------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 4 March 2000 Issue : 06/10 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Contents | National News | Business & Economy | Editorials & Features | Sports
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CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + Rescheduling of debts: Pakistan facing no problem: minister + US asks India, Pakistan to respect Line of Control + Accountability, not media trial of investors, EAB told + Ban on display of arms from today + Certificate issued: Pakistan helped US in anti-drug efforts + SC seeks list of lawmakers under probe + Politicians in power try to be dictators, says CJ + US to suffer if Pakistan isolated: General + PTV World to have 10-minute news bulletins + Seniority of Chief Justices determined + 33% United States firms show lower profits --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + Foreign companies propose gas sale to Wapda + Modified General Sales Tax package finalized + Stocks fail to extend recovery + People told to pay 10% on undeclared income + Central Board of Revenue's tax exemption power restored + Tariq Iqbal takes over as acting SECP chief + National Finance Commission body to take up revenue issue on 14th + Record of 100 senior officers being scrutinized + Gold demand up + Change in taxation schedules on cards + Free trade policy on cotton likely to go + CBR asks for fresh data from regional IT offices --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + A tale of a dazed city Ayaz Amir + Fighting for the faith Irfan Husain ----------- SPORTS + ICC to review panel of illegal deliveries + Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by two wickets in a thriller + National snooker: Saleh sets up title match with Yousuf
=================================================================== DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS 20000302 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rescheduling of debts: Pakistan facing no problem: minister ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ihtasham ul Haque ISLAMABAD, March 1: Pakistan is not facing any problem in the rescheduling of its remaining Swiss and Japanese loans, worth 850 million dollars, in spite of the fact that a deadline ended on Feb 29 last, Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Wednesday. " A broad understanding has been reached with Switzerland and Japan to get their debt rescheduled shortly", he added. Talking to Dawn, he said both the countries had agreed, in principle, to reschedule Pakistan's loans, as had been decided by the Paris Club. In this regard they were currently working out necessary modalities, he added. " Now the restructuring of loans with non-Paris Club members, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates,is being sought and, hopefully, they too would be willing to oblige", Mr Aziz said. Feb 29 last had been fixed by the Paris Club for the signing of rescheduling agreement with member countries while accords with some of the countries were still to be initialled. Six countries, out of 18, had so far rescheduled Pakistan's loans worth $ 2.138 billion, including three agreements signed with Italy, Finland and the UK last week, the finance minister said. Responding to a question, he said an IMF mission was expected to visit Islamabad this month. He did not believe that the government would face financial problems in case funds from the IMF were delayed. "You know, we had managed earlier without outside support", he said, adding that the government was trying to build its reserves gradually. He said Pakistan wanted to reduce its dependence on foreign loans. Mr Aziz said foreign exchange reserves had increased from $1.2 billion to $ 1.5 billion. He said new directions had been given for enhancing overseas Pakistanis' remittances. Answering a question, he said the basic theme had been developed to recover General Sales Tax at all costs from July 1 this year. He, however, pointed out that awareness was being created about the levy of GST in concerned quarters so that they could pay it voluntarily. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000301 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US asks India, Pakistan to respect Line of Control ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shaheen Sehbai WASHINGTON, Feb 29: The United States on Tuesday urged both India and Pakistan to respect the Line of Control (LoC) and to take steps to reduce the tension, including withdrawal of troops from forward positions. A Senior State Department official gave the cautious US reaction that was asked to comment on the increasing clashes along the India-Pakistan border in recent days resulting in several military and civilian casualties on both sides. " The situation along (Indo-Pakistan border) is always a cause of concern for us," the official told Dawn, regretting the continued injury and loss of life caused by the on-going fighting. " We particularly deplore death of civilians on either side of the line. We urge Pakistan and India to respect the LoC," he said. The possible steps he outlined for de-escalation of tensions by both sides included stopping shelling and small-arms fire and to withdraw troops from forward positions. The official stressed that "violence is not the way to end the Kashmir dispute. Its continuation underlines the pressing need for India and Pakistan to resolve their differences," he said. Asked whether the increase in tension and exchange of fire was related to the upcoming visit of President Clinton to India, as alleged by New Delhi, the official said he would not speculate on the reasons but "whatever the reason, it is in the best interest of both to end this violence." To the question whether Washington was taking some diplomatic steps or talking to both parties directly on the latest situation, the official said: "I think both parties are fully aware of our positions. It is something we deal with in public and we bring it up in discussions with them." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000301 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Accountability, not media trial of investors, EAB told ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ihtasham ul Haque ISLAMABAD, Feb 29: The Economic Advisory Board (EAB) which met on Feb 25 and 26 was told that any economic revival programme will prove futile if the confidence of the investors was not restored. Official sources told Dawn that although the Minister for Finance Shaukat Aziz assured participants that the government was trying hard to create an enabling environment for local and foreign investors, the businessmen members of the EAB were of the view that nothing would work unless investors were allured and their apprehensions removed. A number of EAB members including Bashir Jan Muhammad and Syed Babar Ali said that investors were worried and being harassed to make any investment in Pakistan, specially due to the ongoing accountability process. They said that they were not against accountability but wanted a fair trial of businessmen and investors, specially those who had allegedly minted money through corrupt practices. The sources said that majority of the participants were unanimous in saying that the government should first restore the confidence of the people by assuring the transparent accountability process. They said that they were all for accountability but not a media trial of investors and businessmen. 'If you continue betraying the confidence of investors nobody would come for investment in this part of the world', said a member of the Board. The sources said that members called for adopting long term policies which should at least be applicable for five years and that no change was made in the budget after its announcement. The minister for finance was urged to have a permanent office of the EAB which should have its permanent members on rotation basis. In this regard example of US president was cited who has experts in his advisory board and their recommendations were given due importance. The meeting was told that why should the members of the EAB meet occasionally and why not they hold their meeting on regular basis and their recommendations were implemented by the government in letter and spirit form improving the economy of the country. Some of the members of the Board also said that the ministry of finance should give up some of its functions and allow the Board to take up the assignment. 'The ministry of finance which cannot properly look after its job of public finance should not be allowed to retain so many functions', said a member of the Board. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000301 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ban on display of arms from today ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rafaqat Ali ISLAMABAD, Feb 29: Ban on display of weapons throughout the country becomes effective from today, it was officially announced on Tuesday. Earlier, the cabinet had decided to prohibit the display of weapons, particularly within the premises of educational institutions, hostels, market places, gathering of political, religious, ceremonial or sectarian character or in the premises of courts of law or public places, from March 1. According to an announcement, the ban on carrying of arms shall be imposed at a subsequent stage. The government announced that it was devising a comprehensive plan on de-weaponisation. The issuance of arms licenses, keeping, carrying, and displaying of arms is, therefore, being rationalised to make the country a weapon-free society. As a first step, a ban has been imposed on the issuance of fresh arms licenses. Any person displaying any arms in contravention of the government orders shall be disarmed immediately and on conviction shall be liable to punishment with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years or with fine or both. It is clarified that the ban on display of weapons will be effective from the 1st March, 2000. Agencies add: In a recently-held meeting, Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf had directed the law-enforcement agencies to make concerted efforts to improve the law and order situation in the country and establish the supremacy of law. The interior minister warned that the de-weaponization programme would be strictly implemented and troops would be called in help of civilian law enforcement agencies if need be. