------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 22 December 2001 Issue : 07/51 -------------------------------------------------------------------
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CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + Musharraf rules out falling of N-assets into wrong hands + Government says it will not retaliate + India will not attack, US assures Pakistan + We have no territorial aims: FO + US steps up pressure on CE to suppress extremists + Lashkar may be declared a terrorist group by US + India begins troop build-up in Rajasthan + Pakistan denies troop build-up: Sattar wants terrorism defined + Pakistan dismisses Indian allegations + Pakistan will reply with force, says CE + Powell lauds Pakistan support + Fleeing fighters to be recaptured + 15 killed as Osama men try to escape + 15 Al-Qaeda men shifted to Peshawar + US may seek increased pressure on Jihadi groups + New Delhi warns of 'hard-hitting' response + Saarc summit in doubt as tempers rise + Pakistan among 48 'not free' countries: study + PPP rules out electoral alliance + People want Nawaz or Benazir as PM: study + Zardari set to be released after five years in jail + Zardari gets bail in drug case + Sherpao to be arrested on arrival + Sherpao denies secret deal with govt. + Open Haj scheme date extended + Moin's brother shot dead --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + Pakistan gets first tranche of $109m + Bank Asia signs pact to acquire MCB branches + Paris deal to improve cash flow by $2.7bn + ADB okays $200 million loan for roads + Attack on Lok Sabha halts KSE rally + KSE index breaches through 1,400-point barrier --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + Bad, worse, worst Ardeshir Cowasjee + The subcontinent's way of doing business Ayaz Amir + America first Irfan Hussain ----------- SPORTS + ICC assures PCB of logical solution + India refuses to play alongside Pakistan + Shahbaz can be an inspiration
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS 20011222 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf rules out falling of N-assets into wrong hands ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Dec 21: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has ruled out any likelihood of the country's nuclear and missile assets falling into wrong hands, saying that "they are absolutely secure under custodial safeguards." In an interview with the Far Eastern Economic Review, he said, "I can say they (the nuclear and missile assets) are absolutely secure. We have no doubt." Asked if the country's nuclear weapons and technology was secure, the president said he had no doubt about that. "We have institutionalized arrangements. We have a national command authority, which oversees everything. There are custodial safeguards." Gen Musharraf said the arrangements made were totally secure and "I'm very sure that there cannot be any proliferation, there cannot be any breach of security, our nuclear and missile assets cannot fall into wrong hands at all." With regard to the two nuclear scientists, who have been detained for violating security rules, he stated that action against them would be taken if it was confirmed that they had violated the security rules. Answering a question about an Indian newspaper report that the nuclear scientists may have fled to Burma, the president said: "India just wants one thing; they want to damage us. Anything they want to do in Afghanistan, the purpose is only one; how to do something, which will be against Pakistan that will damage our cause. That is their sole purpose." Afghanistan, he said, had suffered tremendously and "we understand their problems. We are their neighbours. Geography, our common history, our common culture and religion cannot be undermined by any actions of India, I'm very sure of that." Replying to another question, he said, "We have to make sure that the political environment that will emerge in Afghanistan is such which brings peace and stability and ensures the unity of Afghanistan and is representative of all ethnic groups. And which is friendly with all its neighbours, which includes Pakistan." Gen Musharraf said his country wanted to have a negotiated settlement of the Kashmir dispute. Answering another question, he dispelled the impression of any government sponsorship in what was happening in the occupied Kashmir Valley. The president asked how the freedom struggles in the held Kashmir could have continued if it was not indigenous and did not have the backing of the people of Kashmir. "Why doesn't India open the border and let international groups like Amnesty International to come and see?" When asked whether a pipeline from Iran to India passing through Pakistan could act as a confidence building measure with India, he said, "Absolutely. We're for it." He added that it was India that did not want it because of its own suspicion. Replying to a question, he said the government was determined to hold the general election in October next year. The election commission, he added, would be absolutely autonomous and that provincial elections would also be held in the same month. He did not see any role for Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif in the election. "Their parties will have a role. It will be a party-based election. The People's Party and the Pakistan Muslim League are two of the important parties and we wish them well."-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011222 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Government says it will not retaliate ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Dec 21: In a clear depart from the traditional tit-for- tat response, Pakistan decided not to recall its High Commissioner from New Delhi as done by India. "The Government of Pakistan regrets the decision of the Government of India to withdraw its High Commissioner from Islamabad. Pakistan does not intend to respond in kind," said a statement issued by the Foreign Office. "Indeed the Government of Pakistan feels that in the prevailing tense situation it is all the more important to keep all channels of communications open," it said. The Foreign Office also regretted the Indian decision to terminate the rail and bus services with Pakistan. This step would only serve to create hardships for common people desirous of travelling between the two countries. The Foreign Office rejected the Indian allegation of continued promotion of cross-border terrorism by Pakistan. It reminded India that Pakistan had asked for credible evidence about involvement of Pakistan-based groups and individuals for investigation and appropriate action by the government. Pakistan, it maintained, had also offered to participate in a joint inquiry with India to ascertain true motives and identities of perpetrators of the terrorist incident. "Regrettably the Indian government has consistently declined these proposals," it noted. Pakistan would preserve its policy of restraint and would continue to work for the lowering of tensions with India, it added. In a separate statement, a Foreign Office spokesman expressed serious concern over reports of massive troop movements by India along the Pakistan-India border in the Sindh-Rajasthan sector as well as in the Chenab-Ravi corridor and along the LoC in Kashmir. The spokesman said that the Indian troop movements, which followed provocative and threatening statements by Indian leadership, would aggravate an already tense situation in the region. Naturally Pakistan would be obliged to take all appropriate counter measures, he added. Earlier, the spokesman disclosed that Pakistan Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi was summoned to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and informed that according to Indian agencies all the five terrorists involved in the attack on the Indian Parliament on Dec 13 were Pakistan nationals. A request was accordingly made to the Government of Pakistan to receive the bodies for burial in Pakistan, it said. The Indian side was told that considering the inherently biased attitude of Indian agencies any unilateral determination regarding the identity of these individuals was unacceptable to Pakistan, it added. The Indian government, it maintained, was once again asked to provide credible evidence about any involvement of Pakistan-based groups and individuals for investigation and appropriate action by the government of Pakistan. Pakistan has also offered to participate in a joint inquiry with India to unmask the motives and real identities of the perpetrators of the terrorist incident. Regrettably, the Indian government had turned down this reasonable proposal, it said. The Deputy High Commissioner urged the Indian government to reconsider Pakistan's proposal for an impartial inquiry into the incident and resist the temptation to use this reprehensible incident to placate domestic lobbies, it added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011222 ------------------------------------------------------------------- India will not attack, US assures Pakistan ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Dec 21: The government has been assured by the United States that India will not attack Pakistan as is largely being apprehended these days. Official sources said that President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar had been assured by US Secretary of State Colin Powel on telephone two days ago that India would not attack Pakistan nor would it cross the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir. The sources said that Pakistan was fully cooperating with the US- led military coalition to hunt down terrorists in Afghanistan and under these circumstances the Bush Administration did not want any problem for Gen Pervez Musharraf. The sources said that Pakistan side comprehensively briefed the US Secretary of State about the Indian leadership's recent statements of following a policy of hot pursuits, particularly in Azad Kashmir, to destroy alleged terrorist camps of Jaish-i- Muhammad and Lashkar-i-Taiba. They said that President Musharraf assured Mr Powel that Pakistan would definitely take action against any party or group provided it was given certain proof of the Dec 13 attack on Indian parliament. Both the President and the foreign minister have reiterated their offer for a joint investigation to sort out the matter. The sources said that the Bush Administration was of the view that both India and Pakistan should resolve their differences by talking to each other. Pakistan has also conveyed to the US government that the Indian government has been besieged by hawks to launch aggression against Pakistan. "But we have communicated to the US government that in case India commits aggression against us it will find us fully prepared to respond the challenge with full force," an official concerned said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011221 ------------------------------------------------------------------- We have no territorial aims: FO ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Hasan Akhtar ISLAMABAD, Dec 20: Pakistan said it strictly believed in peaceful co-existence and had no territorial ambition against any country. However, any misadventure on our eastern border or the LoC (Line of Control) in Kashmir would be met with full force." In a statement, Pakistan regretted that the Indian Prime Minister had rejected Islamabad's "eminently fair proposal for a joint inquiry" into the terrorist attack on the Indian parliament house building last week in New Delhi. The statement released at a news conference at the foreign office disclosed that the diplomatic efforts were going on between Pakistan and India for peaceful resolution of the situation arising out of the terrorists' armed attack, apart from President's prompt condemnation of the attack and expression of sympathy with the bereaved families of those killed, though totally disowning Pakistan's involvement in it. Spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan said Pakistan was making all peaceful efforts not to allow the terrorist attack blamed on Pakistan by India, to escalate existing high tension between the two countries to get out of hand. President Musharraf's offer of joint inquiry was among the peaceful efforts being made, he said. The statement said: "We apprehend that the terrorist attack was aimed at maligning and harming the legitimate Kashmiri struggle in the IHK (India-held Kashmir) for realization of Kashmiri people's inalienable right to self-determination. An impartial and comprehensive inquiry of the incident was necessary to unmask the motives and the ugly face of the perpetrators of this act of terrorism." The statement went on to say: "We have noted the Indian prime minister's comment that 'the partition of the Indian subcontinent was a reality which should be accepted by all' and hope that the proponents of 'Akhand Bharat' would also hear and adhere to this sane advice." The spokesman reiterated that the Kashmiris' struggle was a "genuine freedom struggle" and enjoyed Pakistan's full support, as also do all other similar freedom struggles round the world. He insisted that the world should differentiate between a freedom struggle and terrorism; and underscored that the struggle in the held Kashmir being waged in pursuance of the UN resolutions, which recognized the right to self-determination of the people of Kashmir, was rightly a genuine and indigenous freedom struggle. Reported transfer of about 150 pro-Taliban Pakistanis from the northern areas of Afghanistan to India was a matter of concern and Pakistan was getting it verified, the spokesman said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011222 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US steps up pressure on CE to suppress extremists ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Masood Haider NEW YORK, Dec 21: In the aftermath of attack on the Indian Parliament and its failure to capture Osama bin Laden the United States has increased political pressure on Gen Pervez Musharraf to clamp down on extremist groups operating in Pakistan. Quoting Pakistanis with close links to Musharraf government the New York Times said: "By adding two more Pakistan-based groups to Washington's terrorism list, President Bush has sharply increased political pressures that have gripped Gen Pervez Musharraf, ever since the Sept 11 attacks." The paper said in naming one of the groups, Ummah Tameer-i- Nau, Mr Bush said it had provided information on nuclear weapons technology to Osama's Al-Qaeda group, a charge Pakistan has insistently denied since the issue first arose in October. The second group, Lashkar-i-Taiba, accused of involvement in last week's attack on the Indian Parliament, is the most powerful of the Pakistan-based groups fighting Indian forces in the disputed territory of Kashmir. The NYT says that with his latest actions, particularly naming Lashkar-i-Taiba as a terrorist group, Bush appears to be pushing the Pakistani leader toward even greater political hazards. Kashmir is a far more sensitive issue for most of Pakistan's 140 million Muslims than the fate of the Taliban. "What Bush is demanding now is that Musharraf make the biggest U- turn yet," a former official with close links to the government said. The paper observed that Mr Bush appears to have sided with India, and has told Pakistan that any further backing for armed Islamic militant groups operating in Kashmir will be tantamount to supporting terrorism. In effect, the paper said Gen Musharraf appears to have been told that Pakistan, after more than 50 years of battling India over Kashmir, must now abandon the armed struggle there, and rely henceforth on political means of confronting India. The question now is whether the General will comply, and whether he can carry Pakistan's masses with him if he does. "It places the General in an even more difficult position than he was in after Sept 11," the paper said. Senior Pakistan officials said Mr Bush, with the blunt wording of Thursday's announcement, was accusing Mr Musharraf of lying in his government's repeated statements that the group was involved in the relief work in Afghanistan and had nothing to do with nuclear weapons. