frogs in small ponds, or
small frogs in large ponds. This column continues on the subject of
the Objectives Resolution, debated and approved by our elected
Constituent Assembly on March 7, 1949. Read on.
Additional excerpts from the speech made that day by our first
prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan:
"The greatest proof of the tolerance of Muslim peoples lies in the
fact that there is no Muslim country where strong minorities do not
exist, and where they have not been able to preserve their religion
and culture. Most of all, in this subcontinent of India, where the
Muslims wielded unlimited authority, the rights of non-Muslims were
cherished and protected... It is this tolerance which is envisaged
by Islam, wherein a minority does not live on sufferance, but is
respected and given every opportunity to develop its own thought
and culture, so that it may contribute to the greater glory of the
entire nation....
"In our desire to build up an Islamic society we have not ignored
the rights of the non-Muslims. Indeed, it would have been un-
Islamic to do so and we would have been guilty of transgressing the
dictates of our religion if we had tried to impinge upon the
freedom of the minorities. In no way will they be hindered from
professing or protecting their religion or developing their
cultures....
"Mr President, it has become fashionable to guarantee certain
fundamental rights, but I assure you that it is not our intention
to give these rights with one hand and take them away with the
other. I have said enough to show that we want to build up a truly
liberal government where the greatest amount of freedom will be
given to all its members. Everyone will be equal before the law,
but this does not mean that his personal law will not be protected.
We believe in the equality of status and justice."
During the debate, our foreign minister, Sir Mohammed Zafrullah
Khan, spoke up:
"The point to stress in this connection is that while the
Resolution requires that under the Pakistan constitution Muslims
shall be enabled to order their lives in the individual and
collective spheres in accord with the teachings and requirements of
Islam, it lays no such compulsion, burden or obligation upon non-
Muslims. In their view the spheres of politics and religion are
distinct and apart, and can remain so. The constitution shall make
adequate provision for them in the very words of the Resolution:
"freely to profess and practice their religion and develop their
cultures." Their legitimate interests shall be safeguarded and they
shall in common with all the citizens of Pakistan be guaranteed all
fundamental human rights, 'including equality of status, of
opportunity and before law, social, economic and political justice,
and freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship and
association, subject to law and public morality.' They will also,
along with other citizens of Pakistan, be entitled to enjoy the
benefits of a constitution 'wherein the principles of democracy,
freedom, equality, tolerance and social justice as enunciated by
Islam shall be fully observed.' What more could any minority or any
section of the people of Pakistan desire?
"There shall be no compulsion in matters of faith." An alternative
rendering can also be: 'There can be no compulsion in matters of
faith', inasmuch as faith is a matter of conscience, and conscience
cannot be compelled; it also signifies there need be no compulsion
in matters of faith. 'Guidance has been made manifest from error;
let him therefore who wills believe and let him who wills deny.'
"There are other injunctions contained in the Quran from which the
same conclusion may be drawn, but I shall go on to mention one
incident from the life of the Holy Prophet as illustrating the
actual practice of tolerance in these matters. A Christian
deputation was waiting on the Holy Prophet and had carried on
exchange of views with him for some days. One day they intimated
that they would have to absent themselves the next day. The Prophet
enquired the reason for this and they explained that the following
day was their sabbath and that they must withdraw some distance
from Madina to perform their worship in their own fashion.
"The Prophet told them that there was no need for them to withdraw
from Madina for that purpose. They were welcome to perform their
worship in his mosque. I might explain that the Prophet used to
carry on all his public activities in the mosque. In that simple
structure he received emissaries, he received deputations, he
instructed his followers, he led the services and prayers, and all
his public activities were performed there. It is recorded that the
following day when the time came, the Christians took out their
crosses and images and placing them in front of them in the
Prophet's mosque performed their worship in their own fashion."
Dr Ishtiaq Husain Qureshi, that renowned scholar elected from East
Bengal, had this to add:
"If anybody were to say that religious prejudice should not be
permitted to affect our relationship with humanity, I would
certainly say 'yes.' But, then, I should submit that the Resolution
does lay down that so far as relations with non-Muslims are
concerned, they will be based upon the utmost tolerance, not only
on tolerance but also on the appreciation of their culture and on
all that liberty and fraternity imply."
