------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 07 July 2001 Issue : 07/27 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Contents | National News | Business & Economy | Editorials & Features | Sports
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CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + N-issue, Siachen on Delhi agenda + President's itinerary finalized + Pakistan insists on meeting with Hurriyat + Musharraf asks envoy to arrange meeting + Summit can have impact on sanctions + Musharraf hopeful of headway in talks + National security discussed + Differences on agenda persist + Faraz hopeful of groundwork for summit + Faraz on pre-summit job in India + Gas pipeline to be on agenda + Musharraf, Vajpayee may resume talks in NY + PML to challenge Tarar's removal + Sajjad opposes role for army + CE bans trade union activities in PIA + CII chief apprehensive of delay in Riba-free economy + Military training in Madaris to be banned: Law being amended + CII endorses law against terrorism with reservations + Islamic council wants to study draft police law + Law ministry rejects 10 draft laws + MC poised to form AJK govt + AJK cabinet dissolved + Afghan DPs start leaving for home: NWFP govt sticks to stand + Jirga wants Nasir Bagh refugee camp vacated + Musharraf lacks mandate: Benazir + Asif shifted to Karachi + PBC issues notice to ex-minister + Justice Rashid Aziz seeks retirement + Sukkur Express derails + Depts to be relocated and merged in dist govt system + Plea to put Saif's name on ECL + HRCP slams violation of election rules + Muttahida, Haqiqi reject election + Discrepancies in electoral rolls + Judgment reserved in Marri case + Shah Nawaz Junejo resigns from PPP + Ex-senator Khudadad Luk held for corruption + 16 new cases against ex-CM + New CBR chief --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + Govt under WTO pressure for import of banned items: minister + Pakistan needs $6bn aid, says WB report + WB admits its performance was not satisfactory + Rs2bn e-govt plan approved + 10 EoIs received for PTCL sell-off + Merger of eight ministries shelved 20 institutions to be wound up + Meeting IMF conditionalities + Investors worried over future share business outlook + Exchange cos to replace money changers + KSE 100-share index sheds another 14.43 points --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + Dastur-an-Dastur Ardeshir Cowasjee + Revisiting the past Ayaz Amir + Sink or swim Irfan Husain ----------- SPORTS + Saqlain stars for Surrey with six-wicket haul + Pakistan hold Netherlands 2-2, clinch series 1-0 + Pakistan stun Netherlands + India refuse to play against Pakistan in Dubai + PCB mum over Miandad as Bangladesh batting coach + Shokat leads Pakistan in Pro-Am Asia Cup + Ordinance on anvil to enforce National Sports Policy
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS 20010707 ------------------------------------------------------------------- N-issue, Siachen on Delhi agenda ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jawed Naqvi NEW DELHI, July 6: India accused Pakistan of fomenting continued violence in the state of Jammu and Kashmir but said relative calm along the Line of Control had prompted Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to dispatch his head of military operations on a rare visit to Islamabad to consolidate the gains of peace. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Nirupama Rao, who made the announcement, used the routine media briefing to also urge Pakistan to keep the focus riveted to the forthcoming meeting between Vajpayee and President Pervez Musharraf and not to get distracted by extraneous issues such as a proposal to meet Hurriyat leaders during next week's bilateral talks. Rao was responding to news reports from Islamabad which officially confirmed that Musharraf had written a letter to APHC chief Prof Abdul Ghani Bhatt for a meeting with him. Vajpayee also signaled the immediate resumption of the nuclear dialogue between the two countries at the experts' level and also involving non-official exchanges. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010706 ------------------------------------------------------------------- President's itinerary finalized ------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Correspondent ISLAMABAD, July 5: President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee are scheduled to hold summit talks for four and a half hours in Agra on July 15. According to the official itinerary, President Musharraf, accompanied by his wife, Sehba Musharraf, will arrive at New Delhi's Palam airport by a special aircraft on July 14 at 08:30 hours. After a brief reception at the airport, he will be driven to Rashtrapati Bhavan where he will be ceremonially received by President K. R. Narayanan and other leaders at 09:00 hours. While in Delhi, he will be staying at Rashtrapati Bhavan. After the ceremonial welcome, Gen Musharraf will drive to Rajghat to offer floral tributes at Mahatma Gandhi's Samadhi. His official engagements will start on his return to Rashtrapati Bhavan with a 20-minute meeting with Minister for External Affairs and Defence Jaswant Singh, followed by meetings with Home Minister L. K. Advani and Leader of the Opposition Sonia Gandhi. Later, accompanied by his wife, President Musharraf will drive down to Hyderabad House to attend a lunch to be hosted in his honour by Mr Vajpayee. Immediately following the lunch, he will visit Neharwali Haveli, the ancestral house where he was born and lived for four years before his family migrated to Karachi. This will be followed by a visit to Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin in New Delhi. In the evening, he will attend an hour-long High Tea reception at Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, where Pakistan plans to invite several ministers, leaders of political parties, diplomats, journalists and also, if possible, the APHC leaders. India has already conveyed its opposition to any meeting between him and APHC leaders in New Delhi. President Musharraf will then attend a banquet to be hosted by President Narayanan. The next day he will leave New Delhi for Agra IAF base at 0830 hours and drive down to Amar Vilas hotel, where he will stay for two days. At 11:30 hours, President Musharraf will be driven to Jaypee Palace Hotel, where he will be received by Mr Vajpayee. The two leaders will hold a lengthy session - both one- to- one, followed by official delagations till 16:00 hours with a lunch break in between. Following the summit, President Musharraf will return to Amar Vilas hotel and will be then driven to Taj Mahal. He will attend a cultural programme at Jaypee Palace Hotel along with Mr Vajpayee followed by a dinner to be hosted by Governor of Uttar Pradesh Vishnu Kant Shastri. On July 16 President Musharraf will begin the day with a breakfast meeting with intellectuals. The entire morning has been left free for another round of talks with Mr Vajpayee, if the two leaders so desire, and address either a joint press conference with the prime minister or his own. He will leave for Jaipur at 14:00 hours, where he will be given a brief reception. Then he will depart for Ajmer Sharif. After 15 minutes' prayers at the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, he will return to Jaipur from where he will leave for Islamabad. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010707 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan insists on meeting with Hurriyat ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Hasan Akhtar ISLAMABAD, July 6: Foreign Ministry spokesman Riaz M. Khan said at a news briefing here that there would be no agenda for the Agra summit but Pakistan wanted it to focus on Kashmir which "has been the root-cause of tensions" between the two countries. The spokesman said the Pakistan High Commissioner in India had been inviting prominent personalities including the APHC leaders to all its important receptions in the past and the practice would be followed in the reception expected to be hosted by Pakistan's High Commissioner in New Delhi in honour of President Musharraf. However, he pointed out that the process of invitation had not been finalized. The FO spokesman said that Pakistan regarded the APHC as the true representative and voice of the people of Kashmir and believed that consultations with its leadership were essential for a just solution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with their aspirations. Responding to questions Riaz Khan said: "We are looking forward to the summit resulting in a process leading to the just settlement of the Kashmir issue in accordance with the wishes of the people of Kashmir. We are looking forward to positive results." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010706 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf asks envoy to arrange meeting ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jawed Naqvi NEW DELHI, July 5: Gen Pervez Musharraf has asked his envoy in New Delhi to arrange a meeting with the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) during his forthcoming visit to India, APHC chairman Prof Abdul Gani Bhatt said. There were indications in official circles that the move might not go down too well with the Indian establishment. Bhatt quoted a letter from Musharraf, which he said was faxed to the APHC office in Srinagar, as saying the President wanted to meet the Hurriyat leaders during his India visit and that Pakistan High Commissioner Ashraf Jehangir Qazi would make the arrangements to facilitate the meeting. The letter from Musharraf dated July 2nd, as quoted to Dawn by Bhatt from Srinagar reads thus: Dear Professor Bhatt, Thank you for your letter of 22nd June 2001, proposing a meeting with the APHC during my forthcoming visit to India. I look forward to an opportunity to meet you and other leaders of the APHC during my visit to India. I have asked the High Commissioner to make the necessary arrangements in this regard. Let me assure you that Pakistan will continue to extend its full moral political and diplomatic support to Kashmiri people in their just struggle. Yours sincerely General Pervez Musharraf. Bhatt who was the first and only one to announce the letter said he was very happy with it but he did not know if it came from Delhi or directly from Islamabad. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010705 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Summit can have impact on sanctions ------------------------------------------------------------------- WASHINGTON, July 4: US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said there was much work to be done to build political support for lifting US sanctions on Pakistan, but the forthcoming India- Pakistan summit could have an impact on this process. In an interview, he acknowledged a debate within the Bush administration over whether sanctions imposed on Pakistan and India after the 1998 nuclear tests could be lifted separately or must be handled together. A formal decision has not been made, but while the United States is "heading in the direction" of lifting sanctions on India, "we've got a lot of work to do on Capitol Hill to develop a consensus to remove some Pakistani sanctions," he said. Armitage said "there is no timetable" for making a decision despite the fact that some officials have said lifting the sanctions on India could happen soon. Political spadework on New Delhi's behalf is needed, but Armitage acknowledged India had a much broader backing in the US Congress. The US official said Islamabad greatly harmed its own case when Gen Pervez Musharraf declared himself president. "So I think the practicality of things is (that) as nice as it would be to lift (sanctions) simultaneously, both actions in Pakistan and the facts on the ground here make that a little more difficult," he said. - (Reuters) DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010705 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf hopeful of headway in talks ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, July 4: President General Pervez Musharraf briefed the federal cabinet about his forthcoming visit to India, and said he expected some breakthrough to resolve outstanding issues between the two countries. Official sources said the president told the cabinet that both sides would have to show "flexibility" to come to terms in the larger interest of their people. He said he had been meeting people from all walks of life to know their point of view about India- Pakistan relations. Gen Musharraf, the sources said, reiterated that while he was going to India with an open mind, he was not unmindful of the fact that Kashmir was the real bone of contention and without its resolution relations between the two countries could not be improved. The president informed the cabinet that he had taken politicians, editors, Ulema and Mashaikh and Kashmiri leaders into confidence about his visit and all of them had extended their full support and best wishes to him. He said he was going to India with an open mind and cautious optimism. The issue of Jammu and Kashmir, he said, would be the focus of his discussion with the Indian leadership, and added Pakistan would be willing to discuss other issues as well. While contradicting rumours published in a section of the press about the cabinet reshuffle, he said there was no truth in such reports and no such exercise was being contemplated. All such reports of reshuffle were absolutely baseless and false, he added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010704 ------------------------------------------------------------------- National security discussed ------------------------------------------------------------------- RAWALPINDI, July 3: A meeting of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee was held at the Joint Staff Headquarters. President General Pervez Musharraf presided over the meeting which discussed matters relating to defence, national security and professional aspects, said an Inter-Services Public Relations news release. Service chiefs, senior officers of the armed forces and the ministry of defence attended the meeting.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010703 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Differences on agenda persist ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Syed Talat Hussain ISLAMABAD, July 2: Differences persist in the approach of Pakistan and India on how to discuss basic bilateral issues during the Musharraf-Vajpayee summit, officials dealing with the agenda of Gen Pervez Musharraf's visit to India told Dawn. While Pakistan wants the summit to be pegged onto Kashmir, as other items on the agenda could revolve around that order of discussion, India wants confidence-building and trust-enhancing measures to be the centerpiece of talks, an official said. "We have been trying to find a mutually acceptable way to fine tune this basic difference in approach before the summit meeting takes place. We are still at it," he said. The issues that would be taken up at the summit meeting are quite clear now. They include problems of regional stability, nuclear arms race, spending on defence and conventional arms build-up, Kashmir, Siachin and the possibilities of broadening economic, commerce and trade engagements between the two countries. What is not yet decided is the sequence in which these problems would be taken up. "There are considerable differences on how the two sides are approaching the agenda for talks," the official said. He also indicated that there was a possibility that the talks could be divided into formal sessions to have more structured discussions. "The Indians have made the first proposal (on how the discussions should proceed) in this regard and we are studying it closely," he said. The final blueprint was not ready yet, he added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010702 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Faraz hopeful of groundwork for summit ------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW DELHI, July 1: Ahmed Faraz said he hoped to prevail on friends in political and literary circles in India to create an atmosphere conducive for negotiations scheduled to be held between the leaders of India and Pakistan later this month. The United News of India reported quoting Faraz as having said he wanted the Indian people to create an atmosphere "that forces politicians to solve their problems peacefully". It is time to clear up the misunderstandings between the people of the two countries, Faraz said, adding: "Nobody can save us but us". Assessing prospects for the summit between President Gen Musharraf and Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, Faraz said he did not have any unrealistic expectations that two people talking could solve all problems at one go but at least a beginning could be made.-dpa DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010701 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Faraz on pre-summit job in India ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent KOHAT, June 30: In a surprising move president Gen Pervez Musharraf has sent poet Ahmed Faraz, a friend of the former Indian prime minister I. K. Gujral and Atal Behari Vajpayee, as his special emissary to hold important pre-summit negotiations, an official told Dawn. Mr Faraz who left for New Delhi has been assigned the task to woo the Indian leaders and create an atmosphere conducive to talks. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010704 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Gas pipeline to be on agenda ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON, July 3: The proposed Iran-Indian gas pipeline passing through Pakistan will be on the agenda of the July 14 Pakistan- India summit. This was stated by Oil and Natural Resources Minister Usman Aminuddin. The minister said the project should benefit Pakistan by providing transit fees and make available an ability to buy gas if the country ran short of supplies, already insufficient to meet demand without opening up the new fields. Mr Aminuddin referred to privatization plans and said nine assets belonging to the Oil and Gas Development Corporation would be put to auction on July 23. The Pakistan State Oil Corporation and the OGDC were also earmarked for privatization in the first quarter of next year. The proposed overall privatization program is estimated at $3 billion. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010701 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf, Vajpayee may resume talks in NY ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Masood Haider NEW YORK, June 30: President Pervez Musharraf and the Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee are expected to meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in September as an extension of their Agra parleys. South Asian experts, think tanks and officials here said "if the outcome of Agra talks is positive and show promise of developing into a substantive process then the meeting in New York between the two leaders and the officials from both sides would be a natural continuation of the process." A United Nations official said on Friday: "We would welcome any bilateral meetings between the Indian and Pakistani leaders in New York if they so wish." Many experts here point out that with the US pressure on both countries to sign Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) abating the Agra talks between Vajpayee and Musharraf may lead to an agreement between the two sides on confidence-building measures in the nuclear and conventional fields. It could also lead to a no-war pact between the two nations. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010706 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PML to challenge Tarar's removal ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, July 5: The Pakistan Muslim League (N) has decided to challenge the assumption of President's office by Gen Pervez Musharraf in the Supreme Court. The central executive committee of the party, which met here under the chairmanship of Raja Zafarul Haq, also constituted a committee of lawyers to prepare a case for challenging the removal of Rafique Tarar and assumption of President's office by Gen Musharraf. The CEC meeting, which was attended by 44 members, also constituted a mobilization and policy committee to prepare party manifesto and gear up party work at the grass roots level. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010703 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sajjad opposes role for army ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent NAWABSHAH, July 2: Pakistan was made by the people and not by the army and it is the right of the people of Pakistan to rule the country, said Syed Sajjad Ali Shah retired chief justice of Pakistan. He said that democracy had suffered greatly at the hands of politicians. In my time, I always tried that law must be the top priority, and no person, be he or she the prime minister of Pakistan, is above the law, said Mr Shah. He said that if judiciary is allowed to work at its own free will there will be democracy, and if the judiciary is pressurized than no government can be successful. He said that the decisions being taken by the government are illegal. The army has no right to rule over the country. He said that general elections should be announced as soon as possible or a national government should be made. He said that the IMF and the World Bank were ruling the country. Every day a new tax is being implemented on the nation. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010703 ------------------------------------------------------------------- CII chief apprehensive of delay in Riba-free economy ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ahmed Hassan ISLAMABAD July 2: Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) chairman Dr S. M. Zaman on Monday was apprehensive about the supreme court's one- year extension given to the government for the introduction of Riba-(interest) free economy. He feared that if sustainable efforts were not made this time could also elapse. Talking to Dawn on the CII stance on the changeover to an interest- free economic order, Mr Zaman said, it was not a simple implementation by decree, but involved much more, like preparing the people for the new system, and address every aspect of the matter. He said the supreme court's appellate bench had provided a road map on the basis of the CII recommendations which if implemented would have eased the task of transformation of economy into the Islamic mode. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010706 ------------------------------------------------------------------- CE bans trade union activities in PIA ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Rafaqat Ali ISLAMABAD, July 5: Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf banned all kinds of trade union activities in the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIAC) with immediate effect, and empowered the management to sack any employee. An order called PIAC (Suspension of Trade Unions and Existing Agreements) Order 2001, was passed by the Chief Executive, suspending all trade union activities in the organization. All agreements, awards and settlements between the PIAC and trade unions were also suspended. The order further said that during the period of suspension of existing agreements, awards and settlements, the Board of Directors of the PIAC may, if it deemed expedient, prescribe fresh terms and conditions of services of the employees, officers and advisers of the Corporation in substitution, or partial modification, of the existing agreements, awards and settlements. The order has empowered the management of PIAC to retire or sack any person from its service after giving him an opportunity of being heard. The order of retirement or termination from the PIAC service would be challengeable in the Services Tribunal. Orders of the Services Tribunal are challengeable in the Supreme Court. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010704 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Military training in Madaris to be banned: Law being amended ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Rafaqat Ali ISLAMABAD, July 3: The government has decided to amend the anti- terrorism law under which imparting and receiving military training in religious institutions will be an offence punishable with a maximum of 10 years imprisonment, Dawn learnt from official sources. The anti-terrorism law, which is under a complete review of the military government as it has failed to curb terrorism, can be promulgated in the amended shape within days. Sources said the government had drafted the law keeping in view the activities of two sectarian groups and an ethnic party, but the law could also be enforced on Jihadi organizations at an "appropriate time." According to law, the interior ministry would keep a record of the religious and political organizations, and the government would ban an organization if sufficient material was found against it. The government, under the law, would have power for sealing the office of an organization and freezing its accounts. All literature, posters, banners and other things which could be used for fanning sectarianism, would also be seized. The religious parties under watch would be required to disclose their sources of funding by submitting accounts of their income and expenditure. The followers of a party would expose themselves to law if they solicited support for an organization banned under the anti- terrorism law. A police officer would have the authority to arrest a member of the banned organization without any warrant, if he had reasonable grounds to believe that the person was guilty of an offence punishable under the anti-terrorism law. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010704 ------------------------------------------------------------------- CII endorses law against terrorism with reservations ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, July 3: The Council of Islamic Ideology, while endorsing the proposed draft anti-terrorism ordinance referred to it by the interior ministry has drawn a line between term sectarian-based terrorism and the jehadi groups activities. Chairman CII Dr S.M. Zaman said in opinion of the CII, a line has to be drawn while dealing with the incidents of violence by one group against others on sectarian grounds and the groups of mujahideen who were sacrificing their lives fighting against their enemy and thereby performing "farze kifaya" on behalf of entire Muslim ummah. Dr Zaman said the council was clear on recommendations of banning sectarian organizations which were shedding blood of others on the basis of sectarianism but it can not endorse restrictions on those organizations who were working day and night in duty of jehad on behalf of entire Islamic society. He said, they (jehadis) were doing their religious duty whether they were fighting in Kashmir or anywhere else and they can not be banned. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010703 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Islamic council wants to study draft police law ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ahmed Hassan ISLAMABAD July 2: The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has sought the draft police reforms law which all the four provinces have already rejected, informed sources said. Provinces recently returned the proposed draft police reforms law (amendment to 1861 police act) on the grounds that enforcement of the law by the federal government would entail encroachment on the provincial autonomy. The council has now sought the draft for its review to determine merit of being in accordance with Islamic injunctions or not. The draft act, proposed to replace 1861 police act, comprises 107 pages, which the National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) has prepared for its unified enactment by all the four provinces under the new devolution plan. Another objection on the act has been raised on the ground that it gives the police magisterial powers, which was against the demand of judiciary executive separation. The CII has decided to review and provide its expert opinion on the proposed reforms act to make it in conformity with the Islamic principles of justice and service to the fellow human beings, sources added. It is worth mentioning that the CII has already forwarded its recommendations on amendment to the Pakistan Penal Code and CRPC to make them acceptable for an Islamic state. The draft law is now under consideration by the law ministry, which after vetting, will present it to the federal cabinet for final approval. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010701 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Law ministry rejects 10 draft laws ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Nasir Iqbal ISLAMABAD, June 30: The law ministry has rejected 10 laws that health ministry was planning to introduce for improving health conditions in hospitals and controlling mushroom growth of low quality private medical colleges. The draft laws have been turned down with a direction to resubmit these after removing certain lacunas and seeking further opinion from different stake holders. A highly placed source in the law ministry told Dawn that the health ministry had submitted 10 draft laws, involving restrictions on different medical practices, before the law ministry for vetting about four months ago. After going through the laws, the law ministry discovered some weaknesses, besides it also received recommendations from different organizations. Subsequently the ministry returned the drafts with a direction to improve them by seeking further opinion from different sections of the society and stake holders after widely circulating these. The objective behind these laws was to improve quality of medical education by regulating the private medical education institutions and regulation of hospitals, clinics and clinical laboratories in the private sector. After vetting by the law ministry, these draft laws would have to be placed for the approval of the cabinet. After the final approval of the president, these laws have to be promulgated as an ordinance. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010707 ------------------------------------------------------------------- MC poised to form AJK govt ------------------------------------------------------------------- MIRPUR, July 6: The stage is set for All Jammu & Kashmir Muslim Conference to form government in Azad Kashmir as unofficial results indicate it to have gained a majority in the AJK Legislative Assembly elections, defeating its nearest rival, the AJK branch of Pakistan Peoples Party. The results of almost all the 40 electoral constituencies of the AJK legislature including 28 of AJK and 12 of the refugees of occupied Jammu and Kashmir living in Pakistan have been unofficially declared by the AJK Election Commission. According to these, the AJK Muslim Conference bagged 21 seats, the ruling PPP Azad Kashmir 11, independents 3 and Pakistan Muslim League Azad Kashmir headed by Major Gen (retd) Hayat Khan grabbed only 1 seat. The heads of both the major rival political parties, the Muslim Conference chief Sardar Mohammad Abdul Qayyum Khan and the incumbent PM and ruling PPP AJK chief Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry have emerged as winners, according to the preliminary results reaching thus far. The Muslim Conference is believed to be in a position to form the new government without having to woo any other elected legislator.- APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010701 ------------------------------------------------------------------- AJK cabinet dissolved ------------------------------------------------------------------- Tariq Naqash MUZAFFARABAD, June 30: AJK Prime Minister Barrister Sultan Mehmood Chaudhry dissolved his cabinet following accusation by the opposition that members of the cabinet were misusing their official position prior to the elections to AJK Legislatively Assembly. The cabinet was dissolved in exercise of his powers under section 14 (3) as mentioned in the AJK's interim constitution. Later a notification to this effect was issued by the S&GAD. The members of the dissolved cabinet included Sahibzada Mohammad Ishaq Zafar, Sardar Akhtar Hussain Rabbani, Chaudhry Ali Mohammad Chacha, Sardar Mohammad Ashraf, Deevan Ghulam Mohiuddin and Haji Javed Akhtar and (in-charge minister) Chaudhry Mohammad Rasheed. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010706 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Afghan DPs start leaving for home: NWFP govt sticks to stand ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Mohammad Riaz and Intikhab Amir PESHAWAR July 5:The first caravan of 41 families, comprising 200 Afghan refugees, left the Nasirbagh camp for their native towns. The representatives of the UNHCR, and Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees (CAR) supervised the voluntary repatriation. Each family was provided with Rs6,000, a large tent and 120kg of wheat flour for their journey to Kabul. As the families vacated their quarters, personnel from various civic agencies cleared off the land. The government had set June 30 as deadline for the eviction of 120,000 Afghan refugees, occupying the land allotted for the Regi Lalma Housing Scheme. But, the refugees' elders held a Jirga and refused to vacate the land. Last week, the International Council of Voluntary NGOs, a Geneva- based alliance of NGOs, criticized the repatriation of refugees from Nasirbagh. The UNHCR also expressed dismay over the deadline. The UNHCR, who has been advocating for an indefinite stay of refugees, signed an agreement with CAR on June 11, allowing refugees to stay for the next three months in the Nasirbagh camp. NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah not only rejected the agreement, but also ordered the suspension of the official who had signed the agreement with the UNHCR. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010702 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Jirga wants Nasir Bagh refugee camp vacated ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report PESHAWAR, July 1: Following refusal by the NWFP government to give extension of residence to the inmates of Nasir Bagh camp, a 50- member representative Jirga of Afghan refugees decided that the camp would be vacated at the earliest. The Jirga called upon the Pakistan government, Taliban authorities and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to make arrangements for repatriation and provide financial and food assistance to the refugees. The Jirga members also asked the UNHCR to set up a verification centre at Takhta Baig (Khyber Agency), where the refugees would report before repatriation. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010707 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf lacks mandate: Benazir ------------------------------------------------------------------- Monitoring desk LONDON, July 6: Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto has said India was making a "colossal mistake" if it believed that President Pervez Musharraf was going to play peace card at the Agra summit and warned of a "backlash" after it as he lacked mandate to represent the country. "This entire visit is geared to take pressure off from Afghanistan," Bhutto told Karan Thapar on BBC's 'Hardtalk Pakistan' program. Bhutto, said "New Delhi is making a colossal mistake if it believed that General Musharraf is going to play a peace card to sustain himself in power. She said when Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee undertook the Lahore initiative in February 1999, there was a backlash. "Musharraf can go to New Delhi but there will be a backlash," the former premier opined. Cautioning India that any agreement reached during the summit would be "with a dictator", Ms Bhutto said Musharraf lacked the mandate to represent the country. Stating that Musharraf's visit to India was a "tactical move" by him, Ms Bhutto said army generals in power in Pakistan were under pressure on two counts, one being sanctions against Afghanistan. The other, she said, was to give an impression of "good guys" to the international community to stick to power. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010707 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Asif shifted to Karachi ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, July 6: Asif Ali Zardari, lodged in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, was shifted to Karachi. No official word was available for his sudden shifting to Karachi. According to sources, Mr Zardari would be taken to Hyderabad, where he would be produced in the court of a sessions judge in the Alam Baloch murder case in which he is one of the accused. Farooq H. Naek, counsel for Mr Zardari, told Dawn that he was totally unaware of the move. He said that according to his information, no date had been fixed for the hearing of the case in Hyderabad and that all cases pending against his client in Sindh had been adjourned indefinitely. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010705 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PBC issues notice to ex-minister ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Rafaqat Ali ISLAMABAD, July 4: The Pakistan Bar Council has issued notice to former law minister, Khalid Anwar, to explain his position within next fortnight, on the tapes scandal in which he was heard telling the presiding judge that prime minister was upset on delay in the conviction of Benazir Bhutto. The other two characters of the episode - Justice (Retd) Rashid Aziz Khan and Justice (Retd) Malik Qayyum, had to resign after a finding by the seven-member bench of the Supreme Court that the judgment against the former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari, was the result of bias of the presiding judge against them. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010703 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Justice Rashid Aziz seeks retirement ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Rafaqat Ali ISLAMABAD, July 2: Justice Rashid Aziz Khan, judge of the supreme court, against whom disparaging remarks were made by the seven- judge bench of the apex court on the appeals of Ms Benazir Bhutto- Asif Zardari, sought early retirement. Official sources confirmed that Justice Rashid Aziz has made a request under the supreme court judges (Leave, Pension, and Privileges) Order. Justice Khan and Justice Malik Qayyum of LHC, were wire-tapped discussing the ongoing trial of Ms Benazir Bhutto. The supreme court bench, though did not accept the audio tapes, as evidence, reproduced certain portions of Justice Rashid Aziz's discussion in which Justice Khan was heard saying to Justice (retd) Qayyum that the prime minister (Nawaz Sharif) was not happy with him about the delay in the conviction of Ms Benazir Bhutto. It was officially announced on Monday that President General Pervez Musharraf has accepted Justice Malik Mohammad Qayyum's request for early retirement. Justice Qayyum, the main character who had presided the bench which convicted Ms Bhutto and her husband in 1999, had also sought early retirement. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010703 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sukkur Express derails ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Shamim Shamsi SUKKUR, July 2: Several people, including women and children, were injured when the locomotive of the 7-Down Sukkur Express derailed late Monday night. As the train moved from the Sukkur Railway Station and reached the outer signal its locomotive No 5034 derailed. Several people jumped out of the windows in panic and received minor injuries. The injured were given first aid by the relatives who had come to seem them off. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010702 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Depts to be relocated and merged in dist govt system ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, July 1: The number of provincial government departments will be reduced from 34 to 13 in the district government system. The departments under the district government are to be merged and relocated from the previously functioning divisional tiers in the provincial set-ups, according to informed sources. The plan to merge, align and relocate the provincial departments is part of the draft Local Government Ordinance 2001, which suggests abolishing the divisional tiers. The plan to decentralize the offices has been prepared by the National Reconstruction Bureau which, inter alia, provides that the respective governments may continue to use the titles of the offices in their rules of business. The financial and administrative authority of the departments will be decentralized to the district government, sources add. The group of 13 offices into which the 34 departments are to be merged are: district coordination, agriculture, community development, education, finance and planning, health, information technology, law, literacy, magistracy, revenue and works and services. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010706 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Plea to put Saif's name on ECL ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report PESHAWAR, July 5: An application was filed in the Peshawar High Court requesting the court to place the name of former senator Saifur Rehman on Exit Control List as a deal had reportedly been struck between him and the government to allow him to leave for Qatar. The application was filed in a writ petition filed by a journalist Shahid Orakzai, requesting the court to issue directives for bringing back former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shehbaz Sharif as, according to his claim, they were involved in the killing of his brother. In his application, Mr Orakzai claimed that in the writ petition the high court had already issued notices to the federal and provincial governments on June 27 and had thereby invited their comments within 14 days. He stated that in the meanwhile the federal government had reportedly struck a deal with Saifur Rehman through NAB to allow him an exit from Pakistan to the State of Qatar. The applicant claimed that like the ex-prime minister, what the ex- senator is being made to pay in the plea-bargain is just peanuts. The applicant added that the Crimes Branch Police, conducting investigation "at a snail's pace" was "too shy" to arrest the nominated killer of his brother because of his connections in the federal government hierarchy. He added that if allowed an exit from Pakistan, the accused could not be retrieved like former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former chief minister of Punjab, Shehbaz Sharif, since he would not be under the control of the federal government and no other sovereign state would guarantee his movement. The applicant, Shahid Orakzai, has also requested the court to put the name of former member of National Assembly, Javed Piracha on the Exit Control List. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010704 ------------------------------------------------------------------- HRCP slams violation of election rules ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report PESHAWAR, July 3: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has expressed concern over mismanagement and violation of election rules during the fourth phase of local bodies elections across the country, and said that it sent out ominous signals regarding future elections. In a press release, the secretary general of HRCP, Hina Jilani said that the reports pouring in from various parts of the country after the fourth phase of polls suggested serious flaws in the preparation and the implementation of election rules. She said: "In many constituencies, especially in the NWFP, women were again prevented from voting, discrepancies in the voters lists available to polling agents and those used by election staff have been reported from many places, the unannounced shifting of polling stations disenfranchised minority voters in Karachi, and other flaws were also evident during voting on Monday." Ms Jilani said, The election commission needs to take urgent note of these matters and to overcome the problems. New election must be ordered in cases where women were stopped from using their ballot. She maintained that a failure to do so would mean the same difficulties could arise during general elections, causing more serious problems. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010703 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Muttahida, Haqiqi reject election ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, July 2: The convener of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement's coordination committee, Dr Imran Farooq, has criticized the two- hour extension in the polling period in the local bodies elections and termed the decision as an "open fraud" by the government. In a statement from London, Dr Imran said that the decision to extend polling hours without any reason was itself an indication that the government had accepted the fact that people expressed solidarity with Muttahida, boycotted the elections in Karachi and did not turn up to cast votes. "Government extended the polling hours to show an increased turnout after getting the ballot box filled with fake votes," he added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010703 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Discrepancies in electoral rolls ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, July 2: The election rolls or lists of voters for the local bodies polls were found with many a Discrepancies. When there were people complaining about the alleged omission of their names from the lists, the lists of various areas, particularly those in suburban areas, gave the impression as if they are doctored ones. Though having the names and father's names, some of the lists were found without ID card numbers of voters. There were other lists having no details of both ID card and age of the voters. There were other lists that had sketchy or highly incomplete addresses on them. The columns about the age of the voter "age on Jan 1, 2000" showed the year of birth or year of issuance of ID card as latest as 1993. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010707 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Judgment reserved in Marri case ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent QUETTA, July 6: A Special division bench of the Balochistan High Court has reserved its judgment on a petition filed by Nawab Khair Bukhsh Marri challenging the interim stay order granted by a single bench of the Balochistan High Court, disallowing the lower court to hear the bail applications of Mr Marri. The Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court, Mr Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed, had constituted the special bench for hearing the petition of Nawab Marri after his lawyers filed the petition against the interim stay ordered by single bench judge Justice Amanullah Khan Yasinzai. The bench, comprising Mr Justice Fazalur Rehman and Mr Justice Ahmed Khan Lashari, took up the petition and heard the arguments of both sides. After hearing both the sides the bench reserved its judgment. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010701 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shah Nawaz Junejo resigns from PPP ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent SANGHAR, June 30: Shah Nawaz Junejo's formal parting of ways with the PPP has changed the political scenario in Sanghar District. Former senator Shah Nawaz Junejo, who had been closely affiliated with the PPP and the Makhdoom family of Hala for many years, formally resigned from the party. The observers said that he had practically left the party a long time ago and some differences were brewing between him and other party leaders in the district since many years. His defection has dealt a crippling blow to the PPP. Now the PPP was looking for some influential in the district. This may open the doors for the Jam family. Many people raised eyebrows when Mr Junejo was given a Nazim's seat by Pir of Pagara but at the same time he kept a liaison with the PPP. So he was bluntly asked to make a decision because his dual policy was not acceptable to the PML (F). He decided on Friday night that he would be parting ways with the PPP. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010702 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ex-senator Khudadad Luk held for corruption ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent SARGODHA, July 1: Former senator Mehr Khudadad Luk was arrested by the Regional Accountability Bureau (RAB) on corruption charges. He was shifted to the Chamba House, Lahore. Sources said that Luk had been picked up in the National Industrial Finance Corporation financial scam of which he was the director. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010702 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 new cases against ex-CM ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, July 1: The Regional Accountability Bureau filed as many as 16 fresh references in the accountability courts against former chief minister of Sindh, Syed Abdullah Shah, all pertaining to illegal allotment of government land. Besides the former chief minister, former provincial secretary of the land utilization department, Ramesh M. Udeshi, is also a co- accused in all the 16 references. The allotments of government land at throwaway prices caused a loss of more than Rs48 million to the state. The former chief minister has been accused of allotting land to 16 different beneficiaries in districts East and Malir. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010704 ------------------------------------------------------------------- New CBR chief ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, July 3: The federal government appointed Riaz Ahmad Malik chairman of the Central Board of Revenue (CBR). He has also been given charge of additional secretary (in charge) revenue division. When contacted, CBR spokesman and member of tax policy wing Vakil Ahmed Khan said he (Mr Malik) was the senior most member of the board on the basis of which he was appointed chairman. He dispelled the impression that the former chairman had tendered his resignation due to pressure from any quarter.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY 20010706 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Govt under WTO pressure for import of banned items: minister ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, July 5: The government is facing mounting pressure from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to allow import of banned items in the country. Minister for Commerce Razak Dawood, told the participants that the WTO regime had to be implemented to end ban on imported items specially by 2005. Informed sources said that the minister for commerce favoured the removal of the ban but later changed his mind when he was told that the local engineering industry would collapse if the WTO conditionalities were accepted by the government. He agreed that some mechanism should be evolved to protect the local industry and that donors should be taken into confidence with a view to helping the local industry. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010705 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan needs $6bn aid, says WB report ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, July 4: The World Bank's (WB) report Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) 2002-2004 which will set priorities and help determine level and type of funding to Pakistan, will be submitted to the bank's board for approval by December this year or Jan 2002, WB sources said. The WB officials, visiting the country recently, have indicated that Islamabad needs a financial package of some $6 billion. The amount is estimated for three years that may have to be cobbled jointly by International Monetary Fund, World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. The IMF is expected to provide about $2.5 billion under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility that may be more than matched by other IFIs. The flow of these funds would depend on the successful execution of the Fund's Stand By Arrangement (SBA) program. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010704 ------------------------------------------------------------------- WB admits its performance was not satisfactory ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Khaleeq Kiani ISLAMABAD, July 3: The World Bank's performance was "unsatisfactory" in lending, execution and supervision of over $3.1 billion Private Sector Energy Development Project (PSEDP) that finally led to a crisis in the power sector and high energy rates in Pakistan. This has been acknowledged by the World Bank itself in its "Implementation Completion Report (ICR)" made available to Dawn. The report not only criticized the active participation of its staff in negotiations and financial closing of independent power producers (IPPs), but noted that high-level senior management led to inadequate attention being given to dissenting views during the review process. These involvement's in "promoting specific transactions" also led, for the first time in the history of the World Bank, to internal investigations of allegations of corruption, said the report. "The very fact that the Bank has itself rated its performance as unsatisfactory from all aspects is sufficient reason to believe that the Bank's role was highly unsatisfactory." This also calls for initiating an independent audit to take to task responsible individuals and institutions that played havoc with the whole Pakistani nation and got away with it. The nation is more than justified in claiming compensation for such a tragedy", said a senior WAPDA official. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010706 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rs2bn e-govt plan approved ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, July 5: Federal Minister for Science and Technology Prof Atta-ur-Rahman approved the E-government master plan. According to a press release the plan, which will cost about Rs2 billion, will be completed in 12 quarters. An amount of Rs800 million will be spent during this year. Prof Atta said that the object behind the introduction of E- government plan is to improve efficiency of government departments and increase the level of transparency in all government transactions. The minister informed that major components of the plan were Citizen on line, Development of Websites for 34 federal government ministries, electronic official gazette notification, electronic filing of tax returns, websites showing unrepealed statutes and case laws, development of websites of Pakistani missions abroad, electronic payment of utility bills, income tax, sales tax and other federal and provincial taxes etc. It was decided that the entire work of E-government will be outsourced to local companies. The minister said that Pakistani information technology companies were fully capable of handling this project. The completion of the project will strengthen track record of Pakistani companies enabling them to get projects from the international market. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010704 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 EoIs received for PTCL sell-off ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, July 3: The Privatization Commission has received expressions of interest (EoIs) from 10 companies for the privatization of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL). Ten parties that have submitted their EoIs, are Align Technologies, USA; Crescent Investment Management LLC, USA; Queste Communications, Australia; Commercial Network Limited; Khanjee Holding Incorporated, USA; Pakbell-Pacetel (Pvt) Limited, Pakistan; Yousif S.F. Al-Sabah, Kuwait; Nahayan Mabarak Al-Nahayan, Abu Dhabi Group, UAE; Saudi Oger Limited, Saudi Arabia; Orascom Telecom, Egypt. The PTCL is the exclusive provider of basic telephony in Pakistan with over 3.2 million telephone lines in service. Besides providing fixed line, value added and other ancillary services, it owns subsidiaries that provide cellular and Internet services. The Privatization Commission will now have consultation with the financial advisor to undertake a pre-qualification exercise to ensure that the strategic investor has the financial, managerial and technical capabilities to manage the company in a proficient manner. Pre-qualified parties will be allowed to conduct the due diligence of the company, which will be followed by a competitive and open bidding. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010702 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Merger of eight ministries shelved 20 institutions to be wound up ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Khaleeq Kiani ISLAMABAD, July 1: The federal government has decided to wind up around 20 institutions and departments but shelved the merger of some eight federal ministries and divisions for the time being. Documents available with Dawn suggest that 40,000 federal government posts that had been lying vacant since the last three years would also be abolished in the new fiscal year. Earlier, the industries division was to be merged with commerce, railways with communications, economic affairs with finance, population welfare with health, narcotics control with interior and petroleum with power. The merger of petroleum and natural resources and water and power ministries into a consolidated energy ministry would be considered after the privatization of Pakistan State Oil and Oil and Gas Development Company by the end of next year. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010702 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Meeting IMF conditionalities ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Babar Naseem Khan The new federal budget has been greeted in a mixed fashion by different quarters. Apparently it looks like a fairly worked out budget with a supply side orientation. It seems rather ambitious with all the concessions and tax breaks that it is offering. Where exactly will the government compensate this loss of revenue from, is anybody's guess. However, it should be noted that this government is trying to set a new policy environment for the coming governments, even if the present policies and estimates have loopholes. In the past, the budget was anticipated apprehensively, people expecting hikes in taxes. Every year new taxes were introduced. The emphasis was on new taxation rather than on broadening of the tax base and refining of collection practices. The purpose of taxation as understood is redistribution of resources for public welfare. New taxation introduces further corruption and newer ways of tax evasion rather than promising better redistribution. So what everybody expects from the government is an efficient and transparent tax collection and redistribution. As said earlier, a new policy environment is being set by this regime. Their policies must be analysed in the broader context where it should be realized that the present regime is in the office due to the dire need for economic stabilization and growth enhancment. And this is precisely their focus. The present regime believes that poverty alleviation takes place as a consequence of the said economic stabilization. The present government, it seems, is being run by technocrats. Their present budget is said to have been dictated by, and formalized under the auspices of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. But then, what else did one expect? Anybody thinking that the government can stand against the dictations of the IMF and other multilateral donors, tends to forget the grave reality that this interference is simply because of the amount of debt we unfortunately owe to these international financial institutions (IFIs). Substituting the government with an ordinary firm in a hypothetical situation, where the supposed firm is also a debtor of the kind our government is to the IFIs, the attitude of the government seems quite relevant. A firm that owes such amounts of money to everybody who is somebody and does not intend to default, either pays or makes sure through its practices that it will pay in future. That's exactly what our successive governments have been doing. But limits and priorities have to be established. Assurances to the IFIs for compliance should be made keeping in view the dignity and integrity of the state. The allocation of 40 per cent of the budget to debt servicing speaks for itself. This shows that the government is cornered. The authorities seem to be ignoring one of the major reasons of our ballooning debt liability, which is the volatility of the exchange rate. Every year due to depreciation of the rupee, foreign debt repayments in rupee terms increase many folds. What are the authorities thinking or doing about the stabilization of the value of the rupee? Or maybe the IMF and the World Bank are not concerned about it. The experience of developing countries over the past decades has shown that foreign financial assistance has got very little to do with the prevalent economic conditions and policies but has got everything to do with the international politics. It can be further asserted that this pipeline of foreign assistance is wet because of a good foreign policy rather than overall economic policies. Nonetheless, there are some appreciable things in the budget. The foremost being that this time the policy-makers have cared to lend some ear to the demands of the stakeholders. Taxes and duties on the whole have been substantially reduced. This would help simplify the tax structure. After a gap of seven years, 50 per cent increase in the salaries of the government employees has been announced. Also, to give relief to pensioners, an increase of 5-15 per cent has been pledged. Use of statutory regulatory orders (SROs), that are traditionally responsible for mid-term regulatory duties, has been promised to be curtailed and one hopes that it remains so throughout the fiscal. The construction industry has been given incentives that are welcoming. Duties on raw materials like iron, steel, construction machinery, etc. have been reduced. Fears are that this is simply a supply side measure and it will not help initiate demand for such activity. But