------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 13 May 2000 Issue : 06/18 -------------------------------------------------------------------
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CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + Govt given three years to hold polls + Chief Executive pledges more help for Balochistan + Nawaz appears in 'copter case: Charges to be framed on 27th + CE empowered to amend constitution: AG + Lakhanis, Mukhtar in NAB custody + Pakistan to combat terrorism: Moin + Pakistan open to talks with India: FO + Move to check smuggling: Government cuts number of dryports + Powers of Election Commission enhanced + Distribution of wheat on new formula begins + NWFP left with only two-day wheat stock + PML accepts SC verdict: Shujaat + Share in PSDP 2001: Provinces' may get Rs50 billion --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + Sailya threatens countrywide three-day strike + Asian Development Bank to release stalled loan + Report on 3rd quarter released: 5% GDP may not be achieved: SBP + Privatized companies runs into losses + Revenue loss of Rs300-400 billion: NAB to focus on recovery + Draft law withheld: CBR opposes Bara tax + Move to meet World Bank terms: Civil services to be revamped + Trade deficit widens to $1.49bn in 10 months + Most ISPs reluctant to reduce rates + Telecom services: Licences to be finalized within 7 days + KSE 100-share index breaches 1,700-point barrier --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + So what's new? Ayaz Amir + Waiting for tax relief Sultan Ahmed ----------- SPORTS + Rain-hit Guyana Test abandoned as a draw + Qayyum report won't affect current players + Saeed ruled out of West Indies tour + Tarar seeks clarifications on match-fixing report
=================================================================== DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS 20000513 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Govt given three years to hold polls ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rafaqat Ali ISLAMABAD, May 12: The Supreme Court on Friday validated the military takeover on the grounds of the doctrine of necessity but asked the military government to restore civil rule and complete its declared objectives within three years, starting from Oct 12, 1999. The 12 judges in their unanimous judgment directed the Chief Executive, Gen Pervez Musharraf, to hold elections for the National Assembly, provincial assemblies and Senate before Oct 11, 2002. Chief Justice Irshad Hasan Khan, announcing the verdict on several petitions filed by the ousted ruling party, Pakistan Muslim League, said its misrule had created conditions for a radical transformation on Oct 12 last year. The apex court gave powers to the chief executive to legislate and amend the Constitution. The court, however, ruled that no amendment could be made to change the basic features - independence of judiciary, federalism and parliamentary form of government, blended with Islamic provisions - of the Constitution. The apex court held: "The chief executive shall appoint a date, not later than 90 days before the expiry of aforesaid period [three years] for holding general elections to the National Assembly, the provincial assemblies and Senate." It held that the military takeover on Oct 12, 1999, had taken place as the Constitution had provided no solution for that and the intervention of the armed forces had become inevitable. The court held that it had been validating the act under the doctrine of necessity and principle of salus populi supreme lex (in the supreme interest of the public) as embodied in the Begum Nusrat Bhutto case of 1977. It further held that the doctrine of necessity had not been recognised only in Islam and other religions of the world but also accepted by the eminent jurists, including Hugo, Grotius, Chitty, and De Smith. The court held that Gen Musharraf, chairman of joint chiefs of staff committee and chief of the Army staff, had validly assumed power by means of an extra-constitutional step, in the interest of the state for the welfare of the people. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000512 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Chief Executive pledges more help for Balochistan ------------------------------------------------------------------- Saleem Shahid KHUZDAR, May 11: Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf has said that the federal government will provide an additional amount of Rs1.5 billion to the province for the rehabilitation of drought-stricken people. Speaking at a press conference here on Thursday after concluding his day-long visit to the drought-hit areas of Balochistan, Gen Musharraf pledged that his government would make all possible efforts for removing the sense of deprivation among the people of the province by allocating more funds than its due share from the national resources. "I will fulfil my promise regarding removal of sense of deprivation and provision of Balochistan's due share," Gen Musharraf said, adding that the centre had already given Rs1 billion for relief operation and if needed more funds would be provided in this connection. He said that the people of other provinces were also providing financial assistance to the drought-affectees. He added that the overseas Pakistanis were also contacting for contribution to the drought-hit people. Musharraf said his government was giving priority to the revival of the economy adding that the it was vital to speedy development of the country. He said that the stock exchange had crossed 2000 points since Oct last; the value of dollar had become stable; and exports had increased to $9 billion as compared to $7.5 billion last year. The chief executive said that his government was working on a system through which the lot of the people could be changed. He said that people should not be afraid of the propaganda about Pakistan's isolation in the world. He added that many Gulf states during his recent visit to the region fully supported Pakistan's stand on various national and international issues. However, he said, some countries expressed their concern over a number of issue, including Kashmir, Afghanistan, narcotics smuggling and activities of some extremist organizations. Replying to a question about escalation of tension on the Line of Control, he said Pakistan was fully prepared and could reply any aggression in the same coin. However, he said there was no chance of any war. Responding to another question, he said that his government had identified problem areas and giving priority to the revival of economy, good governance, inter-provincial harmony and ensuring justice to the common man. He said that his government was also making all possible efforts to get the country out of debt burden and reduce the fiscal deficit. The chief executive said that under the poverty alleviation programme, the backward areas of the country would be developed and brought at par the developed ones. He said tax regime was being changed and a strategy was being evolved to increase the tax base. He added that duty had been imposed on smuggled items to check the menace which had played havoc with the national economy. Responding to a question about Saindak project, he said that this huge project would be privatized to make it functional and profitable. He said that Iran had expressed its willingness to invest in the project. To another question he said that the government had no intention to close down the business of small traders. However, he said that action would be taken against smugglers who were responsible for destroying the local industry. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000513 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Nawaz appears in 'copter case: Charges to be framed on 27th ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ansar Abbasi ATTOCK, May 12: An accountability court, set up at the army's special services group (SSG) base in Attock Fort,on Friday morning started trial of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif and suspended senator Saifur Rehman on tax evasion charges. The prosecutor in its reference accused Mr Sharif of purchasing a helicopter, MI-6, from a Central Asian republic shortly before the 1997 elections when he was opposition leader but did not mention it in the declaration of his assets to the Election Commission and the tax department. Sharif told the court that it had been a private deal and no government money had been involved in it. Special NAB Judge Farrukh Latif after a 30-minute session fixed May 27 as the date to frame the charges against the accused. Following a complaint from the accused the court also issued a notice to the jail superintendent to submit a report on May 18, whether he (Sharif) had been given facilities according to the jail manual. Mr Sharif told the court that he had been subjected to worst kind of psychological torture and kept in solitary confinement. The deposed premier was transferred here from Karachi two days ago. He also complained that he had been refused access to his lawyers and relatives. He also complained that he was not being provided his home-baked food. The court allowed Mr Sharif to see his lawyers for two hours twice a week. He was also allowed to meet his family members for half-an- hour once a week. However, about the permission for the provision of home-baked food, the court sought state's comments. The NAB prosecutor-general, Farooq Adam Khan, rejected the allegations as "lie" and "self-inflicted." However, he did not opposed most of Sharif's demands. He told the court that the prosecution would not object to the provision of those facilities to the accused that were permissible to him under the jail manual. The former premier, who walked into the courtroom along with the former Ehtesab Bureau chief and co-accused, was looking frail but was relaxed. Mr Rehman on the other hand looked happy and was smiling and waving. Extremely tight security was in place at the Fort, about 100km northwest of Islamabad, during the hearing. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000513 ------------------------------------------------------------------- CE empowered to amend constitution: AG ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, May 12: Attorney General for Pakistan, Aziz A. Munshi, has submitted before the Supreme Court that the Chief Executive is entitled to amend the Constitution. The Attorney General filed a written submission before a 12-member bench of the Supreme Court here on Friday, in which he maintained that having validly issued the Proclamation in the interest of state survival, and for the welfare of the people, the Chief Executive is entitled to perform all such acts and promulgate all legislative measures, including the power to amend the Constitution which have been recognised by judicial authorities as falling within the scope of the Doctrine of State Necessity. The Attorney General said that it is consistent with the judgment of Begum Nusrat Bhutto's case and reaffirmed in the case of Mehmood Khan Achakzai by the Supreme Court, and the Chief Executive is further entitled to take all such measures as are necessary for orderly running of the affairs of State. Aziz A Munshi submitted that the Proclamation of October 14, 1999, the Provisional Constitution Order of the same date, and any other order whether hitherto made by the Chief Executive or which may hereafter be made by him pursuant to the said Proclamation are, and continues to be valid and legally enforceable on the basis of the Judgment delivered in Begum Nusrat Bhutto's case and further reaffirmed by Supreme Court in the case of Mehmood Khan Achakzai on the ground of State Necessity and State survival. He further submitted that in the facts and circumstances of the case, the Proclamation of October 14, 1999 is valid, based as it is upon the Doctrine of State Necessity. The AG said that the Federation intended to restore true representative democracy in the country as early as possible. It is however not possible to give a specific time frame for the above, for the reasons, among others, that the authorities/government requires time for revival of the country's economy which stands ruined, as submitted before the Court; for completion of the process of accountability; recovery of huge plundered national wealth including bank loans running into billions of rupees and foreign exchange abroad worth billions of US Dollars; the task of unavoidable electoral reforms, including preparation of fresh electoral rolls; to ensure harmonious and efficient working of the important organs of the State, stable and good governance including maintenance of law and order, to prevent abuse of power, and to ensure and safeguard smooth functioning and enjoyment of democracy by the people. He said that the Chief Executive has the power to amend the Constitution which the Federation maintains and the plea of the petitioners to the contrary is incorrect. The Attorney General said that the petitions are therefore liable to be dismissed as not maintainable.