------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 14 October 2000 Issue : 06/39 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Contents | National News | Business & Economy | Editorials & Features | Sports
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CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + Pakistan relaxes visa rules: 16 states on negative list + PML fails to show strength: Khosa claims countless workers held + Arms for India will destabilize region: Pakistan expresses concern + Musharraf says he won't form political party + Body set up to revive sick units, says CE + Musharraf spells out six achievements of his Government + Names of 87 members MPs deleted from ECL + Ordinance banning chemical weapons promulgated + Joint commission meeting begins with Malaysia + Hoti gets 14-year RI in motorway case + Benazir grieved at Wahid Bhutto's killing + Pakistan News Network poised for launch in face of PTV opposition + US expresses concern over blasphemy law + Pakistan criticized for HR violations --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + Micro-Finance Bank not to lend over Rs50,000 per person + Date extended for filing returns + Tax returns show discrepancies: CBR briefs CE on recovery drive + State Bank to intensify monitoring system + Exemption to three industries may go: New deletion plan soon + Hubco chief protests against govt action + Steps taken to stabilize rupee, says Shaukat + Trade deficit at $508m: July-Sept + Rescheduling of $2.2bn debt service payments on cards + Home remittances double, foreign investment falls + Farm loans decline by 8% + List of GST-free kitchen items released + Rs700 billion investment plan to push growth to 6% --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + The storming of the Supreme Court - II Ardeshir Cowasjee + The nation and its redeemers Ayaz Amir + Jumping ship Irfan Husain ----------- SPORTS + ICC backs PCB call for World Cup probe + Changes in top order likely: Bari
=================================================================== DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS 20001014 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan relaxes visa rules: 16 states on negative list ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ansar Abbasi ISLAMABAD, Oct 13: The government announced an extensive relaxation of visa rules to be effective from Monday (Oct 16), and also abolished the requirement of police registration for nationals from most countries, except for those on a negative list. The new rules, announced by Interior Minister Lt Gen (retd) Moinuddin Haider at a news conference on Friday, were aimed at attracting investment and tourists. The nationals of 16 countries put on the negative list will however not benefit from the new measures. These 16 countries are: Algeria, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and its nationals settled abroad, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, Libya, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Tanzania, Uganda and Yemen. Police registration has been abolished for nationals from most countries, except for those from the negative list. This includes Indian nationals and those of Indian origin who have obtained other foreign nationalities. In the news conference which also briefly touched upon the one-year performance of the interior ministry, Moinuddin Haider announced the following measures to simplify the foreigners problems with regard to obtaining visas: TOURIST VISA: All tourists (except for nationals of countries on the negative list) will be issued a 30-day Landing Permit at airports and other entry points, on arrival. Regional passport offices will grant entry visa up to three months on application, if the tourists are within the validity period of the landing permit. A further extension of up to three months can also be granted by these offices, on application. These passport offices will also allow one of two re-entries to the tourists, on application, charging visa fees as fixed on a reciprocal basis, subject to a minimum of US$10 only. For Northern Areas, the deputy commissioner of Gilgit is authorized to allow extension in visa and one re-entry to tourists in the Northern Areas. He would, however, exercise these powers himself and would not delegate these powers to his sub-ordinate. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001013 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PML fails to show strength: Khosa claims countless workers held ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter LAHORE, Oct 12: Except for a small gathering at the Muslim League House, the PML could not arrange any significant activity to observe the black day here on Thursday due to what Punjab PML president Sardar Zulfikar Khosa said harassment of workers by the police and administration. He also attributed the arrest of "countless" workers to the poor show of strength. Even seven members of the eight-man organizing committee made for the gathering, including its head, failed to turn up. The only member at the Muslim League House was suspended MNA Pervez Malik. It was learnt that the rest had abstained because of the rejection of their plea by Begum Kulsoom Nawaz that the meeting should be held in the basement of the party's secretariat and not on its lawns. Begum Kulsoom, who was detained in Rawalpindi, had reportedly asked an important party member by telephone to approach the court against her detention but nothing in this connection was done. The police, in uniform and civvies, stood guard at every important crossing and place in the city with their high-ups making off and on visits to supervise the arrangements made to disallow any PML worker to stage a protest in the home town of the deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif. The situation continued to be monitored at the Governor's House by the army authorities and the civil administration. Contrary to the PML announcement, no person was seen wearing a black armband. No black flag was hoisted at any place, including the Muslim League House and the Model Town residence of Mr Sharif where a handful of workers had held Quran Khwani in the morning. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001010 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Arms for India will destabilize region: Pakistan expresses concern ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hasan Akhtar ISLAMABAD, Oct 9: Pakistan expressed concern on Monday over a recent arms deal between Russia and India as it would have destabilizing impact on the region. The foreign ministry spokesman, Riaz Mohammed Khan, told a news conference that in contrast to Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf's call to India for mutual reduction in arms and armed forces, the Indo-Russian massive arms deal during Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent visit to New Delhi had caused natural concern which would destabilize the region. He said that the Indian ambitions which were evident in the recent 28 per cent increase in its defence budget, fresh massive arms induction "does not augur well for promoting a security environment of trust, peace, stability and confidence" in the already highly tense South Asia. Instead, he urged the major powers to play a positive role by persuading India to resolve disputes and differences (with Pakistan) and follow the path of dialogue and cooperation. Pakistan pursued a policy of restraint and avoidance of arms race, conventional as well as nuclear, Mr Khan said recalling that in his UN Millennium Summit speech in New York last month, the chief executive had offered to India mutual reduction in forces. The spokesman reiterated, "Our defence is impregnable and the world knows we have the capability to deter any aggressive designs against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan". He was responding to remarks made by Indian deputy foreign minister Ajit Kumar Panja, who said Musharraf was the only world leader hostile to India. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001011 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf says he won't form political party ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ashraf Mumtaz LAHORE, Oct 10: The Chief Executive, Gen Pervez Musharraf, said on Tuesday he might give "serious thought" to the idea of reviving the assemblies. This he stated at a news conference at the Governor's House when a reporter suggested that since the challenges facing the country were gigantic, the CE should review his opinion about the assemblies and seek cooperation from political forces. The CE also said he might give serious thought to the idea of formation of a national government. "Though it is an uphill and impractical idea in the prevalent situation, I would consider the proposal," adds PPI. He said he had no hesitation to restore the assemblies but the leadership of both major political parties had been experiencing odd situation. And the rest of the political leadership had divergent views, therefore it was difficult to bring them at a single platform. After the local bodies election, he said, poll for the national and provincial assemblies would be held before October 2002, our staff reporter continues. The CE gave an assessment of his government's performance during the first year in office at his first press briefing in the Punjab capital which continued for about three hours. He said he would take steps to ensure that the "army did not have to intervene again and no future government could undo the system given by him". The army, the CE said, was supposed to save the country from internal and external threats. There was a need for safeguards against any military takeover, he said, adding: "We are taking such steps." In the past, he said, the presidents, prime ministers and army chiefs had been committing mistakes. But now, he added, there should be a system to stop repetition of such mistakes. He dismissed as "mere non-sense" assertions by political parties that the local government system proposed by him was unworkable. Political parties, he said, had failed to keep people away from election in the past and they would not succeed in the future. Gen Musharraf said he would ensure the continuity and sustainability of the LB system which would provide for checks and balances, and no future government would be bale to reverse it. He did not elaborate how he would achieve the goal. However, he said, a number of options were under consideration for the purpose. He denied that he had any intention to form his own political party. He said he had stated it many times before and he was reiterating it now that he had no such intentions. Punjab Governor Mohammad Safdar, Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, Commerce Minister Razzak Dawood, NRB chairman Gen Tanvir Naqvi and NAB chairman Lt-Gen Khalid Maqbool were present. The general did not seem inclined to associate political parties with his government to implement his agenda. He said a consensus could not be evolved in presence of parties with divergent views. Had the suggestion been practicable, he would have implemented it without delay, he said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001011 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Body set up to revive sick units, says CE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter LAHORE, Oct 10: The government will extend the date for filing of tax returns and simplify the tax forms, Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf declared on Tuesday. Talking to reporters here, he regretted that people had to face difficulties because of complicated forms. He admitted that the country faced many economic problems, but at the same time he said that the downward slide had been stopped