------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 14 April 2001 Issue : 07/15 -------------------------------------------------------------------
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CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + Ehtesab courts under high courts: counsel + Pakistan protests to Nepal: Diplomat expelled + Pakistan joins rank of poorest nations: WB + UK papers irrelevant, claims Asif Zardari + Dispute over Mangla Dam filling unresolved: Irsa to make a study + Ex-naval chief bail hearing on Monday + Benazir says she won'tbe PM in a flawed system + Govt ready to amend NAB law: counsel + Police to have new command structure + MQM, JSQM bid to stage hunger strike foiled again + Musharraf planning to replace Tarar as next president: report + Sindh to get more water: Accord with Punjab reached + Democracy to be facilitated: CE + Return not possible before May: Benazir + IMF asks govt to carry out strict economic reforms --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + CBR to speed up ST refund payments + Curbs on foreign ownership of commercial banks + Chinese team holds trade talks + More will be taxed next year: Slabs being reduced, says Shaukat + Clearance in 90 days 50-70pc demurrage waived on shipments + Rupee volatile in inter-bank market: Gains further in kerb + Conditional World Bank loan for gas pipelines + Textile manufacture exports drop by 3pc + Exports of merchandise fall short of target + Bandwidth tariffs further reduced + Rupee makes swift recovery --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + Leghari and the storming Ardeshir Cowasjee + A midway balance sheet Ayaz Amir + The vandals of Wah Irfan Husain ----------- SPORTS + Pakistan complete double against Sri Lanka + Afridi's desert storm sets up easy win for Pakistan + Miandad, Moin served show cause notices
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS 20010414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ehtesab courts under high courts: counsel ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rafaqat Ali ISLAMABAD, April 13: Abid Hasan Minto, counsel for the federation, stated in the Supreme Court on Friday that accountability courts were subordinate to the high courts and were not outside the existing judicial hierarchy. Responding to the argument of the petitioners that the NAB ordinance had created a parallel judicial system as the accountability courts were not in the superintendence of the high courts, the federation's counsel said that it was a wrong impression. "It was never said by the government that accountability courts were not subordinate to the high court. Let the high courts regulate the affairs of these courts," Abid Hasan Minto stated before the four-member bench hearing petiteness impugning the NAB ordinance. All the accused of the NAB, he said, were entitled to invoke jurisdiction of the high court under Article 199 to redress their grievances. Abid Minto concluded his argument on Friday, paving way for the conclusion of the case on the next date of hearing on Monday or Tuesday. Responding to the argument that no qualification for the chairman of the NAB was prescribed, the counsel said that it was the duty of the president to appoint a right person to the post. NAB, he said, was not the first organization where qualification of its head was not prescribed and cited the example of chairman Wapda whose qualification was also not prescribed. The counsel, while replying to the argument of discrimination, argued that only a limited number of people in active service of armed forces were exempted from the application of the law. He said that serving personnel of the armed forces were covered under Army Act and the moment they resigned, retired, or dismissed from service, the NAB law would become applicable. He also referred to Article 199(3) under which the armed forces were exempted from application of other laws. The counsel said that he was under instruction to say that the application of the NAB law was on "person" and the definition of person was wide enough to cover any person. Abid Hasan Minto said that such a law was never made in the past under which accountability was not only being done, but was also seen to be being done. Members of all classes of society were being tried under the law including politicians, bureaucrats and retired army officers. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan protests to Nepal: Diplomat expelled ------------------------------------------------------------------- KATHMANDU, April 13: Nepal on Friday expelled a Pakistani diplomat who was detained in connection with the alleged seizure of explosives from a house in Kathmandu. The Nepali Foreign Ministry ordered Mohammad Arshad Cheema, first secretary at the Pakistan embassy, to leave the kingdom by Saturday. Police said on Thursday they had recovered 16.2kg of powerful explosives from a house in Kathmandu and detained Cheema and his wife. "Since it is incompatible with his diplomatic duties and inconsistent with the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, HMG (His Majesty's Government of Nepal) has decided that Mr Cheema should leave the country within 24 hours," the Nepalese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. An official of the ministry told Reuters that Cheema's wife had not been expelled, since she was not a diplomat, but added that she would be returning to Pakistan with her husband. Earlier, Pakistan had lodged a protest on Friday with Nepal over the detention of Mr Cheema and his wife in Kathmandu on Thursday. "The Nepalese ambassador was called this morning to the Foreign Ministry to receive a note of protest. It was pointed out to him that the detention of Mr and Mrs Cheema and the denial of access to him is contrary to Article 29 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and of accepted diplomatic norms and practices," a spokesman of Pakistan's Foreign Office had said in a statement. "The Nepalese government was also requested for the immediate release of Mr and Mrs Cheema to enable them to return to Pakistan at the earliest," the statement said. "It is evident that elements hostile to Pakistan are responsible for this unfortunate episode. We are confident that the government of Nepal would not allow such designs to succeed," the statement had said. DENIAL: Mr Mohammad Arshad Cheema denied on Friday that the seized explosives belonged to him, a Nepalese home ministry official said. -Agencies DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan joins rank of poorest nations: WB ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent WASHINGTON, April 13: The economies of Pakistan and Ukraine have declined so much during the past decade that they are now among the world's poorest nations, while China has surged out of the lowest- income category, according to the World Bank. But Pakistan has said it has no plans to seek extraordinary debt relief under the World Bank-run Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, the Bloomberg news service said on Friday in a despatch based on the World Bank report that was released on April 10 (partly published in Dawn on April 11). If Pakistan agrees to be declared as a poor country, it will lose access to the capital market and will become dependent on concessional loans. But, Bloomberg says, Pakistan also wants to obtain new credits at below-market rates, and quotes the economics minister at the Pakistan embassy here as saying: "It's very important that in this short-term, critical period Pakistan should be given additional concessional funding. We need it." In the World Bank's estimation, Pakistan joins countries like Rwanda and Nicaragua, which are so impoverished they are eligible to have hundreds of millions of dollars in loans forgiven by the World Bank and other creditors. How to resolve the dilemma of being poor and yet seeking not to be formally declared as such so that Pakistan does not lose its eligibility for international loans confronts the country's economic decision-makers with their biggest challenge. Pakistan's $26-billion debt burden reflects what World Bank chief economist Nicholas Stern has called the country's "lost decade" of the 1990s, when, according to him, poor policies, political instability and corruption stalled the economy. CHINA: China, which averaged more than 10 per cent growth annually during the past 20 years, has now moved out of the lowest-income category, the bank report says. Chinese officials say they worry that the higher status may mean they will have a harder time getting new loans from the World Bank. Even as the percentage of people living on $1 a day fell from 80 per cent two decades ago to 12% today. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- UK papers irrelevant, claims Asif Zardari ------------------------------------------------------------------- Nasir Iqbal RAWALPINDI April 13: Asif Ali Zardari said on Friday that the inquiry documents released by the Bow Street magistrate in London, were "irrelevant" and serve no government purpose. Talking to reporters here at the accountability court after the hearing in the Pakistan Steel Mills reference, Mr Zardari said that the government would not be able to use these documents as they would not stand the test in any court. This was an indirect reference that the Bow street magistrate had only recorded the statements of witnesses and none of them had been cross-examined. The British government on Wednesday released 22,000-page documents collected by the magistrate during an inquiry into the assets of Mr Zardari in UK. "I have been booked under drug charges only because every (foreign) government was bound to respond whenever a case of drug trafficking was referred to them," he explained. He was of the view that NAB officials would not be able to bring Admiral (retd) Mansoorul Haq back to the country because of legal hitches involved. Asked to comment on the statement of former Ehtesab Bureau chief Saifur Rehman, claiming that he had not sought any apology, Mr Zardari said, "if he had not come to me to seek apology, why did he come to me?" Asif Zardari appreciated the "belated resolution" of water dispute between Sindh and Punjab saying Sindh should have been provided relief much earlier. "Had the decision reached a month ago, the controversy would not have invited so much controversy," observed Asif Zardari. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Dispute over Mangla Dam filling unresolved: IRSA to make a study ------------------------------------------------------------------- Faraz Hashmi ISLAMABAD, April 12: Indus River System Authority will carry out a study for settling a dispute between Sindh and Punjab over the question of storing water in Mangla reservoir. Officials of the two provinces at a meeting of IRSA's technical committee today took totally different positions on the issue of filling Mangla for meeting irrigation demands in late Kharif and next Rabi crop. IRSA decided that a study should be carried out whether the storing water in Mangla was necessary for meeting future requirements and the report would be presented before the advisory council within two weeks, Secretary IRSA Sohail Ali Khan told reporters. Sindh government was of the view that Mangla dam should not be filled and the water coming down in river Jehlum should be used for meeting irrigation requirements of the provinces, Mr. Khan said Punjab insisted that if water was not stored in Mangla, they would have no water to supply to the growers in late Kharif and in early Rabi season, he added. Punjab government wanted that at least 80 percent of the dam should be filled up till June 30. Mr. Khan said that the technical committee finalized water distribution plan for the Kharif season keeping in view the agreement reached at between Punjab and Sindh on providing additional water to later till April 25. The issue of storing water in Mangla had earlier been taken up at a meeting of the irrigation secretaries of the two provinces in Karachi but they failed to resolve the issue, he said. The technical committee which was attended by the Irrigation Secretary Sindh Idress Rajput, Consultant to Punjab Government M.H. Siddique, Chief Engineer Balochistan, Superintending Engineer NWFP, Chief Engineering Advisor and a Wapda representatives also held indepth discussion on tele-metric system to be installed at barrages for monitoring water discharges. The representatives of the four provinces unanimously decided that it should be based on satellite communication instead of meteor dust communication. Giving the data of water utilised by the four provinces in the first 10 days of April, he said, Punjab got 12,300 cusecs, 78 percent short of its allotted quota of 56,400 cusecs. Sindh received 10,600 cusecs about 69 percent less than its quota of 34,000 cusecs. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ex-naval chief bail hearing on Monday ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent WASHINGTON, April 12: Former Pakistan Navy chief Mansurul Haq, who was taken into custody by US authorities on Wednesday, will face bail hearing on Monday, with extradition proceedings to follow according to legal formalities. Admiral Haq, whose arrest and extradition is sought by Pakistan in connection with alleged kickback charges in the abortive Agosta submarine deal, was rounded up by federal marshal agents in Austin, Texas, and is in the provisional custody of the marshals' office there. Bail hearing will be held in that city, before a magistrate's court. Extradition proceedings, whenever they take place, will also be conducted in Austin, but before a federal court. The ex-naval chief's detention, announced by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Islamabad on Wednesday night, was confirmed on Thursday by both the US Justice Department and the Pakistan Embassy. The US State Department, asked for a comment, reiterated in general terms that US officials had been providing ongoing assistance to their Pakistani counterparts, including NAB, regarding white-collar and financial crime in accordance with bilateral arrangements and international practices. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Benazir says she won'tbe PM in a flawed system ------------------------------------------------------------------- Jawed Naqvi NEW DELHI, April 12: Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was quoted on Thursday as telling an Indian newspaper that she wanted to get back in the business of running her country again but ruled out even trying to regain her former job as premier if Pakistan's evolving political system did not comply with democratic norms. "I certainly envisage myself running for becoming Prime Minister," Benazir Bhutto was quoted as telling Delhi's Asian Age newspaper in London. "But if it is to go back to the flawed system of the past then I would be setting myself for failure. I would rather be away from a flawed system." The Age quoted Ms Bhutto as refusing to become a "pawn in the hands of others who set the agenda." The newspaper said should Gen Pervez Musharraf succeed in changing Pakistan's Constitution and becomes president with the power to appoint or dismiss governments and the National Assembly then Benazir Bhutto would have to opt out. Benazir Bhutto had not spelt out her plans to return to Pakistan from her self-imposed exile but had told her supporters that she would like to be a "part of a mass movement for the restoration of democracy" in Pakistan. Her remarks come on the heels of reports of a division within the party over her feelers for coming home. A joint meeting of the CEC on Saturday discussed the issue threadbare but could not evolve a consensus. However, the meeting decided to send a delegation to London by April 17 to apprise Ms Bhutto of the situation in the country. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Govt ready to amend NAB law: counsel ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rafaqat Ali ISLAMABAD, April 12: Abid Hasan Minto, counsel for the federation, stated before the Supreme Court on Thursday that the federal government was ready to amend the NAB law, and would welcome court's advice to make the law more effective, specially when the parliament was not in existence. Chief Justice Irshad Hasan Khan, who is heading the four-member SC bench hearing petitions challenging the NAB ordinance, observed that court appreciated the government gesture for the improvement of the law, but made it clear that court was not dependent on the "concessions". The CJ said that the court had powers to pass any order under Article 187 of the Constitution to do justice and was not dependent on the government concessions. "Once the court seizes of a matter its power to decide the matter becomes unlimited. We are answerable to our conscience and know the economic condition of the country. We do not want to be a party to the deterioration of economic conditions," the CJ observed. The CJ observed that it was the duty of the court to interpret the laws. The court does not want any concessions as the court has inherent power to direct the federation for filling the lacunas in the law. Recovery of bank loans, the CJ said, was very serious matter and asked the NAB authorities to bring complete record of what had been recovered so far through the AC orders and plea-bargain. Initiating arguments in defence of NAB ordinance, Abid Hasan Minto conceded that NAB law was "harsh" but added that it was promulgated to meet an extraordinary situation. The counsel said that he would not raise technical objections and would welcome the contribution of the court and counsel for the improvement of the NAB law, specially when the parliament was not in existence. The counsel said that the apex court in its judgment, validating the military takeover, had held that it was time to make some deviations. On a court query, the counsel said that he was not saying that the NAB law was temporary and would go out of statutes, after some time. "It is permanent legal instrument to deal with the menace of corruption, but the government is willing to invite objection for improving the law." The counsel said that the proposal of a lawyer that before promulgation, the government should have elicited public opinion was not practicable as the defaulters would have run away from the scene to save themselves from the law. Explaining why he decided to defend the law, Abid Hasan Minto said that he believed that a law to weed-out corruption was required. He said Aitezaz Ahsan, counsel for Nawaz Sharif, had said that cannon should not be fired to kill a fly. "If these are flies, what will be the wretched of earth. Are they not a menace for the society." The counsel said that the law might be draconian but what mattered most was whether it was hitting the nail or not. About the selective application of the law, the counsel said that it was a dilemma that investors were also involved in the white-collar crime. The counsel said that the NAB ordinance had been amended from time to time after getting public view. All earlier laws failed to combat corruption as the influentials manipulated the things in a way that these laws were made ineffective, he said. He said elites of the society, wielding immense influence, were involved in white-collar crimes. He referred to a number of SC judgments, in which the menace of corruption was highlighted. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010412 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Police to have new command structure ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ihtashamul Haque ISLAMABAD, April 11: The federal cabinet on Wednesday took a number of important decisions including the setting up of an Independent Public Safety Commission at the national level to ensure "political neutrality" of all police operations. The meeting which was presided over by Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf, also decided to recover illegal arms by introducing harsh punishments and heavy fines. "We know that previously people did not surrender even one per cent of illegal arms. But it will not happen this time as we are going to be very tough against those possessing illegal arms," declared Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider. Speaking at a news conference, he said the cabinet expressed serious concern over the existence of thousands of illegal weapons in all the four provinces. Initially, the government would launch a campaign in print and electronic media asking the people to surrender their illegally arms. "And in case they do not do so, as was the case previously, then we will use all our force in order to reform society," he said. "We also plan to undertake a massive search operation to recover these illegal weapons," he said, adding that those who possessed legal and licensed arms would not be touched. He said a decision has also been taken by the cabinet that special rewards would be given to those police personnel who would help recover these illegal arms. The minister said the cabinet decided to set up an Independent Public Safety Commission at the national level to insulate the police from extraneous interference and to ensure political neutrality of its operations. He said the Commission would recommend panels of suitable PSP officers in consultation with the Provincial Public Safety Commission for appointment of Provincial Police Chiefs and also for chiefs of Federal Police Forces to be appointed by the federal government. No head of a police force/law enforcement agency will be removed prematurely, except on the recommendation of the National Public Safety Commission. Before making such recommendation, the officer concerned will be heard by the Commission, he added. The provincial governments will also establish Provincial Public Safety Commissions, he said. The minister said that dedicated police force would be set up in the capital city districts of Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta. He said a Police Complaints Authority (PCA) will be established in each province and for the federal capital territory. The authority will be responsible for dealing with serious complaints of police misconduct, in particular, complaints alleging rape, torture and custodial deaths, he added. The minister said an Independent Prosecution Service will be established in each province, as also in relation to the police/law enforcement agencies of the federal government. A Criminal Justice Co-ordination Committee will be established in each district headed by the district and sessions judge. The police force in each district will be organized on functional basis. In particular, the function of investigation will be separated from law and order. The investigation staff will be placed under the operational control of SP/ASP in-charge of investigations in the district. The officers of the investigation branch will wear uniform distinct from that of the law and other branch, the minister added. Recruitment in police will be done only at the level of ASP, ASI and Constable, while the direct recruitment of ASIs will be done up to 25 per cent of vacancies by the respective Public Service Commissions, he added. The minister said that adequate funds for building of police stations, police lines and offices would be provided by the government under a phased programme. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010412 ------------------------------------------------------------------- MQM, JSQM bid to stage hunger strike foiled again ------------------------------------------------------------------- Habib Khan Ghori KARACHI, April 11: Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz again tried to stage hunger strike on Wednesday to protest against water shortage and injustices in Sindh but the law enforcement agencies foiled their attempt and nabbed their leaders before they could assemble at the Karachi Press Club. About 40 people were arrested including Hasan Musanna Alvi and Dr Arif Rizmi of MQM, and Maula Bux Memon and Ghulam Nabi Kathio of JSQM. The wife of MQM's deputy convener Aftab Shaikh was among 20 women who were whisked away in police mobiles. Undeterred by the arrests, the leaders of MQM and JSQM have announced that they would continue their protest by staging another hunger strike in front of the KPC on Thursday. The protesters when appeared on Sarwar Shaheed Road were raising slogans in Urdu and Sindhi languages demanding an end to water shortage in the province. The LEA personnel, like yesterday, had again cordoned off the roads leading to the Karachi Press Club and barriers were erected on both entrances of the road in front of the club and heavy police force was deployed in the vicinity along with the district administration. According to the MQM, the women protesters in particular were mercilessly roughed up by women police. They did not spare even an aged lady Kaneez Fatima, 65, who became unconscious when being taken in a mobile. MQM chief Altaf Hussain, in a statement condemned the arrests and oppression against peaceful protesters of MQM and JSQM leaders and their supporters. He said people had been demanding nothing but water but they were being targeted to crush their voice by force. Mr Hussain warned the "prejudiced establishment" to refrain from using force to crush the voice for rights and desist from pushing the people of Sindh to the wall. Demanding release of all those arrested, he eulogised the spirit and sacrifices of MQM and JSQM activists and leaders for facing the oppression with courage and determination. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010411 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf planning to replace Tarar as next president: report ------------------------------------------------------------------- Correspondent NEW YORK, April 10: General Pervez Musharraf is planning to replace President Rafiq Tarar as the next president of Pakistan as part of his long-term strategy to legitimize army's role in any future government, reports Jane's Defence Weekly in its latest edition. The weekly says that "it has been argued that this would not only ensure continuity of the policies initiated by the military regime, but would also formalize the army's role in the future government, as well as giving the military rulers protection from any future political action against them by a successor government." The magazine says, "Furthermore, independent intelligence reports suggest that Musharraf is considering amending the Constitution to assume more presidential power. There are already indications that the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution - which gives discretionary powers to the president to dismiss the government and dissolve the National Assembly - may be revived in a modified form." The Supreme Court has allowed the military regime to make constitutional amendments, even though they still require final ratification by the National Assembly. "The need to achieve formal approval for the constitutional amendments has necessitated a search for a political partner for the military regime. Like his predecessors Ayub and Zia, Musharraf has opted to cultivate the dissident faction of the Pakistan Muslim League for this purpose. It was against this background that the military regime helped the dissidents to take over by force the Pakistan Muslim League's offices in Islamabad and Lahore," the report adds. "There is little doubt that the politicians would be playing the role of a junior partner in a future political-military alliance. Musharraf's devolution plan is part of the overall strategy to create an obedient political class. "The military regime expects that the new leadership emerging from local elections would provide much-needed political support, which could also be utilized for wider political roles. This is the tried and tested method used by both Ayub and Zia, and now another general seems set to follow it." The weekly notes that "simultaneously, Musharraf is trying to get international backing for both himself and for his regime by attempting to promote the view that should he fail, the consequence could be a Taliban-style revolution in Pakistan with disastrous consequences for Western interests in the region. To allay Western concerns, the military regime has broken off some of its links with the Taliban leadership, closed a number of dubious training camps on the border with Afghanistan, and restricted the activities of the jihadi organizations in Pakistan." Similarly, by making positive moves towards achieving a solution to the Kashmir problem, the weekly says, Musharraf is further trying to improve his image before the rest of the world. He is well aware of the fact that the West would be more likely to tolerate his regime in Islamabad if it could contribute to the peace process in Kashmir. It says Musharraf also appears determined to get rid of major political figures in the country who may challenge his position in the near future. This policy has become apparent with the military regime amending the Political Parties Act of 1962 in order to oust, convict and disqualify rival politicians. With ousted premier Nawaz Sharif (as well as Benazir Bhutto and Altaf Hussain) already in exile, the general has bought himself both more time and space for political manoeuvring, it adds. Moreover, by gradually consolidating his control over Pakistan's nuclear weapons, the general has enhanced his position in terms both of international bargaining and of fighting off his opponents within Pakistan, it says. The weekly concludes, "As the military regime enters into the second half of the time scale set by the Supreme Court to restore democracy, Musharraf's end game is beginning to unfold. If everything goes according to plan, based on past experience and recent developments, the general may manage to reinvent himself as a civilian ruler, just like Pakistan's previous military dictators. How long he can survive may be a very different matter." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010410 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sindh to get more water: Accord with Punjab reached ------------------------------------------------------------------- Faraz Hashmi ISLAMABAD, April 9: Sindh and Punjab reached an agreement on Monday over supply of more water to the former from the Indus than its quota alloted under the Kharif plan. The agreement was reached between the irrigation secretaries of the two provinces here at the chief executive's secretariat after day- long deliberations, official sources said. The seretaries had been called to the secretariat after the failure of their talks held at the Punjab House on Sunday. Under the new arrangement, Punjab would not draw more than 5,000 cusecs and leave the rest for Sindh till April 25, the sources said. The 5,000 cusecs, which would be drawn by Punjab from the Indus till April 25, would be enough only to meet drinking water requirement of Dera Ghazi Khan and Bhawalpur districts, the source added. The supply of irrigation water to Sindh would significantly improve as it would immediately increase from 13,000 cusecs a day to 17,500 cusecs a day. However, because of gradual rise in temperature at Skardu, officials of both the provinces were expecting further increase in the flow in the Indus and Kabul rivers, the sources said. According to the IRSA figures, 25,000 cusecs was flowing down the Indus and Indus rivers. Out of which, 2,500 was the share of NWFP, 5,000 cusecs would be drawn by Punjab and the rest would be supplied to Sindh from Tuesday onwards. "People and the government of Sindh are thankful to Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf for taking personal interest and accepting our demand for the supply of additional water," the Minister for Irrigation, Sindh, Hassan Ali Chanio, told reporters at the Sindh House. The Punjab government had earlier refused to entertain the Sindh government's request for the supply of additional water from the Indus zone. Sindh had been demanding at least 5,000 cusecs over and above its share fixed under the Kharif plan, on the basis of ratio of historical distribution records. Mr Chanio said that with the supply of additional water, about 250,000 acres would come under cotton cultivation and about 100,000 haris would get jobs. Sindh cotton yield would increase to 50,000 bales, he added. The Irrigation Secretary, Sindh, Idress Rajput, who was also present at the Sindh House, said that they had demanded additional 5,000 cusecs on humanitarian grounds and not as a matter of right. Asked whether the issue of water distribution on the basis of 1991 Accord had also come under discussion, he said that since it was a controversial issue they had not raised it. Replying to a question, Mr Rajput said Sindh had not given up its stand that water should be distributed among the provinces according to the proportion fixed in the 1991 Accord. The additional water, which would be supplied to Sindh from Tuesday would not be later deducted by the Punjab government from Sindh's share, he added. Soomro thanks CE: Sindh Governor, Muhammedmian Soomro, has thanked Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf and Governor Punjab, Lt Gen Muhammed Safdar, for taking care of the requirements of Sindh province in the present situation of water shortage in Sindh, adds APP. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010409 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Democracy to be facilitated: CE ------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW DELHI, April 8: Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf has said he and his government wants to build a civil structure to see democracy and institutions flourish in Pakistan. In an interview with senior editor of an Indian national daily The Asian Age, M. J. Akbar whose second and last portion was published in the paper Sunday, Gen Musharraf said there is a monitoring system on ground run by the army and all institutions at the ground level and everywhere are being watched. "They are being guided wherever required," he added. He said in the previous martial laws or anywhere in the world, the army comes and superimposes itself on the civil structure. And when it goes, civil structure remains at that level, he added. "I thought the requirement is, if at all we don't want martial laws in the future, we want to build this civil structure, we want democracy to flourish here, we need to build these institution. So, let's not get over that. Let's see them from the side and that is why I created this monitoring system," he stated. "So...I thought I shouldn't call myself Chief Martial Law Administrator. And, therefore, somebody suggested the best is chief executive and that was that," he told the interviewer. With regard to bringing back political system, he said his government will bring more honest politicians. They (dishonest) are trying their best. He said it is the system which corrupts more. If there is a correct system with checks and balances with accountability, with monitoring, it will not allow people to be corrupt. He added, "but I am certainly not meaning that I'll be able to eradicate corruption totally. That's a far cry," he went on to say. Regarding the legality of his position, chief executive said, "Well, legality has been given to us by the Supreme Court...in the Supreme Court decision... Whatever happened on October 12 (when the army took over) has been validated.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010409 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Return not possible before May: Benazir ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, April 8: The former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, has expressed pleasure over the Supreme Court's verdict in which it has set aside her conviction in a corruption case. The court has ordered a retrial of the case. But, Ms Bhutto says, she does not intend to go to Pakistan immediately, VOA reported. She said: "I am very happy over the judgment. The Supreme Court has upheld my appeal and set aside the conviction. I am happy for myself but happier for my nation. For the first time, the Supreme Court has acquitted or suspended the conviction of a former prime minister when the country is under martial law. I think this is an important day in the nation's history." Answering a question about her return to Pakistan, she said: "We are monitoring the situation; we will have to see as to what decision the military government will take about Asif Ali Zardari. He has completed his jail term. The SC has set aside the conviction. Now we will have to see whether they respect the law or resort to victimization. The military government will have to review its policies. The government has 18 months to hold elections. They cannot convict me in 18 months." Referring to a question about her opponents in the army, the former prime minister said those who wanted to remove the PPP leadership were opposing the party. "They are in fact opposing the masses. This opposition is creating instability in the country." When asked about giving a call to the masses to come to streets against the government, Ms Bhutto said the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy had to take such a decision. "On my own behalf and on behalf of my party, I have said that Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf should hold talks with the ARD so that an interim government could be set up which could hold free elections for transfer of powers."-NNI DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010411 ------------------------------------------------------------------- IMF asks govt to carry out strict economic reforms ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ihtashamul Haque ISLAMABAD, April 10: The IMF has laid down a strict economic performance criteria to offer $2 to $2.5 billion poverty reduction growth facility (PRGF) that also includes more allocations for social sectors in the next budget and implementing a structural reform programme in CBR, banks, Wapda, KESC, and deregulating the whole petroleum sector. Sources in the multilateral agencies said here on Tuesday that the government had been asked to carry out certain effective reform programmes in the budget for 2001-2002 to qualify for the three- year PRGF after the expiry of $596 million standby arrangement (SBA) in September this year. Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz would leave for Washington in the third week of this month to negotiate PRGF, and also seek six billion dollars exceptional financing from the international donors to pay off $21 billion foreign debt during the next four years. Pakistan was being asked to address some of the weak areas, specially revenue collection. The fund's officials believed that Pakistan would have to manage Rs400 billion plus revenues by June this year. They were of the view that in the first place the military government should make sure that the revised target of Rs417 billion was met. "So far Pakistan has observed all the performance criteria except revenues," a source said, adding that it was the greatest challenge for the government to manage revenue shortfalls through new administrative reforms. "Corruption is the product of the system and this system has to be improved and changed in the CBR," he further stated. Sources said the government needed to introduce severe punishments for corrupt employees and that these punishment should work as "deterrent" for future. For the current financial year, the IMF expected the government to achieve 5.3 per cent fiscal deficit, foreign exchange reserves level at $1.5 billion by June next, excluding $800 million foreign currency deposits, and maintain price stability.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY 20010414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- CBR to speed up ST refund payments ------------------------------------------------------------------- Nasir Jamal LAHORE, April 13: The payment of sales tax refund claims is likely to speed up from Monday, says a senior Central Board of Revenue (CBR) official. Speaking to this reporter here on Friday, CBR member (tax policy) Vakil Ahmed Khan said all the snags in the way of refund of sales tax by the exporters are being removed and the process of payment against their claims will gather speed from the start of the next week. He said the clearance of sales tax refunds was delayed because of some difficulties in the verification of documents provided to the authorities with the refund claims. We are trying to put in place a (computerized) network for the verification of the documents for which software has already been developed, Khan said. The whole process of networking will take a couple of months, making it easier for the authorities to inspect and verify the documents and allow refund against the claims. He claimed that the CBR had so far paid Rs3 billion - or Rs43 billion - more than last year's about Rs40 billion in sales tax, income tax and customs duty refunds. Meanwhile, the Lahore Collectorate of Sales Tax claims to have paid Rs568.440 million in sales tax refunds between March 1-April 13 out of the sanctioned amount of Rs842.720 million. In January, collectorate had paid Rs1.100 billion in sales tax refunds. Since it was done at a great speed, we had to "slow down" after that to reconcile our own record to verify that excess funds had not been released, said a senior official. Lahore collector sales tax Umer Farooq asserted that the major factor "slowing down" payments of sales tax refunds was exporters inability to "provide adequate proof that the export proceeds had been brought to the country". Few people claiming refunds provide documentary evidence to this effect, he added. Another factor, he said, was absence of other documents (required under the SRO 417) along with the claims filed for refund. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Curbs on foreign ownership of commercial banks ------------------------------------------------------------------- Jawaid Bokhari KARACHI, April 13: The World Bank has advised Pakistan that reputable foreign strategic investors should be treated at par with domestic bidders in the privatization of nationalized commercial banks with large networks. If foreign banks with funds, global expertise and latest technology are interested in leading institutions like Habib Bank, their bid should be considered on merit. And no restrictions should be applied on foreign ownership of commercial banks if the foreign strategic buyer is capable of managing a turn-around in the acquired bank. World Bank sources were asked to comment on reports that WB- sponsored banking reforms stipulated removal of restrictions on foreign ownership of commercial banks. Pakistan allows 100 per cent foreign ownership of industrial and other sectors. In the field of banking, the question of ownership is decided by the State Bank on what is described as merit of each case and on case by case basis. Sources said that the WB did not see any justification for denying 100 per cent foreign ownership of commercial banks. Banking sources say that the previous government had restricted foreign ownership to 49 per cent in case of large nationalized commercial banks, considered strategic assets. This decision followed an understanding with WTO, they added. WB holds the view that the State Bank enjoys far greater controls over banks incorporated in Pakistan than branches of foreign banks operating in the country. The leverages with the regulators are more than what is needed to safeguard strategic interests. If foreigners want majority stakes, or local joint venture partners, there should not be any restrictions. WB sources said that WTO does not prescribe any ratio for local or foreign ownership. It only lays down that ratio of stake allowed to one country should not be denied to any other country. The concessions should be made on reciprocal basis and be applied equally for all countries. The State Bank has traversed a long way in liberalization of foreign ownership of commercial banks and foreign bank branching policies. It has allowed Arab investors to acquire majority stakes in smaller commercial banks, waiving the eligibility of maximum holding of 5 per cent shares for an individual in a commercial bank. These banks include Faysal, Gulf Commercial (now acquired by PICIC) and Al-Falah. An old policy to allow foreign banks to operate in Pakistan on reciprocal basis, however, stays. A foreign bank is given licence to start operations if a local bank is permitted to start business in the country of origin of the concerned foreign bank. Sources say that the central bank's policy on bank ownership is pretty cautious, given the fact that the economy is over-banked and suffers from weak financial institutions. When contacted, the president of a local private bank said that in the current economic scenario, the appetite of any foreign bank for making investment was in the range of $5-10 million dollars. If they want to take over any of the leading nationalized commercial banks, at least $200-300 million dollar is required. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010408 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Chinese team holds trade talks ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ahmad Hasan Alvi ISLAMABAD, April 7: The Chinese Vice-Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, An Min, assured on Saturday that Pakistan and China would continue efforts for bringing about economic stability in the region. Talking to Communication Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi, he said China would continue extending cooperation to Pakistan in different sectors of economic progress, which, he added, would strengthen mutual relations. Mr An, heading a delegation, exchanged views with the minister about development of the communications sector, shipping, etc. Heads of the various departments accompanied the vice-minister. The Chinese minister pointed out that many companies were engaged in completing the national highway projects in Pakistan. He emphasized the need for extending cooperation in the communications sector and said that Pakistan had a long coastal area which the Chinese engineer could help to develop. He elaborated that the Chinese companies were engaged in completing the Indus Highway, Chablat-Nowshera project and Karachi Northern Bypass. Likewise, he said, Chinese were working in the shipping sector. Welcoming the delegation, Ashraf Qazi said Pakistan and China were coming closer together with the passage of time. China, he pointed out, had always supported Pakistan in international affairs. The forthcoming visit of the Chinese prime minister would prove to be a great success and bilateral relations would be strengthened, he hoped. The two countries were cooperating in the economic sector, including mercantile shipping, said the minister, adding that the Chinese cooperation in developing the communications sector was laudable. The communication minister said the government of Pakistan was encouraging to initiate projects on the BOT (Built, Operate, Transfer) basis. The quadrilateral agreement had already been signed which provided for highway trade between China, Central Asian States and Pakistan, he said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- More will be taxed next year: Slabs being reduced, says Shaukat ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ihtashamul Haque ISLAMABAD, April 12: The government has decided not to impose new taxes in the next budget in order to offer certain relief to people, said Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz. Speaking at a news conference here on Thursday, he said budget preparations have begun and initially it has been decided not to burden people with new taxes. "Rather we are planning to reduce the number of federal and provincial taxes," he added. The finance minister said there were four federal taxes which were being reduced along with a number of provincial taxes. "We do not believe in increasing taxes, instead we are opting for gradually broadening the tax base by bringing more people into the tax net," he said. He said duty structure was being rationalised as there would be four slabs instead of five slabs in the next budget. And there will be a 30 per cent maximum duty on these slabs. There will be less duty on raw material while more duty will be on finished goods. The purpose, he said, was to make the domestic industry competitive and to provide relief. The finance minister claimed that the number of taxpayers in the country had increased to 1.9 million which would reach two million by the end of this year. "This is a remarkable achievement," he asserted. He also said 99 per cent revenue collection targets had been achieved for the first nine months of the current financial year. The minister said the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) collected Rs33 billion in the month of March this year. Giving details, Shaukat Aziz said the CBR has collected Rs277 billion against the target of Rs279.3 billion in the first nine months of 2000-2001. He said Rs86.9 billion were collected through direct taxes against the target of Rs86.1 billion, Rs108 billion were collected against the target of Rs111 billion in Sales Tax, Rs35 billion in central excise duty against the target of Rs36 billion, and Rs46 billion were collected in customs duty against the target of Rs45 billion. "So overall there is a 15 per cent increase in revenues during the first nine months of the current financial year," Aziz said. He said tax collection had increased from Rs200 billion to Rs300 billion in five years (1995-99). While additional revenue worth Rs39 billion was managed by the present government only in 1999- 2000 and as such there was an all-time high of 13 per cent increase. "Now this increase has reached to 15 per cent in the first nine months and we expect more increases during the last quarter of 2000-2001," Shaukat Aziz said. This year, he said, the government was hoping to collect additional Rs70 billion which would again be an all-time high revenue increase in the history of Pakistan. "And we are not increasing our revenues by harassing the people but by gradually convincing them to pay their dues in the larger national interest," he added. The finance minister said the government has collected Rs277 billion in the first nine months of current financial year against Rs241 billion of corresponding period last year. He said the government has paid refunds to the tune of Rs45 billion which has nothing to do with the revenue collection figures. There has been an increase of 6 per cent in refund payments this year. Talking about the tax survey campaign, the finance minister said that out of total 1.8 million