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider said on Tuesday that previous governments neither had the resolve nor the political will to de-weaponize the society nor expressed the hope that the de- weaponization campaign, being pursued currently, would succeed provided the people cooperated. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000303 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Certificate issued: Pakistan helped US in anti-drug efforts ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent WASHINGTON, March 2: President Clinton has again fully certified Pakistan as a country which gave total cooperation to the US to achieve the counter-narcotics goals in 1999. But Afghanistan and Burma were denied the certificate and four other countries, Cambodia, Haiti, Nigeria and Paraguay, were given national interest waivers. Speaking on the occasion of releasing the 1999 narcotics annual report, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright criticised Afghanistan and said for several years now, Afghanistan and Burma had become world headquarters for the heroin business. "This past year," she said, "they retained that deadly dishonour." She said opium harvest grew substantially in Afghanistan, and the Taliban's full complicity in drug trade had extended to the point where both the harvesting and trafficking of opium is taxed." "While indigenous Pakistani narcotics production has shown a drastic decline, Pakistan remains an important transit country for Afghan opiates and cannabis," the explanation given by the State Department report said. "In 1999, Pakistan made progress towards eliminating opium production by the year 2000 by reducing poppy cultivation by 48 per cent. Cooperation on drug control with the US is excellent and the formation of a Special Investigative Cell (SIC) within the Anti- Narcotics Force (ANF) with DEA assistance was a major achievement," it said. The overall record on narcotics interdiction was encouraging, with heroin seizures up 57 per cent and the arrest of high-profile traffickers. The government's resolve to prevent the re-emergence of heroin/morphine laboratories in Pakistan remained firm. Pakistan extradited four narcotics fugitives to the US and arrested six others, a significant improvement on previous years. Efforts to extend application of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act (CNSA) and the Anti-Narcotics Force Act (ANFA) to tribal areas in NWFP are continuing. The cabinet approved the drug control master plan in early 1999, but implementation has been slowed by a lack of funds. The counter- narcotics policies were unaffected by change in government. General Barry McCaffrey, the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, told reporters that "the only thing I can tell that's working in Afghanistan is opium production, which is exploding in intensity. "It is a massive threat, not to the US primarily, but to Europe and the former Soviet Union states, and indeed to the region. The Iranians have paid a horrendous price trying to protect their own people, as an Islamic nation, from this incredibly evil trade. They are taking hundreds of casualties. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000303 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SC seeks list of lawmakers under probe ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rafaqat Ali ISLAMABAD, March 2: The Supreme Court bench, hearing petitions challenging the military takeover, on Thursday ordered the attorney general to provide a list of those suspended parliamentarians against whom corruption cases have been initiated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The chief justice of Pakistan, Irshad Hasan Khan, gave these orders when the counsel of Zafar Ali Shah, Chaudhry Farooq, claimed that there was no charge against his client. He prayed the court to send the military back to the barracks as the concept of military government was alien to the civilized world. He said the army could not be allowed to take over power after every 10 years and start blaming the politicians for all crimes. Elucidating his argument, he said the military takeover could be compared to the situation when a hired bodyguard would enter the house of his employer, occupy it and justify his entry on the ground that he was not treating his family well. He said the prime minister did nothing wrong by removing the chief of the army staff as he was empowered by the Constitution to do so. It was not the first time that he used the power and, in fact, he had also removed the chiefs of the army, navy and air force in the past, he added. He said he was not aware why General (retd) Jehangir Karamat was shown the door, but the prime minister was justified in doing so. The chief justice asked the attorney general, Aziz A. Munshi, to provide the court with a list of those members of parliament against whom cases of corruption had been initiated. He also asked him to place the recent report of the State Bank on the court's record. The chief justice commended the role of the bar for the rule of law, and said that unlike the politicians, the members of the bar always fought for the rule of law. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000302 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Politicians in power try to be dictators, says CJ ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, March 1: The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Irshad Hasan Khan, on Wednesday observed that when the politicians are in power, they try to become dictators but when they are out of power, they become champions of the rule of law. Presiding over a 12-member bench seized of the seven petitions challenging the military takeover, the chief justice directed the attorney general to provide details of the expenditure on holding elections, including the expenses made by the candidates on their election campaigns. The Supreme Court announced that it would decide the issue of maintainability and merits of the case simultaneously. The chief justice said the court had entertained the petitions. The bench started regular hearing of the petitions on Wednesday. The court first took up the petition of Syed Zafar Ali Shah, suspended MNA of PML from Islamabad. The representative petition of PML would be taken next and Khalid Anwer would argue the case on behalf of the party. Other petitions before the court are of Syed Imtiaz Hussain Bukhari, challenging the PCO; Fazal Ellahi Siddiqui, challenging the PCO; Shahid Orakzai, seeking restoration of Senate, office of speakers and provincial assemblies; Al-Jehad Trust, seeking restoration of Constitution to the extent of judiciary; and Syed Iqbal Haider of MWM, seeking validation of PCO. The bench consisted of Justice Irshad Hasan Khan, Justice Mohammad Bashir Jehangiri, Justice Sheikh Ijaz Nisar, Justice Abdur Rehman Khan, Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmad, Justice Chaudhry Mohammad Arif, Justice Munir A. Sheikh, Justice Rashid Aziz Khan, Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Qazi Mohammad Farooq and Justice Rana Bhagwandas. The chief justice made it clear at the outset that the counsels should try to be relevant and unnecessary repetition of arguments should be avoided. He said the whole work of the court was suspended due to the present case. Chaudhry Farooq, the counsel of Mr Shah, said that on the last hearing the petitioner had apprehended that the judges of the court would be asked to take fresh oath under the PCO and his apprehensions proved to be true. He said the PCO (1) of 1999 and subsequent orders were unconstitutional, having no force of law. The chief justice asked the parties to avoid mud-slinging, and added that: "we will perform our function without intimidation." He observed that the bar and the bench were integral part of the chariot of justice. He said his effort was to save the system and referred to the decisions of the Chief Justices Committee. The counsel said: "Pakistan was a gift of our forefathers, but unfortunately the rule of law had been interrupted at regular intervals. In its total life, Pakistan had suffered military rule for 30 long years". He said the government in its reply to the petitions had said that the elections of Feb 3, 1997, were farce. The elections in which PML obtained heavy mandate were monitored by the observers across the globe, he said, and added the armed forces were employed to supervize the elections. On the court's query, Barrister Khalid Anwar stated that 36 per cent of voters used their right of franchise in the 1997 elections. Chaudhry Farooq said if the government of Khawaja Nazimuddin would not have been dismissed, the fate of Pakistan would have been different. He said Pakistan was created with the force of vote and not through any military operation. "Both citizens and soldiers are subject to Constitution alike." Referring to Article 6 of the Constitution, he said abrogating the Constitution was treachery with the country. When he stated that the respondents had not replied to the Politicians in power try to be dictators: CJ challenge he raised in the petition, the chief justice observed that the counsel was trying to be hyper technical. The CJ made it clear to the counsel that notice of the case to the chief of the army staff was there. The counsel said he was firm believer that the Kafir (infidel) could not be a friend of Muslim and Hindus being Kafir could not be trusted. When the counsel referred to a judgment from the Indian jurisdiction, the court asked him not to cite Indian judgments in the present case. When the counsel started reading an old judgment from Pakistani jurisdiction, the chief justice asked the counsel to first read the speech of the chief executive in which he had spelt out the reasons which forced him to come into power. The counsel