as a result of the measures taken by the government. Some steps that had led to the price-hike, he said, had been taken to meet conditionalities set by the IMF and the World Bank. Unless Pakistan stood on its own feet, such conditionalities would have to be met, he regretted. He denied that Pakistan's economy was hostage to its Kashmir policy. The CE said the government would step up the privatization process to retire its debt and raise foreign exchange reserves. By June, he said, the government estimated to get up to $4 billion form the privatization proceeds. According to him, some 800 litigation cases about the privatization were pending before courts and the government would promulgate an ordinance to overcome the problem. Gen Musharraf said it had been decided as a matter of policy that one major asset would be sold every month or after every two months. The PTCL, PSO, PPL and OGDC were being privatized in a manner that the government would keep 49 per cent of their shares with it. "We'll keep the strategic control with us." He said he had already asked the United Nations that Pakistan should be allowed to divert its debt to health, education and other social sectors, and added that the idea had been well received. Revival of economy, he said, was one of his top priorities and he was taking various measures for the purpose. He said a "Corporate and Industrial Restructuring Corporation" had been set up which would revive some 4,000 sick units. The economic situation, he stated, had already started improving, and foreign private investment and remittances from overseas Pakistanis had registered an increase. The agricultural sector was also improving as the production of various crops had gone up remarkably. The increase in the support price of wheat alone had benefited the growers to the tune of Rs60 billion. He said it was a fact that prices of some items had registered an increase, but, he added, with the improvement in the overall economic situation the prices would also come under control. He stated that information technology would be promoted on a priority basis. He denied the impression that capital flight was taking place at an alarming pace. GDP GROWTH:The CE said that the country's GDP had registered 4.8pc growth in 1999-2000 against 3.1pc recorded last year, showing promising trends in the economy, adds APP. Large-scale industrial production recorded over 6pc growth, while there was an improvement in foreign private investment by $100 million, from $450 million to $543 million, he said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001011 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf spells out six achievements of his Government ------------------------------------------------------------------- LAHORE, Oct 10: Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf spelled out six achievements his government has accomplished at the end of its first year in office, on Tuesday morning. Speaking at a news conference at Governor's House, he said the government has rebuilt a relationship of trust between the people and the government. Secondly, the Chief Executive said, the government has enforced a strict code of ethics for the holders of public office. Thirdly, he pointed out that the macro-level corruption has been rooted out. Billions of rupees were being siphoned off and there was a general loot and plunder taking place in the government organisations which has now been stopped. General Musharraf said, his government had been "honest, direct and upfront with the people of Pakistan and the world at large, without fear or favour." For the first time in Pakistan, the Chief Executive stated, the process of completely impartial and even-handed accountability has been initiated and is continuing without pressure from any quarter. Fifthly, he said, the government has facilitated freedom of speech to an unprecedented level. "We have supported and strengthened a free and independent press and we will maintain that." Lastly, the Chief Executive said, his government has strengthened Pakistan's relations with the international community in a positive and productive manner at a difficult time in the country's history, and during a period of tension in South Asia.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001014 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Names of 87 members MPs deleted from ECL ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, Oct 13: The government has allowed 87 members of the suspended senate and legislative assemblies, both national and provincial, to visit abroad and deleted their names from the exit control list. Those declared clear for travelling abroad include 19 members of the suspended national assembly, 10 suspended senators and 58 are members of the suspended provincial assemblies. Interior minister Moinuddin Haider told newsmen in a press conference here on Friday that the ECL with this deletion now contained the names of only 210 politicians. The total number of persons on the ECL is, however, 4,271. Before the military take-over, he said, there were a total of 2,258 persons on the ECL which inflated and went up to 5,870 figure as a consequence of the change in the government. The ECL was revised and almost 2000 names were deleted recently, the minister said. According to the list provided by the minister the suspended MNAs whose names have been removed from the ECL include A K Shams, Adnan Aurangzeb, Ajaz Mahmood, Capt (R) Haleem A Siddiqui, Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Haji Zamir Gul (Zarin Gul), Inayat Khan, Mian Ghulam Abbas Qureshi, Mohammad Iqbal Bossal, Pervaiz Malik, Qaiser Ahmed Sheikh, Raja Mohammad Afzal Khan, Sahibzada Mohiuddin Khosa, Shabbir Ahmed Chandio, Shahzad Farooq Anwar Khan, Sheikh Liaqat Hussain, Sheikh Tahir Rasheed and Syed Ali Nawaz Shah. Such suspended senators include Abdul Rehman Haji, Faridullah Khan, Haji Mohammad Shah Afridi, Khalid Anwar, Mian Raza Rabbani, Begum Nasreen Jalil, Mian Saifullah Pracha, Mir Nabi Bux Domki, Dr Safdar Ali Abbasi and Sir Anjam Khan. The suspended members of the provincial assemblies excluded from the ECL include Abdul Rehman, Abdul Subhan Khan, Ali Afzal Khan Jadoon, Ali Raza Derashik, Amjad Hameed Dasti, Asadullah Baloch, Chaudhry Mohammad Iqbal, Chaudhry Khalid Javed, Farhat Aziz Mazari, Fateh Mohammad Khan, Fatehullah Khan Miankhel, Fazal Haq, Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Hafiz Iqbal Ahmed Khakwani, Haji Abdul Rehman Khan, Haji Ghulam Rasool Khan Shadikhel, Haji Imdad Hussain, Haji Mohammad Sharif, Haji Sajaullah Khan Miankhel, Iftikharuddin Khattak, Jam Masooq Ali, Jan Mohammad Khattak, Khawaja Riaz Mehmood, M Saleem Bandhani, Makhdoom Ali Akbar Mahmood, Malik Jahanzeb, Malik Azhar Abbas, Mansha Sindhu, Manzoor Ahmed Mohal, Mehr Mauhammad Aslam Khan Bharwana Sial, Mian Abdul Sattar (PP 124), Mian Abdul Sattar (PP 234), Mian Gul Asfandyar Amirzaib, Mian Shoukat Lalika, Mian Sikandar Ali Doultana, Mir Abdul Jabbar, Mohammad Afzal Khan, Mohammad Aslam, Mohammad Hussain, Mohammad Kamran Jaffari, Mohammad Sardar Khan Watto, Mohammad Tariq Khan Swati, Mohammad Yousaf Khan Trand, Munsaf Khan, Prince Musa Jan, Saeed Ahmed, Sardar Chakar Khan Domki, Sardar Maqsood Ahmed Khan Leghari, Sardar Mohammad Arif Nakai (expired), Sardar Mohammad Awais Khan Leghari, Seth Mohammad Aslam, Sh Mohammad Aslam son of Sh Ghulam Ahmed, Shafqat Rabera, Sheikh Khalil Ahmed, Syed Ali Akbar Mahmood, Syed Ali Shah, Syed Zeeshan Elahi Shah and Wakil Ahmed Jamali. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001012 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ordinance banning chemical weapons promulgated ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Oct 11: President Rafiq Tarar on Wednesday promulgated Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation Ordinance, 2000 prohibiting development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons. The ordinance, which comes into force at once, also bans transfer, directly or indirectly, a chemical weapon to anyone. It also prohibits any person to engage in any military preparations to use the chemical weapons. The ordinance was promulgated in pursuance of Pakistan's efforts to implement the Chemical Weapons Convention ratified by it in October 1997. "No person shall assist, encourage or induce, in any way, any other person to engage in any activity prohibited to a State Party under the Convention," the ordinance said. It also prohibits use of 'riot control agent' as a method of warfare. "Whosoever contravenes the provisions of this section shall be guilty of an offence punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty five years." The ordinance also prohibits construction of any premises or equipment for producing chemical weapons. It also bans production, use, acquisition, possession, transfer, import or export of toxic chemicals and precursors. Secretary of ministry of foreign affairs has been named as National Authority who shall ensure effective operation of this ordinance. The National Authority (Foreign Secretary) will also carry out, on behalf of Pakistan, such obligations which Pakistan has under the Convention. -APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001013 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Joint commission meeting begins with Malaysia ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: The second meeting of the Pakistan-Malaysia Joint Commission (PMJC) commenced here in Islamabad on Thursday, aimed at promoting bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, science and information technology, a Press release said on Thursday. Among some of the other issues on the agenda relate to technical cooperation, education, agriculture, science and technology, petroleum and natural resources, water and power, population welfare, sports and culture. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar, who co-chaired the meeting with his Malaysian counterpart, Syed Hamid Albar, said that Pakistan would welcome investment from Malaysia in its privatisation programme. He said Pakistan could provide a hospitable investment environment for Malaysian manufacturers who were considering shifting labour- intensive industries overseas. The Malaysian foreign minister, in his opening statement, said that the convening of the second PMJC, the first in the new millennium, was timely and opportunate. He said it provided a useful platform to discuss, review and take stock of the progress of bilateral cooperation that had been agreed upon. Referring to the frequent exchange of visits including that of the Chief Executive, he said, these visits bore testimonies to the growing brotherly relations that exist between the two countries. APP adds: Mr Sattar said the government is striving hard to reconstruct and de-politicize state institutions, ensure across- the-board accountability and devolve power to the grass-root level. Pakistan wishes to learn from the Malaysian experience in achieving these goals, he said. During the past year, he said, Pakistan has displayed positive economic performance. As a result of sound policies, the economic situation has stabilised and growth has been restored. Market-based incentives and deregulation of the economy have meant that the country is again seeing significant economic growth. During 1999-2000, the economy grew by 4.8 per cent, led by an unprecedented increase in agricultural production and textile manufacturing. Inflation was below four per cent, although the steep rise in petroleum prices and debt servicing have generated hardship for our country and people. The Foreign Minister said the First Meeting of the Joint Commission held in Kuala Lumpur in 1997 identified a number of proposals and projects for joint action. Our task at this meeting will be to take this process forward and to further expand, deepen and diversify our cooperation in the economic, industrial and other fields, he added. He said that in the twenty-first century, it is the private sector which has emerged as the engine of progress and prosperity. Like many other developing countries, in Pakistan also many public sector corporations are being privatized and opened up to foreign investment. Pakistan would very much welcome Malaysian investments in its privatisation programme. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001008 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hoti gets 14-year RI in motorway case ------------------------------------------------------------------- Intikhab Amir ATTOCK, Oct 7: The Attock Fort accountability court on Saturday awarded 14 years rigorous imprisonment and Rs20 million fine to former communications minister Azam Khan Hoti for misuse of power in the installation of emergency telephone system on the Islamabad- Lahore section of Motorway. Co-accused Shahmir Khan, managing director of the Karachi-based M/s SIPKA, was sentenced to a collective RI of 14 years and Rs50 million fine. Both stand disqualified from contesting any election and holding public office for 21 years. Judge Farrukh Lateef found Mr Hoti, an ANP leader, guilty of the charges levelled against him under section 9(a)(iv) of the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance, 1999, and convicted him under section 9(a)(vi) read with section 10(a) of the ordinance. Mr Shahmir was convicted of two charges - receiving seven years RI in each. He would separately pay Rs30 million and Rs20 million in the two charges. Mr Shahmir, 72, was convicted under section 9(a)(vi) read with section 10(b) of the NAB Ordinance, 1999. The sentences awarded to him would run consecutively. Thus, he would spend a total of 14 years RI. In default of payment, declared the court, Mr Hoti would undergo an additional three-year RI. Mr Shahmir would undergo three years RI more if failed to pay the fine. The court directed the convicts to deposit the fine within 30 days failing which it shall be recovered through warrant for levy of fine under section 386(b) of the CrPC. It held that the convicts could file appeal against the judgment in the Lahore High Court within 10 days from the announcement of the verdict. According to the prosecution, Mr Hoti had misused his authority being the minister in the award of the contract for the installation of emergency telephone system on M2 in November, 1997. He was accused of issuing verbal instructions to the then managing director of the Carrier Telephone Industries (CTI), a subsidiary of the PTCL, to impose a condition in the letter of intent of M/s Telconet, an Islamabad-based firm which had initially been given the contract, binding it to complete 40 per cent of the work within 12 days. When M/s Telconet expressed inability to meet the deadline, Mr Hoti issued verbal instructions to the CTI MD to cancel the letter of intent of M/s Telconet and awarded the contract to M/s SIPKA. Mr Shahmir was charged on two counts: of corrupt practices when he managed to win over the project in connivance with the accused No 1, and causing a loss of Rs32 million to the exchequer as he had supplied the system non-conformable to the specifications mentioned in the tender documents. The 42 page judgment contained that "in rebuttal of the evidence produced by the prosecution, virtually nothing was produced in defence. They did not even bother to enter the witness box and make statements on oath to disprove the allegations against them". DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001008 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Benazir grieved at Wahid Bhutto's killing ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Oct 7: The former prime minister and chairperson of the Pakistan People's Party, Benazir Bhutto, has praised chief executive Gen Musharaf and his team for responding quickly to the message regarding the disappearance of Sardar Wahid Buksh Bhutto. "This quick response by Gen Musharaf and his team enabled the capture of a key killer even as he stood poised to flee Pakistan by crossing into neighboring Iran," Ms Bhutto said in a statement here on Saturday. She said the brutal murder of Sardar Wahid Buksh Bhutto would have a "far-reaching effect on the members of the Bhutto tribe who demand that his killers be brought before the courts of law and punished for the heinous crime they have committed". In a message to the members of the Bhutto tribe and to Amir Bhutto, younger brother of the Sardar, on Saturday, Ms Bhutto mourned the killing of Sardar Wahid Buksh Bhutto. "I have been saddened and shocked by his untimely murder," she said, adding that Sardar Bhutto had been a "young boy" when his father Sardar Pir Buksh Bhutto had died.-NNI DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001014 Pakistan News Network poised for launch in face of PTV opposition ------------------------------------------------------------------- M. Ziauddin ISLAMABAD, Oct 13: Pakistan News Network (PNN), an exclusive news and current affairs channel of the Pakistan Television Corporation, is all set to start its transmissions from November 26 in the face of, what appears to be, strong opposition from powerful elements within the corporation. Considered to be a baby of Information Minister Javed Jabbar, the PNN is being reportedly seen by PTV Managing Director Yousuf Baig Mirza as a potential threat for the 9 o'Clock news bulletin and PTV's other current affairs programmes. The thinking among the PTV high-ups opposing the PNN is that, what the new network was being assigned to do could easily be done by the present news and current affairs setup itself with a little bit of improvement in the quality of news gathering and presentation. However, those pushing for the PNN believe that there was nothing one could do any more to help the PTV news bulletin regain its lost credibility because of the continuous misuse of the channel by successive governments for propaganda purposes. The PNN, which is headed by veteran TV newsman Burhanuddin Hassan, has already recruited some 120 persons including news reporters and presenters. It is now in the process of recruiting engineers for the setup. Most of the reporters and presenters have been recruited on casual basis as the government as well as the PTV management have so far refused to allow the PNN to appoint permanent employees. The PNN, however, has the latest equipment and it has fitted itself with the most sophisticated high-tech gadgetry including round-the- clock monitoring of most of the world channels and internet downloading facilities. The PNN is expected to use the camera extensively for presenting news items and it will have bureau offices in almost all the cities and towns in the country as well as in the major world capitals. Those who are opposed to the channel within the PTV also express the suspicion that after it has been established the channel will be privatized to one or the other favourite of the government of the day. The channel, which is being launched on Nov 26, the day on which the PTV had started its transmission in 1964, according to its proponents would set new trends on news coverage in Pakistan. "To telecast all the news that is fit for telecast," is on the top of a set of eight points enlisted by the ministry for information and media development as the objectives of launching a complete new channel. The ministry also plans to launch a fulfledged external service of the PNN. To start with PNN, would telecast news bulletins in Hindi, Bengali and Chinese. The news bulletins in regional languages are being included with an objective to counter anti-Pakistan propaganda from any quarter, specially from our hostile neighbour. The PNN transmission will also contain instant comments by a panel of experts on significant stories of the day. The PNN transmission, which will be beamed throughout the region on Asia Sat and on STN domestically, will be divided into three main chunks. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001009 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US expresses concern over blasphemy law ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent WASHINGTON, Oct 8: The operation of the blasphemy law is critically examined in a dispatch from Lahore published here on Saturday which seeks to draw attention to the condition of the Christian minority in Pakistan. The dispatch, carried on the front page of The Washington Times from one of its correspondents, claims that Christians in the country face an uneasy future as the growing religious fervour of its overwhelmingly Muslim majority promotes attacks on all minorities, with Christians especially vulnerable. It quotes a senior State Department official as saying: "The United States is concerned about the situation of religious minorities in Pakistan. We are concerned about abuse of blasphemy laws and concerned that Gen Pervez Musharraf appeared to abandon an effort to reform those laws in the face of opposition. This is a serious problem." The dispatch does not indicate when the comment was made by the State Department It also has rebuttal from a spokesman of the Pakistan embassy in Washington to the effect that Christians are a protected minority in Pakistan, and their social, financial and human rights are not violated. In fact, the spokesman stresses, the best schools in Pakistan are Christian schools. The dispatch also admits that despite the concerns of the Christian community, religious life for the Christians of Lahore goes on as usual. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001010 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan criticized for HR violations ------------------------------------------------------------------- Masood Haider NEW YORK, Oct 9: Accusing Pakistan's military led government of widespread abuses, in the name of political reforms, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has asked Chief Executive General Perez Musharraf to immediately return the country to the civilian rule. In a 20-page report, " Repression or Reform? Post-Coup Abuses in Pakistan", the Human Rights Watch however has mentioned two important steps taken by the Musharraf government for the protection of rights of children and women. The New York-based HRW says the Musharraf government had detained opponents and former officials without charge, removed independent judges from the higher courts, banned public rallies and demonstrations, and rendered political parties all but powerless. "Musharraf follows a long line of generals in Pakistan who have claimed that a period of military rule is the path to true democracy" said Sidney Jones, Asia director of HRW. "In fact, he is systematically destroying civil liberties in Pakistan." Human Rights Watch called on the Musharraf government to: -Immediately lift the state of emergency; -Set a clear and reasonable timetable for holding national and provincial elections; -To revoke the Provisional Constitution Order that suspends the constitution and undermines the independence of the judiciary; -To amend the November 1999 National Accountability Ordinance, ostensibly designed to punish corrupt officials, because it denies due process of law and invites politically motivated prosecutions; -To cease using the army to monitor civil institutions; -To hold judicial inquiries into allegations of custodial torture and prosecute those responsible. The report says though the government has repeatedly boasted of its commitment to a free press, a September 27 raid by armed military personnel on the offices of the Karachi-based English daily Dawn has raised grave concerns about freedom of press and speech in Pakistan. According to the Dawn, the raid was preceded by legal