And from Maulana Shabbir Ahmad Osmani, also elected from East
Bengal, a great scholar of religion, came these wise words:
"Here it should be remembered that an Islamic state does not mean
the 'Government of the Ordained Priests'. How could Islam
countenance the false idea which the Quran so emphatically
repudiated in the following words: 'Ittakhazoo ahbarahum wa
ruhbanahum arbabam min doonil-lah.' (The Quran, X, Ta'uba 5) 'They
(the Jews and the Christians) took their priest and their
anchorites to be their lords in derogation to God'."
To end, a passage from a judgment written by Chief Justice Hamoodur
Rahman in the matter of the State versus Zia-ur-Rahman and Others
(PLD 1973 Supreme Court 49):
"Therefore, in my view, however solemn or sacrosanct a document, if
it is not incorporated in the Constitution or does not form a part
thereof it cannot control the Constitution. At any rate, the courts
created under the Constitution will not have the power to declare
any provision of the Constitution itself as being in violation of
such a document.
"If in fact that document contains the expression of the will of
the vast majority of the people, then the remedy for correcting
such a violation will lie with the people and not with the
judiciary. It follows from this that under our own system too the
Objectives Resolution of 1949, even though it is a document which
has been generally accepted and has never been repealed of
renounced, will not have the same status or authority as the
Constitution itself until it is incorporated within it or made part
of it.
"If it appears only as a preamble to the Constitution, then it will
serve the same purpose as any other preamble serves, namely, that
in the case of any doubt as to the intent of the law-maker, it may
be looked at to ascertain the true intent, but it cannot control
the substantive provisions thereof."
And so, Zia-ul-Haq by his Presidential Order No 14 of 1985 added
Article 2A to the 1973 Constitution making the Objectives
Resolution a substantive part of that Constitution. However, the
Objectives Resolution decreed that: "Whereas adequate provision
shall be made for the minorities freely to profess and practise
their religions and develop their cultures..." Zia's reproduction
deliberately deleted the word 'freely" from this proclamation. No
one claims credit for committing this mischief.
It is now up to General Pervez Musharraf to undo this wilful
damage. His new-found flip-flop minister for religious affairs, Dr
Mahmud Ahmad Ghazi, can indeed help him and for support he can
depend on our constitutional wizard, Jadoogar Sharifuddin Pirzada,
who claims he had no hand in the commitment of the original sin.
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
20001216
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The moral imperative
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Irfan Husain
ALTHOUGH rulers in Pakistan have seldom been overburdened with
moral considerations as they stumble, wheel and deal in the
discharge of their responsibilities, there comes a point in their
tenure when they forfeit the right to govern. They may hang on, but
the remainder of their legal or illegal term of office is one long
downhill slide.
This government reached this point when they released Nawaz Sharif
in the dead of night and put him on a plane to Jeddah. Here is a
man who is arguably the biggest single crook Pakistan has produced,
and this is saying a lot. Thanks to his uniform mentors, he rose
from obscurity to become finance minister of Punjab first, then the
province's chief minister, and finally served two abbreviated
stints as the country's prime minister. Along the way, he parlayed
his clout and connections into an industrial empire of 51 units.
Apart from his vast assets in Pakistan, he controls properties
worth hundreds of millions of dollars abroad.
Had his greed been limited to acquiring factories as though they
were tokens on a board game of Monopoly, this long suffering nation
might have shrugged it off as the acts of yet another crooked
politician. But to protect these assets, he tried to corrupt the
entire system, buying journalists, judges and generals and smashing
any institutional and constitutional obstacles that stood in his
destructive path.
So when the army staged a coup to topple Nawaz Sharif's government
last year, many of us heaved a sigh of relief not because we were
delighted by yet another military takeover, but because we honestly
did not think there was any other way of getting rid of the man.
And I still believe Pakistan could not have survived the remainder
of his term. When the wheels of accountability began to grind the
PML leader into the dust, there was no initial sympathy, although
there was little credibility in the hijacking case conveniently
proved against him. Had the army focused on straight corruption,
all of us would have readily believed the charges.