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000511 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Lakhanis, Mukhtar in NAB custody ------------------------------------------------------------------- Faraz Hashmi ISLAMABAD, May 10: The two prominent businessmen of Karachi, Sultan Lakhani and Amin Lakhani, picked up on the charges of financial irregularities by the law enforcing agencies on Sunday, were formally handed over to the National Accountability Bureau on Wednesday, a government spokesman said. The chairman NAB, Gen. Amjad, talking to Dawn by phone confirmed that the NAB had taken over the custody of the two businessmen brothers after two days of their arrest. He also confirmed the arrest of former commerce minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar. Gen. Amjad, however did not give the details of the charges against the two brothers and Mr Mukhtar who was picked up by the NAB in a late night operation on Tuesday. "The investigation being carried out by the NAB are likely to be affected if the charges against them are made public," Gen. Amjad said. A press release said that an inquiry into the financial irregularities committed by Lakhani brothers was being carried out by the NAB for the past three months and had not been made public in view of the past experiences in which some high persons like Mr Aftab Sherpao had slipped out of the country. Mr Mukhtar's arrest was made in a highly dramatic manner in utter disrespect to the sanctity of the "chadar or chardiwari."Two teams of Pakistan Army soldiers backed up by a huge contingent of police, simultaneously raided Islamabad and Lahore residences of Mr Mukhtar. "It was like an attack," a younger sister of Mr Mukhtar told Dawn.At 11.45 on Tuesday night army soldiers,carrying Klashikovs and led by a major jumped into the house from all sides and started searching each and every room, she said. "They entered into the neighbouring houses saying that they were in pursuit of two dacoits and scaled the walls to enter our house," she added. "Look at their intelligence that they did not know where he (Mukhtar) is," she said. Mr Mukhtar, earlier in the day had appeared in a court in Lahore they could have arrested him there, she said. "Is it not a violation of human rights," she said? When asked whether they informed them about the charges against Mr Mukhtar? She said they just showed a warrant and said that they had orders of Gen. Amjad. Unconfirmed reports said that there was a long list of charges against Lakhanis including the allegations of bribing Hussain Nawaz son of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif for getting a license of an American fast food chain. Lakhani brothers who own a tobacco company, a textile unit, a publication house and a cybernet company were being interrogated for taking irregular loans, evading taxes and duties, smuggling and causing huge losses to PTCL. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000508 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan to combat terrorism: Moin ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, May 7: Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider has rejected the US allegation that Pakistan is tolerating or extending support to terrorist groups or sending mixed messages on terrorism. "Pakistan is against terrorism and trying hard to control it," he asserted, saying there might have been some lapses or negligence which could not be attributed as mixed signals. On the contrary, he said, it was the US which was sending mixed signals by attributing terrorism with Pakistan and saying it did not mean it. Gen Haider was responding to the speech by US Consul General John C. Bennett who had referred to the annual report of the State Department on "Patterns of Global Terrorism 1999" issued on May 1, 2000. The occasion was a seminar on "Civic Rights, Peace and Development" under the auspices of Pakistan Civic Forum. Besides the convener of the forum Begum Salma Ahmad, other speakers were Lt Gen (Retd) Asad Durrani and Chairman Social Marketing, Zafar Iqbal. Imran Aslam briefly introduced the subject of the seminar and Nawabzada Ashraf Liaquat Ali Khan gave the vote of thanks. The seminar was followed by a questions-answers session. Referring to the observations made by Mr Bennett, Gen Haider, the chief guest, called upon the US to adopt a clear policy and make up its mind keeping in view that "we are your allies and Pakistani soldiers played an important role in the peace-keeping UN force, earning commendation certificates from the UN and Western countries for their contribution in attaining global peace." He pointed out that the feelings of Muslims were exploited by the West, particularly US, by arming students after the invasion of Afghanistan by Soviet forces. Afterwards, the West turned its back on them, leaving them to suffer in the war-ravaged country where the infrastructure had collapsed. He said Afghanistan is now engaged in the worst kind of civil war. Pointing out that Afghanistan is listed as one of the five poorest countries in the world, he suggested the West, particularly the US, come forward to rebuild the Afghan infrastructure through NGOs to divert their attention from poppy cultivation and narcotics. He said: "We have eliminated all heroin factories from Pakistan by taking strict measures to get rid of the narcotics menace. We have confiscated assets worth 34 million dollars of those indulging in narcotics' trade and so far 19 million dollars had been deposited in the national exchequer." Drawing attention of the US Consul General, he recalled Pakistan had allocated Rs15 billion for its poverty alleviation programme, out of which Rs7 billion had been deducted from the defence budget while on the contrary India had increased its defence budget by 28 per cent which was equivalent to Pakistan's total defence budget. Referring to President Bill Clinton's recent visit to South Asia, Gen Haider pointed out that after Mr Clinton's visit to the region, India had started not only hurling threats at Pakistan but indulging in grave violence at the Line of Control. "Pakistan wants peace. We do not want to go to war. But if a war is thrust upon us, then will respond in a befitting manner. Still, it would be a tragedy," said Gen Haider. He said in Kashmir, 7 lakh Indian army personnel had been indulging in serious violations of human rights by unleashing a reign of terror. "Pakistan wants to hold talks with India. Gen Parvez Musharraf has repeatedly said that we want to hold dialogues, but with objectivity, in order to find a solution to the Kashmir issue," he added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000508 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan open to talks with India: FO ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, May 7: Pakistan remains open to dialogue with India any time, any place and any where as stated by Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf, a foreign office spokesman said on Sunday. "It is incomprehensible why India is afraid of a dialogue with Pakistan," he said when asked to comment on Indian Home Minister Lal Krishna Advani's reported statement rejecting suggestions of resumption of peace talks with Pakistan. He said: "we have consistently offered dialogue to India," adding it was India that had always rejected any proposal from Pakistan for dialogue. He reiterated that the solution of Kashmir issue wholly depended on the exercise of the right of self-determination by the Kashmiris.- APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000511 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Move to check smuggling: Government cuts number of dryports ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ikram Hoti ISLAMABAD, May 10: The Cabinet Division has informed the Central Board of Revenue of the government's decision to reduce the number of dryports to one each in the four provinces. Sources said the decision was taken at the cabinet meeting last week, and a proposal in this regard was made by the Ministry of Interior. The proposal said that the nine dryports have become a major source of smuggling into Pakistan of items which are on duty/taxes list, they added. The dryports operating are at Sambrial (Sialkot), Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Larkana, Quetta and Peshawar. The CBR has been asked to evolve a strategy so that functions of these dryports are handled by the Customs department after doing away with the five dryports. The concerned CBR officials are to draft a proposal for their seniors to make a presentation to the government on the issue next week. They told Dawn Wednesday that the four dryports of Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta and Hyderabad proved insufficient for preventing choking at the Karachi Port after which the other five dryports were created by the government. They said the interior ministry, in its proposal to do away with the five dryports, has not listed any major instances of smuggling through the dryports. However, they added, that there have been a couple of instances which were pointed out to NAB by CBR itself, wherein in the past there have been misuse of the facility for smuggling purposes. ANTI-DUMPING ORDINANCE: The federal cabinet on Wednesday approved an Anti-dumping Ordinance for preventing import of goods, raw materials and equipment at dumping prices. The ordinance empowers National Tariff Commission to impose penalty against dumping and provides for collection of the anti-dumping duty by the Central Board of Revenue. It allows the NTC to initiate investigations on application from local industry pointing out injury by dumping. The investigation would be carried out on the basis of comparable price of the like product when exported, and the cost of production in the country of origin plus a reasonable amount for administrative, selling and general costs and for profits.The NTC would determine whether the export constitutes five per cent or more of the sales of the investigated product to Pakistan. The ordinance deals separately with the anti-dumping and countervailing measures. This separation has been envisaged to deal exclusively with dumping subsidies, and not to burden this subject with the implementation of aspects of transparency and effectiveness of the law in the light of WTO agreement. APP adds: A Trade Agreement between Pakistan and Yemen was also approved by the Federal Cabinet that met Wednesday with the Chief executive general pervez Musharraf in the chair. The proposed Trade Agreement will help in developing and strengthening the existing relations between the two countries. The Cabinet also approved signing of Trade Agreement with Lebanon. The proposed Trade Agreement also envisages to take appropriate measures to facilitate, strengthen and diversify trade by encouraging relevant enterprises and organizations of both the countries. The proposed agreement will help explore new vistas in the field of trade and commerce in Pakistan and Lebanon. ECO trade: The Cabinet approved the ratification of Framework Agreement on Economic Cooperation Organisation Trade Cooperation. The Agreement provides a framework laying down the principles to institutionalize trade among the ECO member states. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000511 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Powers of Election Commission enhanced ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, May 10: The federal government has enhanced administrative and financial powers of the Election Commission of Pakistan with an avowed objective to make it a completely autonomous body, an official announcement said here on Wednesday. The decision to strengthen the Commission, officially described as a "major step forward in the restoration of democratic system," was taken when Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf visited the Commission's office here. Following a detailed presentation by Chief Election Commissioner, Justice (retd) Abdul Qadeer Chaudhry, to Gen Musharraf eight important decisions were announced by the government which would bring the powers of the chief election commissioner at par with that of chief justice of Pakistan. The chief of the Election Commission for the first time since the adoption of 1973 Constitution has been entrusted the task of holding next local bodies polls in December, 2000. Though provincial election commissions will remain responsible for holding the elections in their respective local bodies constituencies, their chiefs will operate under the direct control and supervision of the chief election commissioner. To enable the Commission to fulfil the gigantic task of conducting elections of local bodies throughout the country, it has been decided that all organisations and staff working under the federal government and the provincial governments will assist the Election Commission. The administrative authority granted to the commissioner include full powers to create new posts and abolish old posts provided that expenditure is met from within the allocated budget of the Elections Commission. It has also got the powers to change nomenclature and up-grade or down-grade any post provided that expenditure is met from within the allocated budget of the Commission. The decision also entails amendments to a number of laws concerning the Election Commission of Pakistan. In the Rules of Business 1973, Election Commission has been shown under the law and justice and parliamentary affairs division. The said Rules will be amended and for the words Elections Commission the words 'legislative business relating to the Election Commission' will be substituted to remove the impression that the Election Commission is subordinate to parliamentary affairs division. It was also decided that the new electoral rolls based on the 1998 census will be prepared under the control and supervision of the Election Commission by entrusting the task to National Data Base Registration Authority. Section 4 of the Electoral Rolls Act 1974, specifies that the electoral rolls to be prepared under this Act shall be prepared by "revising the existing electoral rolls." The words "revising existing electoral rolls" will be deleted to empower the chief election commissioner for preparation of fresh electoral rolls based on the 1998 census. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000511 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Distribution of wheat on new formula begins ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, May 10: The federal government has started distribution of wheat to the provinces for the year 2000-2001 on the basis of revised formula of 150 kg per person annually and in this connection, the NWFP province will get 25,000 metric tons from Pasco godowns this week. The federal government had earlier announced that it has raised per capita consumption from 124 kg to 150 kg on the demand of the provincial governments. Official sources told Dawn on Wednesday that the NWFP government had been allocated a total of 90,000 metric tons of wheat for the year 2000-2001 from the federal quota. The sources said that although the new fiscal year was yet to start the NWFP government which was facing serious wheat shortage, had requested the federal government to provide its share of wheat from the federal quota immediately. The sources said that the NWFP had requested the Centre that the first allocation of indigenous wheat from Pasco by road against 2000-20001 requirement should be released this week. The federal government had informed the NWFP government that under the new distribution formula, it will receive 90,000 metric tons of wheat for the year 2000-2001 from the federal quota. The provincial government was asked to place its schedule for the lifting of wheat from the Pasco godowns for 2001-2001. The sources further said that the NWFP government had sent a letter to Pasco in which it had named all those contractors who would lift the wheat from the Pasco points. The sources said that the following contractors would lift the wheat on behalf of the provincial government from Pasco godowns and will offload at different cities mentioned by the NWFP government: M/S Bilal Enterprises will lift 5000 metric tons and will offload the commodity at Peshawar, M/S Roz Trade company 3000 metric tons at Charsada district, M/S Afghan and company 4000 metric tons Dargai (i) and Dir 3000 metric tons, Haji Imam Din Hangu 5000, M/S Falcon Trade Company at Mansehra districts 2000 metric tons, M/S Shan contractor will offload 3000 metric tons at Bannu district. The sources said that the provincial government in particular had pointed out to Pasco authorities in Lahore that only good quality, packed in sound bardana of correct weight, should be provided to the carriage contractors. The sources said the provincial government had also added that the federal government should also afford possible facilities in lifting of allocated wheat stock from the loading points. The provincial government has further requested that Pasco fill in the pro-forma already sent and return the same to the provincial government as and when the allocation is completed. The provincial government has also requested the Pasco authorities to allocate the loading points immediately for dispatches of the wheat. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000507 ------------------------------------------------------------------- NWFP left with only two-day wheat stock ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report PESHAWAR, May 6: The atta crisis in the NWFP has taken a serious turn with only two days' stocks left in government's wheat godowns on Saturday. Sources said the situation worsened after Punjab put an unannounced ban on the wheat and flour supply to the NWFP which had no other source to replenish its godowns. The government, therefore, would not be able to release wheat to flour mills from Sunday unless immediate remedial measures were taken. The situation in the drought-hit districts was even worse where people could resort to street protests any time. The NWFP government asked its Punjab counterpart to immediately resume the wheat supply. But so far, officials complained, there had been a lukewarm response from the Punjab food department. Flour has always been in short supply throughout the province since March 1997, and even the military government with all power at its disposal has failed to improve the situation. Besides, the quality of flour ground by the NWFP mills has been inferior and in some cases even unfit for human consumption. The NWFP food department has failed to determine why the quality was poorer than that of the flour being ground in Punjab. Price-wise too the NWFP brand atta is dearer than the Punjab atta with a 20kg bag being sold here Rs10 higher than the price of the same weight in Punjab. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000513 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PML accepts SC verdict: Shujaat ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter LAHORE, May 12: Political leaders have given mixed reactions to the Supreme Court judgment on the Oct 12 military action which ousted the PML government. Former interior minister Chaudhry Shujaat Husain said the PML accepted the Supreme Court's verdict as it had tremendous regard for courts. However, he said, one expected that the army would also accept with large-heartedness if any court ever gave any judgment against it. The PML leader said the apex court had brought an end to speculation that the army wanted to stay in power for an indefinite period. Since a time-frame had been given for fresh elections, the PML would have sufficient time to prepare itself for the new polls. He proposed that the military government should spend the three- year period to improve economy which was in a very bad shape. He said the rulers should take steps to restore people's confidence. Referring to accountability, Chaudhry Shujaat said it appeared as if the government was victimizing its opponents. He said at the lower level, people involved in accountability were misusing their powers because of which the army was getting a bad name. Begum Kulsoom Nawaz said the judgment was predictable in the presence of the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO). She said the army had been given three years to play with the destiny of the country. She alleged that the government had failed to deliver during the past seven months and no good could be expected of it in the near future. The former prime minister's wife said the PML would remain united and play its due role in the political field. GDA leader Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan said the alliance would discuss the matter at its May 20 meeting to be held at Peshawar. He said initially the alliance wanted to discuss the drought in various areas and its impact on the economy, the strike call given by religious parties and other such issues. But, he said, now the Supreme Court judgment would be on the top of the agenda. The Nawabzada said the apex court had given a short order because of which many things were not clear. He said political parties would wait for the detailed judgment for the reasons which were used as the basis for conclusions the apex court had drawn. The senior leader said it was the fundamental right of people to elect a government of its own choice. But the Supreme Court had given the present government three years to hold elections. He said it needed an explanation whether a government elected through ballot during the intervening period could not work on the agenda given to the military rulers. PML Vice-President Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri said with the SC judgment the state of uncertainty had ended. He said although the apex court had allowed the government to amend the Constitution, he hoped that the minimum changes would be made in it as it was a consensus constitution which had taken some 26 years to evolve. "I hope that the government will think 100 times before tampering with it". Mr Kasuri said that intervening period between now and the beginning of the electoral process should be used by political parties to evolve a code of conduct both for democracy within the parties and for developing a spirit of tolerance, compromise and understanding with each other which was sadly missing in the past. He proposed that the appointment of an election commission and an accountability commission should be decided jointly the government and political parties. Mr Kasuri said the military government should now tackle problems like smuggling and the GST and law and order and try to evolve a consensus among the federating units on the new dam to forestall an Ethiopia-like condition in Pakistan. The PML vice-president said so far the government had been fighting for legitimacy. But now history would judge the position of the government both legally and morally from the implementation of the apex court's judgment. In his brief comments, former federal minister and PPP leader Khalid Khan Kharal said it was a predictable decision in the presence of the established law of necessity. He said six months had already passed out of the three years given by the court to the military government and now the military should prepare electoral rolls, provide ID cards to voters and create a conducive atmosphere to hold fair and free polls in the remaining period. Malik Hamid Sarfraz, the provincial president of the Pakistan National Conference (PNC), appreciated the judgment, saying the political parties also expected the military to stay in power for as long to carry out accountability of the corrupt and introduce radical electoral reforms. He said it was necessary to give the military government time to reform the electoral system to create an atmosphere where free and fair polls could be held and the people without money participated in them. Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan has hailed the SC verdict on the Oct 12 change and said that it will provide the present government with an element of legitimacy. Mr Khan said the government should start the implementation of the seven-point agenda. He said it should give priority to the accountability process. It should declare casting of vote mandatory for every voter and undertake other needed electoral reforms to discourage the election of corrupt elements for parliamentary slots. He said the government should also set a limit for election expenditure. In a Press statement issued on Friday, he said after the announcement of the SC verdict the government would no longer be able to give lame excuses to the people who were waiting for positive results. He said the government should have got a vote of public confidence directly through a referendum soon after the takeover. But now the regime should fulfil its promises without any delay and work in accordance with public expectations as it has been provided a period of three years for this purpose by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000511 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Share in PSDP 2001: Provinces' may get Rs50 billion ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sabihuddin Ghausi KARACHI, May 10: The share of all four provinces in the development funds is being increased from about Rs28 billion in the current fiscal to over Rs50 billion in next fiscal year. Officials say that out of Rs124 billion tentative public sector development outlay for the year 2000-2001, the four provinces are being given Rs30 billion for their annual development programmes. With this, the provinces will also be given a share in the Rs21 billion poverty alleviation programme. Another significant initiative being taken in the 2000-2001 PSDP is manifold increase in allocation for science and technology for which the proposal is to provide additional Rs2 billion. The 1999- 2000 PSDP budget had proposed an allocation of Rs 306 million only. The schemes being taken up in the science and technology involves an outlay of Rs4.52 billion out of which only Rs2.34 billion have been provided. Planners fear run over cost of unfinished development schemes would go well beyond Rs3 billion. Information technology is the key component in the new initiative and provinces would be asked to develop computer and software parks in their respective jurisdictions. All these proposals have been firmed up in the Priorities Committee meeting held last week and are being discussed on Thursday in the Annual Planning Coordination Committee (APCC) to be held in Islamabad. Planners are pinning their hope on generation of additional Rs80 to Rs100 billion resources next fiscal after the net of general sales tax is expanded at the retail level and new tax payers are brought on the income tax roll. It means that the budget makers are looking for a total generation of Rs430 to Rs450 billion revenue in 2000- 2001. Another source of revenue generation for the next fiscal year is swift privatization for which the law has been framed and the ministers including the finance minister has already declared of taking initiative in this direction before the end of this month. Eighty per cent of privatization proceeds will be utilized for the retirement of outstanding debts, about 20 per cent is expected to be given for the development of social sectors and poverty alleviation. There are also broad indications of substantial increase in government spending in the oil and gas sector. In 1999-2000 the original PSDP allocated only Rs96 million for the Oil and Gas Development Corporation. About a dozen development schemes are under various stages of implementation in which more than Rs15 billion have been invested. Planners assess further investment of Rs10 to Rs12 billion for completion of these schemes which should lead to augmentation in oil and gas production. In the current fiscal year the share of Sindh in the PSDP was Rs7.54 billion. Budget makers are expected to raise this share to Rs10 to Rs11 billion in the coming fiscal year in which focus will be on science and technology, improvement and extension of Sindh Highway, National Highway and other road projects. In addition Sindh is also expected to get a share for its own annual development plan outlay.
=================================================================== BUSINESS & ECONOMY 20000512 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sailya threatens countrywide three-day strike ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, May 11: Umar Sailya on Thursday issued here a countrywide three-day shutter-down call against the government's refusal to negotiate on a 10-point demand notice from the All Pakistan Organization of Small Traders and Cottage Industries. Addressing a press conference at a local hotel Salia said: "We have decided to observe a complete shutter-down from May 19 to 21 in four provinces, FATA and Azad Kashmir, in all districts, tehsils and villages." Salia warned that the Central Board of Revenue was "conspiring to bring the traders and the military government to a point of open clash by proposing measures like shop-to-shop and door-to-door survey for tax-compliance". He suggested to "conduct the survey on property in posh areas like Islamabad and other big cities where the corrupt bureaucrats own sprawling commercial and residential properties". That is where "the looters of the country's wealth have hoarded their money", he said. He demanded re-introduction of 0.75 per cent development tax agreed with the Nawaz Sharif government on Sept 14, 1999. "This tax could not be implemented due to the military takeover on Oct 12, 1999, the day when our organization and the Central Board of Revenue officials were finalizing the nitty gritty of the tax related to the method of its collection and the procedures for notifying it". The strike call was being issued to protest the attitude of the government with regard to the traders' 10-point demand list to negotiate which the APST had given the government the deadline of May 10. These included the demand for immediate suspension of the programme to conduct the anti-smuggling survey which he said aimed at raiding the retailers' shops. The list contained the demand for removal of the GST from the utilities bills; 27 per cent reduction in petroleum products' prices; immediate cessation of the downsizing programme in the government organizations; cleansing the CBR of the corrupt officials and, in particular, the accountability of the Customs officials through probe into their assets and wealth. He lambasted the CBR for maintaining a multi-stage and multi-rates taxation and pointed out that this system was the root cause of the inflation in the country. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000510 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Asian Development Bank to release stalled loan ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, May 9: Asian Development Bank (ADB) has informed Pakistan that it will soon release a stalled loan of $125m to cover the balance of payment and $100m for the establishment of a Micro- finance Bank (MFB), official sources told Dawn here on Tuesday. A message to this effect was handed over to Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz who visited Bangkok last week to attend the ADB Board's meeting. Sources said, the ADB will be the first international agency to provide a foreign loan to Pakistan since May 28, 1998 when Pakistan conducted N-tests at Chagai leading to economic sanctions from different countries and suspension of loans from International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. Sources said the Bank had now agreed to provide $100m as a loan to Pakistan for the establishment of Micro-finance Bank. The Bank had earlier offered $50m for this purpose but now it had agreed to give $100 million for the MFB. Sources believe that the release of $125 million to Pakistan at this stage meant that IMF and World Bank were satisfied with the new policies of Pakistan in the monetary field. The country mission of the ADB had held talks with the visiting IMF mission to Pakistan in the first week of April, as well. Reportedly, the ADB team had exchanged their views and notes with the IMF mission about the presentations made by the different government agencies regarding financial and social reforms in Pakistan. A majority of shareholders of the ADB are American investors, sources said and added that was why Mr Aziz also held a meeting with the American investors in Bangkok. After this meeting, sources said, the ADB informed Pakistan that it would release stalled loan of $125 million for balance of payment and $100 million for the setting up of the MFB. Meanwhile, when contacted by Dawn, a spokesman of the finance ministry said, the matter was being pursued and as soon as the ADB returned to its normal working after Boards' meeting in Bangkok, the decision to this effect will be made. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000509 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Report on 3rd quarter released: 5% GDP may not be achieved: SBP ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mohiuddin Aazim KARACHI, May 8: The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has said Pakistan's GDP may grow 4.4 per cent during the current fiscal year which is lower than targeted 5 per cent but higher than the previous year's growth of 3.1 per cent. A third quarterly report of the SBP on the state of the economy predicts 5.4 per cent growth in the agricultural sector and 4.5 per cent growth in the services sector against the targeted 4.3 per cent and 5.1 per cent growth in the respective sectors. It says industry may grow only 1.5 per cent against the targeted 5.5 per cent because of low production of sugar and a downward revision of real growth in small-scale manufacturing. The report says the estimated growth of 4.4 per cent is still "inadequate to make a dent in reducing poverty and unemployment". The report, released here on Monday, says this will require higher sustainable growth rates in the future. It says that despite an impressive recovery in the agriculture sector the overall recovery in the economy is still fragile and not balanced because the spillover from the agricultural sector to the textile sector has so far been limited. The report says the factors that can induce sustainable recovery and higher growth have so far remained elusive. The following factors can induce sustainable recovery and higher growth: increase in domestic saving and investment rates, lower debt indicators, flexibility in composition of the government expenditure, broadening of the tax base, etc. The writers of the report believe that the next budget "will address some of these issues and set the real direction for the economy." They think that the government efforts to tackle corruption and to hold public officials and others accountable for their actions should have lasting implications for the quality of economic governance, and should have impact on equitable and sustainable growth. The report that covers economic developments during July 99 - March 2000 was approved by the board of directors of the SBP at a meeting in Quetta on Sunday. It notes that adverse international prices ie high oil prices and low cotton prices, negative transfers to international financial institutions, reduced home remittances and sluggish foreign investment created pressure on the balance of payments. However, "improved export earnings, a reduction in the food import bill and substantial outright purchases from the overseas market enabled the authorities to maintain a reasonable level of liquid reserves". The liquid foreign exchange reserves stood above $1.4 billion by the end of March: the amount included $327 million of fresh foreign currency deposits of banks placed with the SBP. The term outright purchases from the overseas market refers to the State Bank buying of dollars from the open market - to the tune of $1.37 billion in the first nine months of this fiscal year. "In addition to this low domestic inflation rates (CPI 3.6 per cent up to March) allowed for a degree of stability in the exchange rate that has not been witnessed in the recent past." The report says outright purchases of foreign currency by the SBP "should be viewed as an interim arrangement to finance external deficit while structural problems in the trade sector are (being) rectified". It says once these issues are resolved which should reduce the deficit in the trade/services account the role of such purchases will automatically fall. The report says a rather exceptionally high balance of payment gap of $2.95 billion includes all repayments that have been rescheduled, the roll-over of institutional foreign currency accounts and deposits with the SBP and restructuring of Eurobonds. The SBP report also touches upon the issue of mis-reporting of fiscal data - or figure fudging. It says higher fiscal deficits for fiscal year 97-98 and 98-99 came as a complete surprise: "telltale signs of this lax fiscal position were simply not apparent." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000511 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Privatized companies runs into losses ------------------------------------------------------------------- Muhammad Ilyas ISLAMABAD, May 10: Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has ordered an investigation into the affairs of M/s Pakistan PVC Ltd which has shown only losses and paid no return to its shareholders ever since its privatization in 1992. Yet, the same company had earned a net profit of Rs 20.347m in the year preceding its privatization, according to the order issued by the SECP Commissioner (Enforcement & Monitoring). Listed on the Karachi and Lahore Stock Exchanges in '65, the principal activity of the company with a paid-up capital of Rs 49.86m was to produce and sell resin, pipes and fittings, compound and caustic soda. In the very first year of transfer of management to private sector, the company showed a loss of Rs 81.78m. By the year ending June 30, '99, its current liabilities stood at Rs 493.6m against the current assets of Rs45.2m. On further analysis of the company's accounts, SECP staff found "alarming inconsistencies" relating to gross profit and loss and administrative and selling expenses. Apprehending that affairs of the company were not being managed in accordance with the sound business principles and prudent commercial practices and that its solvency was in danger, the Commission issued a show-cause notice under sec 265 of the Companies Ordinance, '84, (CO) as to why an inspector not be appointed to investigate into the affairs of the company. In reply, Chief Executive of the company contended, inter alia, that though the company was privatized in Feb '92, production facilities were not handed over to the new management until June, '92. Moreover, the Government coerced it into accepting 50% of the Golden Hand Shake which was a major drain on the company's resources. On the basis of the C.E's reply, SECP decided to postpone the proceedings till receipt of accounts for the year ending June 30, '99 and, in the meantime, the company was directed to send quarterly reports with a view to monitoring efforts, if any, by the company to revive the company. It was, however, observed that there was no improvement in the operating results. Accordingly, a hearing in the case was fixed on April 24. Appearing before the Commission, Reyaz Shaffi, Chairman/C.E. of the Company, stated that he had done everything possible for the company and that it could not be revived unless banks provided it with working capital. In this connection, he had also met the Finance Minister who advised him to approach the committee for sick units. Asserting that his hands were clean, Shaffi said he would welcome investigation by an inspector appointed by the Commission. In the order appointing M/s Majeed Uddin & Co., Chartered Accountants, as Inspector, the Commission has directed them to submit report within 60 days. The report, it ordered, should contain findings, inter alia, about the reasons of heavy losses after privatization and for inconsistencies in operating results, whether proper records have been kept by the company as required under sec 230 and 234 of CO, whether an adequate system of internal controls exists so as to prevent misappropriation and mis-application of the Company's assets. Besides, the Inspectors have been asked to investigate where the purchase-and-sales rates of materials charged by the management are comparable with the market rates, and ascertain whether the business was conducted and expenditures incurred in accordance with the objects of the company. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000513 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Revenue loss of Rs300-400 billion: NAB to focus on recovery ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, May 12: Chairman, National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Lt Gen Syed Muhammad Amjad on Friday said that the main thrust of NAB was towards the recovery of Rs300-400 billion revenue losses being suffered per annum on account of leakages and corruption. On the occasion of his visit to APTMA the NAB chief while discussing plans and strategy of the bureau to control corruption and promotion of accountability said, "if this enormous loss of revenue was not plugged, the country will never be able to generate sufficient funds for its developmental expenditures and its debt burden too, will continue to rise beyond limits". General Amjad categorically said that this enormous revenue loss was being suffered mainly because of leakages and evasions in collection of taxes and customs duties made by business community in connivance with revenue collecting agencies. "Honest businessmen have absolutely no reason to fear NAB," he assured APTMA members that all efforts were being made by NAB to settle default issues amicably and out of court and arrests only take place when chronic defaulters refuse reasonable settlements. While setting aside the notion that NAB operations were only targeted towards business and industrial class General Amjad said that out of 126 persons arrested in November 1999, only 26 were businessmen. He assured APTMA members that they should continue their business operations and investments without any fear if they were honestly fulfilling their obligations in respect of payment of taxes, bank loans and other corporate obligations. Chairman, NAB agreed to APTMA's proposal to include their representative in the Reconciliation Committee of NAB which negotiates settlement of dues with defaulters. Chairman APTMA Mohsin Aziz while supporting the need for controlling corruption and promoting accountability, proposed specific improvements in the modus operandi of NAB to make it more effective without damaging the confidence of business and industry. He suggested that the basic objective of NAB's operations should be to expedite recoveries of defaulted loans and overdues through negotiations and amicable settlement. Harsh measures such as, arrests and tarnishing reputation of business concerns should not be done. Above all, Mohsin Aziz said distinction should be made between wilful and non-wilful or circumstantial defaults and demanded that due consideration should be extended to the non-wilful or circumstantial defaulters. Even when action is initiated against a defaulting businessman, his business unit, he said should be allowed to continue operations. Mohsin Aziz demanded that accountability for defaults should not only be restricted to the borrowers but ought to be across the board and must also include the related officers of the lending institutions. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000511 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Draft law withheld: CBR opposes Bara tax ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ikram Hoti ISLAMABAD, May 10: The Law and Justice Division has withheld the draft of a presidential ordinance for giving legal cover to the collection of duty from the Bara traders on shutter basis. Dawn learnt from official sources here on Wednesday that the CBR chairman had already written to the interior ministry that the shutter tax was not permissible under the Customs Act 1969. Accepting the CBR plea, which was submitted the last week, the Law and Justice Division informed the Ministry of Interior that there was no provision for collecting per shutter duty under the Customs Act 1969, and hence there was no provision for issuing an ordinance to give a legal cover to the agreement concluded with the Bara traders' representative bodies for the collection of duty. The federal cabinet's Anti-Smuggling Committee, which met here on Tuesday to review the situation after the agreement for per shutter duty collection, was reportedly told about the L&JD observation on the draft ordinance. This draft was sent the last week by the interior ministry and the CBR jointly to the L&JD where it was to be finalised for approval by Tuesday (today). The approval of ordinance was sought by the Interior Ministry for giving a legal cover to the collection of duty but the CBR was having "second thoughts" about the whole affair, the sources said. The CBR has now pointed out to the interior ministry that the total amount to be generated from the shutter-tax would not be Rs5 billion, as previously calculated, but only Rs700m. They have told the ministry that the per shutter tax levied at Rs1,000, as per the reviewed figures, would be paid on a total of 70,000 shutters. The CBR officials have also pointed out that no final list has been made on shutters containing/selling the smuggled goods exclusively. None of the shutters have so far been clearly claimed as "exclusively" selling smuggled items, the ministry has been told. Apart from this, says the CBR, the previously-compiled figures on smuggled goods lacked two major categories which had to be kept essentially in view for chalking out an anti-smuggling strategy for survey and levy. The first category is that of the locally-produced goods which are sold as foreign goods in the market, including on those shops which are deemed to be exclusively selling the non- duty-paid goods. The second category is of the goods which the importers have placed on the shops throughout the country, mainly in Quetta and the NWFP, for sale after importing them on discounted rate of duty. There are about 750 import manifests with the CBR mentioning that in-bulk goods, mainly electronic goods and kitchen-ware of foreign origin, were imported over the past three to four years at discounted duty rates and then placed on shops known as Bara markets. The Bara traders have been complaining that they have been asked to get listed as shutters for selling non-duty-paid items, whereas they have been selling goods most of which were duty-paid at discounted rates. The technical observation made by the L&JD on the draft of ordinance and the CBR's fresh submissions regarding the status of Bara goods on the Customs Duty Schedule has forced the interior ministry to conduct a review of the whole policy regarding levy of duty on Bara traders, the sources say. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000511 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Move to meet World Bank terms: Civil services to be revamped ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ansar Abbasi ISLAMABAD, May 10: The government has constituted a high-level steering committee, headed by Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, to implement the World Bank's proposed civil service reforms in the country. The bank had asked Pakistan to implement the report "A Framework for Civil Service Reform in Pakistan", which was presented to the government of Pakistan in December 1998 but was not implemented. Some senior bureaucrats, including the secretary-general finance, the secretary establishment and the secretary cabinet, etc, are the members of the steering committee which has made some sub- committees to work out the modalities for the implementation of different aspects of the report. Agencies like the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) have also been engaged by the steering committee so that there is no overlapping of work. The WB report, prepared in response to Pakistan's request, covers the following main topics: the need for reform; employment and personnel expenditure; downsizing; accountability and performance; pay and benefits; pensions; and preparing, sequencing, and managing comprehensive reform. To reduce the increasing public sector wage costs which, according to the WB report, are straining the high-priority non-wage expenditures, irreversible downsizing of civil bureaucracy is necessary. For effective downsizing scheme, the WB suggests the removal of ghost workers and pensioners by undertaking payroll audits; maintaining and tightening the existing recruitment freezes; stopping new work-charged employment and not regularising the existing work- charged staff; terminating all ad hoc appointments and contractual appointments at the end of the contract period; denotifying all unfilled sanctioned posts which have remained vacant for more than one year; ending the practice of 'moveovers'. Identifying corruption as a pervasive and deep-rooted problem in Pakistan affecting the civil service and most other institutions, the WB said that there were twelve laws to deal with corruption apart from the disabling provisions in the constitution. It said that very few corrupt officials were ever convicted. Pressing for a reliable accountability mechanism, the World Bank insists that "it would be preferable if early evidence of corruption were dealt with under the efficiency and discipline rules of the federal and provincial establishment codes which provide for the penalty of dismissal of corrupt civil servants." The report also discussed the role of the Public Service Commissions; the Ombudsman; the Ehtesab Commission; the Pakistan Audit Department; and the PM's (currently CE's) Inspection Commission with regard to the accountability of civil servants. The report says that the government should commission a thorough survey of private sector pay by independent advisers on the basis of which it should consider increasing the basic pay as a measure to attract staff with specific skills and to combat corruption. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000507 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Trade deficit widens to $1.49bn in 10 months ------------------------------------------------------------------- Muhammad Ilyas ISLAMABAD, May 6: Pakistan's trade deficit worsened to $1.49 billion during the first 10 months of 1999-2000, resulting in an increase of 14.6 per cent over the figure for the preceding nine months. The government, it will be recalled, had projected the trade deficit for the entire financial year to be at $1.2 billion. This figure was already surpassed in the first nine months. According to the incomplete figures released by the ministry of commerce here on Saturday, exports during the period totalled $6.92 billion. This works out to an increase of 10.0 per cent over the corresponding period of last year. Even with this increase, the country has achieved only 76.8% of the exports target of $9.0 billion for the year. It is short of the target by $2.08 billion. This means that in order to fulfil the target, the country would have to achieve the average of $1.04 billion in the remaining two months. In the last two months, on the other hand, the monthly average of exports has been $692 million. The same period saw imports also going up by 10.9 per cent to $8.3 billion. Official circles attributed this to rise in petroleum prices. In fact, however, there was a sharp spurt in quantity of petroleum crude import imported in some months of the current financial year. Despite substantial growth in exports during the year, the percentage of imports covered by imports shows a decline from 84% to 83.3% in the last ten months. Nevertheless, the export figures for the month of April show an encouraging turn-around from the negative growth of exports during March,2000. During April, the exports totalled $729 million, up 6 per cent from March, 2000. The performance comes out to be still more impressive when compared with April, 2000, showing an increase of 18%. Another encouraging feature of the month of April 2000 was that it registered 7.5% drop in imports, compared to March 2000. Imports during the month totalled $836 million. This was probably due to declining trend of petroleum prices over the past month. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000513 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Most ISPs reluctant to reduce rates ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, May 12: The euphoria created after Federal Minister for Science and Technology Dr Attaur Rahman announced a 53 per cent reduction in bandwidth charges from May 1 has died down owing to the disappointing attitude of a majority of internet service providers (ISPs) against the government decision. Barring Cybernet which declared a reduction in its rates on Thursday, there seems to be a lukewarm response from the remaining ISPs which are reluctant to pass on the benefit to subscribers. An information technology (IT) expert, when questioned, opined that unless the government resorted to strict measures for implementing its decision, the proliferation of IT in the country would remain a forlorn entity. In wake of the non-implementation of government directives by the ISPs, general consumers, specially students, have expressed strong resentment over the situation, as most of them cannot afford the escalating cost of computer installation and line maintenance. They had pinned high hopes on the outcome of the government announcement but to no avail. Internet users have urged the government to ensure implementation of reduced rates at the earliest.-PPI DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000508 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Telecom services: Licences to be finalized within 7 days ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, May 7: Minister for Science and Technology Attaur Rahman said on Saturday that the government was taking a number of steps to facilitate the Pakistanis, at home and abroad, in the field of information technology, especially in the telecom sector, said a press release. The most significant change made recently was that the licences for various value-added telecom services which required 120 days, after an application was made, would henceforth be decided within seven days by the Pakistan telecommunication authority, he said. The Pakistan telecommunication authority had been asked to receive and entertain applications from companies throughout the year instead of following the existing procedure of receiving applications through advertisements for issuance of licences to operate the existing value-added services like electronic information services, audiotex services, voice mail, cable television and trunk radio services. From now onward licensing would be a continuous process. The minister approved the policy of disposing of licence applications for the value-added telecom Services within seven days. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000513 ------------------------------------------------------------------- KSE 100-share index breaches 1,700-point barrier ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, May 12: The KSE 100-share index on Friday breached the psychological barrier of 1,700 point, second in a week as bears were not inclined to loosen their tight grip and continued unloading long positions in leading base shares. It ended off 51.20 points at 1,672.47. After breaching the barrier of 1,800 point earlier in the week, it showed a resistance to further decline in mid-week trading but as negative news did not allow investors to take new positions even on the blue chip counters, it ended further shaded at the weekend session. Owing to the weakness of PTCL and some other pivotals, which together hold a weightage of over 50 per cent in the KSE 100-share index, it finished with an extended fall of 51.20 points or three per cent and breached the second barrier of 1,700 point at 1,672.47 points in a week as compared to 1,723.67 a day earlier. "It may not fall from the 1,650 point resistance level", a leading stock analyst at Ali Husain Rajabali said adding, "I foresee a robust recovery from this point". But the fall was massive in the overvalued and blue chip shares as investors were in a hurry to get out of the market amid rumours of further decline on renewed selling. "What worried investors most was steep decline in most of the leading MNCs, reflecting the advent of foreign selling owing partly to continued bearish spell", dealers said. Unlike the last couple of sessions, there was, however, no panic rings as investors seem to have fathomed the realities behind the arrest of some top industrialists for alleged financial irregularities, floor brokers said. But a section of leading investors was still worried over reports that the current crackdown on big business will continue and some more "big fish" will be in the net during the next few days. "The arrests may not have lost its relevance to stock trading but the market has certainly come to terms with the developing situation", analysts at the KASB & Co believe. Presence of strong covering purchases despite weekend considerations reflect a change of mind at the investors and that could signal the demise of a bear market, they added. There is a loud whispering in the market that the two top players who have pulled down the market because of their infighting beyond its technical mandate now have come to terms and signalled to behave properly, some dealers claim. "Over 300 point or 15 per cent decline from 2,050 to 1,723 points in the KSE 100-share index just in a week speaks of the intensity of the bear and bull fight", said a member of the KSE. Analyst said, indications are that the market may not fall further Punjab-selling is drying up progressively and the return of investors at the lower levels could push the market to its recently established chart point as did it fell. Leading MNCs, which fell sharply were led by BOC Pakistan, Engro Chemical, Knoll, Singer Pakistan, Shell Pakistan and Lever Brothers, falling by Rs7.00 to 45.00. Other prominent losers were led by Dewan Salman, Pakistan Oilfields, General Tyre, Dawood Hercules, Al-Ghazi Tractors and many others, falling by Rs4.00 to 5.00. But the largest fall was noted in Dawood Cotton, which was quoted spot after falling by Rs15.00.Back to the top