notices to the newspaper from the Ministry of Information to restrict its coverage of a draft Freedom of Information Act, and by complaints from government officials about an article in Dawn stating that the administration was preparing new curbs on press freedom. The HRW called on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Pakistan to raise human rights concerns, and on Pakistan's donors and trading partners to use every available opportunity to press for implementation of the legal and administrative reforms recommended by HRW. The new report recalls the immediate aftermath of the coup on Oct 12, 1999 when Musharraf deposed Nawaz Sharif, and the policy objectives that Musharraf announced for his government. It notes that the Sharif administration had alienated much of the public with heavy handed and increasingly authoritarian policies, and that Musharraf took pains to portray, the coup as necessary to reestablish a basis for democratic rule. The report acknowledges that in two areas, Musharraf did take important steps to safeguard human rights. One of these was to promulgate a juvenile justice ordinance protecting children's rights, and the second was to establish a National Commission on the Status of Women. In other areas, the Human Rights Watch says, the human rights situation has noticeably deteriorated as the military has consolidated power. Political opponents and suspected wrongdoers have been subjected to prolonged detention without charge, custodial ill treatment, and even torture. The report documents a particularly chilling case of detention and torture involving Rana Sanaullah Khan, an MPA, who was arrested under the sedition law for criticizing the military government in November 1999. He was whipped, beaten, held incommunicado and interrogated for a week in police custody before being transferred to Lahore Central Prison. He was eventually released on bail on January 5. The report points out that two senior Sharif government officials who were detained on the day of the coup, namely Mushahid Hussain and Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan who continue to be held without charge. The report describes other arrests of political party activists and abuses under the National Accountability Ordinance. The ordinance confers sweeping powers of arrest, investigation, and prosecution in a single institution, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
=================================================================== BUSINESS & ECONOMY 20001014 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Micro-Finance Bank not to lend over Rs50,000 per person ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, Oct 13: People will not get micro loans worth more than Rs 50,000 in aggregate from Micro-finance Bank and micro-finance institutions, according to Micro-finance rules announced by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) here on Friday. The SBP said in a circular that the rules would come into force immediately. The rules define poor persons (who would borrow money from MFB) as persons who have meagre means of subsistence and whose total income or receipts during a year is less than the minimum applicable taxable limit set for income tax purposes. Under the rules the MFB shall maintain a cash reserve equivalent to not less than five per cent of its total time and demand liabilities. In addition to cash reserve it will also invest and place five per cent of its demand and time liabilities in government securities. The rules say that MFB shall create a reserve fund and put in it 20 per cent of its after-tax profit. It will also put 10 per cent of its after-tax profit into a social sector support fund. The MFB shall not allow financing facility to any of its sponsors, directors, or employees including their spouses, parents and children. MFB shall also not allow micro-finance facilities for speculative purposes. All non-performing loans should be written-off after two years from the date of default in performance. But theb MFB will have the right of recovery of such written-off loans. The rules make it clear that in case of the MFB a non-performing loan means and include that part of loan which has become due and payable but has not been repaid by the borrower. The MFB may acquire or hold shares of any company up to a maximum 30 per cent of its paid-up capital, objective of which is to provide micro-finance services to the poor persons. While considering proposals for fund-based or non-fund-based facilities the MFB shall make all reasonable efforts to determine the true identity of every applicant. Towards this end the MFB shall develop effective procedures and methods for obtaining proper identification from new customers/borrowers. While granting micro- finance facilities to Micro-finance Institutions MFB shall ensure that the institution is licensed by and registered with the SBP. It will further ensure that the institution has its own saving and lending programme. The MFB will also need to ensure that in case of an existing institution the institution has achieved a credit volume of Rs 20 million during three preceding years. The MFB will also be required to ensure that the institution has a minimum unimpaired capital of Rs five million at the date of finance and its classified portfolio is not more than 10 per cent of the total loans or advances. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001014 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Date extended for filing returns ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Oct 13: The last date for filing of income and wealth tax returns has been extended till Oct 31, official source told Dawn here on Friday. The extension would also apply to the taxpayers who owe one per cent enlistment tax and two per cent turnover tax on the undeclared stocks. The distribution of new income tax return forms have meanwhile been delayed by the Central Board of Revenue. The new forms have been finalized and were due to be distributed from Friday. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001013 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Tax returns show discrepancies: CBR briefs CE on recovery drive ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf was briefed here on Thursday on a plan for the recovery of tax from a large number of wealthy people who have under-declared their incomes through tax survey forms. The chairman of Central Board of Revenue and other tax officials informed the CE that more than half of the 150,000 high-income people, whose forms had so far been analyzed, had declared unacceptable low incomes. Action against a large number of them was being taken for discrepancies found in the incomes and the expenditures they had shown, the officials added. Holding movable and immovable properties,these people had invited scrutiny and action for concealing their assets, the officials told the CE. He was also informed that the details gathered by the CBR on the actual expenditures incurred by these people confirmed that they had concealed their assets to evade payment of tax. The chief executive was further told that the CBR was planning to take all possible steps to recover tax from them. The CBR officials informed the CE that out of 0.8 million forms distributed in the second phase of the survey launched in 13 more cities, more than 70 per cent of them had been returned duly filled in, and were being analyzed. The CE was also briefed on revised income tax forms which had been finalized here on Thursday and approved. The Member, Sales Tax, Sarfraz Ahmad Khan, explained the extension of VAT mode of GST to new sectors, which included services and trade. He gave details on methods of getting these sectors covered under the GST Act. Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz, Commerce and Industries Minister Razzak Daud, Secretary- General, finance, Moeen Afzal; Secretary, finance, Younus Khan, and other officials also attended the briefing. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001008 ------------------------------------------------------------------- State Bank to intensify monitoring system ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mohiuddin Aazim KARACHI, Oct 7: State Bank Governor Dr Ishrat Husain says SBP has taken note of the fact that some exporters are not bringing in the export proceeds to their export accounts: they are rather diverting the same to fresh foreign currency accounts. "We are going to intensify our monitoring system to check such practices," he said without elaborating while talking to Dawn on Friday. Bankers say this practice has been going on for long at many branches of leading local banks and has resulted in lowering of dollars' supply in the inter-bank market-thereby weakening the rupee. The governor said SBP would make sure that the export proceeds were brought in into export accounts and sold in the inter-bank market on time. He said SBP would penalize the exporters who did not bring in their export proceeds into export accounts or found delaying their realization on time. Replying a question, the governor said the SBP was also making moves to enhance home remittances-the second biggest source of foreign exchange earing after exports. He said the SBP was asking major banks to enter into contracts with Saudi banks to attract more home remittances from Saudi Arabia which employs hundreds of thousand of Pakistanis. He said the SBP was already providing an incentive to banks in the shape of Rs 2 per extra dollar remitted back home by overseas Pakistanis through them. When pointed out that the scheme had so far not resulted into larger remittances the governor said since the scheme was announced in March this year it might take time to produce desired results. Bankers say the new code of conduct being developed for money changers would ensure increased transparency in the open market and minimize chances of capital flight. That is more necessary now then ever before because the State Bank has emerged as the single largest buyer in the open market. In normal circumstances the open market witnesses an estimated inflow of $7-10 million per day which is no less than 25 per cent of the inflow in the inter-bank market. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001011 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Exemption to three industries may go: New deletion plan soon ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ikram Hoti ISLAMABAD, Oct 10: Pakistan has accepted the international financial institutions' demand to withdraw tax exemptions to its automobile, electrical and electronic industries. Sources in the commerce ministry told Dawn here on Tuesday that a new deletion policy was currently being finalized jointly by the ministries of commerce, industries and Central Board of Revenue. The policy "is being structured under an agreement with international donors who have asked Pakistan to discontinue the concessions to these industries", they said. Documents made available to this correspondent by the sources reveal that the current deletion plan is being abandoned and all notifications issued under the plan are being scrapped. These notifications allow customs duty (tariff) and tax exemptions presently enjoyed by these industries. The second part of the customs tariff is also being changed for accommodating the new deletion plan. A policy decision in this regard has been prompted by the Asian Development Bank's programme for assisting tariff and tax reform package (TEPI). The ADB has provided $300 million for this purpose. This programme has already activated three major projects that ensure "zero level distortion in tax and tariff regimes". "Both in terms of quantity and quality, the operation of industries under deletion programme have failed to prove the import substitution can help them stand on their feet any longer," the source said. "But the tariff structure in Pakistan has undergone substantial changes during this period, and the maximum tariff rate has been brought down from 100 per cent plus to 30 per cent". "The TEPI-based demand for removal of these exemptions note that "the tariff slabs have been slashed from 10 to only four. The level of protection and indigenization-promotion has been reduced from about 50 per cent to less than 10 per cent. There is no reason why such a meagre dole should make the industry sustainable in future if it could not be, under the heavy protectionist SROs in the past 20 years". Apart from this, the TEPI agreement in this respect envisages that the fiscal policy environment, the industrial and technological development achieved during the past 20 years, does not allow any room for the continuation of an indigenization policy that protects vastly outmoded industries. Under these circumstances, the new deletion policy is being structured taking into account the "translucent failures" of the deletion programme in view of the "vastly recognized need for efficient resource allocation". To the ministry of industry's objection that the value-adding industries would suffer if the exemptions are withdrawn, the TEPI plan says: "The Pak rupee's current exchange rate of 60 per dollar, against the Rs15 per dollar at the time of launching the deletion programme provides sufficient protection for value added industry as import of vehicles, electrical and electronic goods has become far costlier in terms of opening letters of credit in foreign currency." Sources further said that the government had already accepted the TEPI demand in an agreement that was being concluded under the Policy Framework Paper prepared by the finance ministry. This PFP would provide basis for the package of financial support currently being sought from IMF, they added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001013 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hubco chief protests against govt action ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report ISLAMABAD, Oct 12: The Hub Power Company has protested against the decision of the government for filing an application and obtaining an ex parte order from the Sindh High Court to stop the company from seeking any international arbitration over the issue of tariff. "Notwithstanding the prospects of a potentially satisfactory outcome, we are obliged to protest against the action taken, with which we are extremely dismayed and disappointed, by the filing of an application and obtaining of an ex parte order from the Sindh High Court on 5th of October, 2000, especially as such ex parte order was obtained by submitting wrong facts," writes Hubco Chairman Sheikh Muhammad Alireza to Minister for Finance Shaukat Aziz. In the letter dated Oct 6, a copy of which was obtained by Dawn, he regretted that an application had been filed in the Sindh High Court on the very day, "we had intended to arrive in Pakistan for the settlement formalities, and within less than 24 hours after the M/S Entergy of the US had unilaterally withdrawn their application for arbitration as sign of goodwill, directly contradicts and demeans the accepted principles as the heart of our intended package deal and is an action in stark contrast to the good faith demonstrated by the chief executive." "This action has deprived us of our right to international arbitration, refuses to recognize the sanctity our contract and this prevents us from proceeding with the contract," he said. Even more regrettably, he said it revived the allegation of criminality and other FIRs. Having gone to blatantly against the three fundamental principles underlying our agreement, this action is directly affecting the entire process and severely undermining the prospect of settlement," Mr Alireza said. "We are uncertain of the message you are trying to convey at this critical juncture," he said, asking the finance minister to offer an urgent response especially about confirming the acceptability or otherwise of "our offer so that we may proceed at the rapid pace desired by the chief executive as conveyed to us in New York." He also said in his letter that the Capacity Purchase Price(CPP) of Hubco offered to Wapda was based on AES CPP tariff and includes an element for the partial recovery of company's development costs, "in line with your parameters." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001009 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Steps taken to stabilize rupee, says Shaukat ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Oct 8: Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz has said that State Bank has taken a number of measures to strengthen rupee against dollar. Talking to newsmen after attending an oil and gas conference here on Sunday the minister hoped that the measures taken by the SBP would increase the value of the rupee against dollar adding that rupee has got strengthened against dollar for the past two days. Mr Aziz expressed his confidence that the measures taken by the SBP governor would further stabilize the value of the rupee in the coming days and the situation would improve. He said that a few elements with ulterior motives caused the depreciation of the rupee against dollar by taking the advantage of speculations. He said that these elements are fleeing and would run out of the market which would further increase the value of the rupee against dollar. He urged the people not to worry about the situation as the rupee would soon reach its inter-bank level against dollar. To another question he said that new amended and simplified survey forms had been prepared for the satisfaction of the taxpayers. He added that these forms would be distributed within next two days. The minister said those taxpayers who had already filled their forms not need to submit new forms. It is the option for a taxpayer whether he wanted to fill and submit new or old one. He said that the people were filing their returns and declarations under new tax amnesty schemes. Under the previous scheme over Rs100 billion were declared. He said that the country had reached an understanding with IMF on a standby arrangement (SBA), which awaited the approval of the Fund board. "This will pave the way for a number of assistance programmes from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. Besides, we will now be in a position to approach the Paris Club for a further and longer rescheduling." "We are also nearing the solution of the tariff issue with Hubco", he added. Furthermore, he said both private sector as well as government would now be in a much better position to access the international capital market. "Similarly, we can move with ease and confidence on our privatization programme and put up more lucrative deals in the block as the way for foreign investors is also cleared. Earlier addressing the second session of the conference Mr Aziz said an investor-friendly environment was fast shaping up in the country and hoped that the foreign investors would respond quickly to the opportunities being offered to them. Highlighting the challenges and the specific measures being adopted by the government, the minister said that the government had inherited difficult economic conditions. "Our immediate challenge was to arrest the persistently declining trends in almost all indicators of economic performance. The results achieved in the last fiscal year and the early performance of the first quarter, suggest that there has been a visible reversal in the declining trends," he added.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001011 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Trade deficit at $508m: July-Sept ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Oct 10: Pakistan suffered a trade deficit of $508.66m in the first quarter of 00-01, crossing after a long time the half- billion dollar barrier and outstripping the already high deficit of corresponding period of last year by 4.51%. According to the foreign trade data for the month of September, deficit in July-Sept, constituted 22.88% of total exports. This is slightly better than during the comparable period of '99, when the ratio of deficit to exports was over 25%. The month of September, registered a startling increase of over 67% in trade deficit, as compared to September, '99. Within the month of September, the trade deficit stood at $185.83m. However, when compared with August, the trade gap narrowed by 2.38%. Further analysis of the deficit shows that in each month, the country has undergone on average a deficit of about $170m in the current year so far. The data show the exports continued to lag behind the target. In the last three months, merchandise exports amounted to $2.22b, equivalent to 22.22% of the target of ten billion dollars for the whole year. According to the target, exports should have been at least of $2.25bn. The performance of exports in the first quarter means that in order to meet the whole-year target, the exports would have to be raised to $7.78bn by next June. On the positive side, exports had covered only 20.42% of the target ($9.5bn) in the first quarter of '99-00. Another improvement over the previous year is increase in the proportion of imports covered by exports in the last three months. This year, exports formed 81.38% of imports, as compared to 79.96% in the corresponding period of '99. During September, exports totalled $764.64m- 3.11% less than in August. Imports during September stood at $950.47m. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001010 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rescheduling of $2.2bn debt service payments on cards ------------------------------------------------------------------- Jawaid Bokhari KARACHI, Oct 9: Pakistan's debt service payments worth 2.2 billion dollars are expected to be rescheduled under the IMF financial package to provide balance of payments support , sources here said. It is for the second time that debt service payments would be rescheduled. The bilateral donors including Paris Club members rescheduled 3. 