When Nawaz Sharif was let off the hook last week in the murkiest
circumstances, he had another 81 cases against him waiting to be
heard by various courts. Details of his obscenely extensive
holdings here and abroad made nauseating reading. Although the
public reaction to his surreptitious and unconstitutional release
varied, the common theme was of disbelief over the continuing
accountability process. How on earth, people wanted to know, can
this government possibly go on trying and punishing corrupt
bureaucrats, politicians and businessmen (no judges or generals
though!) when it had released the biggest crook of them all?
Another common strand, at least in the smaller provinces, is the
provincial aspect of this scandal: a Sindhi prime minister can be
removed and hanged by the army; politicians from the NWFP and
Balochistan can be tried and sentenced for corruption; but a
thoroughly venal prime minister from Punjab can be put on the plane
with his family and allowed to leave to enjoy his fabulous wealth
abroad.
Whatever else the quid pro quo might have been, on the face of it
Nawaz Sharif has bought himself a very good deal. In return for a
couple of houses (probably pledged to the banks against his
billions in loans) and a few debt-ridden factories, he and his
family have managed to get a clean chit from the president on the
advice of General Musharraf. His offshore accounts and his many
assets abroad (including four flats in Park Lane) remain his to
retire on.
Whatever else he may be, he is a much sharper card player than the
generals he has cleaned out in political poker.
In his defence of this under-hand deal, a government spokesman made
much of the intercession of a Saudi prince. Considering this
government has successfully resisted pressure from the World Bank,
the IMF, the US government and Saudi business interests to come to
a settlement with the private power project, Hubco, it is difficult
to see why it should cave in now and release a convicted criminal.
The government spokesman has said this step was taken "in the
national interest". Who has defined this, and how is it in our
interest to exile known crooks? While signing the CTBT is clearly
in our national interest, this government has so far resisted all
threats and blandishments to do so.
There has been some talk of the harm Nawaz Sharif's exit will cause
the Muslim League. Frankly, any collateral damage will be purely
temporary, as the party is known to be composed largely of
carpetbaggers with few ideals or principles to slow them down as
they claw their way up the social and financial ladder. And despite
the fact that many PML leaders are loaded ("from behind" in the
vernacular), they have had no compunctions about accepting tainted
money from the ISI to fight elections.
It will be a cold day in hell before such a party is embarrassed
because its leader has fled the country. Ever since Pakistan was
founded and Mr Jinnah died in 1948, this party has served as a fig-
leaf for successive juntas who have resurrected it as they felt the
need for legitimacy, and then cast it aside when it had served
their purpose. The history of Pakistan is littered with different
versions of the Muslim League.
Leaders and politicians in and out of uniform in this part of the
world feel that once they are in power, nobody can dislodge them
and they have the right to break every rule in the book to get what
they want. And since all they seem to want is to remain in power
indefinitely, their moral compass (if they started out with one)
shrinks rapidly. They are willing to sup with the devil if that's
what it takes to keep them in power. But at the back of their
minds, they know their acts will never be overlooked or forgiven,
and this knowledge gives them further motivation to cling on at all
costs.
Benazir Bhutto reached the end of her moral tether in her second
stint when it was established beyond reasonable doubt that her
husband had acquired a multi-million pound property in England
known here as "Surrey Palace". She compounded her moral dilemma by
first denying the purchase and then taking a "so what?" attitude.
Nawaz Sharif's end was in sight when the Kargil operation was
launched and he was perceived as being unable to order either the
start or the end of the incursion. In his earlier stint, multiple
scams such as the motorway, the yellow cab scheme and sundry
crooked bank loans combined to make his continuation in office
unacceptable.
It may well be that Nawaz Sharif's unprincipled and morally
unacceptable release may be the turning point in this government's
tenure because it has lost the moral authority to govern.
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS
20001215
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Hilarity or what?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayaz Amir
MORAL outrage and high dudgeon. There has been much of this flying
around since the strategic escape of Pakistan's once-upon-a-time
saviour, Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif. But if things be considered
calmly this indignation is a bit funny and entirely misplaced.
An angry army of punditry is saying that the military government
has compromised itself and lost some of its moral standing by
letting an accredited robber baron go off into comfortable exile.
As P. G. Wodehouse might have said, this is rather rum. Where's the
question of morality in all this? And since when did military
regimes operate from moral pedestals?
True, the government's own protestations about what accountability
was meant to be do not quite square with this Hollywood departure
to the Holy Land. The Sharifs were supposed to be the biggest
robbers of them all. And here because of their connections and
looted money they have bought their freedom. But then it takes
hardened fools to take any government's declarations at face value.