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011222 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Lashkar may be declared a terrorist group by US ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Tahir Mirza WASHINGTON, Dec 21: The action taken by the Bush administration against the Lashkar-i-Tayyaba and Umma Tameer-i-Nau (UTN), an organization linked to two Pakistani Atomic Energy Commission scientists, is seen here as being largely symbolic, but it is considered likely that the Lashkar may also soon be placed on the list of officially designated terrorist groups. President George Bush has blocked the financial assets of the Lashkar and UTN, but since neither has assets here, the move is meant more as a signal directed at both India and Pakistan. India had been complaining ever since last week's attack on the Indian parliament building that the United States had not taken a firm stand against so-called Pakistan-based militancy in Kashmir, and Thursday's decision is meant to soothe Indian sensibilities and prevent an India-Pakistan flare-up that may divert attention from the campaign against Al-Qaeda. At the same time, it is a firm hint to the Musharraf government to take action against extremist groups based in Pakistan or having strong affiliations in the country. It is believed that in his telephone conversation with General Musharraf, Secretary of State Colin Powell had informed the general in advance of the action against the Lashkar and UTN, which is alleged to have supplied information on nuclear weapons to Al-Qaeda. The only organization with ties to Kashmiri militancy on the US State Department's list of designated terrorist organizations so far is Harkatul Mujahideen. But the Lashkar and Jaish-i-Mohammad have been on a "Watch List" for some time. The Lashkar is described in the official Patterns of Global Terrorism report issued last April as the "armed wing of the Pakistan-based religious organization, Markaz Dawa-wal-Irshad, a Sunni anti-US missionary organizations formed in 1989." It is defined as "one of the three largest and best-trained groups fighting in Kashmir against India." It has "several hundred members in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, and in India's southern Kashmir and Doda regions." It financial assets, according to Patterns of Terrorism, include donations from the Pakistani community in the Gulf, the UK, Islamic NGOs, and Pakistani and Kashmiri businessmen. It is possible that the US might put pressure on the Gulf and European countries to block the group's accounts and clamp down on remittances sent to it. Jaish-i-Mohammad, another organization that could be targeted for inclusion on the State Department's list of designated terrorist groups, is described an Islamist group based in Pakistan that has rapidly expanded in size and capability since Maulana Masood Azhar, a former ultra-fundamentalist Harkatul Ansar leader, announced its formation in February. Lashkar-i-Tayyaba was characterized by President Bush as a "stateless sponsor of terrorism" in remarks in which Mr Bush had underlined US desire to protect Indian democracy. But he had also said the organization wanted to destroy relations between India and Pakistan and "undermine" President Musharraf. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011221 ------------------------------------------------------------------- India begins troop build-up in Rajasthan ------------------------------------------------------------------- JODHPUR, Dec 20: India has begun moving hundreds of tanks and other army vehicles towards the Sindh-Rajasthan border, army officials and witnesses said. In Jodhpur more than 500 tanks, army jeeps, trucks and medical vans had been seen moving towards the border from Tuesday night to Wednesday night. According to Indian officials, the frontier with Pakistan has been put on "high alert" since the Dec 13 attack on the Indian parliament. Officials also said the Indian army had given instructions to the railway authorities that some local and long distance trains may be commandeered for troop movements. Leave for all railway employees has been cancelled. The transport authorities have also begun impounding civilian trucks and other heavy vehicles. The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Indian Air Force have been put on high alert and senior BSF officer B.D. Sharma said Pakistan Rangers had been taking up positions on the other side of the border.-AFP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011220 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan denies troop build-up: Sattar wants terrorism defined ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Faraz Hashmi ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: India has not provided evidence to Pakistan to substantiate its allegations that Jaish-i-Mohammad and Lashkar-i- Tayyaba were involved in the Dec-13 attack on the Indian Parliament, the foreign office said. "India has neither agreed to our suggestion for an impartial inquiry into the incident nor responded to Pakistan's request for evidence," said a statement issued by the foreign office. There should be a universal definition of terrorism and terrorists, which could either be individuals or state, Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar said in response to Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's statement. Talking to Dawn on phone, Mr Sattar refuted Indian allegations against ISI for sponsoring terrorist attacks, and said that Pakistan had always condemned all forms of terrorism. He reiterated Pakistan's demand for an impartial inquiry into the terrorist attack of Dec 13. It was the typical Indian style of playing the role of complainant and judge at the same time, which, he said, could not be acceptable to any civilized society. Commenting on the remarks of the Indian Prime Minister that India would not attack Pakistan, he said: "We have already adopted a policy of restraint." Responding to allegations of Pakistan involvement, the foreign office said: "Past experience is witness that Indian authorities, motivated by prejudice and animus, resort to totally false and unsubstantiated allegations against Pakistan. "Only recently, on October 3, 2001, Indian accused Jaish-i- Mohammad and Pakistani intelligence of engineering the so-called hijacking of an Indian airline, flight CD 7444 but later discovered that the incident was due to a false alarm. "More infamous was the 1971 hijacking incident of the Indian Airline plane Ganga to Lahore. Actually, it was an operation planned and executed by Indian Intelligence with the preconceived purpose of fabricating pretence in order to ban Pakistani overflights between East and West Pakistan preparatory to Indian military intervention in East Pakistan. The reprehensible episode is graphically depicted in 'Inside Raw' by an Indian author. A Pakistan judicial inquiry reached the same conclusion. "Now as Indian authorities have once again jumped to an unwarranted conclusion, their accusations against Pakistan lack credibility. "If India really believes in its accusation, it should agree to an impartial inquiry. Its arrogation to itself of the roles of accuser as well as judge, is contrary to principles of justice and inadmissible under law." AFP adds: Pakistan denied Indian allegation that its troops were amassing along the border with its nuclear rival, saying that New Delhi might be planning its own military build-up. "This is absolutely untrue," the military government spokesman, Major General Rashid Qureshi said. "The only reason for spreading such reports is either they got wrong information or they are looking for an excuse to mass their own troops along the border with Pakistan." There were no troop movements on the Pakistani side, the top military spokesman said. He accused Indian troops of launching a heavy mortar and rocket attack on border villages in Azad Kashmir in which three civilians were wounded. "It was absolutely unprovoked firing which continued for about two hours," he said, adding that Pakistani troops returned fire. "We fired back and the Indians stopped the firing." Earlier, police in Pakistani Kashmir said Indian forces twice mounted heavy mortar attacks in the Samahni sector on the Line of Control. "The shelling was intense and without any provocation," police Senior Superintendent Tariq Ajmi told AFP. Mortar shells hit the villages of Dana and Kotli Khumba in Bhimber district, injuring three civilians including a woman, he said. An army spokesman in Indian Kashmir had accused Pakistani troops of directing heavy mortar and machine-gun fire at Indian positions, causing panic among residents but no casualties. Indian troops returned fire from their position in Nowshera, 420 kilometres (250 miles) southwest of Indian Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar, he said. Nowshera on the Indian side faces Bhimber in the northern part of Azad Kashmir. The exchange of fire was the first since India accused Pakistani military intelligence of helping plan last Thursday's suicide attack on the parliament building in New Delhi, which left 14 people dead, including the five gunmen. New Delhi has demanded Islamabad take action against two Pakistan- based Kashmiri militant groups, Lashkar-i-Tayyaba and Jaish-i- Mohammad, for allegedly staging the operation. Pakistan has denied any involvement of its intelligence services and warned India against taking reprisals. Vajpayee told parliament that every effort would be made to avoid a war with Pakistan, but warned that his government was keeping all options open in response to the attack on parliament. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011217 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan dismisses Indian allegations ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Faraz Hashmi ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: Pakistan refuted allegations levelled by India that the attack on Indian parliament had been carried out by the activists of Jaish-i-Muhammad on the instigation of Inter-Services Intelligence agency. Talking to Dawn on phone, President's spokesman Maj Gen Rashid Qureshi rejected Delhi police report, terming it a "baseless" and "concocted". The report has implicated Inter-Services Intelligence in the attack. "All these allegations are unfounded and fabricated," Maj Gen Qureshi said and reiterated the offer of cooperation made by Islamabad to New Delhi soon after the attack for holding a joint enquiry. "We are ready to give a firm assurance that if on the basis of a joint enquiry anybody based in Pakistan was found involved in the attack we will proceed against him," the president's spokesman said. He pointed out that President Pervez Musharraf had already condemned the attack on the Indian Parliament as an act of terrorism and had assured Pakistan's full cooperation in its investigation. When pointed out that Indian government had also rejected an offer made by the United States to spare Federal Bureau of Investigation for carrying out the investigation, he said, involvement of FBI would have eliminated the chances of fabrication of evidence. He took serious exception to the tone and tenor adopted by the Indian government functionaries in the wake of the attack. The Indian leaders have started hurling threats of aggression, something which was totally uncalled for and unacceptable for Pakistan, he added. Pakistan armed forces, he said, were fully alive to the situation and prepared to thwart any act of aggression by India. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011216 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan will reply with force, says CE ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: President Gen Pervez Musharraf warned India that any adventurism against Pakistan would be met with force. In a television interview, he said: "I would like to warn against any precipitate action by the Indian government against Pakistan. This would lead to very serious repercussions and must not be done." He condemned the terrorist act against Indian parliament, saying "we are against any such terrorist acts anywhere in the world, we strongly condemn it." The president said, "we will cooperate as long as there is evidence against any individual or any group." He said "we would not like Pakistani territory to be used for any such terrorist act anywhere in the world and that also includes India." "We would surely expect proof and evidence of involvement of any groups in Pakistan in this terrorist act. We will take action against anybody involved in Pakistan in these acts, if at all proved," he said. Whatever our analysis says the proof is not adequate at the moment. In fact, there are lots of indications, which may indicate the design behind this operation. "So we would like to be very sure with concrete evidence that this is not the case and this is a terrorist act and if at all any one has been involved from Pakistan we would like to move against him," he said. Pakistan armed forces were on high alert following threatening statements by Indian leaders after the attack on parliament in New Delhi. President Musharraf said that India was trying to use Afghanistan to damage Islamabad's interests and asserted his government was not sponsoring any violence in occupied Kashmir. "India just wants one thing. They want to damage us. Anything they want to do in Afghanistan, the purpose is only one: How to do something, which will be used against Pakistan, that will damage their cause. That is their sole purpose," he said in an interview to the Far Eastern Economic Review. -Agencies DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011220 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Powell lauds Pakistan support ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON, Dec 19: US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that cooperation with Pakistan on border control had been "absolutely superb" and Pakistan's military had been forthcoming in efforts to check Al-Qaeda fighters from crossing over from Afghanistan. The secretary, who was talking to reporters after meeting the Belgian prime minister who is also current president of the European Union, said he had talked to Gen Pervez Musharraf on the telephone and thanked him for his country's cooperation. He said the US couldn't expect better support than it was already receiving from Pakistan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011220 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Fleeing fighters to be recaptured ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: Additional troops of Pakistan army have been deployed to recapture the non-Afghan fighters who fled from the captivity of the law enforcing agencies when being escorted from Parachinar to Kohat, said Press Secretary to the President and Director General, ISPR, Major General Rashid Qureshi. Talking to newsmen, he said additional troops had been deployed to recapture these non-Afghan fighters in the Parachinar area. In an operation last night, the Pakistani forces had taken into custody over 100 non-Afghan fighters who were trying to enter Pakistan. This morning they were being shifted to Kohat from Parachinar in five or six vehicles. In the process, one of the non- Afghans, travelling in a bus, overpowered a security guard, snatched his rifle, shot him and attempted to hijack the bus. On resistance by the bus driver, the non-Afghan fighter also shot him. In the ensuing struggle, the bus overturned and fell into a roadside ravine, Major General Rashid Qureshi said. A number of these non-Afghan fighters on the bus tried to flee. There ensued an exchange of fire between them and the security men. In this duel, a total of 13 people were killed, including one civilian and five security personnel, besides some six to seven from among the captured non-Afghan fighters, he said. Some of the fleeing non-Afghan fighters were recaptured while a massive manhunt for the rest had been launched. Additional troops of Pakistan Army had already moved to the place of the incident, who immediately cordoned off the area.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011220 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 killed as Osama men try to escape ------------------------------------------------------------------- By M. Ismail Khan and Zulfiqar Ali PESHAWAR, Dec 19: Fifteen people were killed, six of them members of Pakistan law-enforcement agencies, when Al- Qaeda captives being transported from the tribal area to a detention centre in Peshawar overpowered escorting guards, snatched weapons and opened fire, a senior government official told Dawn in Parachinar. The incident occurred at Arawali, when 156 Al-Qaeda members arrested by the law-enforcement agencies at the Pakistan-Afghan border at Kurram Agency were being transported to Peshawar in three buses and two trucks. According to the official account of the incident, at about 10:30am (local time), a group of 48 Al-Qaeda members, in one of the buses, attempted to overpower the driver and escorting guards. As a result of the ensuing melee, it said, the bus careened off the winding road near Arawali in the Frontier Region's Kurram and fell in a 20- foot ditch. Taking advantage of the situation, an official press note said, the Al-Qaeda men snatched guns and fled. During the exchange of fire between the Al-Qaeda men and the law-enforcement agencies, eight Al-Qaeda men were killed. Also killed in the gun battle were six members of the Kurram Levy and one Jawan of the Pakistan Army while six others received bullet wounds and were taken to the hospital for treatment. The law-enforcement agencies pursued the fleeing Al-Qaeda men and succeeded in capturing 21 of them, while 18 others remain at large, and security cordon has been thrown in to capture them. Ten of those who escaped were arrested from a local school. A senior government official said the 129 Al-Qaeda members still in custody, including the 21 recaptured after their escape, were being transported to Peshawar for interrogation amid heightened security. "We are not taking any chances now," the official said. "They said something in Arabic among themselves, raised Allah- o- Akbar (Allah is Great) and Al-Jihad (slogans) and pounced on us," bus cleaner Latif Hussain told Dawn. "We cried out for help," he said. The Al-Qaeda men snatched five rifles and escaped in two different directions. "One group fled towards the mountains and another towards the river," Home and Tribal Affairs Secretary Javed Iqbal said. Latif said the Al-Qaeda captives were not handcuffed." They raised slogans of Al-Jihad the moment they were brought out of Parachinar jail. "Their slogans attracted quite a bit of crowd," eyewitnesses said. Government officials said a little over hundred members of law-enforcement agencies accompanied the Al-Qaeda men. Witnesses said the security detail was not adequate to escort battle- hardened, well-trained Al-Qaeda fighters. "It looked as if they were being taken on a picnic," one witness remarked. Government officials acknowledge that local tribesmen fully cooperated in apprehending the escaped prisoners. "We were offered money and were asked not to hand them over to the Pakistan authorities. They told us they waged a Jihad against the US and that the Pakistanis would turn them over to the Americans," Malik Zahid Hussain of village Bili Ameen who helped capture four said. Last reports said a group of escaped prisoners had been engaged in Narai Tangi in Tuda Cheena area in F.R. Kurram. "They are firing with controlled fire. We hope to capture them soon," Javed Iqbal said. "We have cordoned off the area. The search is on and we hope to arrest them all," he told Dawn. He said the group of 156 Al- Qaeda men had crossed over into Pakistan through the Mulla Bagh, Tandar Sar and Ghundao area on the Pakistan-Afghan border in four batches. The Al-Qaeda men were fleeing the Tora Bora region in the foothills of Spin Ghar that has seen relentless bombings by US warplanes for the past few weeks, he added. Among the captives are Saudis, Malis, Yemenis, Tunisians, Turks, Algerians, Jordanians, Kuwaitis, Bahrainis, Bangladeshis, Tajiks, Iraqis, Sudanese, Syrians, Egyptians and Moroccans. Also among them is a French national of Arab origin identified as Abde Aziz Talabi and another Arab with a Swedish passport identified as Mehdi Mohammad Ghazali. Ghazali has a blank passport with no entry visa to Pakistan. Government officials said four Al-Qaeda men accompanying the group died on their way due to hypothermia. "Their bodies are being retrieved from the mountains in a small hamlet called Chambak," they said. Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden is thought to be hiding in Tora Bora, though Pakistani officials said they had no evidence to prove his presence there. "One group of people interrogated said it had seen Osama about a month ago in Tora Bora. Another said he had been seen about 20 days back. These people have not been subjected to real interrogation. I will not put any premium on that," Javed Iqbal said. "The weather has turned ugly to his disadvantage because of the heavy snow in Spin Ghar. This will restrict his mobility. His supplies wouldn't last long and he will show up sooner than later," he commented. The home secretary discarded reports that Osama might already have sneaked into Pakistan. "The chances are very very slim. There is a bounty on his head, plus the army deployment on 25 points along with levy and military forces along the tribal border with Afghanistan plugging all possible escape routes would make it impossible for him to sneak in." Our Kohat Correspondent adds: About three dozen men from army's special services group joined the regular army troops in an operation launched for arresting the Al-Qaeda members who are still at large in the Mandal mountains in the Arawal area in the lower Kurram Agency. At least 48 Al-Qaeda members had escaped from a truck while on their way to Peshawar from Parachinar jail. The four trucks were carrying 48, 48, 29 and 31 Al-Qaeda prisoners. The commandos were airlifted to the top of the mountains in helicopters from the Kohat air base to search for the missing Al- Qaeda members. Two gunships were also helping the ground forces to locate the hiding Al-Qaeda members. The whole area has been cordoned off by the army troops whereas more militiamen have been dispatched from Parachinar to the area. The military and civil authorities, supervising the operation hoped that all the Al-Qaeda men would be arrested by Thursday as all escape routes from the mountain area have been sealed. The authorities have shifted the remaining Al-Qaeda members to Alizai sub-jail. An official told Dawn that the Al-Qaeda members would be shifted to Peshawar sometime on Thursday in special trucks, sought from the Peshawar police department. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011220 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 Al-Qaeda men shifted to Peshawar ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent KOHAT, Dec 19: The military authorities shifted 15 Al-Qaeda members arrested on Wednesday in Kohat to Peshawar amid tight security for interrogation by a Joint Investigation Team at the Special Branch headquarters. The Al-Qaeda members which include nine injured Arabs, are the citizens of Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan who had been fighting along with the Taliban in Afghanistan since 1994. There had been no information about one body of an Arab recovered from a coaster on Wednesday last, one of the officials interrogating the Al-Qaeda members told Dawn on Sunday last. Two of them are the drivers of coasters in which they were being taken to Peshawar from North Waziristan Agency. The Al-Qaeda members were shifted to Peshawar in an army vehicle escorted by a military team. The Arabs, during the preliminary interrogation, revealed that until October there were 7000 foreigners in Afghanistan, excluding Pakistanis. Most of them were sheltering near the Pakistan-Afghan border whereas some of them were accompanying Osama bin Laden or were still in hiding inside Afghanistan. They told the army intelligence officers that in 1999 the total number of Arab fighters in Afghanistan was 9000. The army source when asked about the whereabouts of the remaining 2000 Arabs said that he could not disclose this but admitted that they were not in Afghanistan now and had left to other countries. All the arrested Arabs were very critical of the role of the Pakistan government for supporting the US-led coalition and accused President Gen Pervez Musharraf of betraying the Muslim freedom fighters and Taliban, an investigation officer told Dawn. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011217 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US may seek increased pressure on Jihadi groups ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent NEW YORK, Dec 16: The United States plans to increase pressure on Pakistan to curb the activities of two Mujahideen groups after a suicide attack on the Indian Parliament that killed seven people, said the New York Times quoting American officials. The paper says that in its efforts to obtain the continued cooperation of Pakistan in the fight against Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, the Bush administration had refrained from pushing too hard for it to clamp down on the two organizations, Lashkar-i-Taiba and Jaish-i-Muhammad, which operate openly in Pakistan and advocate violence to drive India out of Kashmir. But India's accusation that Lashkar-i-Taiba was behind the dramatic shootout and Jaish-i- Muhammad claim of responsibility for a similar attack on the Indian Legislative Assembly in Kashmir that killed 40 people in October has forced a tough re-evaluation by Washington, the paper said. Pakistan has "told us that they are planning on moving gradually to curb this kind of extremism," a senior State Department official told the Times. "I think what this means is if these groups are indeed carrying out these kinds of attacks, that process will have to be accelerated." A Western diplomat in Islamabad concurred, saying the Bush administration will push Pakistan to restrain militant groups to try to reduce tensions with India over Kashmir, a predominantly Muslim border region that India considers a state in its union. India has demanded that Pakistan shut down both groups. The Times noted that Pakistan has long identified Islamic groups fighting against Indian control of Kashmir as freedom fighters and tolerated their activities even in the post-Sept 11 era. The government has started to crack down on radical religious schools, which provided training grounds for fighters who joined the Taliban, and has begun to purge its powerful intelligence service of pro-Taliban elements in response to American pressure. But Kashmiri Mujahideen groups retain strong backing from elements of the military dictatorship and the public, so the government has been reluctant to restrain them and risk internal problems. The leader of one such group in an interview with the paper said that his organization was told by government officials to move its headquarters to Azad Kashmir region and lower its profile, but he said nothing was mentioned about stopping its attacks on Indian outposts. "All they told us to do was move our visible means of operation out of the spotlight," said the leader. Similarly, Lashkar-i-Taiba recently moved its offices out of Islamabad and took down the signs at its huge training compound near Lahore, but foreign intelligence officials said the organization continues to train freedom fighters there. Lashkar-i- Taiba, or Army of the Pure, is led by a former university professor, Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, who has continued to give fiery public speeches denouncing the American-led coalition's war in Afghanistan and warning President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan not to "sell out" Kashmir the way he sold out the Taliban, the paper said. The group, the Times noted has taken credit for many attacks on Indian soldiers in Kashmir, but a spokesman said that it was not responsible for the attack on the Indian Parliament, which shook the world's largest democracy. Jaish-i-Muhammad, which means Army of the Prophet Muhammad, also operates openly despite American requests that Pakistan freeze its bank accounts and curtail its activities after the Oct 1 suicide attack in Srinagar in Kashmir. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011217 ------------------------------------------------------------------- New Delhi warns of 'hard-hitting' response ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jawed Naqvi NEW DELHI, Dec 16: Indian officials squarely blamed Pakistan's intelligence agencies for last week's audacious armed attack on Delhi's Parliament House and Home Minister Lal Krishan Advani said New Delhi was considering an as yet unspecified but a decidedly hard-hitting response which did not exclude a hot pursuit of militant targets across the border. The more or less clear hint to the road ahead came from Advani himself, who said: "During the Kargil war, world leaders who used words like restraint and patience to nudge and shape India's approach to the crisis have dropped the words since Thursday. That is significant." Advani, told the popular Aaj Tak news channel that the Indian people wanted hard action against the culprits of Thursday and the government understood their anxiety. He said India was not waiting for any response from Pakistan to its Friday's demarche and would take any suitable action at its own convenience without consulting any other country. Advani's remarks came as Delhi Police Commissioner Ajai Raj Sharma said that the attack on Parliament House was carried out by "members of the Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Jaish-i-Mohammed at the behest of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI)." Sharma told a news conference that four persons - Mohammed Afzal, Shaukat, Shaukat's wife and Abdul Rehman Geelani, a professor at the Zakir Hussain College of Delhi University, - had been arrested in connection with the attack. Afzal and Shaukat - commission agents and residents of Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district - were the brains behind the conspiracy, he said. They were being motivated by Ghazi Baba, described as a top commander of the Jaish in Kashmir, to carry out the attack, he said. The Jaish is headed by Maulana Masood Azhar, one of the militants released in exchange for Indian Airlines plane hijacked to Kandahar in December 1999. In some very significant ways Sharma's story was at stark variance with the brief on the attack given to the media by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee among others. Vajpayee had told journalists at a media seminar that the terrorists were well prepared and had been trained for months to carry out the attack on the Parliament House. He said their motive was to kill MPs and to take hostages to press for some unspecified demands. Sharma said that Geelani and Shaukat's wife had revealed that the conspiracy was hatched at Shaukat's residence in Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar recently. But perhaps even more significantly, he said: "These people went to the airport first, but later changed their mind and headed towards Parliament." The move to switch their target from the airport to the British- built Parliament House obviously could not have been part of any well-trained or rehearsed attack on the parliament, or the heart of Indian democracy that Vajpayee spoke of, analysts said. Sharma said that though the ISI had told the Jaish and Lashkar-i- Tayiba to carry out the attack, the actual attack was carried out by members of the Jaish. Before the attack took place, the leader of the suicide attack squad - Mohammed - had called up Shaukat and told him to watch television and tell them which of the prominent parliamentarians were present in the House, he said. However, when Shaukat did not call back, the terrorists decided to go ahead with the attack, he said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011216 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Saarc summit in doubt as tempers rise ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jawed Naqvi NEW DELHI, Dec 15: A spiraling verbal duel between India and Pakistan, triggered by a terrorist attack on New Delhi's Parliament House, could derail an important summit of regional countries in Kathmandu of which both are members, diplomats and officials said. Leaders of the seven-member South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) are due to meet from Jan 4 for three days in the Nepali capital, but diplomats said a fresh crescendo of words between the Saarc's two largest neighbors could force a fresh postponement of the meeting. "We are prepared for both the options," an Indian official involved with the preparation of the summit in Kathmandu told Dawn. "If the need arises we may be forced to sort out our problems with Pakistan first. We can't have much to talk at this stage of mistrust." Indian news reports said Delhi had "moved from accusing Pakistan's homegrown terrorists for Thursday's attack on Parliament to showing Islamabad a gloved fist". Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee declared at Kolkata that India's "limits" of tolerance had been reached. Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha went a step further saying "all options were open" when asked about the possibility of a retaliatory war against Pakistan. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan said in a programme on BBC that although he could not discuss the next step that India would take in a public discussion, "Yet I can say what we have said in our cabinet meeting. We will liquidate terrorists whereever they are." In the program, India's supercop K.P.S. Gill, however, cautioned against a growing demand within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to do everything possible, even if it means going on a hot pursuit across the border, to punish the wider network of the suspects in Thursday's attack. Five militants were killed and seven Indians including five security personnel with the audacious attack. Sinha, addressing a meeting in Chennai, said the government was "keeping all its options open" when asked whether a war with Pakistan was possible after the attack on Parliament. Asked whether the country's economy could withstand the stress of a war, Sinha said: "We have a strong and resilient economy, which can take anything." Sinha said the country could face a war, without any cess being imposed. "Even during the Kargil conflict, people predicted some new taxes. I did not levy any," he said. "The mood of the country is the same as was in the United States after the Sept 11 attacks," he added. In Kolkata, Vajpayee warned Pakistan, saying the country had reached the "limits" of tolerance. In an obvious reference to Pakistan, the Prime Minister said Indian troops could have crossed the border during the Kargil conflict, but "we exercised restraint and only snatched back our land." "We have exercised much restraint in the past and now our tolerance has reached its limits. We will face terrorism with all our might," Vajpayee said during a visit there. "We are being advised again to show restraint, but we tell our advisers to convey to our neighbour that there is a limit to our tolerance," the Prime Minister said. Ridiculing Pakistani propaganda that India itself had engineered the attack on Parliament, Vajpayee said, "We have found out who was behind it." Recounting the Dec 13 attack, he said the plot was basically to eliminate the entire leadership of the country. "I shiver to think what would have happened had even a single terrorist managed to enter the Central Hall of Parliament." On resuming talks with Pakistan, Vajpayee said he went to Lahore to seek friendship, but Pakistan had resorted to treachery. "We got Kargil in return," he said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011216 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan among 48 'not free' countries: study ------------------------------------------------------------------- By M. Arshad Sharif ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: Pakistan is ranked among the 48 countries labeled as "Not Free" and denying their citizens political rights and civil liberties, a study titled "Freedom in the World 2001- 2002" by the US based Freedom House said. The study by the Freedom House concludes that there is a dramatic, expanding gap in the levels of freedom and democracy between Islamic countries and the rest of the world. The study, Freedom in the World 2001-2002, finds that a non-Islamic country is more than three times likely to be democratic than an Islamic state. In all, according to the report, there are 86 free countries, representing 2.54 billion people and 41.40 percent of the global population in which basic political rights and civil liberties are recognized. There are 58 partly free countries in which there is limited respect for political rights and civil liberties. These states also suffer from an environment of corruption, weak rule of law, ethnic and religious strife, and often a setting in which a single political party enjoys dominance despite the facade of limited pluralism. Approximately 23.25 percent of the world's population, 1.43bn persons, live in such partly free societies. There are 2.17bn people, 35.35 percent of the global population, living in 48 "Not Free" countries, where basic political rights are absent and basic civil liberties are widely and systematically denied. Political rights and civil liberties are more limited in these countries, in which corruption, dominant ruling parties, and, in some cases, ethnic or religious strife are often the norm. At the end of 2001, there were 121 electoral democracies among the world's 192 states. The 1987-88 survey found just 66 of 167 countries were electoral democracies. The number of new democratically elected governments has increased by 55 over the space of 14 years, an average of nearly four per year, the report states. In Asia, the report points out, 18 of the region's 39 countries are Free (46 percent), 10 are Partly Free (26 percent), and 11 are Not Free (28 percent). The report states that since the early 1970s, when the third major historical wave of democratization began, the Islamic world, and, in particular, its Arabic core have seen little significant evidence of improvements in political openness, respect for human rights, and transparency. "Of the 192 countries in the world today, 121 are electoral democracies; but in countries with an Islamic majority, only 11 of 47 have democratically elected governments, or 23 percent." In the non-Islamic world, there are 110 electoral democracies out of 145 states, over 76 percent, the report said. The report said that while electoral democracies are the norm in over three-fourth's of the world's non-Islamic states, in countries with a majority Islamic population there are 10 presidential - parliamentary democracies and one parliamentary democracy. At the same time, the report said, within the Islamic world there are nine countries with authoritarian presidencies, there are seven with dominant party states in which opposition parties are nominal, there are six with presidential-parliamentary systems with features of authoritarian rule, there are nine traditional monarchies, there are three one-party states, there is one military-ruled state, and, until November there was one fundamentalist theocracy, Afghanistan under the rule of the Taliban. In a comparative analysis, the report said, 20 years ago, there was also one Free country among states with a majority Islamic population, while there were 20 that were Partly Free and 18 not free. By contrast, at the close of 1981, the rest of the world registered 50 free countries (the majority of them from Europe and North America), 31 partly free countries, and 42 not free countries. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011217 ------------------------------------------------------------------- People want Nawaz or Benazir as PM: study ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: The voters' response in the third phase of the local government elections has shown that people are likely to elect either Benazir Bhutto or Nawaz Sharif as the next prime minister in preference to president Gen Pervez Musharraf, a study by an NGO said. In a study conducted by the Pattan Development Organization on "Local Government Elections 2001-Phase III, IV and V" when asked who would be a better future prime minister or the head of the government, 38 per cent of the voters opted for Benazir Bhutto, 20 per cent for Nawaz Sharif and, only nine per cent thought General Musharraf would be better. Analysis of the councilors' political trends, showed that the PPP hardcore councilors were much more likely to opt for Benazir Bhutto. However, approximately 44 percent of Benazir's support came from councilors who have never voted for the PPP in the last four national assembly elections. Only 5 per cent of the PML supporters opted for Nawaz Sharif; 67 percent wanted Gen Musharraf as their future leader. A large number of councilors from diverse backgrounds have been mobilized into local politics as a result of the devolution plan. The performance evaluation of the government by the elected councilors is variable in different regions with a sense of alienation in Sindh. According to the Pattan study, alienation is highest amongst councilors in the districts of Sindh where local government elections were held in phase III. The army rule and the protests against the government's water policy may have influenced the low ratings in Sindh, the study said. On the other hand, the rating of Punjabi councilors on the performance of the present government is consistently lower than in Balochistan on all issues, but higher than Sindh. The study further discloses that the labor class and the farmers are the least satisfied on the issues of inflation control, ending corruption, and instant justice. The government's rating was very low on the issues of employment and inflation control according to the councilors. In the urban-rural analysis, the study shows, the councilors from the urban areas were much more satisfied with the government on almost all issues except the attitude of the local officials. The study said that when asked which era was the best in the history of Pakistan, 28 percent of the voters, ranked Zulfiqar 19 percent opted for General Ayub, 18 per cent General Zia; 16 per cent Benazir, 10 percent Nawaz Sharif, and 8 percent General Musharraf. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011222 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Zardari set to be released after five years in jail ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter RAWALPINDI, Dec 21: Asif Ali Zardari, the spouse of PPP chairperson Ms Benazir Bhutto, has not been served arrest warrant so far in a new case and now he is set to be released after undergoing a five- year term of jail. Farooq H. Naek advocate, counsel of Asif Zardari, told Dawn. He said in all the cases, three cases were fixed for hearing before two accountability courts in Rawalpindi. "No court has so far been intimated about the issuance of fresh arrest warrant of Asif Ali Zardari in a new case," he said. Earlier, the NAB officials said that Asif Zardari would be arrested in a new case involving the import of a BMW car in the name of a student. The government, soon after granting him bail in all the pending cases, has framed a new case against Mr Zardari. Farooq H. Naek said that hearing in Steel Mills, ARY Gold and SGS references was held. The first two references were adjourned but in the SGS case the prosecution prayed the court to issue a letter of rogatory for obtaining more documents from the Swiss government. The counsel of Asif Zardari was left with no time to reply to the arguments for the issuance of letter of rogatory. The case was adjourned till January 7. Asif Zardari, who is behind the bars since November 1996, was granted bail in the last case. Mr Zardari could not be released because the process of submission of sureties could not be completed due to Eid holidays. Asif Zardari is presently lodged in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) which has been declared sub-jail. Mr Zardari is facing thirteen different cases of criminal and civil nature. He has been granted bail in twelve cases and in one case the Prosecutor General Accountability stated before the LHC that Asif Zardari was not arrested in polo ground reference and would not be arrested without the prior permission of the court. Mr Zardari is simply an accused in pre-shipment case 1999, assets case of sending artifacts to England, SGS/Cotecna case, Polo Ground case, Steel Mills case, ARY Gold case and Tractors' import case. He is on bail in Mir Murtaza Bhutto murder case, Justice (Retd) Nizam, Alam Baloch and Sajjad Hussain Bukhari cases and a suicide attempt case. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011217 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Zardari gets bail in drug case ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter LAHORE, Dec 16: District and Sessions Judge Rana Zahid Mahmood admitted former MNA Asif Ali Zardari to bail in the narcotics smuggling case registered against him by the Lahore police in 1997. Asif Zardari was ordered by the court to be released on furnishing two sureties of the sum of Rs1 million each. He is stated to have been shifted back to the Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, for completing the formalities for his release. Earlier, during the hearing of the case held in the Kot Lakhpat Central Jail, Zardari's Counsel Farooq H.Naik argued his case for the grant of bail. He submitted that the case had been pending for the past four years without the recording of substantial evidence. The accused, the counsel further submitted, had been implicated in the case on the basis of a statement by Arif Baloch during the police custody. According to the counsel, the statement against Zardari had been procured under duress only to implicate his client. He further submitted that the Supreme Court had already granted bail to Zardari in all the other cases pending against him. Prosecutor Iqbal Bhatti opposing the plea for the bail submitted that the bail in earlier cases had been granted by the Supreme Court on medical grounds and not on merit. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011216 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sherpao to be arrested on arrival ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: Former NWFP chief minister Aftab Sherpao, who may return home on Jan 5, will be arrested the moment he lands in the country, said NAB Prosecutor General Raja Bashir, answering a question. He said: "Though I have no knowledge about his return, the moment he arrives, he will be arrested for being an absconder". Aftab Sherpao, who went abroad after corruption references had been filed against him for abusing his official authority, is reportedly reaching Peshawar on Jan 5 from London after a brief stop-over in Qatar. Political observers believe that his presence in the country could be beneficial in rebuilding ties with the post-Taliban government in Afghanistan as Sherpao commands a considerable influence on his people - Pakhtoons. Mr Sherpao had been declared proclaimed offender by an accountability court in Peshawar and was later convicted to three- year rigorous imprisonment under section 31-A of the NAB Ordinance for neglecting court's orders. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011222 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sherpao denies secret deal with govt. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report PESHAWAR, Dec 21: Former NWFP chief minister and chief of his own faction of the PPP, Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, has denied that his expected return to Pakistan is a result of a secret deal with the present government. "I am reaching on Jan 6 in Peshawar to play my role in the national politics," he vowed. Speaking to newsmen from London by telephone at the Peshawar Press Club, he said he had faced darkest period of Gen Ziaul Haq boldly and never opted for a secret deal with the martial law regime at that time. The PPP leader said the party workers had asked him to come back and play his role in the coming elections. Mr Sherpao said that the imposition of military rule had created a vacuum between politicians and workers, saying he had decided to bridge this gap by leading the people. He underlined the need for setting aside all differences in the larger interest of the country, which according to him was undergoing a tough period after threats of attack from across the border. He urged the rulers to remove what he called the sense of deprivation among the smaller provinces by taking concrete steps. He feared that the growing sense of uncertainty might worsen the situation in the smaller federating units. He urged the political parties to forge unity among themselves to save the country from the external threats. He supported the government stance on war against terrorism and its decision to join the US-lead coalition as it was the only option for the government. He severely criticized Ms Benazir Bhutto's recent statements in India and termed them against the national interests. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011217 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Open Haj scheme date extended ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: Last date for receipt of applications under Open Haj scheme has been extended up to Dec 22 for the convenience of the intending pilgrims, a religious affairs ministry spokesman said. However, he said those desirous would be allowed to submit their applications with a late fee of Rs5,000 till Dec 31 and with a late of Rs10,000 till Jan 31. The spokesman said incomplete Haj application forms or those without the requisite documents in original would not be entertained. The requisite documents included: Haj form (available from Haj directorates), International passport, International ticket, certificate of residence in Makkah Mukarrama duly attested by the Directorate of South Asia or Saudi Arabian Commerce Ministry besides two drafts to meet Muallim fee, charges for transportation and tentage accommodation. -APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011222 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Moin's brother shot dead ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, Dec 21: Unknown assailants shot dead the elder brother of Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider, few yards from the Fatmid Foundation office in Soldier Bazaar. Police said that Ehteshamuddin Haider, 60, was leaving Fatmid Foundation where he was one of the trustees, when three assailants opened fire on his car which he was driving. The attackers, who had come on two motorcycles, had fired on the front of the car, a senior police official told Dawn. Ehteshamuddin was taken to the Civil Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY 20011222 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan gets first tranche of $109m ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, Dec 21: Pakistan has received $109.5 million as first tranche out of the $1.3 billion poverty reduction and growth facility from the IMF. The country will get the entire amount in 12 equal installments in three years. A spokesman for the State Bank told Dawn that, with the inflow of this amount into SBP account, Pakistan's liquid foreign exchange reserves had risen to $4.632 billion. Of this, $2.96 billion was held by the State Bank and $1.66 billion by all other banks, he added. The spokesman said that, on December 8, gross liquid foreign exchange reserves stood at $4.56 billion, including $2.85 billion held by the central bank and $1.61 billion held by all other banks. Pakistan's foreign exchange reserves had begun to rise after the September 11 attack on the US. At the end of September, the reserves stood at $3.3 billion, including $1.7 billion held by the SBP and $1.6 billion held by other banks, the spokesman said. The spokesman said the combined result was that gross foreign exchange reserves, that stood at $3.3 billion at the end of September, had now risen to $4.62 billion. This $1.3 billion build- up in reserves was also due partly to a $600 million aid from the US in recognition of Pakistan's support to its war in Afghanistan, he added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011221 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bank Asia signs pact to acquire MCB branches ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, Dec 20: Bank Asia has signed an agreement with Muslim Commercial Bank Ltd to take over Bangladesh operations of the MCB. According to a press release, the agreement of sale and purchase of the assets and liabilities between the two banks was concluded on November 30 this year in Dhaka. With the completion of transition within a short time, Bank Asia will undertake the responsibility of all deposit liabilities and acquire the rights to the entire loan portfolio of the MCB. With it, the branches of MCB in Dhaka and Chittagong will become branches of Bank Asia. MCB commenced its operation in Bangladesh in 1994 with two branches and a booth. Fifty-four employees are working there and Bank Asia will absorb all of them. Bank Asia launched its operations in November 1999. Within a short span of time it built up a deposit of tk. 3.20 billion with a loan portfolio of tk. 2.59 billion with seven branches including a rural branch. Bank Asia is a member of SWIFT, provides ATM services, and had arranged syndicated credit facilities to some large projects as lead arranger. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011216 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Paris deal to improve cash flow by $2.7bn ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: The Paris Club's $12.5 billion debt rescheduling will provide an exceptional cash flow savings of $2.7 billion for the next three years, enabling the government to increasingly divert resources to social sectors. "For the current financial year, this cash flow saving amounts to $1.1 billion which will now help us in improving our social indicators effectively," said Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz. He said the net present value of debt reduction was 30 percent, which he termed "highly favorable to Pakistan." He said now that the Paris Club has restructured Pakistan's $12.5 billion debt for 38 years, he would be holding separate meetings with the bilateral creditors to negotiate new interest payment rates on these loans. "Currently, a 2.2 per cent interest rate is being charged and hopefully we will get it further reduced," the finance minister said. He said that about 70 per cent of the $12.5 billion was an Official Development Assistance (ODA) and had been offered on concessional terms. The Paris Club, he said, had set the deadline of Sept 30 next year to conclude bilateral agreements for settling new interest rates on these $12.5 billion loans. Pakistan owed $5 billion to Japan, $3.1 billion to USA, $1.1 billion to France, $1 billion to Germany and $650 million to South Korea, he said. The present value of debt-to-export ratio was 334 per cent which has now been reduced to 240 per cent due to an unprecedented long- term debt relief offered to Pakistan. "This package is called 'Islamabad terms' which is unique unlike Houston, Naples or Cologne terms, which do not provide so much debt relief". However, he said that Pakistan will have to implement a set of reforms to continue receiving uninterrupted debt relief from its bilateral creditors. "We have committed to adhere to certain economic discipline and to have transparency in our financial system," he said, adding that in case Pakistan did not fulfil its commitments, the whole favour done by the Paris Club could be withdrawn. Part of the debt has been converted into debt swap by some countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom, he said, adding that $100 million loan had been written off while $400 million debt had been converted into debt swap, now to be spent on improving social services. The strategy for overcoming debt burden has been extensively discussed with members of the Paris Club and that is why a major debt relief has been extended to Pakistan, he said. "I think this needs to be appreciated that ours is a first government which successfully completed three-year IMF program which in fact provided a basis to the Paris club to go for such an unprecedented favour of offering stock re-profiling of debt to Pakistan," the finance minister said. "We have been given a post-cut off date treatment on our loans and that is why people at the Paris Club meeting said that we had got non-standard terms which I believe is a great success on our part," he claimed. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011220 ------------------------------------------------------------------- ADB okays $200 million loan for roads ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: The Asian Development Bank has approved $200 million loan for Pakistan's road sector. With this amount, the country's road sector at national and provincial level will undergo some major reforms. According to a press release, the Road Sector Development Program consists of a US$50 million loan to reform national policy and a US$150 million loan for a Provincial Sector Development Project. The policy loan will help the national road agency deliver services more effectively. It will rationalize staffing, develop standard operating procedures and enhance staff accountability in project management, the release said. It will also encourage investment based on economic principles, self-financing maintenance, and an approach to road safety that includes raising public awareness. ADB Resident Representative, Mr M. Ali Shah commented that policy reforms "are critically needed to increase the efficiency of the road and transport sector at the national and provincial levels." The programmatic approach adopted will sequence activities in various provinces, starting with the Sindh province. The Provincial Sector Development Project component comprises sector reforms and an investment program. At the provincial level, the reform program will help the Sindh Communication and Works Department become an efficient institution that can provide safe, cost-effective, and well-maintained roads. The project includes investments to improve 164km of provincial highways and 1,200km of rural access roads. Poverty reduction will be a key theme for the identification of rural roads located in districts with high incidence of poverty. As the Project takes a sectoral approach, core rural access sections have been selected from three disadvantaged districts, namely (i) Kamber-Drigh Road via Village Bhunda Khamiso, (ii) Awidh-Jamrao Head via Khudadino Gahu, and (iii) Tangwani-Bugti via Shahi Wah. ADB's policy loan will come from its ordinary capital resources under its LIBOR-based facility. The amortization period is 15 years, including a grace period of three years. Half of ADB's project loan will come from its concessional Asian Development Fund and half from ordinary capital resources under the LIBOR-based facility. The total cost of the project is US$236 million. Apart from the ADB, the government will provide US$71 million and the OPEC Fund will inject US$15 million. The Project is due for completion in 2007. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011220 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Attack on Lok Sabha halts KSE rally ------------------------------------------------------------------- Muhammad Aslam The KSE 100-share index finished at 1,380.08 on selling prompted by the reports of terrorist attack on Indian parliament and its negative impact on Pak-Indian relations. Textile shares responded bullishly to 7 per cent import tariff exemption by the European Union on textiles and proposed increase in export quota by 15 per cent but the absence of leading buyers and bargain-hunters added to the prevailing sluggishness. The snap rally aided by strong institutional support raised the hopes of advent of year-end buying but attack on Indian parliaments again reversed the market trend. Prices fell under the lead of pivotals earlier in the week on selling. Daily traded volume shrank to below 30 million-share mark and the index was marked down below its support level. All eyes remained focused on the PTCL board meeting and hopes of some positive announcement in regard to widely speculated interim dividend, but there was none till the close and the consequent selling. The KSE index early was up by about eight points on active support ahead of the PTCL board meeting and the market talk of an interim dividend but as there was no announcement from its management till the closing bell, weakholders took profit at the initial rise. "Reports trickling in from Islamabad PTCL board meeting indicated a rise in the quarterly after-tax profit to Rs4.22 billion but in the absence of any official announcement on the subject, traders sold in part their long positions", analysts at the W.E. Financials said. "No business no margins", they jokingly said commenting on the falling daily volumes below the average figure of 100 million to 30 million shares. However, some of the news, notably 15 per cent increase in the textile quota by European Union including the US and some positive developments on the privatization front of the PSO evoked good interest earlier in the week but as the follow- support lacked, most of the pivotals reacted on selling. "The market seems to have digested all good news on the aid front and is in search of some fresh stimulants to keep it in a good shape", stock analysts at the AHRL said. "Whether or not the investor perceptions assisted by counter market forces will play their due role in the sessions prior to the eid holidays is unclear", they added. But stock analysts at the Moosani Securities believe the current sluggishness is temporary as the market has now a viable financial base on which it could build a strong rally before the year is out. It was perhaps in this background that the broader market performed well, while pivotals finished reacting under the lead of Shell Pakistan and Noon Pakistan, which fell by Rs1.95 to 2, while others fell fractionally. The BOC Pakistan again responded favourably to 100 per cent final cash dividend plus 20 per cent bonus shares adding another Rs20 to the weekend gain. Others to follow it were the Century Insurance, Farooq Habib Textiles, Ismial Industries, Al-Ghazi Tractors, Millat Tractors, Quetta Textiles, Kohinoor Weaving, Bhanero Textiles, Rupali Polyester, Dawood Hercules, the PSO, Pakistan Telephone Cables after the announcement of 15 per cent dividend, and several others. Losers were led by the EFU General, New Jubilee Insurance, Gatron Industries Din Textiles, the ICI Pakistan, Shell Pakistan, Murree Brewery, Faisal Spinning, Noon Pakistan, falling modestly but the largest decline of Rs15 was noted in the Rafhan Maize Products for no apparent bearish reasons. The trading volume shrank to a lowest weekly total owing to two closures and light ready volumes, falling to 130 million shares from an average figure of 500 million shares in normal trading sessions. The most active list was topped by the Hub-Power, the PSO, the PTC, which accounted for 70 per cent of the total volume followed by the ICI Pakistan, Adamjee Insurance, Engro Chemical, Nishat Mills, Sui Northern Gas, the MCB, Japan Power, Fauji Fertiliser, Telecard and D.G.Khan Cement. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011222 ------------------------------------------------------------------- KSE index breaches through 1,400-point barrier ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, Dec21: The KSE 100-share index breached through the barrier of 1,400 points at 1,404. The market's buoyant mood was also well-reflected in the KSE 100-share index, breaching the psychological barrier of 1,400 points at 1,403.97, up 18.65 points as all the leading base shares recovered smartly. Textile shares led the market advance on active support aided apparently by the perception of reopening of the vast Afghan market after the end of war. All the leading shares rose in unison, major gainers among them being Bhanero Textiles and Fazal Textiles, which rose by Rs.2.90 and 4.50. Other leading gainers included PSO and Shell Pakistan, which recovered overnight losses, up by Rs.3.75 and 3.35, followed by Al- Ghazi Tractors, ICI Pakistan, Trust Modaraba, Jahangir Siddiqui and Co, Legler Nafees, PICIC, Inter-Asia Leasing 8th and 10th ICPs and several others, rising by one rupee to 1.50. Losers were led by Paramount Spinning, Ideal Spinning, Zahidjee Textiles, and Attock Refinery, off Rs.1.05 to 1.90, while all other losses were fractional. Plus signs were again strewn all over the list, with leading shares finishing with smart rallies under the lead of PSO and ICI Pakistan, which at one stage failed to find sellers even at the rising prices. Trading volume rose to 79m shares as advancing shares forced a strong lead over the losers at 104 to 39, with 32 holding on to the last levels. Hub-Power again topped the list of most actives, up 20 paisa at Rs.18.40 on 34m shares, followed by PTCL, up 15 paisa at Rs.16.15 on 18m shares, PSO, higher by Rs.3.75 at Rs.101.35 on 9m shares, ICI Pakistan, up Rs.2.90 at Rs.5m shares and Engro Chemical, off 55 paisa at Rs.57.25 on 4m shares. Other actives were led by Sui Northern Gas, higher 30 paisa on 3.478m shares, Adamjee Insurance, higher Rs.1.65 on 3.461m shares, MCB, firm by 20 paisa on 1.995m shares, Nishat Mills, steady by also 20 paisa on 1.919m shares and Fauji Fertilizer, firm by five paisa on 1.750m shares. FUTURE CONTRACTS: Speculative shares on the forward counter also followed the lead of the ready section and generally finished with an extended gains of Engro Chemical January settlement and PSO, both contracts, which rose by Rs.2.30 and 3 to 3.60 at Rs.58.20, 101.15 and 102.00 in that order. Hub-Power again led the list of actives, up 18 paisa at Rs.18.40 on 3.195m shares followed by PTCL, firm by 15 paisa at Rs.16.15 on 1.570m shares. Others were traded modestly barring Hub-Power January delivery, off 26 paisa at Rs.18.66 on 0.584m shares. DEFAULTER COMPANIES: Allied Motors came in for renewed support and was marked up by 40 paisa at Rs.3.50 on 9,000 shares.Back to the top
EDITORIALS & FEATURES 20011216 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bad, worse, worst ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ardeshir Cowasjee MY December 2 column in this newspaper, 'Fire, Fire !', regarding the fire in Karim Centre and warning those who visit Karachi's shopping malls of the potential hazards and dangers that may crop up prompted an email response from a reader : Subject - "you waist our money." Text - "you are a billionaire and you west our 14 rupees on every Sunday, why? you do write only for personnel satisfaction. please make some sense in theme and writings. dont criticise people on personnel biases. thanks Ikram." (sic.) Having received many such messages from builders I am tempted to presume that Mr Ikram could be an irate builder. He may be interested to know that subsequent to my column there was yet another fire in the same Karim Centre which caused further damage to property. However, my sympathies are with Mr Ikram as far as his 14 rupees are concerned. He could switch papers and go for one of our other English language paper which carry news that is well worth its 6 rupees selling price. For instance: Dateline Lahore, Dec 10 - "From our Correspondent: Punjab's oldest man, a heejra (eunuch) Guru Lal died at the age of 155 in Lalamusa. According to eunuch tradition, Guru Lal had celebrated his chehlum in his lifetime some five years ago and these celebrations had continued for a full two weeks. All participating heejras were given a golden ring each as a gift by the guru who hailed from an influential Chaudhry family of the area.... Guru's chailas rushed from every nook and corner of the province on hearing about his death and attended his funeral and burial at a local graveyard ..." Anybody who is anybody in our country is always 'rushing'. >From this point onwards, Mr Ikram and his 'likeminded' can stop reading and move on. >From the beginning of this year, Governor of Sindh Mohammadmian Soomro and his colleagues have been trying to pass an ordinance to regularise illegal buildings. A comprehensive note headed 'Regularisation of buildings which cannot be regularised as the law presently stands' was given to the director general of the Karachi Development Authority, another retired brigadier, Zaheer Kadri, and was discussed by the governing body of the KDA, the chief controller of buildings, also a retired brigadier, Zafar Malik, and the oversee committee of the Karachi Building Control Authority. Just before leaving on his annual Umra trip this Ramzan, the Governor relented, signed and promulgated the Sindh Building Control (Amendment) Ordinance 2001. It is extremely difficult to draft a 'bad' law. Credit must be given to the members of the Sindh cabinet and the Governor for making a complete hash of things. They, the builders and their supporters are of the opinion that this Ordinance permits the regularization of buildings built in violation of the approved building plan and/or the provisions of the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations 1979. This opinion is reinforced by the fact that a few of those who have raised illegal constructions are now approaching buyers, who have made bookings in their projects, to pay them money and have their buildings 'regularized'. Members of the KBCA Oversee Committee have also been approached to clarify the position prevailing after the promulgation of the Amendment. Accordingly, with a view to safeguard the public interest and prevent anyone making financial gains under false pretexts, certain members of the Committee requested fellow law member Advocate of the Supreme Court Barrister