1 billion dollars payment due from July 1, 1998 to 31st December 2,000.Islamabad had approached Paris Club in January 1999. Official sources said that the financial package is designed to take care of the current account deficit for about a year, though bulk of the disbursements would made before end of June 2001. The disbursements would include 520 million dollars out of the 800 million dollar Asian Development Bank, the 350 million dollar World Bank Structural Adjustment Loan and major portion of the IMF financial assistance of 600-700 million dollars. The financial package is estimated at 3.5- 4 billion dollars including multilateral assistance of 1.5-1.6 billion dollars. An agreement has been reached with the IMF management but the exact numbers ( of assistance ) would be known only after the approval of the executive board of the Fund, anticipated by officials in the second week of November. The first installment will be paid immediately after the board approval. Islamabad is however pressing IMF to raise the level of funding. The level of IMF bail out package has been based on the Fund's own assessment of the current account deficit for the tenure of the funding facility, a perception and approach not shared by Islamabad. Simultaneously , Islamabad is continuing talks on conversion of the low volume short-term stand-by credit carrying high interest rates into larger level of longer term Poverty Reduction Growth Facility(PRGF) extended at concessional rate of interest. Sources said the IMF has agreed to consider extending PRGF after monitoring the track record in the execution of Fund's programme for six months ending March 2100. If approved , the PRGF would become effective from next fiscal . In return IMF would expect far more radical, long term and sweeping reforms including restructuring of civil service, making tax machinery more effective and cut in tariff rates. The Fund would also monitor the exchange rate, budget deficit and economic growth. One vital area of concern for multilateral agencies is how effectively the various policies and programmes are executed. The issue is related to the poor governance. As the existing conditions indicate, sweeping reforms with overnight delivery is not possible, but what is important that changes in the policy directions are sustained with reasonable speed. Pakistan has responded to IMF pre-conditions. Financial analysts says that cheaper money policy to stimulate investment seems to have been abandoned at the behest of the donor agencies. The new strategy lays stress on interest rates hike, foreign exchange liberalization and cut in budget deficit . The budget deficit has been revised upwards from original target set at 4.6 percent of the GDP to five percent under IMF advice , reportedly for shortfall expected in revenue collection estimated for the year. Sources said the fiscal deficit has also been revised upwards because of the stipulated 12 percent depreciation of the rupee against the dollar that will raise the rupee cost of servicing of foreign debt and make government imports costlier. Interest rate hike will raise the financial charges for the government's domestic borrowings. These factors , sources said, have been taken into account when setting the new fiscal deficit target with IMF approval. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001010 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Home remittances double, foreign investment falls ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sabihuddin Ghausi KARACHI, Oct 9: Home remittances from expatriate Pakistanis are up by over 100 per cent, but the inflow of foreign investment have shown a steep fall in the first two months of the current fiscal year. Banks reported inward remittances of 242.28 million dollars during last July and August, which, when compared to the 121.87 million dollars received from expatriate Pakistanis in the first two months of 1999, is almost twice the amount. Foreign investment in these two months - July-August 2000 - is however, down to a negative 2.8 million dollars. The main reason for this negative investment in the current fiscal year is the withdrawal of 15.8 million dollars portfolio investment as against a receipt of 13 million dollars direct foreign investment. Banks reported a net inflow of 52 million dollars foreign investment during July and August 1999 when portfolio investment of 16.6 million dollars was withdrawn while 68.6 million dollars were received as the direct foreign investment. Bankers and market analysts termed both these trends - a surge in the remittances and a steep fall in foreign investment - as "highly deceptive" which is bound to be reversed in the coming months. The unusual surge in remittances has been attributed to the release of about 21 million dollars from Kuwait as compensation to the Pakistani victims of the Iraq-Kuwait (Gulf) war nine years ago. A steep fall in direct foreign investment is attributed to the disinvestment of branches of the Bank of America in Pakistan which resulted in outflow of 33.5 million dollars during July and August 2000. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001011 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Farm loans decline by 8% ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Oct 10: The overall farm credit disbursement in the four provinces declined by 7.99 percent during the 1999-2000 financial year, sources in the Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan (ADBP) said on Tuesday. In its report on "Agricultural Credit 1999-2000", which will be submitted before the Federal Committee on Agriculture (FCA) on October 12, the ADBP will inform the FCA that disbursement in Balochistan declined by 59.7 percent, Northern Areas 24.42 percent, AJ&K 16.69 percent, NWFP 6.48 percent, Punjab 6.47 percent and Sindh 4.36 percent. Giving the overall credit disbursement picture for the year, the ADB report will say that a total of Rs 40.188 billion was disbursed during this period -- Rs 30.920 billion production loan and Rs 9.268 billion development loan -- which is 8 percent less than the preceding year. Institution-wise disbursement position shows that ADBP disbursed Rs 24.423 billion as compared to Rs 30.171 billion in the corresponding period last year, a decrease of 19.05 percent. During the same period, production loan disbursement decreased by 26.93 percent but disbursement of development loans increased by 2.21 percent when compared with the same period of last year. Federal Bank for Cooperatives (FBC) disbursed an amount of Rs 5.951 billion - Rs 5.91 billion as production loan and Rs 0.034 billion development loan - showing an increase of 9.3 percent and 20.8 percent respectively. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001011 ------------------------------------------------------------------- List of GST-free kitchen items released ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Our Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Oct 10: The Central Board of Revenue on Tuesday released a list of kitchen items which are not subject to general sales tax (GST). It says that only palm (crude) oil and soybean oil are charged 15 per cent sales tax at the import stage while 15 per cent GST is levied on retail (packed) branded curd,salt and chilies (powdered). Otherwise these items are also GST-free if sold unpacked, without brand (trade mark). The following are GST-free items: wheat, wheat flour, rice Basmati(broken), rice IRRI-6, masoor pulse (washed), moong pulse (washed), mash pulse (washed), gram pulse (washed), beef, mutton, eggs of hen (farm), bread plain MS, gur, milk fresh, milk powdered (Nido), vegetable ghee (tin),vegetable ghee (loose), mustard oil, cooking oil, coconut oil, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, bananas, garlic, tea (prepared), cooked beef (plate), cooked dal (plate) and chicken. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001014 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rs700 billion investment plan to push growth to 6% ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sabihuddin Ghausi KARACHI, Oct 13: The government planners have drawn up a three-year public investment programme of Rs700 billion to push up the growth in the national economy to 6 per cent in 2002-2003 from existing 4.5 per cent. Officials say that this investment plan is a component of a broad strategy worked out by the government planners to generate revenue, mobilize domestic savings, reduce dependence on foreign assistance, narrow down the twin deficits-fiscal deficit to Rs132 billion and the current account deficit to 316 million dollars-and setting an ambitious target of converting existing trade gap into a surplus of 657 million dollars by the year 2002-2003. By 2002-2003 the exports are projected to over 12.21 billion dollars and import bill will be contained to about 11.5 billion dollars. The programme strives to enhance the gross domestic production (GDP) to Rs3,771.2 billion by the year 2002-2003 from Rs3,173.7 billion estimated in 1999-2000. Under this plan, the government intends to finance Rs437.5 billion during the next three years through budgets while Rs263 billion by the corporations. Overall, the federal government would supervise investment of Rs536 billion-Rs273 billion budgeted programmes and Rs263 billion non-budgeted programmes. All the provinces will be given Rs164 billion. This includes Rs65 billion for their annual development programmes, Rs60 billion for the poverty alleviation and Rs30.50 billion for the social action programme. Energy sector gets the top priority for which the government proposes to invest Rs215.80 billion. This includes Rs59.85 billion through budgeted programmes and Rs155.95 billion through non- budgeted programmes. WAPDA will get a investment share of Rs47.71 billion in the budgets of three years. Transport and communications is the second important sector with an indicated investment of Rs150 billion followed by water which claims Rs45 billion. The government plans to invest Rs16.90 billion in science and technology and Rs21 billion in the environment. The government wants industrial growth at 6.2 per cent by the year 2002-2003 from abysmally low in the last fiscal year. The large scale industry is proposed to show growth of 6.7 per cent and small scale 5.3 per cent. Construction is another area where the government hopes the growth will be 6.5 per cent. Growth in agriculture is stipulated at 5.5 per cent in which major crops will show a growth of 4.9r cent, minor crops 6.1 per cent, livestocks 4.5 per cent, fishery 7 per cent and forestry 3.1 per cent. Pinning all hopes in the on-going tax survey, the government looks confident of collecting a total revenue of Rs741.6 billion in the year 2002-2003 that include taxes of Rs594.5 billion. While the growth in revenue is expected at 9.3 per cent, the government estimates growth in expenditure at 4.7 per cent and projects its current expenditure at Rs 863.6 billion. Under this plan the defence expenditure is projected to remain unchanged at Rs 143 billion while the debt servicing cost will be Rs 256.4 billion.Back to the top
=================================================================== EDITORIALS & FEATURES 20001008 ------------------------------------------------------------------- The storming of the Supreme Court - II ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ardeshir Cowasjee A letter written to Chief Justice of Pakistan Irshad Hassan Khan, on Friday, October 6 2000 : "Dear Chief Justice "Storming of the Supreme Court - November 28 1997 "Following the normal practice regarding sworn affidavits and other papers addressed to the Registry or Judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan at Islamabad, my affidavit sworn on September 27 2000 was presented to the Deputy Registrar at the Supreme Court Registry at Karachi. The Deputy Registrar refused to accept it, and I was asked to send it to the Registrar at Islamabad. "A special courrier was flown to Islamabad and the sealed enveloped containing the affidavit was handed over to the Registrar at 0830 hours on September 28. The sealed enveloped was bounced from one office to another (the courrier's travails have been conveyed to you by my letter of September 29 2000) and finally the unopened sealed envelope was handed back to the courrier by the Deputy Registrar at 1300 hours that same day. On the receipt he wrote : 'Applications received by mail are not entertained. Hence returned.' "I have been advised that no rule, regulation or law has been changed which empowers a deputy registrar of the Supreme Court stationed at any registry in the country to refuse to accept any communication. "If this be wrong, may I (and the people) please be informed. "By your judgment delivered on September 28 2000, 1,034 days after the Storming of the Supreme Court, seven 'footstormtroopers' have been convicted and the buck was passed on to 'a superintendent of police'. In this regard, I send herewith copies of editorials from the national press : Dawn, October 1; The Nation, Sept 30, and The News, September 30 2000. "Also sent is a reproduction of excerpts from my column 'Storming of the Supreme Court - 2' printed in Dawn on April 5 1998." The excerpts sent : "The people must not forget that this is the first case of its kind in the recorded judicial history of any democracy. It is unprecedented that a ruling party, a government of the