forms circulated to the public, 1.5 million have returned to the CBR after having been duly filled. Shaukat Aziz told a reporter that incorrect reports were carried by a couple of newspapers and a weekly alleging that Secretary Task Force on Tax Administration Mr Ahmad Khan was involved in corruption or had committed any irregularity in hiring private consultants. "The secretary health has conducted a thorough inquiry and exonerated Mr Khan of false charges," the finance minister said, hoping that people would avoid levelling baseless allegations against competent and honest officers of the CBR. He said there has been a massive increase of 53.14 per cent in stock and turnover income declared by 27,800 business outlets in 13 major cities of Pakistan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010412 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Clearance in 90 days: 50-70% demurrage waived on shipments ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, April 11: The government on Wednesday announced waiver of 50 to 70 per cent demurrage charges on all the consignments, lying uncleared at ports for the last five years. To avail the relaxation, all these consignments of both, the public sector as well as private sector organizations will have to be cleared within three months after which they will be auctioned. The uncleared consignments of public and private sector of over five years may be auctioned straightaway. The decision was taken at the meeting of the Federal Cabinet presided over by Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf. The meeting was earlier informed that a large quantity of machinery, equipment and other cargo imported by the provincial governments, ministries/divisions, public sector corporations and private sector consignees is lying uncleared at the ports for years together. In certain cases the consignments have been disowned by the importers including public sector organizations. Some uncleared public sector consignments date back to 1972. The meeting was informed that in addition to causing congestion at ports and depriving the port authorities from receiving charges, it also results in the loss of public revenue due to non-receipt to import taxes and duties. Furthermore, non-utilization of the imported goods causes irreparable loss to the economy. The cabinet, therefore, decided to give substantial waiver on the demurrage charges for the clearance of such consignments within three months after which they will be auctioned. The proceeds of auction shall be shared by the customs and the port(s) in accordance with the existing rules and regulations. Disowned consignments of public/private organizations may be auctioned by the customs straightaway. The condition of destruction and distribution of sale proceeds and exemption of banned items from auction shall mutatis mutandis apply to these consignments. Storage charges payable by public sector organizations for the already cleared consignments should be paid to the two ports within a period of two months. Public sector organizations should open Let Pass Deposit (LPD) Account so that the ports could promptly receive its dues and charges at the time of clearance of the consignments.-APP Our Staff Reporter adds:Sources said that Gen Pervez Musharraf was given a briefing by Minister for Finance Shaukat Aziz on the prevailing economicsituation. The Cabinet was told that rupee was gaining strength against dollar and that it was only possible when the officials of the ministry of finance forced the concerned people to bring dollar from Dubai. They had earlier created what was termed "artificial strength of dollar" by not transmitting their dollars from Duabi and other parts of UAE. The meeting was told that except for revenues, the government has met the performance criteria of the IMF to receive remaining two tranches of the Standby Loan by September this year. Sources said that the Chief Executive will be given on Thursday a special briefing on telecommunication, revenues, National Highway Authority (NHA) with special reference to building of motorways, shipping and railways. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010412 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rupee volatile in inter-bank market: Gains further in kerb ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, April 11: After making an impressive recovery in the first two days of the week, the rupee on Wednesday started losing grounds against the US dollar in inter-bank market. Bankers said the rupee finished at 59.80/59.85 to a dollar at the close of business on Wednesday at 1:30pm. But it fell to 60.45 in deals made thereafter, in next-day value as commercial demand for dollars went up and banks refrained from panic selling of greenbacks. On Tuesday the rupee had closed at 60.40/60.45 to a dollar at 1:30pm but later on, it had risen substantially and was traded as high as 59.65 to a dollar showing an appreciation of 1.8 per cent overnight. Bankers said what had helped the rupee make a big recovery on Tuesday was additional inflow of dollars through export proceeds, remittances from overseas Pakistanis as well as corporate loans. On Wednesday additional inflow of export dollars continued as the April 14 deadline set for the exporters to bring in overdue exports drew closer. But at the same time, the demand for dollars went up on corporate buyings in the later part of the day. Hence the volatility in inter-bank foreign exchange deals. According to Forex Association of Pakistan the rupee closed at 62.75/62.90 to a dollar in the open market for spot buying and selling, posting a gain of 20 paisa overnight. But people reported the dollar selling at more than Rs63 at several exchange houses. President of Forex Association of Pakistan, Malik Bostan claimed that the association had sold $15 million in open market in past two days to stabilize the rupee. But he declined to name the money changers who sold dollars on behalf of the association. Senior bankers said banks stopped panic-selling of dollars in inter-bank market on Wednesday that forced the rupee to lose part of the strength it had gathered against the US dollar on Tuesday. What had forced some banks to start panic-selling of dollars was a reminder issued by the State Bank that it was not going to extend the April 14 deadline set for the exporters to bring in their overdue export proceeds. Treasurers of leading local and foreign banks said the panic-selling had to stop in any case as most banks knew that the banking system could not see more than $50-$60 million additional inflow through inflow of overdue export proceeds by April 14. The State Bank officials believe total overdue export bills range between $600-$650 million but they admit that the major chunk of this amount is not realisable as it involves overdue cases accumulating since 1947. Banking experts say hardly $100-$120 million of overdue bills can be classified as technically realisable but they doubt that the entire amount might not come into the system by April 14. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010411 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Conditional World Bank loan for gas pipelines ------------------------------------------------------------------- Khaleeq Kiani ISLAMABAD, April 10: Pakistan will have to establish that its gas sector could meet country's power sector demand on a sustainable basis to qualify for the assistance from World Bank for the development of private sector gas pipelines, learnt Dawn. The four-member fact finding mission of the World Bank on Pakistan's gas pipelines started its deliberations here on Tuesday. The mission comprising Marc Heitner, Waqar Haider, Rashid Aziz and Ralph G. Schwimmbeck held separate meetings with the Secretary Petroleum, Abdullah Yousaf; Director General Gas Khalid Naseem; Director General Petroleum Concessions Shahid Ahmad; Senior Joint Secretary Water and Power Engineer Syed Ibrahim Shah; and representative of Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) Katsumi Uchida. The mission was told that the current gas requirement in the country's power sector is estimated at around 1200 MMCFD (million cubic feet per day). This included 300 MMCFD in Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) and 900 MMCFD in Wapda system. The demand in power sector is estimated to go up by two to three times in next 10 years, official sources told Dawn. Against this demand, total gas supply estimates including from new discoveries have been estimated at around 1000 MMCFD. In this situation, it was premature to establish gas sector's ability to meet even current requirement of around 1200 MMCFD of natural gas in the power sector, sources said. The government in collaboration with private sector will have to carry out detailed studies whether the gas reserves were enough to meet power sector demand so that multinational pipeline companies and international financiers could be attracted for the development of pipeline system. The World Bank mission is here to assist Pakistan in developing private sector gas pipelines through multinational energy firms and international financiers to link its power and industrial sector with the untapped gas reserves. The mission, will look into measures on how private gas pipelines could introduced optimally in Pakistan and to develop the necessary policy framework including issues relating to Gas Regulatory Authority (GRA). The bank is of the view that infrastructure bottlenecks, particularly gas pipelines prevent Pakistan from taking full advantage of its recent gas discoveries and to substitute for fuel oil which is imported at a high cost for use in thermal power plants. It believed that while the government is to take some more time to restructure and privatize Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), one way of accelerating development is to introduce the concept of private gas pipelines into Pakistan, preferably in such a way that the government does not bear the commercial risks, sources added. The ministry of petroleum and natural resource is of the view that private sector investments in gas pipelines and related infrastructure could be facilitated through the World Bank assistance in developing the necessary policy framework. The government has already approved a Rs20 billion development plan for two gas utilities (SNGPL and SSGC) to develop infrastructure to add natural gas intakes from new fields and its transmission to the power stations. The mission will suggest, at the end of the visit, measures to optimally introduce private pipelines in Pakistan and policy changes and a number of options to proceed further on the subject. The mission, in its 10-day visit, will also hold talks with ministers of finance and petroleum, secretary general finance, heads of all local and international oil and gas companies operating in Pakistan besides Chairman Wapda Lt Gen Zulfiqar Ali Khan, chiefs of Hub Power Company, Kot Addu Thermal Power Company, AES and Rousch Power. Heads of Citibank Pakistan, J.P. Morgan, ABN- Amro will also be involved in these deliberations. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010411 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Textile manufacture exports drop by 3pc ------------------------------------------------------------------- Muhammad Ilyas ISLAMABAD, April 10: The share of exports of textile manufactures in overall merchandise exports dropped by about three per cent to 62.44 per cent during the period July-March 2000-01 as compared to the corresponding period of previous year. One of the factors, according to an analysis of the official foreign trade statistics, was the continued downward trend of unit prices in the world market. Although this is true of all the major categories of export goods, the trend is especially pronounced in respect of the category "textile manufactures" in view of its predominant position in the export business of Pakistan. The exports during the period under report totalled $6.71 billion, 8.34 per cent more than in July-March, 1999-00. Of this, 86.66 per cent was the contribution of manufactured items. This indicates a slight decline from the corresponding period of previous year when their share in total exports was 87.03 per cent. Within the category "manufactured exports", the share of textile manufactures was 72.05 per cent, down about three per cent from previous year. This brings into focus the abnormally high dependency of exports on textile manufactures. The fragility of Pakistan's exports is further highlighted by the increasing competition faced by our textile exports in the world market that forced down the unit prices. Cumulatively, the exports of textile manufactures inched up by 3.48 per cent during the 9-month period under report over the comparable period of previous year. But when looking at their performance for the month of March, the picture is far from bright; for in that month, textile manufactures fell by 0.34 per cent. According to the statistics, the export of cotton yarn went up by 6.40 per cent to 394,828 metric tons in July-March 2000-01, but due to 5.71 per cent drop in the average price, the foreign exchange earned was increased by only 0.37 per cent. Consequently, the share of cotton yarn in textile manufacture exports declined to 18.60 per cent from 19.18 per cent in the corresponding period of previous year. Likewise, the quantitative export of all the major items of textile manufactures category registered an upward trend. Thus, cotton fabrics went up by 8.99 per cent, knitwear by 5.34 per cent, bedwear by 9.61 per cent, towels by 35.20 per cent, readymade garments by 12.28 per cent, synthetic tex. fabrics by 41.97 per cent and waste material of textile fibres/fabrics by 15.87 per cent. With the sole exception of knitwear, the foreign exchange these items fetched was much lower, thanks to reduced unit price. All the other categories of exports improved their contribution to overall exports during the period under review. Most heartening was the performance of "Other Manufactures" whose share in overall exports at the end of March was 16.03 per cent, as compared to 14.52 per cent in the corresponding period of previous year. But 19.61 per cent increase in their exports is the result of significant performance during the preceding months. For during the month of March, their exports registered a decline of 5.42 per cent, thus showing consistency with the slowing trend of Pakistan's exports. Cumulatively, however, exports of carpets increased by 19.39 per cent in terms of volumes and by 6.20 per cent in dollars. Thanks to rise in world prices, the exports of petroleum & petroleum products rose by 75.82 per cent for a quantitative increase of 46.06 per cent. Leather manufactures continued on top with exports worth $323.50 million, accounting for more than one-third of exports of Other Manufactures. Compared with corresponding period of previous year, this is 28.40 per cent higher. The only item in this category, which declined during the period under review was Sports Goods (-1.43 per cent). As regards other items, the exports (in US dollars) of surgical & medical instruments increased by 3.90 per cent, cutlery by 9.63 per cent, onyx manufactures by 31.07 per cent and chemical & pharmaceutical products by 67.43 per cent. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010410 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Exports of merchandise fall short of target ------------------------------------------------------------------- Muhammad Ilyas ISLAMABAD, April 9: Merchandise exports of Pakistan fell short of the target by 7.85 per cent, during the first three-quarters of fiscal 2000-01. According to foreign trade statistics released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) here on Monday, exports during the period July-March, 2000-01, amounted to $6.71 billion as against the target of $10 billion for the whole year. At the end of the period, therefore, the country will have to raise its exports to $1.09 billion per month in order to come at par with the target. This, however, seems difficult because in the first nine months of the year, the exports averaged $746.16 million per month. The prospects are further rendered bleak because the exports performance indicates a slowdown during the month of March - thanks to bureaucratic lethargy evident in the working of the ministry of commerce as well as in its protege, the Export Promotion Bureau. At $726.99 million during the month, it is even lower than the monthly average of the nine months under review. As compared to the period July-March, 1999-00, the exports during the first nine months of current financial year show a growth rate of 8.34%. This is, however, more due to the performance of the preceding months than any momentous achievement in the ninth month, an analysis of the trade statistics indicates. In spite of what the ministry may claim as "impressive" performance, the trade deficit increased by 1.23 per cent in terms of dollars and by 11.51 per cent in those of local currency, showing rapid decline in the value of the rupee due to the policy of letting it float at the mercy of the speculators. The imbalance at the end of the 9-month period under review stood at $1.31 billion. In local currency, it amounted to Rs75.11 billion. At this rate, it is feared, the trade deficit may touch the $2 billion mark in the remaining quarter of the year. The government, it will be recalled, had set a target of $800 million for trade deficit during the current financial year. The country, however, find itself saddled with a trade imbalance already 64 per cent ahead of the target for the whole year. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bandwidth tariffs further reduced ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter ISLAMABAD, April 13: PTCL management and Ministry of Science and Technology agreed on Friday to further reduce international and domestic leased line and bandwidth tariffs. The decision was in line with the objective of the government to promote Information Technology, its education, software development, its export and IT related services. The new tariffs would be one of the lowest in South Asia and Far East. The new reduction brings the bandwidth prices to just half of prices announced in September 2000 for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and corporate sector and 1/5th only for software, education and specialized IT related services. The PTCL had reduced its bandwidth tariff upto 25 per cent for 2Mbit Full Circuit via SMW-3 for ISPs upto Singapore/UK from monthly charges of US $40,000 to US $30,000. Like-wise reduction in bandwidth tariff upto 25 per cent for 2Mbit have been made. Now Full Circuit via SMW-3 for EMIX have been brought down from monthly charges of US $30,000 to US $22,500. New rate reduction is over and above the 53 per cent and 25 per cent reductions already announced in May and September, 2000 by the government. This new measure shall be beneficial for all Internet end-users and overall IT industry players. PTCL hoped that the ISPs will ultimately pass-on the benefit of rate reduction to the end-users. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010410 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rupee makes swift recovery ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mohiuddin Aazim KARACHI, April 9: The rupee on Monday gained 30 paisa against the US dollar in inter-bank market due to increased supply of greenbacks amidst low demand. The rupee closed at 61.40/61.45 to a dollar against the previous close of 61.70/61.75 for buying and selling. Bankers said the local currency showed even more strength in later part of the day when it was quoted at 61.30 to a US dollar for next day transactions. In the open market, the rupee gained 10 paisa to close at 63.90 /64.00 to a dollar for spot buying and selling reflecting the trend in inter-bank market. Bankers said there was enough supply of dollars in inter-bank market on Monday that helped the rupee recover part of its lost value against the dollar. They said the market received an additional inflow of $20-$25 million both in the form of export bills and invisible receipts that pushed the rupee up. Invisible receipts include remittances of overseas Pakistanis; foreign investment and repatriable loans etc. But it could not be learnt which of these categories saw the largest chunk of inflows. Besides the demand for dollars was relatively low as foreign debt payments by state-run organizations and corporates had come to an end. Normally foreign debt payments of all kinds go up at every quarter-end putting pressure on the local currency. End- March was no exception. Thus the rupee remained on the slide last month losing some worth against the greenback almost everyday. Between January-March this year the rupee depreciated by about seven per cent against the dollar that brought the total loss it suffered since its July 20 free-float to more than 17 per cent. The rupee on Monday made the first major recovery in several weeks after hitting a record low of 61.80 to a dollar in inter- bank market late last week. During the past few weeks the rupee kept falling against the dollar not only due to foreign debt payments of all kinds but also because exporters stayed away from bringing in overdue export bills. Since the April 14 deadline set for bringing in overdue export bills is only a few days away exporters have started selling part of such bills. Senior bankers estimate an additional inflow of a few hundred million dollars in the form of overdue export bills. Selling of overdue export bills was one of the factors that enhanced supply of dollars in inter-bank market on Monday. Such was the inflow of additional supply of dollars that a leading American bank alone sold $15-$18 million in inter-bank market. In addition to low demand and increased supply of dollars what else made the rupee recover strength on Monday was that the inter -bank market was extremely short of liquidity after a few weeks. Bankers said that banks had to borrow Rs 9 billion overnight from the State Bank to cover their positions: Overnight call rate also remained almost pegged to 13 per cent. Liquidity shortage enhances demand for the rupee and raises the cost of dollar holdings thus resulting in higher supply of greenbacks in the market. The opposite of it happens when the market is highly liquid.Back to the top
EDITORIALS & FEATURES 20010408 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Leghari and the storming ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ardeshir Cowasjee THE story of the storming of the Supreme Court on Friday November 28, 1997, by ministers, parliamentarians, and supporters of the second government of Mian Nawaz Sharif is a subject upon which all those who were members of the executive, legislature, and judiciary at that point in time do not care to dwell. That same sorry day, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Sajjad Ali Shah, the main object of the storming, wrote to President Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari narrating the facts of the incident, requesting him to take action under Article 190 of the Constitution and provide security cover for the court and its judges by calling in the army for their protection. He also narrated how "a Judge of this Court", Justice Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, had overstepped his mark by hearing petitions which he should not have heard without the authority of the Chief Justice, how he had passed administrative orders without proper authorization, and how he, with some of his brethren acquiescing, had deliberately caused a division amongst the judges of the apex court of the land. He asked the president to take the necessary steps for action against Siddiqui by the Supreme Judicial Council. The president the following day addressed a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, enclosing a copy of the Chief Justice's letter and called upon him to act under Article 190 of the Constitution and order the army to provide security cover to the court and its judges, and to also initiate proceedings for misconduct against Justice Saiduzzaman Siddiqui. The prime minister responded the same day with a long rambling letter declining both requests. Sufficient security had already been provided, he stated, and thus calling in the army was not necessary. And to his mind there was no justification in taking any action against Justice Siddiqui [who later was to be his favoured Chief Justice] merely because Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah had so demanded. On May 9, 1998, I filed an application in the Supreme Court before the bench constituted to inquire into the matter of the storming which, inter alia, read: "As per the Court's direction to my request that certain concerned and relevant persons whose statements would enlighten the court be summoned to testify regarding the November, 28, 1997, storming of the Supreme Court, I herewith submit my application listing suggested names." The first name on my list was that of "former President of Pakistan Farooq Leghari, who is well aware of the facts leading up to the assault upon the Supreme Court, as well as the facts relating to the actual assault." The bench, for whatever unfathomable reasons, did not consider it necessary to summon Leghari. The stance of