All politics is a partisan undertaking, its foremost purpose being
self-aggrandizement and the crushing of one's enemies (democracy or
not making no difference to this equation). It follows then that a
government-driven accountability drive (as opposed to one carried
out by an impartial institution) will always be selective and
partisan. Why should it have been any different with General
Musharraf and his generals?
If they started their accountability drive to assuage public
opinion, score political points and make an example of their
principal enemies they were only doing what came naturally to them.
They never set out to hold evenly the scales of justice. If they
had any such pretensions they would have investigated the Mehran
Bank scandal in which the ISI used secret money to influence the
outcome of the 1990 elections. But since they were innocent of such
pretensions there is little reason to get upset if in the release
of the Sharifs the nation has been presented with another example
of selective justice.
Still more ridiculous than the moral outrage is the feverish
calculation of how much in confiscated property and money the
government has gained from the Sharifs. Political advantage and
monetary gain are two different things and should not be confused.
The surrendered property is just a salve to the conscience of the
great Pakistani public so that ordinary people do not think that
the Sharifs have been allowed to go scot-free.
Let us be clear about one thing. Governments are concerned with
power and not morality. So their actions should be judged or
measured by how effective or striking their actions are and not
according to the collected works of St Augustine. Is the departure
of the Sharifs to the government's benefit or not? This is the only
relevant question in the present circumstances.
The Sharifs have stabbed their own party in the back, making their
diehard supporters look like so many inveterate fools. If anything,
the Muslim League will now fall to the lot of the anti-Nawaz camp,
the Shujaats, Mian Azhars, etc. Just a week ago all the worthwhile
political parties in the country were coalescing on a single
platform to press for the end of military rule and the revival of
democracy. Now thanks to the Sharifs and their underhand dealings
with the military, the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy
has been made to look like a troupe of monkeys.
Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan may keep his sang-froid in public, he
after all being an old hand at such things. But how embarrassed
must he be at what the Sharifs have done to him. Even as Begum
Kulsoom Nawaz, who used to give the impression that butter would
not melt in her mouth, was visiting the Nawabzada and putting the
final touches to what was billed as the mother of all alliances,
the Sharifs were cutting a deal with their captors. This is the
stuff of hilarity. The nation should be grateful to the Sharifs for
giving it something to laugh at after a long time.
Now if the discomfiture of whatever political opposition there is
in the country be not to the military's advantage, then it is hard
to figure out what advantage means. Who is down-and-out and who on
the upswing? General Musharraf's principal rival has begged to be
let out of the country and has now gone, his political standing
discredited for all time. Who gains by this? If not the military,
then who?
But what about the perceived loss of innocence on the military's
part? To repeat the earlier point, this is a quaint notion. About a
military government, or indeed any government, can it be said that
it has forfeited the moral high ground? This is a phrase which in
any case makes me want to reach for my boot. Governments are
supposed to strengthen their grip on power and then, if the gods be
kind, deliver. Occupying the moral high ground is a business best
left to mahatmas and bishops.
So, then, where do we stand? In truth, the first remotely sensible
thing this government has done has been to heed Saudi advice (or
pressure) to let Sharif go and allow the Sandow of Pakistani
politics to stew in his own juice. Field Marshal Idi Amin who also
lives in Jeddah has the consolation of an extended harem. What
consolation will Nawaz Sharif have? The constant company of his
father and only wife? It is a prospect to make the stoutest heart
quail. The deposed emperor Shahjehan endured the long years of his
imprisonment in Agra Fort because his son Aurangzeb did not take
away his Moorish slave-girls from him. Comparing Shahjehan with our
ersatz version is to insult the original. Still, we shall have to
wait and see how the erstwhile Shahjehan of Pakistan copes with his
exile.
It is another matter of course if the military government is unable
to profit from the advantage it has gained. To be fair to it, it
has done nothing right, lacking vision and even basic political
sense and giving the overriding impression of a bunch of (well-
meaning) amateurs swimming against the tide. No one should be
surprised then if, in keeping with these decisive traits, the
government fritters away the tiny advantage it has reaped.