day, has committed contempt 'in the face of the court' by perverting the course of justice with a preplanned invasion. "Morris v Crown Office was the first case in Britain in which the Court of Appeal had to consider 'contempt in the face of the Court'. The Rt Hon Lord Denning, then the Master of the Rolls, in his book 'The Due Process of Law', published in 1980, devotes a chapter to the dramatic invasion of the court by a group of Welsh students who were upset because programmes to Wales were being broadcast in English and not in Welsh. He recounts : " 'Eleven young students had been sentenced to prison. Each for three months. They were all from the University of Aberystwyth. They were imbued with Welsh fervour. They had been sentenced on Wednesday, 4 February 1970. I always see that urgent cases are dealt with expeditiously. We started their appeal on Monday, 9 February and decided it on Wednesday, 11 February. I also have some say in the constitution of the court, so I arranged for one of the Welsh Lords Justices to sit. Lord Justice Arthian Davies was well qualified. He was not only Welsh. He could speak Welsh. He sat with Lord Justice Salmon and me. We heard the argument on Monday and Tuesday. We discussed the case on Wednesday morning and delivered judgment on the Wednesday afternoon.' He goes on to give extracts from this judgement (1970 2 QB 114). " 'Last Wednesday, just a week ago, Lawton J, a judge of the High Court here in London, was sitting to hear a case. It was a libel case between a naval officer and some publishers. He was trying it with a jury. It was no doubt an important case, but for the purposes of today it could have been the least important. It matters not. For what happened was serious indeed. A group of students, young men and young women, invaded the court. It was clearly pre-arranged. They had come all the way from their University of Aberystwyth. They strode into the well of the court. They flocked into the public gallery. They shouted slogans. They sang songs. They broke up the hearing. The judge had to adjourn. They were removed. Order was restored. " 'When the judge returned to the court, three of them were brought before him. He sentenced each of them to three months' imprisonment for contempt of court. The others were kept in custody until the rising of the court. Nineteen were then brought before him. The judge asked each of them whether he or she was prepared to apologise. Eight of them did so. The judge imposed a fine of fifty pounds on each of them and reequired them to enter into recognisances to keep the peace. Eleven of them did not apologise. They did it, they said, as a matter of principle and so did not feel able to apologise. The judge sentenced each of them to imprisonment for three months for contempt of court. " 'In sentencing these young people in this way the judge was exercising a jurisdiction which goes back for centuries. It was well described over 200 years ago by Wilmot Jr in an opinion which he prepared but never delivered. 'It is a necessary incident,' he said, 'to every court of justice to fine and imprison for contempt of the court acted in the face of it.' That is R v Almon (1765) Wilm 243 254. The phrase 'contempt in the face of the court' had a quaint old-fashioned ring about it; but the imporatnce of it is this; of all the places where law and order must be maintained, it is here in these courts. The course of justice must not be deflected or interefered with. Those who strike at it, strike at the very foundations of our society. To maintain law and order, the judges have, and must have, power at once to deal with those who offend against it. It is a great power - a power instantly to imprison a person without trial - but it is a necessary power. So necessary, indeed, that until recently the judges exercised it without any appeal. There were previously no safeguards against a judge exercising his jurisdiction wrongly or unwisely. This was remedied in the year 1960. An appeal now lies to this court; and, in a suitable case, from this court to the House of Lords. With these safeguards this jurisdiction can and should be maintained. " 'Eleven of these young people have exercised the right to appeal and we are here concerned with their liberty : and our law puts liberty of the subject before all else....... " '(The Advocate conducting the defence] says that the sentences were excessive, at the time they were given and in the circumstances then existing. Here was a deliberate intereference with the course of justice .... It was necessary for the judge to show that this kind of thing cannot be tolerated. Let students demonstrate .... But they must do it by lawful means and not by unlawful. It they strike at the course of justice in this land .... they strike at the roots of society itself, and they bring down that which protects them. It is only by the maintenance of law and order that they are privileged to be students and to study and live in peace. So let them support the law, not strike it down.' "Also on the matter of contempt and on the need for courts to maintain their dignity and authority, Lord Denning quotes from his judgment in the case of Balogh v St Albans Crown Court (1975 1 QB 73). "The judges should not hesistate to exercise the authority they inherited frm the past. Insults are to be treated with disdain - save where they are gross and scandalous. Refusal to answer with admonishment - save where it is vital to know the answer. But disruption of the court or threats to witnesses or to jurors should be visited with immediate arrest. Then a remand in custody and, if it can be arranged, representation by counsel. If it comes to a sentence, let it be such as the offence deserves - with the comforing reflection that, if it is in error, there is an appeal to this court ....". "In the case of the Welsh students, the Court was invaded on February 4, they were sentenced on Februarty 4, the appeal was heard on February 9 and decided on February 11. All within the space of one week." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001013 ------------------------------------------------------------------- The nation and its redeemers ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayaz Amir LONG after General Musharraf departs from the scene of his triumphs, and long after the heroes and malcontents of this hour have sped on their journey, Pakistan will still be around. The waters of the Indus will still keep flowing to the sea. Why this declaration of faith? Because while giving vent to its angst - a pastime at which it excels - the Pakistani political class, and its drawing room followers, do not draw a sharp enough line between the country and the jokers whom a playful Providence places over its destinies. In lambasting Pakistan's rulers and calling attention to their follies, which is the correct thing to do, unwitting strength is lent to the sentiment that, somehow, the country itself is a doomed enterprise: fated to suffer a succession of eclipses until, consumed by its own fire, it goes off into the great void like a collapsing star. A free press and military rule, an inflammable combination, have given a fillip to doomsday scenarios. To wit, there is a mad rush for American visas. Money is being sent abroad in huge quantities. The country is being denuded of its best brains. (This last a wonderful thought: what have the best brains been up to for these past 53 years?) A foreign writer has only to convey an apocalyptic vision of Pakistan - one Robert Kaplan being the latest prophet in this series - for serious-minded Pakistanis to quote and circulate his darkest thoughts. Any fly-by-night journalist has to visit Dar-ul- Aloom Haqqania in Akora Khattak (where Maulana Samiul Haq preaches the true word) or interview Hafiz Muhammad Saeed of Lashkar-i- Taiba, who has some strange ideas about jehad, for the cane-chair liberati to bemoan Pakistan's negative image in the West and the dangers posed by fundamentalism. Pakistanis have to be among the most impressionable people on the planet. And with about the lowest self-esteem. Forget ideas, they borrow even their fears and prejudices from abroad. When the demon- gods of the IMF and the World Bank laid down the advantages of the trickle-down theory of wealth, development economists in Pakistan became this theory's most ardent advocates. When the winds shifted, we shifted with them. Now that globalization is the rage, the economic and social tribe in Pakistan has taken to the newest cliches with a vengeance. A few years ago no such animal as 'civil society' existed. Nor such a word as 'governance'. Since their discovery at the hands of western ideologues, anyone in Pakistan able at a pinch to look solemn and knowing is fearless, and indiscriminate, in deploying the same concepts. In other countries fast food is just that: junk food. With us a visit to McDonald's or that unmentionable Colonel becomes high cuisine for the family. Given our impressionable nature, small wonder if negative stereotypes too prove infectious. If fundamentalism is the new swear-word and is directed at us, then we surely stand in danger of its malign influence. If others say we are on the verge of being a failed state, the currency of despair finds ready users, and a receptive market, within the country. A nation prey to such despondency, and beset by such fears, is already half defeated. In 1940 France surrendered to Germany later. The will to fight it lost first. What was Churchill's achievement? Even when Britain's back was to the wall and the continent under Germany's heel, every word he spoke breathed defiance. Pakistan of course is engaged in no mortal combat. Still, when bewailing the country's future has become prime national pastime, it pays to remember two things: (1) that in a situation such as ours the line between intellectualism and defeatism is often a thin one; and (2) that defeatism of the spirit saps a nation's morale, robbing it of the last vestiges of self-esteem. What is the principal item of our moaning? That our affairs are in a mess, which they have been for a long time, and that once again, for our sins, we are having to endure the ravages of military rule. Fine. Military rule is no answer to anything. We know this from experience. It should therefore be opposed. But who is doing any opposing? The political scene presents the aspect of a graveyard. Activism of any kind is a dead thing. Those doing the most criticising will not put their Scotch highballs (the most powerful aid to the higher criticism) at risk for the sake of their convictions. Which is better, activism or drawing room chatter? Activism gives tone and strength to the temper of a people. Empty moaning is enervating and a form of escapism. It destroys the spirit. As for the standard-bearers of democracy, Benazir and Nawaz Sharif, they have turned in extremis to newspaper writing: Benazir regularly and the Wonder of Raiwind for the first time on the anniversary of his ouster (in an article titled 'Bear Witness, My countrymen'). Whether for his other sins Sharif deserves any punishment or not, for the syntax and garbled thought of this article (at least in its English translation) he deserves a stint in purgatory. Benazir, too, for the self-righteousness with which her articles are replete. But the point to note is that the buffoons and charlatans with which the history of Pakistan is littered do not make up the totality of Pakistan. Benazir, Nawaz Sharif and Musharraf are not Pakistan. Wondering at the comic turns provided by our various leaders should be no excuse to doubt the viability or strength of the country. When the Colonels seized power in Greece (1967) they were opposed, often at great risk, by many Greeks but even the fiercest opponents of military rule, even as they suffered at the hands of the