was still reading the speech of Gen Musharraf when the court rose to assemble again on Thursday (March 2). DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000302 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US to suffer if Pakistan isolated: General ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent WASHINGTON, March 1: A key US general on Tuesday pleaded for the need for a continuous dialogue with Pakistan saying isolating the country would be counter-productive to long-term US regional interests. Gen Anthony Zinni, commander-in-chief of US central command forces, who has visited Pakistan several times, told a Senate committee he was in constant touch with Gen Pervez Musharraf since he assumed power on Oct 12. His strong plea to the Congress to keep Pakistan engaged in some sort of a dialogue came during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the US defence budget, at the Capitol Hill on Tuesday. Gen Zinni said after the Oct 12 coup in Pakistan "the dynamics of our relations with Pakistan had changed dramatically." "While a return to a democratically-elected government remains an important US strategic interest, the reality of an interim period of military and technocratic rule in Pakistan seems inevitable," Zinni said. He continued: "Because of the historic importance of the military as a source of stability within the country, I believe that isolating Pakistan's influential military establishment is, and will continue to be, counter-productive to our long-term interests in the region." The general emphasised that if US isolates the professional military, "we deny ourselves access to the most powerful institution in Pakistani society." He said that may hamper our non-proliferation and counter- terrorism efforts and stressed that in the larger strategic sense Pakistan could play a stabilising role in the region. His statement also comes at a crucial time when the Clinton Administration is in the middle of taking a decision whether the president should stop over in Pakistan during his forthcoming South Asia tour. The top US general recalled that Pakistani participation in numerous military programmes had been restricted by the 1990 sanctions. "As a result we are rapidly losing contact with a generation of Pakistani military officers who are now serving in key leadership positions." Gen Zinni said given the strong role played by the armed forces in Pakistani society, "losing this contact weakens our influence with many of their key military leaders and government policy-makers." He then recalled his personal acquaintance with Gen Musharraf saying "I know the general well and have spoken to him on several occasions since his assumption of power." "I believe that our strategic interests in South Asia, and beyond, will be best served by a policy of patient military-to- military engagement, as it effects difficult, internal reforms in Pakistan." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000302 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PTV World to have 10-minute news bulletins ------------------------------------------------------------------- M. Ziauddin ISLAMABAD, March 1: The government has decided to limit news bulletins on the proposed 24-hour news & current affairs channel (PTVworld) to 10 minutes every hour with two hours of current affairs programme, one to be shown in the morning and the other in the evening. The rest of the time on this channel has been reserved for entertainment as the operators who had bought slots on PTVworld have refused to shift their programmes to Channel-3 (STN). Another factor, which is said to have tilted the decision in favour of the sponsors of the entertainment programmes, is the financial implications of running a 24-hour, purely news and current affairs programme. It was felt that news and current affairs programme alone would not be able to attract enough advertisement revenue to sustain the 24- hour channel. Therefore, the earlier proposal to shift the entertainment programmes from PTVworld to the Channel-3 and reserve the former exclusively for news and current affairs was withdrawn, sources said. In another related development, the PTV authorities have appointed former general manager of PTV, Islamabad centre, Shaukat Pervez, as GM, Channel-3, which has been connected to Thaicom transponder. Earlier, the PTV management, in order to facilitate the new set-up of news and current affairs, had converted the Islamabad centre into the news and current affairs centre and asked Shakoor Tahir, Director, News, to look after the centre as well, as its general manager. Ihsan Qadir Hashmi, the head of Channel-3, was transferred as chief editor in the new set up. He will also look after the current affairs division. Meanwhile, it has been learnt that the Oslo-based Prime TV, owned by a Pakistani businessman, has shifted its headquarters to London and plans are also said to be afoot to establish one more centre of the Prime TV in the US. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000229 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Seniority of Chief Justices determined ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, Feb 28: The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Irshad Hasan Khan, on Monday constituted the Supreme Judicial Council, and determined the seniority of the chief justices of the high courts. According to an order passed by the chief justice in his administrative capacity, the Supreme Judicial Council had been constituted. The members of the council are: Chief Justice Irshad Hasan Khan (chairman), Justice Mohammad Bashir Jehangiri, Justice Sheikh Ijaz Nisar, Justice Mian Mohammad Ajmal, and Justice Mian Allah Nawaz. Only four cases were referred to the council in the last 52 years. The last case of the Lahore High Court judge, Justice Shiekh Shaukat, was referred about two decades ago. According to a press release issued by the Supreme Court, the chief justice has institutionalized the decision-making process relating to administrative matters and decentralized his powers. Justice Bashir Jehangiri, senior judge of the Supreme Court, has been delegated financial powers of the chief justice to sanction expenditure up to Rs30,000. Justice Jehangiri would assist the chief justice in matters relating to the administration of the Supreme Court and proposals for improving and strengthening the administration of justice. Other judges of the Supreme Court are also delegated different duties, such as chairmen of different committees and members of the universities' syndicates. The chief justice also determined the inter seniority of the chief justices of high courts. They are (seniority wise): Justice Mian Mohammad Ajmal, chief justice of the Peshawar High Court; Justice Mian Allah Nawaz, chief justice of the Lahore High Court; Justice Syed Deedar Hussain, chief justice of the Sindh High Court; and Justice Javed Iqbal, chief justice of the Balochistan High Court. POWERS DECENTRALIZED: The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Justice Irshad Hasan Khan, has taken several steps to decentralise his powers and institutionalise decision making relating to administration to further improve performance and smooth functioning of the judiciary, adds APP. He has delegated his powers to the following judges for smooth functioning of courts. 1- Mr. Justice Muhammad Bashir Jehangiri, Senior Puisne Judge: (i) Has been delegated financial powers of the Chief Justice to sanction expenditure upto Rs. 30,000/- (ii) To assist the Chief Justice in matters relating to the administration of the SC and proposals for improving and strengthening the system of administration of justice. 2- Mr. Justice Sheikh Ijaz Nisar: (i) Chairman, Building Committee at Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Islamabad. (ii) Chairman, Federal Review Board 3- Mr. Justice Abdur Rehman Khan: (i) Chairman, Disciplinary Committee of the Pakistan Bar Council (ii) Member, Building Committee of Peshawar Building (iii) Judge-in-charge Complaints 4- Mr. Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmad: (i) Member, Syndicate of the Quaid-i-Azam University (ii) Member, Building Committee at Islamabad (iii) Judge-in-charge of Computers (iv) Member, Federal Review Board (v) Member, Lahore Building Committee Continued on Page 11 5- Mr. Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Arif: (i) Judge-in-Charge, Federal Judicial Academy (ii) Judge-in-charge of the Library (iii) Chairman of the Library Committee 6- Mr. Justice Munir A Sheikh: (i) Judge-in-charge of Pakistan Law Commission regarding initiation of proposals for law reform. (ii) Chairman, Enrolment Committee of Pakistan Bar Council. (iii) Judge-in-charge for Welfare of retired Judges in Lahore/Islamabad (iv) Chairman, Election Tribunal, Pakistan Bar Council 7- Mr. Justice Rashid Aziz Khan: (i) Member, Executive Council of the Allama Iqbal Open University (ii) Member, Building Committee at Lahore (iii) Chairman, Disciplinary Tribunal of the Pakistan Bar Council 8- Mr. Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui: (i) Judge-in-charge for Welfare of retired Judges in Karachi (ii) Member of the Building Committee at Karachi 9- Mr. Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry: Judge-in-charge for Affairs of Staff Welfare 10- Mr. Justice Qazi Muhammad Farooq: Judge-in-charge for Welfare of retired Judges in Peshawar 11- Mr. Justice Rana Bhagwandas: Member of the Library Committee. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000303 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 33% United States firms show lower profits ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, March 2: Out of over 50 American companies operating in Pakistan, one-third have reported lower profits, eight per cent posted losses and two-third showed a five per cent rise in their sales in 1999 as compared to their operating results in 1998. "Two companies were forced to close down their business in Pakistan", the President of the American Business Council (ABC), Phillipe A. Bovay informed a press conference on Thursday. Despite the disappointing profits, he said the American companies contributed Rs 17 billion to the national exchequer, which he said was about 5 per cent of the total collection of the Central Board of Revenue. "This is likely due to presumptive taxes and a general increase in taxation," he said while unfolding a set of four recommendations approved by the Executive Committee of the ABC to stimulate the national economy. The ABC has urged the government to reduce the number of business taxes and levies on the existing taxpayers but widen the tax net. It suggested the government to confine taxation to the GST, agricultural tax, import duty and income tax. With the help of a chart, Bovay explained how the impact of taxes on American companies was highest in Pakistan when compared to that in India, Indonesia and other countries. However, the ABC has asked the government to consider a reduction in personal income tax to provide more disposable income to the common man. The ABC has also urged the government to sort out the remaining issues with the IPPs and pharmaceutical pricing. These measures, he said, would re-stimulate investments in these areas as well as eliminate negative points from the agenda. Lastly, the ABC has advised the government to take firm steps to end counterfeits in trade for which the suggestion is to go for a comprehensive intellectual property right laws which should address the problems of trade mark and patent. Calling this problem grave and of serious magnitude, the ABC President urged the chief executive to declare war on intellectual property right issue, constitute a dedicated task force and that leader of this force should periodically inform the government of the results. According to ABC estimate, Pakistan government was suffering a revenue loss of Rs 9 billion because of the counterfeit in trade, besides affecting the consumers. The American companies in Pakistan have created 19,000 jobs and in addition have over 600 Pakistani citizens overseas in broadening and training assignments.
=================================================================== BUSINESS & ECONOMY 20000301 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Foreign companies propose gas sale to Wapda ------------------------------------------------------------------- Haris Anwar KARACHI, Feb 29: In a bid to solve their price issue with the government, foreign gas companies have proposed direct gas sales to Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda), sources said. "We have forwarded this proposal to the government, which they are considering seriously," a source in the foreign gas company said. According to the proposal, a pipeline, carrying low BTU gas, would be constructed from Kirthar to Multan, providing gas directly to the Wapda's system. The price of the gas will depend on the BTU value and how much heat it can generate. Sources said foreign companies were wiling to invest in the pipeline project with the government for which a separate company could be formed. "On the one hand this would reduce the cost of development of new gas findings, it will also replace gas from oil used in the thermal power stations," a foreign gas producer said. According to sources, if the proposal is accepted, it would cut the amount of investment required to develop the new gas fields from roughly one billion dollars to $ 0.5 billion. In the case of gas sale to distribution companies, foreign producers are required to provide a pipeline quality gas ready for the consumption for which they need to invest in the processing facilities. "You don't need a good quality gas for the thermal generation that can replace oil used in the Wapda's thermal generating units," a gas producer said. Pakistan is trying to reduce its dependence on the expensive thermal power, which accounts for about 70 per cent of the total electricity generation whose cost depends on the oil prices. Foreign gas companies and Pakistan are locked in a pricing dispute on new gas discoveries - almost equal to 6 trillion cubic feet of gas found mainly in Sindh and Balochistan during the last three years. According to the 1994 petroleum policy, gas price had to be weighted average of C&F price of a basket of imported crude oil. But with the higher crude oil prices and worsening balance of payment situation, Pakistan became reluctant to buy gas priced in dollars. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000301 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Modified General Sales Tax package finalized ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Feb 29: A simplified version of the general sales tax (GST) is being introduced by the government. It entails basic changes in GST procedures, as per decisions taken in the Feb 13 meeting of the finance minister with CBR officials on taxation measures, pertaining to reducing the coercive actions in auditing, imposing penalties for non-compliance, plugging leakage's of tax money through refunds and soft-dealing with defaulters of GST. The official sources told Dawn here on Tuesday that the modified package of GST, which would be subject to the final clearance by the chief executive in the second week of next month, had been finalized under which the GST procedures would be implementable in a business-friendly manner. The package envisages that the already registered taxpayers should be treated with less strictly ways than they are presently treated. Those registered GST-payees, who were subject to compulsory registration, would not be sent notices of penalties and reprisals on non-compliance at the first instance. "Non-compliance should be considered broad-mindedly, on sectoral basis", it said. "This means that in manufacture sectors where slump and marketing problems prevent regular filing of tax returns, the registered persons would not be sent notices of penalties. Some of such sectors have been specified in this connection", said a senior CBR official. A similar treatment has been proposed for the newly-registered taxpayers, specially in the sectors of weaving, sizing, steel scrap, tanneries, etc. "The emphasis should be on encouraging them to start compliance after registration and, in due course, to overlook the past default." The package also demands that the penalties imposed on audit (after detecting default/violations) should not be imposed in the first instance, "audits should be such as to involve no penalty in the first audit after registration, only 50 per cent of the penalty in the second audit, and full penalty subsequently", demands the package. It also includes imposition of a Turnover Tax (TT) on retail sector, in substitution of the normal regime of GST. "This will be a major segment as it involves large number of new taxpayers both in sales tax and income tax", it points out. The final shape of the TT would be carved out in the finance minister and the Central Board of Revenue consultations on Wednesday. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000304 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Stocks fail to extend recovery ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, March 3: Stocks on Friday failed to extend the previous recovery as investors indulged in weekend profit-taking at the higher levels but the selling was well-absorbed at the dips. The KSE 100-share index shed 4.56 points at 1,906.91. Institutional traders made massive covering purchases at the lower level in PTCL but unlike previous sessions, it failed to take along with it the entire market as other pivotals remained under pressure. However, steep increase of Rs 1.40 in its share value at Rs 31.65 did minimize the fall in the index, which otherwise should have lost a good part of the overnight gain. After opening higher, what the dealers called, the extension of the overnight run-up, the KSE 100-share index finished with a fractional decline of 4.56 points at 1,906.91 as compared to 1,911.47 a day earlier. The index could pass through an other correction of about 50 points during the next few sessions but it is sure to rebound during the mid-week next week. "I am eyeing a target of 2,200 for it during the next couple of weeks provided President Clinton did not skip Pakistan visit", stock analyst Faisal Abbas at Ali Husain Rajabali said. The same view is held by a leading analyst at the KASB, who predicted it has had already passed through a correction and "investors now should expect a grand rebound". Reports that the US intelligence team is in Islamabad for the last one week apparently to beef up security arrangements is being considered by analysts as a prelude to President Clinton's Pakistan visit. The weekend selling by jobbers and day traders was evident on a number of counters but it was well-absorbed at the dips on the perception that the current correction was overdone. Floor brokers said fairly encouraging dividend news coming from the textile sector are generating a good bit of short-covering on this counter amid predictions that the current year could be more rewarding owing to higher exports. "Over 10 per cent increase in exports and a higher cotton crop could further give the needed boost to the economy and in turn buoyant stock market", they added. Prominent gainers were led by Pakistan Oilfields, Shell Pakistan and Al-Ghazi Tractors, which showed gains ranging from Rs3 to 8.10 followed by Alico, Nishat Chunia, Gatron Industries, PEL, Clariant Pakistan and Glaxo-Wellcome Pakistan, rising by Rs 1.25 to 2.10. Minus signs, however, dominated the list under the lead of Fatima Enterprises, Mehmood Textiles, HinoPak Motors, Millat Tractors, Adamjee, and Lever Brothers, falling by Rs4 to 39. Other leading losers were led by Faysal Bank, Fazal Textiles, Cherat Cement, Crescent Steel, Engro Chemical and Umer Fabrics, falling by Rs 1.90 to Rs 3. Mitchell's Fruit Farms, whose directors have announced a cash dividend of 45 per cent for the last year ended Sept 30, 1999 came in for active selling and ended lower by Rs 7.50 on 5,500 shares. Engro Chemical also attracted selling and was quoted lower buy Rs 2.65 on 0.884m shares, indicating the bull squeeze on it is easing. Trading volume fell to 279m shares from the previous 316m shares as losers maintained a strong lead over the gainers at 147 to 99, with 38 shares holding on to the last levels. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000302 ------------------------------------------------------------------- People told to pay 10% on undeclared income ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, March 1: The federal government has given a period of two months to the citizens to declare their undeclared and untaxed income and assets and avoid any penalty by paying 10 per cent under the amnesty scheme. Wealth tax is not applicable on such declaration. Last date for filing declarations under this scheme is April 30. The Central Board of Revenue's circular issued on Wednesday says: "the scheme shall cover all taxpayers, whether existing or new, except persons against whom proceedings are pending under the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance, 1999. The assets declared under the scheme shall not be liable to wealth tax for the preceding years and shall also be exempted for five years. "Undisclosed and untaxed income as well as any assets created out of such income earned in any income year ending on or before June 30, 1999, can be declared for availing of the benefit," it says. The scheme covers income, including any investment to be deemed as income under Section 13 of the Income Tax Ordinance, or any other income, which could be taxed, but could not be so for any income ending before June 30, 1999. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000303 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Central Board of Revenue's tax exemption power restored ------------------------------------------------------------------- Our Correspondent ISLAMABAD, March 2: The Central Board of Revenue's powers to allow exemptions from duties and taxes are being restored. The decision to this effect was taken at a federal cabinet meeting last week. The proposal for restoring the CBR's powers to allow duty/tax exemptions was moved by the finance division a fortnight ago, after a number of presentations by the CBR. The CBR has formally been informed by the cabinet division that the powers, of which it was stripped under an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, have been restored. The IMF had taken up the issue of tax/duty exemptions with the previous government, stressing that the CBR powers in this regard were being grossly misused, causing heavy revenue losses every year, besides creating distortions in the tax-policy implementation. The powers to exempt any sector from payment of income tax, sales tax, central excise and customs duty were vested in the parliament, through a Presidential ordinance. The law and justice division would now issue next week a repeal (of the previous) ordinance for this purpose, to restore CBR's powers of exemptions. However, these powers would not be used as they were, before the Presidential ordinance issued to strip the CBR of its original powers of exemption. The reduction in tax-rates, sector-wise application of the exemption, item-wise review for procedural relaxation on a chargeable duty/tax by a certain sector/ business/sub-sector, would be areas which would be treated under the restored CBR powers in a different manner than it used to be in the past. The officials said that the repeal ordinance was expected to retain some of the conditions in this connection, chiefly the one which asked the CBR to refer (as the case might be) before allowing an exemption, to the planning and development division, ministry of finance, ministry of commerce, National Tariff Commission, Export Development Board, Board of Investment, Engineering Development Board, the deletion committee of the industries ministry etc. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000303 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Tariq Iqbal takes over as acting SECP chief ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, March 2: Tariq Iqbal, Commissioner (Securities), has taken charge as acting Chairman of the Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) following retirement of Shamim Ahmed Khan. Khan was the founder-Chairman of SECP after its inception on January 1, 1999. Prior to that he was Chairman of Corporate Law Authority (CLA) which ceased to exist with the coming into being of SECP. Under the SECP Act, the Chairman and Commissioners are appointed by the Government for an initial term of three years, which is of course extendible. His successor, Khalid Mirza, who is currently the Country Representative in Bangkok, Thailand, of IFC, a subsidiary of World Bank, which lends funds only to private sector entities, is likely to take over towards the end of this month. Tariq Iqbal said that besides functioning as Chairman of the Commission, he would also continue to work as Commissioner (Securities). Until such time as the new Chairman comes, it appears, the SECP is likely to work on day-to-day basis. All the major issues and tasks visualised in the SECP Act, 1997, which hung fire for various reasons including bureaucratic inertia, would have to await arrival of the next incumbent. Most important among these is the administrative restructuring of the Commission which has been a source of uncertainty in the Commission staff inherited from the CLA, which was an attached department of the Ministry of Finance. The task of preparation of the new structure was entrusted by the Asian Development Bank to a foreign consulting firm. Its report was considered by the SECP Policy Board which set up a Sub-Committee. This Sub-Committee, in its turn, pointed out certain flaws in the proposed structure. According to the out-going Chairman, the final shape had been given to the proposals that were to be placed before the Policy Board. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000303 ------------------------------------------------------------------- National Finance Commission body to take up revenue issue on 14th ------------------------------------------------------------------- Faraz Hashmi ISLAMABAD, March 2: The government has convened a meeting of the monitoring committee of the National Finance Commission here on March 14, Dawn reliably learnt. The committee last met in December 1998 although it was supposed to meet every three months according to the award announced in 1996. . "The committee will hold deliberations for two days," said a notification circulated among the provinces. The agenda contains two items - the review of the previous two meetings and the implementation of the national finance commission award, a source said. The performance of the government, with special reference to revenue collection, is likely to come under severe criticism since it has failed to realize the revenue collection targets as projected in the award. The government had set a very 'ambitious' revenue collection target. It was projected that the government would collect Rs390 billion in 1997-98 and Rs463 billion in 1998-99. However, in the first two years the actual collection remained far short of the targets. The shortfall in the first year was to the tune of Rs40 billion as the federal government could manage to collect only Rs350 billion. In 1998-99 the shortfall jumped to Rs85 billion as the actual collection could not exceed Rs375 billion. A provincial government official said the shortfall was not the only issue. The provinces were also facing serious financial difficulties in managing their affairs because of irregular releases of funds by the centre. "The government of the NWPF is going to make a formal demand from the federal government to revise the electricity royalty capped at Rs6 billion a year," the source said. NWFP thinks the royalty should be increased at least by Rs2.5 billion a year. Sindh would ask the centre to pay subvention money to the province. An understanding had been given to the federating units that the centre would provide subvention money if their actual expediters exceeded the projected ones. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000302 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Record of 100 senior officers being scrutinized ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ansar Abbasi ISLAMABAD, March 1: Different intelligence agencies of the country are currently busy collecting information on almost 100 senior grade 21 officers who are in the run for promotion to grade 22. Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf, on the basis of the reports submitted by these agencies and also after considering the already available personnel record of these officers, will make selection of limited number of officers for promotion to grade 22. The intelligence agencies have been involved for the first time in the promotion process and this exercise, it is believed, will have significant impact on the elevation of the officers. Previously, the promotion of bureaucrats to this highest echelon of bureaucracy, were made purely on the basis of record available with the establishment division. Personnel from different intelligence agencies are currently visiting various government offices to inquire about the conduct, reputation, behaviour and working style of the officers whose names were under consideration for promotion. Though this snooping exercise is conceived as embarrassing by many senior bureaucrats, the sources in the chief executive's secretariat believe that this is necessary to make the proper selection. They say that since the chief executive had the full power to select anyone for promotion so he wanted to exercise his power judiciously and in the best public interest. Recently, the military government had amended the relevant clauses of the Civil Servant Act to empower the chief executive with these powers. Previously, a high-powered Central Selection Board was recommending promotions for the approval of the competent authority. The establishment division has already sent, a few weeks back, a panel of almost 100 grade 21 officers to the chief executive's secretariat for selection of "suitable" officers for promotion to grade 22 by Gen Musharraf. The establishment division was not allowed to recommend a panel of suitable officers, rather, it was asked to send names of all those grade 21 officers belonging to the regularly constituted groups/service of Central Superior Services who joined the service till 1969. The establishment division, in all, has communicated 18 vacancies but so many officers are not likely to be promoted in one go. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000302 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Gold demand up ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent KARACHI, March 1: With the demand for gold rising to 27.9 tonnes in the fourth quarter of the previous year, Pakistan's annual demand for the commodity rose to 121.8 tonnes in 1999, registering a rise of 24 per cent as compared to 1998. Yousuf Akhtar Hussain, Manager, Pakistan World Gold Council, ascribed this steady rise in demand to the investors' confidence in gold as a store of value as also to increased consumer interest. In the Middle East, however, the quarterly demand for gold, weakened by its wildly fluctuating prices, dropped from 156.3 tonnes to 149.3 tonnes, marking a decrease of 4.5 per cent over the same period in 1998. In the Gulf States, the gold demand fell to 27.9 tonnes during the fourth quarter of 1999, showing a decline of 9 per cent over the same period in the previous year. Likewise, with an off take at 39.1 tonnes, Saudi Arabia, too, showed a fall of 11 per cent in gold demand in the fourth quarter of 1999 as compared to the same period in 1998. Hit by consecutive earthquakes and greatly reduced tourist arrivals, the gold demand in Turkey, too, fell to 20 tonnes, registering a fall of 33 per cent as compared to the same period in 1998. Contrary to the general trend in the region, Egypt, with an offtake at 27.9 tonnes, registered an increase of 39 per cent in gold demand as compared to the same period in 1998. And, with its year- end demand at 838.8 tonnes, India, too, registered 3 per cent rise in its gold demand in 1999 as compared to the previous year. The Regional Director for Middle East, World Gold Council, Moaz Brakat, said according to a Press release: "Uncertainty caused by volatile gold prices saw weak demand at the beginning of the period, but offtake increased during the quarter with the return of price stability, the Eid buying season during December and various trade promotions." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000302 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Change in taxation schedules on cards ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ikram Hoti ISLAMABAD, March 1: A revenue-enhancement and tax rationalization plan for 1999-2000-2001 has been finalized here on Wednesday by the government for induction of major changes in taxation schedules. Tentatively, a Rs 130 billion revenue enhancement projected under the plan, involves changes in rates, procedures and additional institutional support. The plan would be subject to the Chief Executive's approval, which is scheduled to be sought at a marathon presentation next week. The presentation would be given by Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, Chairman Central Board of Revenue, Riaz Hussain Naqvi, senior officials of the Finance and Revenue Divisions, the finance ministry sources told Dawn. The plan was formally approved for presentation to CE here Wednesday at a meeting between FM, Chairman CBR, and senior finance and revenue division officials. The meeting undertook a review of the taxation reforms and rate-changes, scope of the existing and planned taxation measures, implication of the revenue-enhancement plan, and the procedures adopted/changeable for plugging the revenue-leakages. A textile-specific policy is also on the anvil. Under this policy, the textile sector refunds would be restricted to manufacture goods specified under the "same-state" formula. The plan envisages introduction of this formula to stop the huge amounts of sales tax refund payments illegally. These payments cause revenue leakages of about Rs 1 billion every month, on the sales tax side only. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000229 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Free trade policy on cotton likely to go ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rauf Klasra ISLAMABAD, Feb 28: The federal government has decided to give up its four years' old free trade policy for cotton from next picking season. The government will procure the crop by fixing its support price like other crops under its new policy expected to be announced by the chief executive next month. Meanwhile, the agriculture ministry also expects to achieve farm growth rate of 4 per cent against 0.35 per cent last year. These disclosures were made here by the four senior officials- cotton commissioner Dr Zakir Hussain, two senior joint secretaries Rashid Mahmood Ansari and Abdul Rauf Malik and agriculture development commissioner Mohammad Hanif during a press conference here on Monday. They said the new mechanism for cotton trade is under study in the light of an announcement made by the chief executive General Musharraf in Multan recently that the government will protect the cotton growers from the brutal market forces from next year. The officials said all kinds of modalities are being worked out and the new cotton policy will be announced next month after consulting all the relevant federal ministries and provincial governments. They said decision was taken following massive drop in cotton prices and induction of TCP with a view to stabilize the prices. Dr Zakir Husain told newsmen that the government had realized that free market forces would never allow growers community to earn some reasonable profit on their produce. He said new cotton policy will only focus one main point: "how to protect our 1.5 million cotton growers from the ruthless market forces" which are not ready to share the benefits with other stockholders -the farmers in particular". He regretted APTMA policy to import 2 million bales at the time when the local crop picking season was about to begin in the country. SUGARCANE PRODUCTION DOWN: Dr Mohammad Hanif disclosed that this year, our sugarcane production has registered a drastic decrease in both areas and production due to number of reasons. He said this year, country is expected to produce 46 million tons of sugarcane against 55 million tons of last year, a shortfall of 9 million tons. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000229 ------------------------------------------------------------------- CBR asks for fresh data from regional IT offices ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ikram Hoti ISLAMABAD, Feb 28: The Central Board of Revenue has demanded fresh data from all its regional Income Tax offices for broadening the tax base on the basis of vehicles, immovable properties, mobile phones, imports and consumption of industrial and commercial electricity and gas. The fresh data has been demanded on a directive from the government regarding broadening the tax base under Sales Tax and Income Tax departments. The Income Tax department held a regional commissioners' conference here on Monday at CBR which undertook a review of the already available data in these fields, and decided that fresh data be sought from the relevant quarters by the regional IT offices. Talking to Dawn, senior CBR officials said this data would now be demanded from the property agents, the electricity and gas distributing agencies, the Customs department (imports), the local registration offices (vehicles), and the phone companies (mobile phones). The officials said this data would be utilized for determining as to what number of property/assets, vehicles, mobile phone users and taxable supplies making manufacture sectors plus large- gas/electricity consumers are still out of the Income Tax net. The already available data was reviewed at the commissioners' conference and it was observed that the department's performance as per this data was not satisfactory.The performance was judged by scrutiny of the data, assessing how many new taxpayers were to be brought into the net under this data, and how many were actually registered during the first half of the current financial year. The conference took a serious note of the fact that it was not fully equipped to achieve the desired results in this area. The regional commissioners, who had arrived from the Central Region, Islamabad; Southern Region, Lahore, Eastern Region, Karachi; and Northern Region, Peshawar, were asked by the Member Income Tax to also make a review of the performance in this area in the light of targets set in this connection. A strategy was adopted to set these targets sector-wise, and make it mandatory on the relevant IT officials to see on monthly, quarterly and half-yearly basis as to which of the targeted area was bringing how many new assesees into the IT net.Back to the top