After all, the departure of the Sharifs means nothing by itself
unless it becomes the centrepiece of a new political opening - an
initiative which buys more political space for the government and
brings it greater political support. But can the amateurs running
this show bring this about? Just consider. Anyone in General
Musharraf's place would have captured the airwaves at once and
taken the nation into confidence about Sharif's precipitate
departure. But it is only today (Thursday) that I read in the
papers that the General may be addressing the nation. The
conclusion is plain: the remotest conception of intelligent public
relations this government lacks.
As for the Sharifs, the tears shed in some quarters about their
betrayal and treachery are also a bit out of place. The wonder is
not that the Sharifs no longer could take the strain. The wonder is
how they took it for so long. Thirteen months after all is not a
short period and would test the fortitude of souls far hardier than
them. In any event it is easy setting standards of sacrifice for
other people and somewhat more difficult doing the sacrificing
oneself. Nevertheless, the Sharifs could have been a bit more
graceful in defeat. If nothing else, they could have spared their
party the ordeal of false defiance they put it through. Even as
they were negotiating their own safety they were telling their
followers to stand tall and be counted. This more than their actual
flight was a dishonourable thing to do.
But then let us not forget who Nawaz Sharif really was: a product
of accident and military patronage and not someone cut in the mould
of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. So in the end when the crunch came he could
only be true to himself and from where he came.
Even so, if anyone should do any soul-searching, it is the people
of Pakistan and their great armed forces. How could the people of
Pakistan ever take someone like the Sharifs seriously? And how
could the political wizards of the Pakistan army (and their
bureaucratic henchmen like Ghulam Ishaq Khan and others of his ilk)
prime the Sharifs as their political favourites?
How small Pakistani leaders? But how much smaller and small-minded
their shadowy creators?
SPORTS 20001216 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PCB calls off Indian team's tour ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent LAHORE, Dec 15: The PCB advisory council has officially decided to call off the Indian cricket team's tour of Pakistan which was due next month. The decision was taken by the council which met at the Qadhafi Stadium on Friday. India, despite repeated requests from the PCB refused to send its team to Pakistan and finally announced its decision early this month of not reviving cricket activity with Pakistan. Now the PCB has also closed this chapter. The meeting decided to hold a national cricket camp in mid- February for preparations of the Pakistan team for the tour of New Zealand. In all, 45 probables will attend the camp out of whom the team for the tour Down Under will be selected. The meeting was presided over by the PCB chairman Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia. The national selection committee submitted the names of the 45 probables for the camp but the PCB has decided not to make the names of the players public for some unknown reasons. The venue of the camp will be announced later. The PCB has kept open the option of the Pakistan's participation in a tri-nation cricket series in Malaysia. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001214 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Miandad denies allegations over time-wasting ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, Dec 13: Pakistan cricket coach Javed Miandad on Wednesday rejected allegations of time-wasting by his team at the climax of the third and final Test against England on Monday. "We were almost up to the mark. If we had wanted, we could have really slowed down the over rate," Miandad said two days after his team lost in near darkness to England, whose victory by six wickets gave them the series 1-0. "The most the match referee could have done was to fine us for a slow over rate," Miandad added. Pakistan captain Moin Khan said: "The umpires gave us a warning for a slow over rate. But I think we bowled right on time as we were required to bowl 44 overs in two-and-a-half hours and we were almost there." England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief executive Tim Lamb on Monday hit out over Pakistani time-wasting tactics while calling for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to look at the issue again. Miandad said: "Ranjan Madugalle is one of the best match referees. At the end of the day, he didn't impose any fines (for slow over rate) which confirms we were almost there. "But I am not sure if many teams would have done the same had Pakistan been in England's place," said Miandad, who lost his third home series as coach. He said England claims of time-wasting were a case of sour grapes as they had themselves rejected the proposal of playing under lights in order to get the minimum 90 overs in a day completed. "We wanted to play under lights but England didn't. They rejected the proposal which was presented prior to the start of the series," Miandad said. "Had they agreed, we would not only have had a fair ending to the third Test, (and) overs would not have been lost in the first Test at Lahore." Miandad recalled that Pakistan accepted the proposal of playing under lights in South Africa in 1998. "Though we didn't have floodlight facilities then, we agreed because we believed in fair- play," he said. Pakistan won the Durban Test but lost at Port Elizabeth where the Test continued under lights after almost the entire first day's play was washed out. Miandad said instead of engaging in the time-wasting controversy, the tour should be remembered for the excellent cricket the two teams played. "England won the third Test because they were a better side and deserved to win." It was England's first tour of Pakistan for 13 years, and their first Test series win in the country for 39 years. They are next scheduled to tour Pakistan in 2005.