junta, did not despair of Greece. The Pinochet dictatorship in Chile was more tyrannical than anything we have known in Pakistan. But even at the height of its repression, Chileans opposed to it did not give up on their country. And look at Chile today: a country which has regained its vibrancy (in part, admittedly, because of the harsh economic medicine administered by Pinochet). So what reason for Pakistan's despair? Is ours such a flimsy enterprise that a statement by Altaf Hussain in London (in which he questioned the genesis of Pakistan) should send shivers down the national spine? We have had nationalist waves in the smaller provinces before but with time and economic integration they lost their force and were absorbed into the national mainstream. Altaf Hussain's is not the cry of a wounded messiah but the bleak utterances of a fuehrer who got it wrong and led his community up a blind alley. Certainly, what he says should be considered carefully. But none of it should be reason to take fright. Does this amount to taking refuge in complacency? No. It means striking a balance between complacency and a morbid preoccupation with the darker side of things. The Soviet Union had Stalin, too much control, and then it had Gorbachev, too little control. A balance between these two extremes it could not strike thus ensuring the crackup of a mighty empire. In Pakistan for a long time we have been knights of myth and fantasy. Now under military rule (a paradox indeed) we are testing the limits of glasnost and, in the process, turning the expression of hopelessness and despair into an art form. But no matter. Like so much else before, this too will pass, leaving some benefits in its wake. A year ago it was not the fashion to criticise the army by name. Or the judiciary for that matter. Now both these holy cows stand stripped of their invulnerability. Our two new columnists, Benazir and Nawaz Sharif, already stand discredited before the bar of public opinion. When democracy comes again, as it must sooner or later, there will be these many less shibboleths to conquer. So even as we keep up the moaning over our Scotch highballs, fairness demands that we also count our blessings. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001014 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Jumping ship ------------------------------------------------------------------- Irfan Husain A FEW weeks ago, a small news item caught my eye: a Pakistani had stowed away in the compartment housing the wheel of a commercial jetliner in Malaysia, and was found frozen to death when the plane landed in Frankfurt. Such tragic deaths have occurred with depressing regularity as desperate people from around the world illegally try to cross international boundaries to make a better future for themselves and their families. Many have been found dead on arrival in containers and trucks; others are rotting in jails, awaiting deportation. Pakistanis have been both more enterprising and more desperate in their efforts to find opportunities abroad, making their way to countries as distant as Brunei and Belgium. From time to time, horrifying stories of their ordeals have appeared in the press, attesting to their determination and courage. Of late, the rush for Western visas, specially to the United States, has come to resemble the panicky scramble to flee a building in flames. Apparently, the courier service that is authorized to accept US visa applications is virtually besieged, and the lines at the American Embassy in Islamabad start forming before dawn. According to a recent Washington Post story, in their interviews with consular officers, many applicants admit their intention to work in America, although they have asked for tourist visas. Although their applications are rejected, they vow to try again. Talking to the newspaper's correspondent, many of them said they were determined to leave as they saw no hope for their families in Pakistan. Such attitudes and perceptions have long fuelled the brawn-and brain-drain, especially among the young. But, of late, the well-to- do, established professionals have joined this lemming-like rush. Many of them are close friends who, not very long ago, would never have considered uprooting themselves from their comfortable lives to start from scratch abroad. Recently, I ran into somebody who has been at the forefront of our civil rights movement, selflessly working to improve the functioning of public utility services so that citizens got a better deal. I had written about him and his work a few years ago, and considered him one of the most committed and dedicated people I had ever met. I was, therefore, shocked when he informed me that he had decided to sell his house and move to the United States. He said that, after years of efforts, he could not generate any support for his work. Without funding or volunteers, he had become so discouraged that he had decided to pack up and push off. Basically, he has given up after years of sinking his own time and resources into what he now sees as a thankless task. If gung-ho activists like Mian Sahib can give up on Pakistan, it should not surprise us that other, less motivated people should leave what they see as a sinking ship. In his recent press conference, General Pervez Musharraf asked Pakistanis to show their patriotism and spirit of self-sacrifice, and not succumb to the lure of a better life in the West. Unfortunately, when it comes to career prospects, greater security and a higher quality of life, people vote with their feet and go where the jobs are. Also, parents want the best for their children in terms of educational facilities and a brighter future. Quite apart from material factors that operate all over the world, Pakistanis are suffering from a loss of confidence and morale that has more to do with our political and social situation. Poor governance, a steady rise in religious fanaticism, and a decline in law and order constitute the backdrop to the current scenario that is also marked with specific events like the nuclear tests and their economic fallout, the disastrous Kargil misadventure and last year's army coup. Years of political instability, corruption in high places, bureaucratic inefficiency, institutional breakdown and economic stagnation have sapped public confidence in the state of Pakistan. Today, very few Pakistanis repose any faith in politicians, generals, judges, businessmen or any other public figures. Cynicism is rampant: when even cricketing heroes are considered guilty of match-fixing, it should come as no surprise when the word of heads of state and government are suspect. The Chief Executive, General Musharraf, considers the press to be guilty of spreading despondency and demoralization. But given the fact that prices are rising, unemployment is rampant, the rupee has been in free fall and the stock market is in the doldrums, journalists can hardly be blamed for not having much good news to report. Few people have (yet) accused the army junta of causing this situation, as we know that there is a huge backlog of unresolved economic problems. But then equally few people are willing to give the regime any credit for sorting out these issues. An important factor in the present rush to emigrate is the loss of business confidence triggered by the various army monitoring teams as well as the single-minded focus on accountability. Construction is at a virtual standstill with real estate prices at a record low. Thousands of houses, flats and shops are empty. Businessmen fear having to answer awkward questions if they buy any property. The result of this is a deepening of the recession the country has been passing through these last few years. The ongoing drive to document the economy and bring vast chunks of the business community into the tax net, while necessary and praiseworthy, has shaken the trading class and brought fresh investments to a virtual halt. All this has hit the urban poor specially hard. Construction workers by the thousands have little work to do. Shopkeepers report plunging sales. The sense of despair is palpable and contagious. Perhaps the worst aspect of this gloomy scenario is that many people have lost hope and no longer believe that things are going to improve. They thus see no option but to bail out before a complete meltdown. The exodus resulting from this perception of the Pakistani condition has been accompanied by a massive flight of capital. While this phenomenon is hardly new, of late it has acquired a momentum that has put the rupee under tremendous pressure. And as the inevitable devaluation has occurred, prices have increased and will do so again as power rates are enhanced. In effect the plunging rupee has acted as a barometer of our falling confidence. If this trend is to be halted, drastic action needs to be taken. We need to stop going against the flow of international currents by reverting to civilian rule, sign the CTBT, find a political solution to problems in Afghanistan and Kashmir, and strongly discourage fanatical elements in our society. Unfortunately, all this is wishful thinking: things will continue to slide and Pakistanis in large numbers will continue to jump ship.
=================================================================== SPORTS 20001013 ------------------------------------------------------------------- ICC backs PCB call for World Cup probe ------------------------------------------------------------------- NAIROBI, Oct 12: The International Cricket Council (ICC) supports the call by the Pakistan Cricket Council (PCB) for a judicial inquiry into two 1999 World Cup matches, ICC President Malcolm Gray said here on Thursday. "If, from their point of view, this could rid the sport of corruption then we welcome it," Gray said on the rest day in the ICC Knockout Trophy. "We have asked them to put things in place." In Karachi earlier on Thursday, PCB Chairman General Tauqir Zia said his call to Pakistan of President, Mohammad Rafiq Tarar, to order the inquiry did not stem from any outside pressure. "PCB has requested this new probe for its own satisfaction and to clear the players once and for all," Zia said. "Why would the International Cricket Council, or for that matter anyone else, put pressure on us? This is baseless," he said. "There have been allegations of match-fixing in Pakistan's surprise loss at the hands of Bangladesh and then against India, so why not clear all this for good?" A spokesman for Pakistan's president, who is also patron of the cricket board, said a decision on the PCB's request was expected next week. Ali Bacher of the United Cricket Board of South Africa has alleged Pakistan fixed two matches in last year's World Cup.-AFP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20001014 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Changes in top order likely: Bari ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Our Sports Reporter KARACHI, Oct 13: The Pakistan team for the first one-day international will be announced on the eve of match (Oct 23) with officials hinting at changes in the top order. The chairman of the selectors Wasim Bari said the team would be announced after watching the two warm-up games scheduled for Oct 20 and 22. He added that his panel would utilize the home advantage and name teams accordingly for the Oct 27 and 30 games. But he didn't mince words in saying that changes in the top five were expected. He said: "When the results are not positive, one has to look for better changes. "One thing was very clear in Kenya that we went with just five bowlers which left the captain with restricted options. There is a possibility that we (selectors) might opt for someone in the top five who can also bowl." ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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