=================================================================== EDITORIALS & FEATURES 20000512 ------------------------------------------------------------------- So what's new? ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayaz Amir TO THE long list of its other achievements the government has added a desert trophy: its handling of the drought crisis afflicting the forgotten corners of Pakistan. If there is any close parallel to this exercise in inertia it lies in the Yahya regime's response to the cyclone which hit East Pakistan in late 1970. While a tidal wave of death and destruction swept over the eastern wing, the military government was slow to respond, paralysed by what I can only think of as a sense of remoteness. East Pakistan and its coastal people were just too far away. Which is a bit like the Bheels of Thar and the Koochis and other nomads of Balochistan. Mainstream Pakistan passes them by. Imagine if the water supply of Islamabad were to be closed for two or three days running. The howls of anguish rising as a result would touch the heavens. The 1970 cyclone at any rate was a sudden calamity which came surging with little warning out of the seething waters of the Bay of Bengal. There has been nothing sudden about the slow march of death across the terrible deserts of Thar and Balochistan. Its grim progress could be seen from a distance, the warning signs deciphered almost six months ago. But true to ourselves, and to one of our foremost national characteristics, we failed to lift a finger in advance. The failure of anticipation was thus complete. Everyone concerned, including the proud and independent press, closed their eyes and their senses to the impending tragedy. When it finally hit us we could only advertise our helplessness. A belated and wet appeal for funds now? Why not three months ago? Water trains to the burning hell of Balochistan now? Why not in early spring? To be fair to the media, a trickle of reports about drought conditions in Thar and Balochistan had started coming through some months ago. But would anyone have cared about them? Looking ahead, in any case, is not our game. When India set off its nuclear firecrackers in this same dire month two years ago, we as a nation could not look ahead two months let alone anything longer. The BJP fire-eater, L.K. Advani, had only to issue a few tough statements for the knights templars of Pakistani national security (may their repeated sins be forgiven) to be stampeded into ill- considered action. Are any tears being shed, any regrets expressed, for that supreme act of juvenile folly? Surely not. Regret for self-inflicted sorrows has always been as difficult for us as the art of anticipation. But the connecting link between these otherwise disparate happenings remains: if we could not foresee the consequences of our nuclear anxiety how could this government, or the administrative structure of Pakistan, respond in time to the developing tragedy in Thar and Balochistan? Even so, now that the worst is upon us and likely to last for the duration of this cruel summer, why is the government finding it so difficult to doff its ties and dark suits and get into a semblance of battle gear for the emergency at hand? True, the National Security Council is a reminder of nothing so much as a slice of Jurassic Park. True, the cabinet looks like nothing more than a breakfast table with too many eggs on it. Even so, these guardians of the national interest could try to look sprightly and alert. Instead of which every screen image of them in session gives an impression of second-rate bankers meeting in the lower reaches of Wall Street: ties, dark suits and bottles of mineral water stacked on the table. Not that the people of Thar and Balochistan have much passion to watch television these days but the feelings of ordinary Pakistanis elsewhere might be considered. Why pour salt over them? Just consider the contrast. Raging thirst across broad expanses of desert. Cool looks, coiffured heads and bottles of mineral water back at the ranch in Islamabad. Great Hollywood copy for which reason Cecil B. de Mille would have loved it. But not smart politics. Even Goebbels, or perhaps especially Goebbels (why is he so maligned?), would have known better. Perhaps at this point a dirge is in order for the helplessness of the Pakistani people. As opposed to the drawing room classes, the mass of the Pakistani people do not care about democracy. They are used to authoritarian ways. In their daily lives they are used to being kicked around by anyone who has authority over them. They want a semblance of good government without really knowing or realizing what good government stands for. Since there is no democracy in their daily lives (I am not counting the newspaper reading public or the chattering classes) and there has not been any for the last 5,000 years, they have always looked to strongmen to deliver them from their condition and give them an approximation of justice and order. But this wait is now exhausted. Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif put them off democracy. A succession of tinpot figures have put them off strong government. Who has caused more harm to the country? Who has more fuelled the fires of cynicism? In this competition the father-figures of authoritarianism beat their democratic counterparts hollow. Benazir and Nawaz Sharif have picked the nation's skin and done a clean job of it. General Zia, Ghulam Ishaq Khan and his bureaucratic henchmen (some of whom are re-inventing themselves as topdog columnists), and General Beg have broken the nation's bones. How to put those bones together is the national task we now face.Any genuine attempt at national reconstruction will have to consider what to do with the upper-crust denizens of Rawalpindi and Islamabad: drive them up the mountains or take them down to the sea. These two cities swarm with retired mandarins and ex-generals whose contribution to the mess we are in is second to none. Mandarins who were experts at democratic obstructionism, spymasters who did everything in the book to further poison the already black atmosphere of the capital, all now posing as bleeding-heart patriots. Even against a backcloth of surrealism such performances would be considered amazing. Not in Pakistan where political hypocrisy has been turned into a fine art. General Karamat now emerging slowly (or is this too a feint?) from self-imposed hibernation asks an important question (in a speech he delivered somewhere): "Having been forced to take over in the national interest, should the army apologize and retreat to the barracks till the next government brings us to the brink of disaster...?" The brink of disaster indeed. Who triggered the 1965 war? Field Marshal Ayub Khan. Who presided over the defeat of the army and the break-up of Pakistan in 1971? General Yahya Khan. Who at disastrous cost turned Pakistan into an American instrument during the upheavals in Afghanistan? General Zia-ul-Haq. Who mishandled Pakistan's role in the Gulf war? General Aslam Beg. Who failed to foresee the consequences of dismissing Benazir Bhutto in November 1996? General Karamat (amongst several others). Who helped push Pakistan into its nuclear tests in May 1998? General Karamat. Who wrote the script for the Kargil adventure? My eyes grow dim and my imagination fails me here. To the study of the past, a past responsible for our disastrous present, we should bring if not great intellectual rigour (not to be found on our supermarket shelves) at least an open mind. In the hammam (Turkish sauna) that is the higher politics of Pakistan no one is innocent. All of us, barring the hapless masses, are equally naked. So in trying to understand the causes of things, which if we do not we will not find our way out of the woods, we must bring to the task a measure of humility. Arrogance or a sense of infallibility sits well on none of us. Tailpiece: Many readers have written to ask where they could send money for the relief effort in Thar and Balochistan. To any convincing charity they would like to donate but not, if they can help it, to the government which (I wonder why) they do not trust. Someone - Muhammad Iqbal Noorani from Toronto, Canada - has even been foolish enough to send me a draft for Rs 50,000 which I am keeping in trust till I know where to send it. Cannot Imran Khan at least for this summer give up his dreams of becoming prime minister (he can return to them in autumn) and spearhead public relief efforts for the affected areas? Who else is there? Edhi. Who else? Hard to say. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000511 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Waiting for tax relief ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sultan Ahmed AT A time when the country was expecting a substantial reduction in furnace oil price, it has been raised by 10 per cent, without taking into account its multiplier effect on the price as a whole. The popular expectation was that the furnace oil price would come down after it had been jacked up by over 40 per cent within a year, to reflect the fall in world oil prices from 31 dollars a barrel to 23 to 25 dollars. Minister for Petroleum Usman Ameenuddin says while the world price of oil has come down,the furnace oil price has gone up because of global shortage. In that case,the prices of other petroleum products should have been lowered as the furnace oil price went up. That is not how the oil prices move in Pakistan ever since oil became a major revenue tool or the hobby horse of the budget- makers, and the government began profiting greatly by that. The finance ministry wants to pocket the difference between the world prices and domestic tariff to make up for the fall in revenues from other sectors, particularly industry where the growth rate expected this year is only 1.5 per cent against the target of 5.5 per cent despite the boom in the textile sector. According to the announced official policy while furnace oil price would be reviewed every month,other oil prices would be reviewed on a quarterly basis. So any relief the consumer may get in respect of other oils will be after June if by that time the world oil prices do not go up or the rupee does not go down further. It is more of a 'tail I win and head you lose' game with the oil sector in total control of the government to be used as a handy revenue balancing tool. Mr. Ameenuddin says the world or the petroleum exporting countries had cut down furnace oil output as the world oil price went under 10 dollars a barrel. So furnace oil price has risen by 11.78 per cent since March and Pakistan lost Rs. 800 million on that score in a month. And the already giddy price of that oil has been raised from Rs. 8,800 a tonne to Rs. 9,680. The price rise came two days after Gen. Zulfikar Ali Khan, chairman of WAPDA had protested against the 40 per cent rise in the price and said that either the government compensated WAPDA or let it increase the power rates. But he is not in favour of increasing power rates as those rates have to be kept affordable. Now instead of the 40 per cent rise in furnace oil price he had protested against, he has a 50 per cent rise and a larger revenue deficit to cope with. The price rise is said to increase the deficit of KESC by Rs. 150 million a month when it is already in extreme financial straits. Along with that,the gas prices too are to be raised. Finance minister Shaukat Aziz says that will not be done before the budget. When the furnace oil and gas prices go up, power rates will cost more and that would increase the cost of production and exports. Should that be done when exports went up in April by only six per cent instead of the targeted average of 15 per cent, and industrial output rises by 1.5 per cent against the modest target of 5.5 per cent? So the chambers of commerce and industry have protested against the rise in furnace oil price and called for its withdrawal. Some business groups clamour for a 30 per cent cut in power rates. When Mr. Ameenuddin talks of a loss of Rs. 800 million on account of the rise in furnace oil price, does he say that after adding the stiff petroleum surcharge to the price or before that? He has not clarified. It could well be after the government had its share of high taxes on oil. Secretary general of finance Moeen Afzal says the government is no longer using oil surcharge as an unlimited revenue tool. He says the government has decided on a fixed revenue cushion of Rs. 42 billion both as petroleum surcharge and sales tax, out of which the surcharge alone would be Rs. 32 billion. That means a half of that of Rs. 16 billion would be sales tax from that source. But out of the total revenue or surcharge of Rs. 32 billion expected in the whole year,it has collected Rs. 29.5 billion during the first nine months of the year ending March 31, according to the State Bank of Pakistan's latest quarterly report. That means it has to collect only Rs. 2.5 million as surcharge during the last quarter of this financial year and it could certainly have done without the 10 per cent increase in furnace oil price. The temptation of the government to collect as much as possible through the petroleum surcharge is too strong for it to heed the limit it sets for itself or the IMF prescribes. So instead of the target of Rs. 43.4 billion it had set as petroleum