=================================================================== EDITORIALS & FEATURES 20000303 ------------------------------------------------------------------- A tale of a dazed city ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayaz Amir I HAVE no wish to inflict the joys or sorrows of a provincial backwater like Chakwal on the readers of a metropolitan newspaper. But my excuse for doing so this week is that it might shed a dim if lurid light on what our new reformers, in the shape of the enthusiasts in the army monitoring teams, may or may not be up to in the rest of the country. Chakwal, the reader must remember, is at the very heart of the so- called martial belt from where the army gets most of its soldiers. This tradition of military service - the product of economic necessity in a region where agriculture is not self-supporting - goes back more than a hundred years. Because of it discipline and obedience to authority are qualities deeply ingrained in the minds of the natives of this area. Indeed so pronounced are these traits that an uncle of mine, himself a retired naval officer, applies a pejorative description to Chakwal: he calls it a 'lance naik' district. I mention all this only to emphasize the point that if anywhere in Pakistan there is to be found a natural reservoir of goodwill for the armed forces it will be in Chakwal. Consider then the grim irony at work when I say that four months after greeting General Pervez Musharraf's takeover with unabashed joy, the people of Chakwal are in a sullen mood as they look around and see what military rule has actually meant for them. If elections were held tomorrow (a foolish thought, I confess), the advantage in Chakwal would rest, as it has done so since 1985, with the bewildered and scared battalions of the Muslim League. Of course there are larger reasons for this mood swing. Where people expected miracles from the new regime they have seen only a confused and lack-lustre performance. But in Chakwal there are more immediate reasons for this feeling of disenchantment, all having to do with the battle for hearts and minds waged by 1st Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (1st SP) which has been on 'monitoring duty' in the district since the military takeover. As things stand today, it is scarcely an exaggeration to say that if this crack unit had been given the mission to disrupt normal life in Chakwal, it could not have done any better. 1st SP's first successful assault was on the rehri and thelawallahs of the town's historic Chappar Bazar which to Chakwal is what Anarkali and Shah Alam Market, rolled into one, are to Lahore. These petty cart-vendors who had been in this bazar for the past 50 years, and a sizable number of whom had been issued chits of temporary tenancy by the municipal committee, were asked to vacate the place. With nowhere else to go this order amounted to signing their economic death warrants. But with the district administration, backed by 1st SP determined to have its way, it was useless to resist. Two considerations arise out of this action. Firstly, why are we so keen to apply the law in this country to the lowly and the wretched when we are so ready to apply double standards to weightier and more serious transgressions? A fortune built on criminal foundations is no bar to respectability. Breaking or subverting the highest laws of the land (ask me not to quote examples) invites no penalties. But against the rehriwallah trying to make both ends meet on a pittance the law rears its head in all its severity. Secondly, Chappar Bazar because of its vendors was certainly a crowded place but then with its noise and bustle it was also the soul of Chakwal, the very embodiment of its cultural spirit. Every day in Chappar Bazar was a market day, where people - including women and children from far-flung villages - used to come as much to buy or sell as to partake, albeit without realizing it, of a cultural experience. Market-places all over the world are crowded and bustling affairs. That is part of their charm, ingredients of what makes them tick. Thanks to 1st SP's efforts at reform, much of Chappar Bazar's joy and colour has disappeared. Business too has suffered and, according to some estimates, is down by as much as 30 or 40 per cent. This from a regime which had vowed to turn the economy around. 1st SP's second coordinated assault was on the two bus addas in the town's centre on Talagang Road. These addas brought great profit to their owners - one an ex-MPA, the second a group of businessmen, including a son of Gen Majeed Malik, ex-MNA and ex-federal minister. But they also were convenient for the general public. *From these bus stands Chappar Bazar is only five minutes' walking distance. Which means that commuters, including women and children, could easily come to the Chappar Bazar, do their shopping, have their fresh juice or hot kebabs at Pehlwan Juice (a cultural icon in Chakwal) and then in celebratory mood walk back to the bus addas and depart for their homes. All that has radically changed. The bus addas have been removed to the municipal bus stand, a dirty and joyless place some distance from the town centre. The army monitoring team says that in time the new bus stand will earn substantial revenue for the city. That may be so but for the moment it is proving a headache for all concerned.Alighting from their buses or wagons villagers have to take a rickshaw to come to the main bazars. After their work or shopping is done they have to catch another rickshaw to return to the bus stand. The standard fare for anyone going from or coming to Chakwal has thus almost doubled. Not surprisingly, many villagers prefer not to come to the Chappar Bazar at all which is one reason (the other being the removal of the rehris) why business in the bazar has plummeted. Now since Gen Majeed Malik, ex-MNA, was a puffed-up soul when in power, the misfortune to have befallen his son's adda has made his many detractors happy. But against the comeuppance that he may or may not have deserved must be set the great inconvenience to which the public has been put. Anywhere in the world what holds a city together, and gives meaning and expression to it, is its centre or, as the Americans say, its downtown area. That is where the arts have a home and where culture, or some attempt at culture, leaves a stain on the pavements. Chakwal has no opera house or repertory theatre but it had something akin to a city centre which, no doubt for reasons attractive to the military mind, has come under sustained attack at the hands of a regiment which must be thinking it has done one hell of a great job. Traffic on the main Talagang Road certainly moves around more freely but few people are thanking 1st SP for that because straight lines and a clear field of vision are a poor substitute for happy and contented citizens. If only the two big bus addas had been disturbed the inconvenience to the public would still have been limited. But in the zeal to turn everything upside down the monitoring team has come down hard even on small wagon and suzuki stands straddled around the town which used to serve villages lying in different directions. Which means that anyone wishing to go to Saigolabad (ancestral village of the Saigols) and Khanpur which are to the east of Chakwal, has first to make a long detour west where the municipal bus stand is located in order to catch a bus for home. 1st SP's third and perhaps deadliest assault has been carried out at the behest of the sanitary staff of the municipal committee. When the monitoring team, eager for battle but unsure of what to do, first arrived in town it took the sanitary staff to task for not keeping the city clean. The sanitary staff responded with a classic diversionary tactic: they said no satisfactory cleaning could be carried out unless the whole of Chakwal was cleared of the small ramps covering the open drains running in front of shops and houses. Apart from anything else, these ramps served the useful and aesthetic purpose of obscuring the ugliness of the open drains running like eyesores throughout the city. But the army monitoring team, little realizing that they were being asked to take on the entire town, ordered, under pain of the stiffest penalties, the immediate destruction of these myriad toy bridges. Cowed into submission, the hapless citizens of Chakwal went about demolishing what they had themselves constructed, all the while cursing the perpetrators of their misery. Corruption in the great departments of state which deal with the public - police, revenue and the smaller courts - has not been affected in the least, 1st SP not having had the slightest impact on the working of any aspect of the administration. But an object lesson in municipal reorganization or disruption - take your pick - has been given to the shell-shocked citizens of Chakwal. Once upon a time mothers in these parts used to take the name of the Sikh general, Hari Singh Nalwa, when they wanted to frighten their children. Long after 1st SP leaves Chakwal, mothers will take its name when they want to put their children to sleep. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000304 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Fighting for the faith ------------------------------------------------------------------- Irfan Husain FROM the bloodletting in Aceh in Indonesia to the recent killings in Nigeria, Muslims and Christians are at each other's throats. Europe is not immune from these religious wars: witness the slaughter of Muslims in the Balkans and in Chechnya. And yet followers of both faiths are 'people of the book' and adherents of very similar beliefs. What divides them is not so much conflicting dogmas as clashing nationalisms. A thousand years of invasions, crusades and jihads have burdened their relationship with a gory history. Myths and legends have been woven into the fabrics of both civilizations, extolling one and demonizing the other. For centuries, the exploits of Charles 'The Hammer' in stopping the advance of the Muslim army from Spain into France have been sung in courts and taverns across Europe. Similarly, stories about Salahuddin Ayubi, the scourge of the Crusaders, are taught to every Muslim schoolboy. The fierce horsemen from the steppes of Central Asia have inspired great dread among the nations of Europe from the time of the Roman Empire. As many of these animists converted to Islam, this atavistic fear transferred to Muslims generally, and to Turks in particular. Once they had captured Constantinople in the 15th century, the worst fears of the West were confirmed, and a long struggle for supremacy began. In England, until the turn of the 19th century, nannies would threaten children with the "Terrible Turk" if they did not behave. Without realizing it, Muslims lost this struggle when the Industrial Revolution took hold in Europe by the 18th century. Rapidly, much of the non-European world was colonized, and traders were accompanied by soldiers and priests. In much of the conquered territories, churches were viewed as symbols of imperialism, and conversions through force and bribery were common. Indeed, colonization was justified at home through pious talk about bringing the light of civilization and the Christian faith to heathens. As these colonists were white and most of their subjects ranged from yellow to black, it was inevitable that racism developed quickly, and was institutionalized