-Reuters DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001212 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Home team's 34-match unbeaten record shattered ------------------------------------------------------------------- Samiul Hasan KARACHI, Dec 11: Pakistan plunged to depths of despair under darkness when England earned a hard fought six-wicket victory in the third and final cricket Test to clinch the three-match series 1-0 and a cash award of $10,000. Under extremely poor light with street lamps on, England achieved the victory target of 176 with six wickets and 15 balls of the mandatory overs remaining. Earlier, Pakistan resuming on the final morning at 71 for three were bundled out for 158 with the last six wickets falling for a mere 30 runs. Pakistan captain Moin Khan made several valient attempts to appeal against poor light and in the process received an official warning by West Indian Steve Bucknor as the match finished at 5.55pm and before an empty stadium as the handful of spectators had left the venue for Iftar (time for breaking fast). Moin argued with the Jamaician, Buknor, that the fielders were unable to pick the ball due to poor visibility though the batsmen continued to throw the bat around and much to their luck, always connected them properly. The victory ended Pakistan's 34-match unbeaten record at the National Stadium and five-series winning sequence against the Englishmen. For the proud Nasser Hussain's men, it was their first series triumph over Pakistan in Pakistan since 1961 when Ted Dexter's party defeated Imtiaz Ahmad's men 1-0. It was also Pakistan's fourth defeat in a trot on home surface after they lost to Australia and Zimbabwe in 1998 and then to Sri Lanka earlier this year in February-March. The man who made the difference in the end was 32-year-old Graham Thorpe who played the innings of his life while scoring a match- winning unbeaten 64 from 97 balls with the aid of four boundaries. Together with Worcestershire's Graeme Hick, Thorpe feature in a 91- run fourth wicket partnership in 102 minutes after Saqlain Mushtaq had struck thrice in quick succession to leave England reeling at 65 for three in 17 overs. Hick, whose previous best in the series was 18, scored a rapid 65- ball 40 before he was castled by Waqar Younis. Nevertheless, the batsman might have just managed to save his sinking career and convince the selectors to retain him for the series against Sri Lanka for which the England team arrives there in February next year. The two batsmen worked the ball in gaps and kept the scoreboard ticking with ones and twos. There was no urgency in their batting as they chalked out their strategy to perfection and stuck to it. For a second it looked England had lost their way when they could score only 40 from 15 overs between overs 15 and 30 before accelerating the scoring rate. It was also an excellent bit of captaincy by Nasser Hussain when he promoted an out-of-form Hick ahead of him. It was a gamble not many captains would have played. But for the confidence the captain has in the abilities of the Zimbabwe-born batsman, it worked. There can't be any two opinions that England were a much better team than Pakistan who did nothing but tried to play game of words by making big claims. The tourists were composed, united, ambitious and determined and continued the good work they had started back home five months ago while defeating the West Indies 3-1 for the first time in 31 years. The biggest strength of the Englishmen was their conviction that they could do the impossible this time. On alien conditions and playing against a much talented opposition, the tourists played the entire series without shuffling their team while Pakistan made mind-boggling and ill-planned changes after changes in persuit of finding a winning combination. It can't be more embarrassing and humiliating for the Pakistanis to suffer defeat when they prepared wickets supportive for the spinners in an effort to exploit England's vulerability. In the end, it was Pakistan that was left needing to carry out soul- searching and probably an overhauling because some of the players just don't deserve to be in this trade. It is also a moment of concern and requires indepth ananlysis as to why the Pakistan team is lion aboard and lamb at home. ------------------------------------------------------------------- You can subscribe to DWS by sending an email to <subscribe.dws@dawn.com>, with the following text in the BODY of your message: subscribe dws To unsubscribe, send an email to <unsubscribe.dws@dawn.com>, with the following in the BODY of you message: unsubscribe dws ------------------------------------------------------------------- Back to the top.
Dawn page
Webbed by Philip McEldowney
Last update:
.