the three judges was that if Leghari wished to appear and give evidence he should apply in writing and they would then consider his application. This Leghari did not do. The matter dragged on and on through the tenures of Chief Justices Ajmal Mian and Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui and the government of Nawaz Sharif. When Justice Irshad Hassan Khan took over as Chief Justice last year under this military government he revived the matter in September, a thousand days down the road, and ordered the Islamabad Inspector-General of Police to institute an inquiry to be conducted by a Superintendent of Police "to identify the miscreants involved in this incident and thereafter proceed in accordance with the law." The results of such an inquiry and the tracing of the masterminds could have well been anticipated. On March 25 this year a story in the national press, dateline Islamabad, told us that the inquiry team "filed a sketchy report and that too, too late, reportedly because of political considerations to engineer the restructuring of the ousted ruling party." Reportedly the interior ministry had refused access to Mushahid Hussain and Saifur Rahman, both incarcerated at the time, and their plan to request that Nawaz Sharif be produced for interrogation was thwarted by his exile to Saudi Arabia. The 23-page report sent to the Supreme Court was incomplete, and largely a complaint about the inability of the investigating officers, due to the non-cooperation of the government, to interview any of the leading masterminds behind the planning and execution of the storming. Coincidentally, on March 19, Farooq Leghari addressed an audience here in Karachi at a seminar organized by the Helpline Trust. He very frankly and openly spoke out, with no holds barred, about how one main aim of both the second governments of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, during both of which he was president of the Republic, was to get the better of the judiciary and put the judges in what they considered to be their rightful place. His reminiscences and recollections of his presidential period were recorded. He unequivocally stated that they both intended to do whatever they could do to "subjugate the judiciary and to do away with the concept of the supremacy of the rule of law". Leghari related how on the night of November 27/28, 1997, Nawaz Sharif accompanied by COAS Jehangir Karamat, National Assembly Speaker Ilahi Bakhsh Soomro, Senate Chairman Wasim Sajjad, and Law Minister Khalid Anwer came to see him and advised him to denotify Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah and appoint Ajmal Mian in his place. The cassette recording is being forwarded to the Chief Justice of Pakistan. The case is still open and it is very necessary that the Supreme Court examine former President Farooq Leghari under oath and finally come to a conclusion as to the part played in the whole sordid episode by the leaders of a government in power, by certain judges of the court itself, by the then sitting Senator Rafiq Ahmed Tarrar who now occupies Aiwan-e-Sadar, and by leading members of the legal fraternity. The very least that the law can do is to disqualify Nawaz Sharif, his entire cabinet, and all others belonging to whatever pillar of the state, who were responsible for masterminding, engineering, and storming the Supreme Court, from holding any office for at least ten years. Do we want such elements to rule over us again or to hold any positions of power? No country can prosper or progress unless law and order is enforced and prevails. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- A midway balance sheet ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ayaz Amir AFTER a year and a half of untrammelled power, clearly there is much that is wrong with the Musharraf government, as indeed there would be with any mortal dispensation especially of the subcontinental variety. The principal criticism that can be brought against it has to do with the limitations of the Pakistan army as a political institution. The fighting doctrine of the army rests on waging short and snappy wars. For anything lasting longer than 17 days it has not shown any convincing stamina. Yet the same army on assuming political power settles into a pace more appropriate to a lengthy war of attrition than to a short and decisive blitzkrieg. Herein lies a paradox. A Cromwellian intervention can only be justified on the grounds that it will achieve swift results and cut through the nonsense of established procedures. But when instead of seeking vindication in swiftness a military government is like an elephant on the march, much of its rationale disappears. But this important caveat notwithstanding, in important areas the Musharraf government could have done much worse. It could have taken the easy route of military repression. In knee-jerk fashion it could have suppressed press freedom. By succumbing to neither temptation it has achieved two purposes, albeit unwittingly. It has acquired a benign image for itself and gained an important window on public opinion. In Pakistan's current milieu no clumsy or ill-conceived action of the government's goes unpunished. It is easy to think that a military government has a thick hide and is impervious to what people say about it. But this impression is false. Criticism wounds and fierce criticism damages self-esteem. To the extent that the generals have taken often savage criticism on their chins, and have even modified their behaviour under its impact, the credit goes to them. In what respects has behaviour been modified? Consider these few examples. Lt-Gen Haider, the interior minister, is less free with his shoot-from-the-hip declarations about curbing this and suppressing that. Realizing the fiasco of the tax survey drive of last summer, the military government is less keen to ruffle the feathers of the business community, even as it continues to play ball with the IMF. The change of guard at the National Accountability Bureau is a step in the same direction.Towards the religious parties and so-called jihadi outfits the government's tone has changed. While the Afghan and Kashmir policies remain intact, the government is less willing to be blackmailed by these outfits. There is also a blushing realization in government quarters that spurious religious knights like the Pontiff of Munara have made a monkey of the government besides giving the country a bad international image. As far as relations with India are concerned, Musharraf, with his repeated calls for a dialogue, sounds very much the peacenik. Gone is the hawkish stridency which he displayed soon after coming to power. In the light of this change it is not far-fetched to say that the Kargil Boys have come out of the shadows of that doomed adventure. To the extent that this outcome reveals anything, it is the mental resilience of Pakistan's Commando-General. Does this mean Pakistan is out of the woods? Certainly not. But it means that from the depressing lows of last summer and winter the Musharraf government's graph has risen. While all is not well (when is it ever?), this much at least can be hazarded that just as the initial hopes attached to the military takeover were exaggerated, the later debunking of the Musharraf government was likewise an exercise in premature wishfulness. True, in many respects this government continues to act like a college of innocents. But as time passes there seems to be a method to its simplicity. As that maiden whose name was Bholi (Innocent) said to the gentleman whose advances left little doubt about his intentions, "I may be Bholi but not that bholi." Consider in the above context the fury that seized the Moral Middle Class when Nawaz Sharif and kin were packed off into exile. Steaming with indignation, its members felt betrayed. We are an impulsive people and one of our more pronounced traits is to rush to judgment. Distance lends perspective, however. So it has proved in the case of Nawaz Sharif's exile. He and his family have saved their skins by opting for flight over resistance. But they have done grievous harm to their political standing. Is any fight left in the PML-N? And what about the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy? The wind has been taken out of its sails. Much has also been made of the Supreme Court's partial relief to Benazir and Zardari in the SGS-Cotecna reference with the case now remanded for retrial. But Benazir is no fool and realizes that unless the decks are completely cleared she cannot risk coming to Pakistan. In any event, in recent days she has made placatory noises about the military. But is the Musharraf government under any compulsion to accept her overtures? With the political field desiccated, the Muslim League split and the PPP rudderless, the initiative lies squarely with the generals and not Pakistan's demoralized and discredited politicians.In a recent article Pakistan's other great innocent, Imran Khan, has complained that the ban on outdoor political activity inhibits the ability of the smaller parties, like his Tehrik-i-Insaf, to emerge as alternatives to the established political order. Obviously, Imran does not know his history well. The founding of the PPP in 1967, and its subsequent emergence as a major political force, occurred against the backdrop of far severer restrictions than exist at present. While touring the country Bhutto could address only indoor meetings without the help of loudspeakers. In the press his voice was barely heard. Yet, despite these limitations, he managed a feat of political mobilization which remains unmatched to this day. If people are not willing to listen to the political parties, whose fault is it? Pakistan faces not only a crisis of leadership but also one of faith and trust. The old idols have broken down and there is nothing to take their place. This does not mean the Musharraf government has all the answers. In many respects it remains a bungling dispensation, learning on the job and indulging in costly experimentation. But the initiative is with it. When it gives its political award who will oppose it? What have the political parties to offer? At a time when the political parties are hard-pressed to define their relevance, does it behove them to talk of exit strategies for the military? They should be thinking of survival strategies for themselves. But the most burning question of all remains. Although we know who is winning the on-going war of attrition, for whose benefit is it being fought: the army or the people? The army's political victory means nothing if the country's condition does not turn. Suppose Musharraf is in power not just for the next year and a half but for much longer. (To think how long Ayub and Zia remained at the helm of affairs is enough to send a shudder down the toughest spine.) But if he rules and nothing else much changes what will be the point of it all? If this government has a benign and liberal face, it is an accident of history related to the personalities of this coup rather than to anything deep-rooted in the army. Unchecked rule by anyone has spelt disaster for Pakistan before. We don't need to go down that route again. Musharraf is moving towards civilianization or a form of it. The Supreme Court's order stressing elections within three years is a deadline the generals must meet, for their own good if for nothing else. But will this civilianization be quick enough? Will it be inclusive enough? Will it satisfy Pakistan's quest for a polity both stable and democratic? This is the test before the country as also before Musharraf's College of (well-meaning) Innocents. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- The vandals of Wah ------------------------------------------------------------------- Irfan Husain LEGEND has it that Mughal Emperor Babar camped overnight on the Grand Trunk Road on his way to Kashmir for the summer. The next morning, as he saw the natural spring-fed pools and orchards before him, he uttered a spontaneous "Wah!" in appreciation of the idyllic setting. The name stuck, and today Wah is associated with images of its cool, crystal-clear springs and its formal Mughal garden. Unfortunately, if Babar were to pass by Wah today, he would not want to spend an instant there: the nearby Dhamra River is running a sickly orange, while white powder drains into it from an adjacent marble works, and a huge hotel-cum-petrol station is coming up on the river bank. All day long, intermittent explosions can be heard as the surrounding hills are blasted for rocks to crush into aggregate for construction as well as for nearby cement factories. However, these blasts have to compete for attention with the loud cacophony created by pressure horns used by buses and wagons as they hurtle between Rawalpindi and Peshawar. Thus do we destroy things and places we should preserve and cherish. Like a barbarian horde devastating everything in its path, we are systematically playing havoc with the natural beauty and the historical sites we have inherited. Nothing is sacred, nothing sacrosanct. While the Taliban deliberately destroy masterpieces, we do so through neglect and blind avarice. At the end of the day, the manner of destruction matters little; the fact of it does. Any civilized society seeks to care for its patrimony and pass it on to the next generation undamaged and unspoiled. It does so not just for altruistic and aesthetic reasons, but for straight commercial ones as tourism now plays a major role in the economies of many countries fortunate enough to have inherited the remnants of ancient civilizations. We in Pakistan have been richly blessed with ruins going back thousands of years. >From the prehistoric site being excavated at Mehargarh to the complex Indus River civilization to the highly cultured Gandhara period, there is an almost unbroken link with the distant past. In the subsequent period, we have the early Muslim culture culminating in the magnificent Mughal empire. Finally, we have the architecturally fascinating colonial buildings. All in all, this is as enviable an archaeological inheritance as anybody could hope for. In terms of natural beauty, we have stunning mountain ranges, forests and lakes in the north; the rugged moonscapes and fabulous beaches of Balochistan; the bounteous plains of Punjab; and the ecologically rich mangroves and lakes full of migratory birds in Sindh. Few countries the size of Pakistan can match it in terms of the sheer diversity of natural features. And what have we done with this amazing wealth? Like a spoiled child surrounded by expensive toys, we have proceeded to take a hammer to everything of value and beauty. While other countries with a fraction of our attractions draw millions of tourists who spend billions of dollars, we have managed to acquire such a negative image abroad that foreign governments issue travel advisories to their citizens to stay away from Pakistan. Quite apart from the dangers and lack of facilities tourists face here, our archaeological sites are crumbling from sheer neglect. A prime example is the plight of the ancient city of Moenjodaro: despite receiving millions of dollars through a Unesco appeal, the unique site is threatened by salinity. Plastic shopping bags blight our mountains and our beaches. Archaeological sites are plundered at will, and some of our finest Gandhara statues are now abroad. Apparently, shards and artefacts from the millennia-old site at Mehargarh are now finding their way to antique shops in London and New York. The few tourists who do visit these shores complain of being harassed and gaped at by locals. Our killjoy laws and hypocritical social mores combine to make a visit to Pakistan a holiday from hell: foreigners accustomed to a glass of beer or wine with their meals cannot figure out why they should be denied these minor pleasures when they are quite prepared to pay for them. And given our lack of any kind of night life, they have nothing to do in the evenings. Returning to Wah, my earliest memories of that once-magical place that so entranced Babar go fifty years back when I was taken there as a young boy by my parents. I can still remember the large fish gliding through the still, crystal-clear water of the small lake formed by natural springs. Until a few years ago, you could still catch mahsheer in the nearby Dhamra River. No more, alas. As nearby factories (including the Pakistan Ordnance Factories located a couple of miles away) release their noxious effluence into the atmosphere and the nearest body of water, the whole area is slowly dying. Until a few years ago, stone crushing plants were chewing up priceless Ghandara remains in Taxila valley itself, barely five miles from Wah. Perhaps one reason I am so indignant at what is happening to, in and around Wah is that over the years, I have spent many memorable weekends there, enjoying my old friend Kamran Shafi's warm hospitality. Many is the time we turned up from Islamabad on a hot summer day and plunged into the chilly pool to cool off, bringing our refreshments into the water with us. In winter, we have spent many a convivial evening before a roaring wood fire. But conversations are frequently punctuated by the ubiquitous pressure horns from the motorway a stone's throw away. While the government is so intrusive about so many other things, it has adopted a supine, laissez-faire attitude to all those busily polluting the air and the water. When Kamran wrote a series of articles against what was happening around him in a newspaper, an environmental inspector from the Punjab government finally turned up to ask what was bothering him. Annoyed, Kamran asked him to take a look around. Big mistake. In his place I would have practically written the man's report. In any event, no official action of any kind has been taken. Amazingly, the owner of the hotel under construction just by the bridge has built a wall in the river itself, thus diverting a stream of water towards a span of the bridge. When the river is high, the safety of the bridge could well be compromised, but nobody has asked the owner to stop. The environment and our cultural heritage have been accorded the lowest possible priority by successive governments. For them, raising revenue is the be-all and end-all, and by allowing the unhindered exploitation (and consequent defilement) of our resources, they think Pakistan will achieve a higher level of development. Our leaders have never grasped the fact that by permitting individuals and companies to destroy our rivers and our coastline, our mountains and our lakes, we are losing something priceless and irreplaceable. A few years from now, what will we tell our children when they ask us what happened to their inheritance?
SPORTS 20010414 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan complete double against Sri Lanka ------------------------------------------------------------------- SHARJAH, April 13: Pakistan made sure of playing next Friday's final of the Sharjah Cup, when they beat Sri Lanka by 28 runs here on Friday. Chasing Pakistan's 279 for nine wickets, Sri Lanka could manage only 250 for eight wickets in their allotted fifty overs. The victory was Pakistan's third successive in the competitition and second consecutive against Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka started off promisingly with openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana hitting 48 runs by the seventh over, when skipper Jayasuriya was bowled by Waqar Younis for 20 off 23 balls. The Sri Lankans, who had lost their earlier match against Pakistan by 16 runs, suffered another blow in the next over when Kaluwitharana (25 off 23 balls) was clean bowled by Kashif Raza, who is making his debut. At two down for 49, Marvan Atapattu and Mahela Jayawardene brought some solidity to the innings with a 54-stand for the third wicket before Jayawardene was snicked to wicketkeeper Humayun Farhat off Yasir Araft. Jayawardene made 31 off 39 balls. At the half-way stage, Atapattu was batting on 32 while Russel Arnold was unbeaten on 19 as Sri Lanka required another 150 runs in as many balls. Earlier, Saeed Anwar and Inzamam-ul Haq had guided Pakistan to 278 for nine. The two men shared a third-wicket stand of 172 runs, with Anwar cracking a solid 88 off 99 balls with nine fours while Inzamam hit 87 off 111 balls with seven fours and two sixes. Both men also reached personal milestones in their spell at the crease, which helped Pakistan deliver the tournament's highest score so far. Anwar, playing his 221st match, completed 8,000 runs when he was on 72, becoming first the player in the process to score 2,000 runs in Sharjah in 47 matches. Inzamam, matching Anwar stroke for stroke, also completed 2,000 runs in this desert venue in 46 matches. Reuters DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010413 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Afridi's desert storm sets up easy win for Pakistan ------------------------------------------------------------------- SHARJAH, April 12: Pakistan rode on a scintillating start by Shahid Afridi and Imran Nazir to trounce New Zealand by eight wickets in the Sharjah tri-series here on Thursday. The openers smashed 79 in the first seven overs during a 113-run partnership to help Pakistan surpass New Zealand's challenging 266- 7 with 7.5 overs to spare. Veterans Saeed Anwar (81 not out) and Inzamam-ul Haq (71 not out) then added 157 for the unbroken third wicket to seal Pakistan's second successive win in preliminary league also featuring Sri Lanka. Matthew Sinclair's maiden one-day century went in vain as the depleted Kiwis suffered their second defeat in three days and must now win both their return games to stay in contention for the April 20 final. Afridi raced to his half century off just 24 balls, taking 26 runs in one over from Grant Bradburn that included three sixes and two boundaries. New Zealand, already without eight top stars including captain Stephen Fleming, were forced to play Bradburn when premier strike bowler Daryl Tuffey pulled out with an ankle injury. Afridi and Nazir put on 100 by the 10th over, before both fell in the space of six deliveries to restore sanity to the proceedings. Afridi, who took two wickets in New Zealand's innings, was caught at mid-on off Andre Adams in the 15th over after striking seven fours and six sixes in his 70 off 43 balls. Nazir, who looked pedestrian in comparison despite a quickfire 35, was trapped leg-before by Brooke Walker. Afridi's power-packed innings overshadowed a majestic 117 from Sinclair, his maiden one-day century after recording two double hundreds in Test cricket. Sinclair, who made 60 against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, batted till the penultimate over to steer New Zealand to what appeared to be a safe score. New Zealand made a flying start, reaching 71-2 by the 13th over. Sinclair put on 45 for the first wicket with Chris Nevin in eight overs and then 80 for the third with skipper Craig McMillan. McMillan hit 46 off 52 balls when he played on to Afridi, the sixth bowler employed by Pakistan to contain the run flow. Afridi also trapped Lou Vincent leg-before to finish with two for 49 from his stipulated 10 overs. Chris Harris hit 29 off 35 balls towards the end, but Pakistan grabbed three wickets in the last two overs to ensure their target did not reach untenable levels. The second round of the league starts on Friday with Pakistan taking on Sri Lanka. AFP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010412 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Miandad, Moin served show cause notices ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reporter KARACHI, April 11: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has issued show cause notices to Javed Miandad and Moin Khan for violation of the code of conduct. Miandad faces disciplinary action for his statement on the performance of the Pakistan team. Moin lashed out at the PCB for ignoring him during the tour to New Zealand. Interestingly, Inzamam-ul-Haq has not been asked to explain his position on a statement in which he suggested to the board how to pick players in the team. "According to the contract between the players and the establishment (PCB), the cricketers are not supposed to give controversial statement upto six months after the conclusion of the series," the PCB spokesman said. The PCB also spelled out its policy of investigating Pakistan's poor performance in New Zealand. He said it would be an internal inquiry with members comprising PCB officials. "There will be no committee members from outside. The analysis will be done after going through the reports of manager and the coach." The spokesman added that the PCB has not received any summons from the Lahore High Court for April 28. Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum, who investigated the charges of corruption in Pakistan cricket, has ordered Miandad to substantiate his allegations that the players deliberately threw matches in New Zealand. Miandad vehemently denies giving the statement though he admits that he called for an inquiry to probe why the players under- performed while he was coach. Miandad made the call three days after he was removed as Pakistan coach after having been initially given the assignment until the 2003 World Cup. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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