as a de facto apartheid. This, then, is the historical, cultural and emotional baggage Muslims and Christians are carrying in their interaction with each other. Apart from personal prejudices, Muslims also have a collective sense of historic grievance as they feel they have been displaced as a world power by the Christian West. This sense of deprivation is unique to them as the Hindus and Buddhists, for example, were not expansionist civilizations. Israel, a Jewish state, is widely viewed in the Muslim world as a dagger planted by the West in the heart of Islam. This view is reinforced by the open-ended financial, military and diplomatic support given to Tel Aviv by the United States. It is human nature to blame others for our own faults and weaknesses, and Arabs have consistently ascribed their humiliating military defeats at the hands of Israel to Western plots and conspiracies instead of analyzing the flaws in their own societies. The one thing that unifies Islamic militants and politicians across the world is a burning hatred of the West in general, and the United States in particular. Alleged terrorists like Bin Laden and Ramzi Yusuf are heroes in the eyes of bearded militants from Karachi to Khartoum. In their narrow world-view, all liberal, secular and rational thought reflects a Western mindset, and anybody professing such a philosophy is automatically suspect. This obscurantist attitude has translated into a crippling rejection of science and scientific methodology, and the result is the prevailing barrenness in virtually every area of research in Muslim nations. The last millennium has witnessed much competition and strife between Islam and Christianity, and if the current mood of militancy is anything to go by, this conflict will extend well into the new era. The demographic reality is that Muslim populations are increasing at a much faster rate than Western, Christian ones. To sustain their current level of material well-being, industrialized countries will have to allow significant numbers of immigrant workers to replace their aging workforce, and many of these will be Muslim. Already there is growing friction in Europe between Muslim workers and locals; this alienation will only increase, and will in turn feed resentment in the West and the East. The growing religious fervour and militancy in countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Sudan and Nigeria is a matter of great concern among more moderate Muslim nations. This problem assumes an international dimension when one considers that traditionally Islam does not recognize national frontiers. Thus, radical elements consider it their right and indeed, duty, to go to other Muslim countries to topple what they consider 'unIslamic' governments. In line with this belief, volunteers from other Muslim countries (including Pakistan) are fighting in Afghanistan and Chechnya. Their active presence is also alleged in Indian-held Kashmir. The flip-side of this internationalist coin is that these extremists do not have much of a stake in their own countries, and consider local laws and institutions to be irrelevant to their agenda. With the stated intention of uprooting the existing system and replacing it with a vague one based on faith, they are implacable foes of the post-colonial state. In their world-view, the ruling elites are perceived as agents of the West and therefore to be overthrown. Scientific education and research are viewed with deep suspicion. Women are relegated to an inferior position in society. These self-imposed constraints have the ironic effect of hampering the declared effort to confront and defeat the West. Weakened by their own refusal to modernize and frustrated by the West's ever- increasing ascendancy, these radicals turn to terrorism and random violence. But ultimately, terrorism is a weapon of the weak, and its indiscriminate use in the name of religion alienates even sympathetic people in the West and moderates at home. Unfortunately, given the rapidly rising populations and the resulting poverty and unemployment in much of the Muslim world, many young men join bands of Jihadis who promise to change the world in the blurred image of an Islamic millennium. There is little doubt that this trend will grow and sharpen over the coming years. The only solution is to address the problems of poverty and unemployment afflicting this part of the world: it is only when the proponents of an Islamic revolution have a stake in the system that their zeal and ardour will cool. But the Catch-22 here is that the present state of turmoil and instability in countries like Pakistan will discourage the very investment needed to usher in prosperity.
=================================================================== SPORTS 20000228 ------------------------------------------------------------------- ICC to review panel of illegal deliveries ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter RAWALPINDI, Feb 27: The International Cricket Council will review the panel on illegal deliveries during the forthcoming meeting to be held on June 23 and 24, chief executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC), David Richards said here on Sunday. Richards said the ICC felt that panel's authority to suspend a bowler was unwise. "That's why we have gone to our legal experts to get a complete review of the process" he said. He added that the powers of the panel has been taken away temporarily and not suspended for ever. Richards, commenting on Shoaib Akhtar's issue, said now the PCB has to satisfy itself. "We have been told by the PCB that a lot of work has been done on Shoaib. If the PCB feels that his action is alright, its their decision." The ICC official said there was no other ambiguity in the law. He said the law was very clear, "a ball has to be delivered not thrown. The referee can report the name of the bowler, which goes through confidentially." Commenting on the standardised of pitches for all Test playing countries, Richards said that although discussion took place over the topic but since there was so much climatic, soil condition difference and it was big task on a world wide basis. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000302 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by two wickets in a thriller ------------------------------------------------------------------- Farhana Ayaz RAWALPINDI, March 1: Sri Lanka carved out a remarkable two-wicket victory over Pakistan on an enthralling final day of the first Test to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series at Pindi Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday. Romesh Kaluwitharana scored the winning runs in a stubborn ninth wicket partnership of 43 with an injured Arjuna Ranatunga when he edged Waqar Younis to the third man boundary to cap Sri Lanka's fourth win against Pakistan in 22 Tests. Kaluwitharana finished on an unbeaten 36 off 74 balls while the courageous Ranatunga defied 94 balls to score 29 not out. The absorbing Test went down to the wire after a Sri Lankan victory looked a mere formality with visiting side reaching tea at 143 for four - 77 away from their target of 220 in the remaining 38 overs. But the first hour after the interval proved quite sensational. In the first over, Mahela Jayawardena without adding to his score of 35 in a dramatic fashion. Yousuf Youhana, fielding at short-leg, held a neat catch off Saqlain Mushtaq but umpire Athar Zaidi did not give the batsman out until he consulted his colleague Dave Orchard and TV umpire Siddique Khan. In the next over, Ranatunga, then batting on eight, was struck on the left thumb by a rising delivery from Waqar. Writhing in agony, the former Sri Lankan skipper was forced to retire hurt at 146 for five. This was Pakistan's second consecutive loss at this ground, having lost by innings to and 99 runs to Mark Taylor's Australians in October 1998. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000229 ------------------------------------------------------------------- National snooker: Saleh sets up title match with Yousuf ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ian Fyfe FAISALABAD, Feb 28: Former World and Asian amateur snooker champion Mohammad Yousuf, after a year's absence from the snooker circuit, made a triumphant entry into the final of the 25th National Snooker Championship when he downed third seed Farhan Mirza 6-4 here on Monday evening at a local hotel. In an another absorbing semi-finals, which had the large band of spectators glued to their seats, top seed Saleh Mohammad came from behind to beat Shameel Shah also by a 6-4 margin. In the first semi-final, Farhan began the proceedings chalking up a fluent break of 64 which enabled him to bag the opening frame 82/14. Yousuf, however, took over the lead 2-1 by pocketing the next two frames with fine breaks of 58 and 30 respectively. Farhan began the fourth frame by notching up 30 points on his first visit to the table and in the lead made a terrible blunder on the brown which enabled Yousuf to the scores 51-51 after potting the last four coloured balls. With the frame going into the last Black tie ball it was Yousuf who sunk the Black and was now in a happy frame of mind leading 3-1. But the second seed's happiness soon turned to concern when Farhan with splendid breaks of 59 and 34 followed it up with 71 points on the trot to level the frame scores 3-3. In a tense seventh frame Farhan chalked up 36 points, but Yousuf went two points better and secured the lead once again at 4-3. Farhan began the eighth frame scoring 33 points on his second visit to the table, but when Yousuf came back strongly once again with a break of 49, the veteran picked up the frame 67/50 and was only one frame away from victory. Farhan, in a last ditch effort to come back into the match, had two breaks of 33 and 54 to reduce the deficit to 4-5. The bespectacled cueist once again took a flying star in the 10th frame but then began to miss crucial shots. Yousuf potting green to black, picked up the frame to emerge a happy 6-4 winner. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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