Qazi Faez Isa to consider the matter and give a legal opinion. He did so, pointing out that any attempt on the part of the Government to regularise illegal buildings would be invalid because it would be based on a confusion of the concept of criminal liability with that of civil liability, and that too, despite the very clear pronouncements by the Superior Courts of Pakistan to the contrary. His opinion concludes: "It is therefore patently clear that the Amendment does not permit the 'regularization' of any building." Faez's opinion was shown to Senior Supreme Court advocates, Barrister Khalid Anwer and Barrister Naimur Rahman who also are in agreement. The following resolution was tabled at the last meeting of the Oversee Committee of the KBCA on December 12 and was approved by: Engineer Kalimuddin, Engineer Nooruddin, Architect Thariani, Engineer de Souza, Barrister Isa, and me. The sponsor supporters of the Ordinance, the government men Brigadier Qadri, Brigadier Malik, and Builder Butt, naturally dissenting. "The Oversee Committee constituted under Section 4-B of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance to oversee the functioning of the Authority clarifies that the recently promulgated SBCO (Amendment) 2001 does not permit the regularization of any building or construction raised in violation of the approved building plans and/or the provisions of the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations 1979. Further, this stand is borne out by the decision of the Honourable Sindh High Court in the case of Feroza Hajiani vs. Abdul Razzak (1992 MLD 527) which was upheld by the Honourable Supreme Court in the case of Abdul Razzak vs. KBCA (PLD 1994 SC 512) and reaffirmed by a Full Bench of the Honourable Supreme Court in the case of Ardeshir Cowasjee vs. KBCA (PLJ 1999 SC 2331)." An excerpt from Faez's opinion: "The Ordinance stipulates that those raising illegal constructions commit a crime. Upon being convicted they can be imprisoned and/or fined. The mere fact that the convict has served out his sentence and or paid the fine would not convert the illegal construction into a legal one. Such a suggestion would not only be wholly illegal but also completely absurd. It would be like a person who was convicted for stealing a car contending that since he has served out his imprisonment and or paid the fine imposed on him he now gets to keep the stolen car. "Despite clear legal provisions, futile attempts have been made to equate compounding of offences with 'regularizing' illegal construction. In the case of Feroza Hajiani vs. Abdul Razzak (1992 MLD 527) just such a view was canvassed which the honourable High Court recorded as under : "'Karachi Building Control Authority contended that the authority is competent under Section 19(1-A) of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance 1979 to compound offences under the Ordinance and regularise construction of building made in violation of the building regulations. He referred to regulations 16 and 20 of the Karachi Building and Town Planning Regulations 1979 as such Regulations, according to him, spell out power to regularise constructions made in contravention of the Building Regulations.' "The aforesaid contention was strongly rebutted by the High Court, holding that: "'This power conferred on the authority or its authorised person by the provision of subsection 1-A of Section 19 of the Ordinance and Regulation 16(1) of the Regulations is analogous to the right to compound offences and the power to permit compounding of an offence contained in section 345, Cr.PC. Compounding of an offence it its ordinary sense means that a person against whom an offence has been committed agrees with the accused that he will not prosecute him on the condition of the latter making reparation. It is simply a composition reached on the basis of a compromise that the accused will not be prosecuted in a Court of law. This process merely absolves the accused or the offence from being prosecuted and saves him from the possible punishment on certain terms and conditions, but it cannot absolve him from the other consequences, as provided in the regulations, or contravention thereof. It cannot, therefore, be said that the power to compound an offence is synonymous with power to 'regularise' erection of a building in violation of the regulations or that compounding of an offence ipso facto amounts to such 'regularisation'. "The High Court held that : "'Regulation 16(1) of the Regulations requires the authority to, inter alia, require any person who has carried out building work contrary to the provisions of the regulations to show cause why such building works or part thereof shall not be removed or altered to comply with the regulations and by regulation 16(2), paras (a) and (b), the Authority shall require such person, if he fails to show sufficient cause, to demolish the whole building or part thereof or to alter the works so as to bring it in conformity with the Regulations. It, therefore, follows that the Legislature intended that any building or a part thereof erected in contravention of the Regulation must be removed or altered to conform to the Regulations. "'... there is no power in the Authority and any of its officers to condone violation of the Regulations by regularising a building erected in contravention thereof. Authority and/or its officers can only compound the offence after a delinquent building has put the building in order in accordance with the Regulations.' "The aforesaid judgment was upheld by the Supreme Court in Abdul Razzak vs. KBCA (PLD 1994 SC 512).... Subsequently, a Full Bench of the Supreme Court in the case of Ardeshir Cowasjee vs. KBCA (PLJ 1999 SC 2331) specifically endorsed Abdul Razzak as laying down the correct legal position and overruled the case of Multiline Associates vs. Ardeshir Cowasjee (PLD 1995 SC 423) if it was construed to be in any manner inconsistent with the judgment in Abdul Razzak." This bad ordinance does not affect the lives of the law-abiding people of Karachi which are protected by the Constitution, and, particularly by the fundamental rights enshrined therein. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011221 ------------------------------------------------------------------- The subcontinent's way of doing business ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ayaz Amir The threats held out to Pakistan in the Indian Lok Sabha by Mr L. K. Advani, India's paramount hawk, are strictly in line with a tradition of sabre-rattling which has dogged the footsteps of both India and Pakistan these last fifty years. Whatever the occasion, bellicosity and belligerence come more readily to us than any show of restraint or reason. This baleful legacy awaits a touch of grace or statesmanship before it will be banished. No doubt the terrorist attack on the Indian parliament has been dangerous business, fraught with mischief. We have to thank subcontinental inefficiency - a tradition as rooted as sabre- rattling - that the terrorists involved botched their operation. What if they had entered the parliament building and held any number of MPs or even ministers hostage? That would have brought us dangerously close to war. India has squarely blamed Jaish and Lashkar-i-Taiba and, by extension, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence. Unless all the facts are in, and India is not being particularly helpful in allaying Pakistan's concerns in this regard, judgment on this score must be suspended. But one thing is for sure. Pakistan's intelligence outfits would have to be insane to be involved in any plot as irrational as this. It is not in Pakistan's interest to be accused of 'terrorism' or to do anything that compromises the on- going struggle in Kashmir. Why should Pakistan be involved? What does it gain by it? Which is not to say Indian outrage is not understandable. Those of us in Pakistan who suggest that India itself could be behind this act in order to malign Pakistan are being unfair. It is a bit like saying that the Israeli secret service, Mossad, was behind the September 11 attacks on the US. There is nothing more absurd than conspiracy theories stretched beyond the limits of credulity. But this is the spirit of India-Pakistan relations: tending to believe the worst of each other. The war of words we at have at present - with Mr Advani holding out the threat of hot pursuit across the Line of Control and President Musharraf saying that any Indian aggression will be met with force - is troubling and dangerous but unlikely to escalate into anything hotter because the last thing both countries want is another war. It is also noticeable that while Mr Vajpayee has said that India was keeping all options open, all in all he has taken a mellower line than his home minister (Advani).There is also the American reaction to consider. With other eggs to fry in its 'war on terrorism', the US is urging restraint on both sides. So it is a fair bet that while the histrionics will go on for some time, we are not looking at the opening stages of a fourth Indo-Pakistan war. India will milk the Lok Sabha attack for all it is worth in a bid to convince the US that it should pressure Pakistan to put a stop to the 'jihadi' activities of Jaish and Lashkar-i-Taiba. Like other governments in such situations, the BJP's saffron leadership will also not be averse to drawing domestic mileage from showing a tough face to Pakistan. Jingoism plays well in all elections and with the UP elections in India coming up, the BJP has everything to gain by looking tough. All the same, it would be facile on Pakistan's part to reduce the Indian reaction to the Lok Sabha attack purely to electoral considerations. There is more at stake in the Indo- Pakistan equation than merely the number of seats the BJP is set to win or lose in the Lucknow assembly. For India the US war on Afghanistan has been a deeply frustrating experience. It had hoped that with the US turning its guns on the Taliban, Pakistan as their chief foreign backer would be boxed into a corner. Even before the US asked India for anything, India had made every offer of assistance. Sadly for India, geography stood in its way because as a launching pad for a war on Afghanistan, India's usefulness was not half that of Pakistan's. The US did not spurn India's frantic offers of help. It just ignored them and took Pakistan on board. Indian protestations about Pakistan's involvement in 'terrorism' in occupied Kashmir fell on deaf ears in Washington. As India seethed with fury, Pakistan, far from being bracketed with the Taliban, became the linchpin of the strike on Afghanistan. Now out of the blue comes the terrorist attack on the Lok Sabha. India would have to be more saint-like in its behaviour than states usually are not to exploit the situation to its advantage. It is perfectly understandable, therefore, if Pakistan once again finds itself in the Indian firing line. But perhaps it is important to understand that more than any attempt to intimidate Pakistan, India is playing to the international gallery in order to put indirect pressure on Pakistan. For what India wants above all is the death of militancy in occupied Kashmir. Anything to achieve that end, including the threat of war. But not war itself. For all the talk from New Delhi of crossing the Line of Control, embarking on such a course is easier said than done. Pakistan is no pushover and entering Azad Kashmir by no stretch of the imagination is the same as Israel's incursions into Palestinian territory. In fact, it is hard to imagine anything more foolish or risky at the moment than an Indian military adventure against Pakistan. India is not strong enough, nor Pakistan weak enough, for such a venture to succeed. Moreover, American attention is absorbed elsewhere. The last thing the US wants is a subcontinental distraction. So what is India up to? The continuation of politics by other means: the threat of war and the liberal use of propaganda, all aimed at isolating militancy in Kashmir, tarring it with the brush of terrorism and making it untenable for Pakistan to render any worthwhile assistance to the Kashmiri struggle for self-assertion. >From India's point of view these are worthy aims. But from the standpoint of the subcontinent's future they merely hark back to the politics of the last fifty years. The question is not what India or Pakistan can gain in the short-term but what they can do to turn their backs on the past and chart a long-term relationship that saves them from the expense of useless militarization. Not for any abstract reason, or anything grounded in idealism, is this important but because, deny as much as the hawks on both sides may, history and geography condemn the destinies of both countries to be intertwined. This is no aspersion on India's size or economic clout, just an admission of reality. It is no more possible for Pakistan to think that it can look westward and close its eyes to India's existence than for India to presume that bigness and economic success place it beyond the necessity of coming to a rational understanding with Pakistan. The logic of force has not worked in Kashmir. If it has been impossible for Pakistan to decide the issue by a clash of arms, it has been no more possible for India to crush the post-1989 resistance by a recourse to repression. The resulting stand-off has embittered the Kashmiri people, for whose presumed sake both countries have deployed their armies in Kashmir, and kept both countries locked in a futile conflict. Point-scoring and sabre-rattling are games both countries can play. There is nothing new in this since this is what they have been doing since 1947. Anyone except unreconstructed hawks would think it was time to move on. But two truths have to be accepted before any forward movement is possible: (1) that Kashmir, without any ifs and buts, is a problem awaiting a final solution; and (2) that while a miracle would be welcome, there is no immediate solution to this problem. Once understanding is achieved on these two points, the problem of militancy can be addressed. If Pakistan at this stage expects anything more than an acceptable form of words regarding Kashmir, it will be guilty of a lack of realism. If India thinks it can attain the end of militancy without even making a verbal concession, it too will be living in a paradise of its own. To unbiased observers this would look like a sensible trade-off. After all, the major concession would be coming from Pakistan and only a semantic one from India. But India's problem is different. It cannot abide any sort of concession, no matter how inconsequential, to Pakistan. For the thing it detests above all is to be hyphenated with Pakistan - as in "India-Pakistan relations" - and to be seen on a par, even if for a fleeting moment, with Pakistan. This is a psychological barrier which India alone can cross. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011222 ------------------------------------------------------------------- America first ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Irfan Husain As war drums beat louder than ever in South Asia and the Middle East, the faint promise that some good might come out of the September 11 attacks in the United States is quickly evaporating. In both regions, the vague prospects of peace have been effectively derailed by a combination of suicide bombings and cynical leaders. Ironically, the compulsions of forging a makeshift coalition in the 'war against terrorism' had raised hopes that some of the underlying causes of the September 11 attacks - like the occupation of Palestinian territory by Israel - would at last be addressed. Indeed, President Bush's statement that he accepted the idea of a Palestinian state encouraged many into thinking that a sea change had occurred in American policy. Similarly, repeated western pledges 'not to walk out of Afghanistan' this time were widely believed. Many saw an era of continued engagement in the region as Afghanistan was rebuilt after two decades of warfare, and its institutions restored. In this rose-tinted scenario, a reformed Pakistan would re-enter the fold of respectable nations and a combination of American pressure and persuasion would be brought to bear on New Delhi and Islamabad to resolve the festering Kashmir problem. In brief, a better world would emerge from the rubble of the World Trade Centre, and those thousands of lives would not have been lost in vain. Now welcome to the post-Taliban world of realpolitik: the rhetoric from Delhi gets shriller and more bellicose, and is matched by the violent words and actions emanating from Tel Aviv. Mercifully, as I write this, the shelling in the subcontinent is limited to that unfortunate punching bag, Kashmir. But unless cooler heads and common sense prevail, things can spiral quickly out of control. If this happens, the terrorists who attacked the Indian parliament last week would have won. The common strand that runs from the subcontinent to the Middle East is the harsh reality that when the push comes to a shove, long-term self-interests are more important than the temporary expedients that briefly hold wartime coalitions together. Thus, the cold war succeeded the alliance between the Soviet Union and the western powers immediately after the Nazis had been defeated. And following the recent defeat of the Taliban and Al-Quaeda, signs of strain in the American-led coalition are already evident. Indeed, the earlier clarion calls for rebuilding a devastated Afghanistan are very muted now, and the billions of dollars being bandied about seems more and more like the election pledges of politicians rather than the basis for a real plan of action. In the Middle East, Sharon has cleverly used the recent Palestinian suicide attacks against the Israeli occupation to draw parallels between his country's situation and the September attacks against America, thus gaining Bush's support for the bloody reprisals and state terrorism against the Palestinians. Now the Israelis want to send Arafat packing just as Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden were evicted from their positions of power. Bush, seeking to secure more Jewish votes in the next election than he managed in his controversial victory last year, is more than willing to support Sharon. In the subcontinent, the Americans are equally ready to press Musharraf to crack down on terrorist organizations like the Lashkar-i-Taiba and the Jaish-i-Mohammad, accused by New Delhi of being behind the attack on the Indian parliament. I have long been of the view that these extremist outfits are a danger to Pakistani civil society and need to be crushed. However, by making a hysterical demand for action, Vajpayee has placed the Pakistani president in a very awkward position: if he cracks down on them, he will be accused of caving in to Indian pressure. If he does nothing, he will be seen as being soft on terrorism by Washington. Musharraf has tried to find some wriggle space by condemning the attack and offering a joint inquiry, but this has been predictably rejected by New Delhi. Had Vajpayee resorted to quiet diplomacy, Musharraf could have found a face-saving way out, taking action against those behind the attack while being seen by his domestic critics as independently moving against a domestic threat. Another myth to have been exploded in the aftermath of the 'victory' over the Taliban and Al-Quaeda is that Bush had moved towards multilaterlism after his initial unilateral approach following his first few days in the presidency. It was widely assumed that his earlier rejection of the Kyoto accord and the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty would be tempered with a more internationalist attitude towards world affairs because of the American need to forge an alliance against terror. This view, too, has had to be changed in the light of events: when the Americans realized that most of the world that counted was more or less obliged to follow where they led, they have again returned to unilateralism. Against every expectation and prediction, the Muslim world did not explode into flames as the Americans bombed Afghanistan for weeks; the Russians have jumped on board with great enthusiasm; and the Europeans (most notably Britain) have served as cheer-leaders and hand-maidens. So the question now probably being asked in Washington is: why do we have to modify our policies and priorities when the rest of the world is willing to play ball according to our rules? Why indeed? The hard reality is that as the sole superpower, the United States is able and willing to enforce its diktat around the world. And if somebody doesn't like it, tough. There is much unease among America's current allies about the possibility of an attack on Iraq despite the lack of any evidence linking it with the events of September 11. But Bush and his right-wing coterie are fully aware that if they do decide to go after Saddam Hussein, there won't be much anybody will be able to do about it. But this kind of 'America first' approach is likely to prove self-defeating as it will further push desperate men into taking desperate action. While Al- Qaeda may have been destroyed, the motivation of its cadres and its many admirers and supporters remains undiminished.
SPORTS 20011221 ------------------------------------------------------------------- ICC assures PCB of logical solution ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, Dec 20: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has received a favorable response from the International Cricket Council (ICC) on express pacer Shoaib Akhtar's bowling action row, a top official said. "The ICC will have to consider our point of view on Akhtar's bowling action case and I am confident it has to end in our favor," Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia said. Tauqir Zia had a detailed telephonic conservation with ICC President Malcolm Gray who assured him of a logical solution of the case. "The PCB is talking logic and wants a logical solution and I am sure that we will win the case," he said. The PCB still awaits official response from the ICC of its letter sent alongwith Western Australian University report earlier this month. Shoaib, currently regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in the world, is embroiled in a row after his action was reported suspicious for a third time last month. The PCB sent the footage of his questionable action during the Sharjah tri-series last month to the Western Australian University, which maintained that Akhtar's action is the same and gives illusion of chucking due to hyper mobility of his bowling arm. The same university gave all clear to Shoaib's action when it was reported for the second time in New Zealand in March this year. The action first came under suspicion in December 1999 when Pakistan played against Australia. "The ICC would have to consider the WA University's report and Gray has assured me that the report will be given due consideration. The PCB has never thought of taking the ICC head on because we think the ICC is the supreme body and we are there to strengthen its arms," the general said. "Gray and ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed are reasonable people and have been very helpful." The ICC had invoked stage two of its process while dealing with bowlers with suspect action and had appointed former West Indian pacer Micheal Holding to assist Akhtar remove flaws in his action last month. The ICC had set Feb 22 as the deadline to complete stage two of the process. After the stage two is over, and if Akhtar's action is reported again within 12 months of the third report, stage three would be invoked. The PCB in its reply had ruled out the utility of stage two and had demanded that stage three should be invoked. Under the ICC's process, stage three brings into action a panel of experts which, if it feels Shoaib's action remains suspected, can ban the bowler for a year. When asked would Pakistan demand its representation on the ICC Review Panel, Tauqir said Pakistan may seek Australian expert's help to clear Akhtar. "I would not go for any player, but I would go for an Australian expert to fight Akhtar's case if the case is passed to the ICC Bowling Review Panel," he added.-SADA DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011220 ------------------------------------------------------------------- India refuses to play alongside Pakistan ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, Dec 19: India has refused to play alongside Pakistan in next month's six-nation hockey event in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, sources said. "India has pulled out from the six-nation event without giving any reason. But the apparent reason for their withdrawal is that they don't want to play alongside Pakistan as tensions heighten between the South Asian rivals," sources told SADA. The organizers had confirmed last week that India would be one of the six teams alongside reigning Olympic and world champions Holland, Pakistan, Australia, Malaysia and New Zealand in the event scheduled to be held from Jan 20-27. The teams will play a round- robin preliminary round and the top two teams will contest the final. The tournament has been arranged by the Malaysian Hockey Federation to provide the national team with quality practice matches ahead of the World Cup Finals, which will be held here from February 24 to March 9. Malaysian organizers said they would not seek a sixth team after India's pullout. Pakistan and India have had few sporting contacts in the last two years. Cricket has been the worst hit sport. India refused to take a Test tour of Pakistan in December last year, pulled out its team from the Asian Test Championship in September and did not play Pakistan in multi-national events in Sharjah and Canada. India alleges that Pakistan is fomenting trouble in Indian- administered Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for harboring last week's attack on its parliament that left 12 people dead and has threatened to attack parts of Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The fortunes of eight-time Olympic champion India have revived with the country's triumph at the Junior World Cup in September. The senior team won the Champions League in Kuala Lumpur last week. - SADA DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011220 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shahbaz can be an inspiration ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Reporter ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: Manager of the hockey team, Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar believes that veteran Shahbaz Ahmed could play a leading role in inspiring Pakistan at next year's World Cup in Malaysia. Khokhar, speaking to Dawn, said that Shahbaz is the kind of player whose brilliance can change the entire complexion of the game in no time. "Just a couple of his passes in a match could do the trick for us." Khokhar however said that the biting Rotterdam cold proved to be a handicap for his players not used to playing in such conditions. He conceded though that Shahbaz was not utilised properly in that tournament. "The Champions Trophy is behind us and now we will be working on new ways how best to utilise Shahbaz and not to repeat our mistakes." The pencil-thin Shahbaz had underlined his status as the world's best dribbler in 1994 when he led Pakistan to World Cup victory in Sydney and retired soon afterwards. He made a controversial comeback at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics but failed to impress much. He had not played top class hockey since 1998 and was the Pakistan coach weeks before the Rotterdam Champions Trophy. The Pakistan camp in preparation for the World Cup and a six- nation tournament that precedes that is set to start at Lahore from Dec 24. Khokhar said that in the camp they would especially focus on helping defenders Tariq Imran and Sohail Abbas improve their tackling and clearance. "I personally think that their tackling is not clean which leads to short corners and at times penalty strokes." Although Khokhar refrained from making any tall claims for the World Cup being held in February, he did say that they would put in their best. "The level of competition between the top teams these days is such that it is difficult to predict the outcome of a tournament." "We have a competition before the World Cup which has six nations and is a Champions Trophy in its own right. So doing well in that competition should put us in the right frame of mind for the tougher task ahead." The six-nation event will see besides Pakistan, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, India and hosts Malaysia fight it out for gaining a psychological advantage going into the 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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