surcharge,it collected Rs. 73 billion last year as the world oil prices crashed and set a target of Rs. 63 billion for the current year. But the world oil prices tripled this year and so that target for the current year was lowered to Rs. 32 billion plus Rs. 12 billion as sales tax. But a total of Rs. 29.5 billion has already been collected in the first nine months of the year while we have not been told of the total sales tax collection from petroleum so far. Agriculture has again come to the rescue of the country. That helps the country to achieve an economic growth of 4.4 per cent against the target of 5 per cent. That may not be very heartening but is far better than the last year's economic growth of 3.1 per cent with agriculture marking,an increase in output of just 0.4 per cent. The good cotton crop and expected bumper wheat crop have made a lot of difference and eliminated the need for importing wheat. But the manufacturing sector's performance despite the boom in textile sector has been very disappointing. Its increase by 1.5 per cent compared to 4.7 per cent last year and the targeted rise of 5.5 per cent this year has a serious impact on revenues, employment and exports. The small scale manufacturing sector has also grown by only 5.3 per cent against the uniform growth of 8.4 per cent claimed over the years, which possibly was more of an exaggeration. As a result of the downturn in industry, particularly sugar, the service sector is also expected to register a growth of only 4.5 per cent against the target of 5.3 per cent. While a boom in agriculture which has grown by 5.4 per cent against the target of 4.3 per cent, is good for the economy and the country as a whole it is not a markedly tax paying sector. And yet tax collection has improved by 18 per cent against last year's collection but is below the target set for the current year by over Rs. 20 billion. As a result,the budget deficit may be 5.46 per cent of the GDP instead of the budgeted 3.3 per cent. If no fudging of the accounts is to be done this year, unlike what was done during the last two years, the deficit has to go up. How the IMF with its focus on reducing budget deficit reacts to this larger deficit remains to be seen. The finance minister with his modernistic ways of doing things has been singing a sweet song to the taxpayers. He wants to reduce the number of federal and provincial taxes and lower the taxation rates, and do away with irritants like wealth tax which produces less revenues and more vexation to the taxpayers. The next budget was to be the landmark for these extremely welcome steps. But now he has said in Lahore that taxes would not be reduced in the next budget. But if revenue generation picked up after simplification of the tax regime,the tax rates would be reduced in future budgets. He says simplification of the tax regime is being done to ensure larger revenues through a broader tax base. He has also said that the government had finalised a strategy to broaden the tax base along with the decrease in the number in both federal and provincial taxes. And he would present details of the new tax structure by the end of this month, ahead of the annual budget. We have to have his proposals before us complete with details to know how he proposes to minimize the procedure and maximize revenue collection. He will rely on sales tax through which he is to collect Rs. 44 billion more and on income tax to collect Rs. 40 billion more. How is he going to do that without inviting an uproar from the quarters concerned? It has been said the Bara markets have been selling smuggled goods worth Rs. 140 billion which evaded taxes to the extent of Rs. 40 billion. But the fact is if goods at Bara Markets were not tax free,public purchases would not have been so much. So closure of the Bara markets would bring in far less as revenues than the smugglers now earn. His assumptions and presumptions are based on so many questionable premises, that their validity would be known only after we have his new proposals in clear terms.
=================================================================== SPORTS 20000510 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rain-hit Guyana Test abandoned as a draw ------------------------------------------------------------------- GEORGETOWN, May 9: West Indies and Pakistan drew the rain-wrecked first Test of their three-match series on Tuesday after the final day was abandoned because the pitch was unplayable. The entire fourth day had also been lost after a three-hour torrential downpour on Monday morning left much of the Bourda pitch, which lies slightly below sea level, under water. Ground staff attempted to mop up some of the remaining water on Tuesday morning but their task, with the outfield still soaked, appeared impossible and another shower speeded up the inevitable. The match had been delicately poised when bad light stopped play on Sunday, with the West Indies on 222 for seven in reply to Pakistan's first innings total of 288 all out. The first two hours and 20 minutes of Sunday's play were also lost to rain, while bad light cost the teams a further hour in the evening. The outcome is bound to fuel the controversy over the West Indies Cricket Board's (WICB) decision to play at Bourda, which is notoriously slow to drain, at the start of the rainy season. It was the first time an attempt had been made to play a Test in Georgetown after the end of the April, when the drier season ends. The WICB had drawn up emergency measures to move the Test to Jamaica after unseasonal rain during April but dry weather in the 10 days up to the match left the outfield in good condition and it went ahead as planned. In the event, CANA (Caribbean News Agency) radio said a move to Jamaica would have been even more embarrassing as it had rained there on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the first three days of the Test. The limited action which took place confirmed that both teams, who meet again in Barbados starting on May 19 before the final Test in Antigua, were stronger in the bowling than the batting department. It was also clear that team spirit in the West Indies side had improved greatly since Jimmy Adams, under whom the West Indies are unbeaten in three Tests, took over as captain from Brian Lara.- Reuters DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000511 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Qayyum report won't affect current players ------------------------------------------------------------------- LAHORE, May 10: The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia said on Wednesday that there is no planned match- fixing and betting as far Pakistani players are concerned. He made these observations while talking to newsmen at Qadhafi stadium here. "I think so that the present members of the team will not be affected by the outcome of the Justice Qayyum report," he said. He said Qayyum report will be made public within next ten days and there will be no further delay in publicizing the report. "I have shown and discussed this report both with President Muhammad Rafiq Tarar, who is also the Patron of the Board, and Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf," he said. He said he has read the report twice and is busy making its brief summary which will be sent to the Patron and the government for seeking approval to make it public. Tauqir Zia said he met Justice Qayyum last night to seek legal clarifications on some points of the report. "It is a well written report which thoroughly covers all aspects of the alleged allegations of match-fixing on some cricketers and Justice Qayyum wrote down the report after analyzing facts and evidences," he said. He assured that the report will not be changed in any circumstances and whatever Justice Qayyum has recommended will be made public and implemented. Tauqir Zia hinted that the Qayyum report found one or two cricketers involved in match-fixing but there was no proper evidence in this regard to prove their involvement. "We want to close the issue of match-fixing for ever and after making this report public this issue will be buried," he said. He said Pakistan's image will be at the top worldwide after the publication of this report as it will set a unique trend to probe a sporting issue through a judicial commission in a very well organised manner . -APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000511 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Saeed ruled out of West Indies tour ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, May 10: Saeed Anwar has finally been ruled out of the West Indies tour after failing to recover in time for the remaining two Tests. "He is still not match fit. We are now hoping that he would regain fitness for the Asia Cup which follows immediately after the West Indies tour," chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia said from Lahore. "We have four openers in the West Indies so there is no need to rush a reinforcement," the general added. Saeed underwent orthoscopy on his right knee in March but is still feeling the pain. "I have an appointment with a specialist in Lahore on Friday. He saw the wound earlier this week and said it (knee) doesn't look good," Saeed said, adding: "The specialist would also watch the video of my surgery before advising me what to do next." Saeed said there was no point in going to the West Indies knowing that he was not match fit. "It's pointless. I don't want to be a liability on the team. "It would definitely hurt when I will look back at my career knowing that I haven't played cricket in the West Indies. But you can't risk your team and yourself just to cherish one dream," he said. The former captain said he would continue his training to regain fitness for Pakistan's tour of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20000507 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Tarar seeks clarifications on match-fixing report ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter ISLAMABAD, May 6: President Rafiq Tarar, the Patron of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), has sought certain constitutional, legal and administrative clarifications on the match-fixing and betting report from the PCB Chairman,Lt. Gen. Tauqir Zia, before announcing any directives on its implementation. The PCB chairman called on the president at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Saturday morning to discuss the implementation of the Justice Malik Qayyum's recommendations against certain cricketers whose involvement in the match-fixing and betting has been proven through the one-man judicial commission. During the half an hour meeting, the president made a few observations with regard to constitutional, legal and administrative points before taking any decisions on the implementation of the Justice Qayyum report. Talking to Dawn, the PCB chairman said that he would be leaving for Lahore on Sunday to collect answers to the required queries sought by the president, who is a former Supreme Court judge. The recently hired PCB's legal adviser, Naveed Rasool,will work out the details on the specific observations made by the president, it was stated. The general said that the answers to the observations made by the president will be completed within next week and then resubmitted to the PCB patron. He remained firm on making the report public within ten day's time, when asked whether PCB would want to delay the report till the end of the current West Indies tour. "I don't think we have that much time on our hands," he said. Meanwhile, a nine-line press release, issued from the President House after the meeting, stated the president had sought clarification on certain important points and resubmission of the report alongwith requisite details from the PCB chairman. It stated that the president had only received the report on Friday and added that the president hopes that there would be no undue delay in the matter. It also stated that the PCB chairman apprised the president about the steps being taken to promote cricket in the country. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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