keeping in view the massive public projects that the government has in mind, it will help initiate demand too. The reason for this optimism is that investment by private sector has mostly been initiated after investments made by the public sector. Moreover, such mega infrastructure projects always bring a swing in the local economy, although it may not necessarily be a long one. Our cement industry was facing high costs due to high fuel tariffs. It has been proposed that coal-fired units be installed in the cement industry and to facilitate this import duty has been slashed from 15-25 per cent to 5 per cent on imports of such units. Other industries that have been given concessions include transport, soap, chemical, shipbreaking, surgical instruments, light engineering, tyres and tubes, etc. It has been recognized that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) provide the required inputs to overall economic growth. The recognition comes in the form of concessions offered to the SMEs in terms of reduction in duties on a number of raw materials used by such industries. Through an appropriate amendment in law, the application of the minimum income tax of 0.5 per cent levied on individuals is being removed. This will also help the SMEs. Productivity increase in agriculture through reduction of input costs has been proposed. Duties on fertilisers and pesticides have been reduced to 5 per cent. According to the finance minister, a long-standing demand of the leasing industry had been the provision of first-year allowance available to all companies owning capital goods. This facility will now be available to the leasing companies also in order to encourage leasing activity in the country. Therefore, the budget seems to be business-oriented. Pressing demands of major industries have been listened to and an effort has been made to fulfill the same. However, the authorities turned a blind eye towards some major impediments to development. The foremost relates to meager allocations for the public sector development program (PSDP) made annually during the last few years. The new budget is no exception, allocating merely Rs. 130 billion for this purpose. In view of the country's massive development needs the allocated amount can hardly make any significant difference. A worrisome aspect of the problem is that even the meager allocations made for development expenditure are usually slashed every year to meet the budget deficit targets. In the outgoing year, the government reduced the PSDP allocation of Rs. 120 billion by Rs. 20 billion just for the same purpose. Meeting the deficit target at the cost of the PSDP is really frightful. Such slashing down of development expenditure initiates a vicious cycle that simply traps the economy. Under such circumstances, how does the government plan to have a balanced budget in the long run? Until and unless the economy invests in the desired infrastructure and human development, how can it prosper, let alone balancing out its budget? The question is why after all do we really need to achieve this target against all odds. If the government is unable to cut down its defence expenditure in line with the revenue or its debt servicing liability, then it should simply fix a realistic budget deficit target that can be achieved. The development schemes must anyhow keep on functioning even if it contributes to the deficit. After all, we have been relying on deficit financing for quite a long time. The PSDP allocation for the federal program is Rs. 75.2 billion, out of which the lion's share of 29.9 per cent is going to the ministry of water and power while the least to the health division, i. e. 3.3 per cent. Overall subsidies of Rs. 20 billion have been projected out of which approximately 50 per cent are meant for the KESC and WAPDA. Now the performance of the water and power ministry is a known fact. Wapda has been asking for almost 10 per cent annual increase in tariff. And at the same time, Gen. Zulfikar Ali Khan, chairman of Wapda and the KESC, has admitted that the two years of army management of Wapda has failed to check the massive power theft and other irregularities. Brig. Shahid Mukhtar., managing director of the KESC, has said that 60 per cent of the power used in posh areas of Karachi is stolen, while there has been no real count of the kundas used in the sprawling 'kutchi abadis' of Karachi. The continuing dispute over the water share amongst the provinces also provides an ample proof of the performance of the said ministry. This being their performance, one wonders what this further huge allocation is meant for? The law and order situation prevalent in the society is not hidden from anyone. A handful of people with personal motives can bring Karachi's business activity to a grinding halt. Gen. Musharraf advises the people of Karachi to be brave enough and not to be blackmailed by these trouble-makers. But under the circumstances, his advice seems to be irrelevant. It is the prime responsibility of the state to provide security to its citizens especially its business community. In case of Karachi, the government has failed miserably in this regard. Let us hope that the government still meets its ambitious revenue targets. If it fails in this task we will be facing another drastic cut in the development expenditure. Our nation is used to the SROs and mini-budgets and one never knows what promise would be revoked and when. The finance minister has promised that SROs will not be issued anymore. Let us keep our fingers crossed and our hopes high. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010702 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Investors worried over future share business outlook ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Muhammad Aslam The KSE 100-share index managed to recover 14 points at 1,366.44 but it failed to breach through the barrier of 1,400 points as widely speculated by analysts. Nestle MilkPak, Rafhan Maize, were leading among them, which raised the values of their shares, up by Rs14.90 and 34.50, respectively but without matching volumes. They were followed by Feroxsons Lab, Bannu Woollen, IGI Insurance, Lakson Tobacco, Shell Pakistan, H.M. Ismail Textiles and some others for identical reasons. Broader market performed well, major gainers being Pakistan Oilfields, Glaxo-Welcome, Lever Brothers, Treet Corporation and BOC Pakistan, finishing with good gains. Other good gainers were led by Universal Insurance, Amin Spinning, Gharibwal Cement, Abbott Lab, Knoll Pharma, and Cherat Paper. Losses on the other hand were fractional barring Trust Bank, Paramount Spinning, Prudential Bank, Crescent Steel, Pak Elektron, Pioneer Cables and Century Paper. The largest fall of Rs6 was noted in Shams Textiles, which was quoted spot to forestall further fall in its share value. Trading volume further shrank to 247m shares from 420m shares a week earlier, reflecting the general lack of interest both from the speculators and institutional traders. PSO led the list of most actives but this time on the higher side, thanks to the active short-covering at the lower levels followed by PTCL, Hub-Power, Fauji Fertiliser, FFC-Jordan on reports of expected announcement of the new fertiliser policy and tariffs. Other actives included ICI Pakistan, Engro Chemical, Dewan Salman, WorldCall, MCB, Sui Northern, Lucky Cement, Knoll Pharma, Bank of Punjab and several others. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010704 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Exchange cos to replace money changers ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, July 3: Money exchange companies may replace private money changers within a year. A committee headed by Executive Director of State Bank Farhat Saeed will frame by-laws for these companies. SBP officials say SBP is going to replace more than 400 money changers with much lesser number of money exchange companies with the hope that it would increase the net inflow of foreign exchange into the country. Meanwhile a press release issued by FAP said that the issue of recent decline of the rupee in the inter-bank market came under discussion at the meeting between FAP and SBP governor. It said that FAP members were of the view that the central bank should keep the rupee stable in inter-bank market to stop the rupee from falling in kerb market. The release said FAP sought permission from the State Bank for its members to carry foreign currencies abroad for selling with the condition to bring in the equivalent amount in US dollars under the previous system. A couple of months ago the State Bank stopped money changers from taking away foreign currency abroad for selling on the ground that money changers were not bringing back the equivalent amount in dollars. Instead the central bank entrusted the state- run National Bank with this job - much to the chagrin of money changers. The release said money changers should be allowed to compete with NBP. FAP members also proposed at the meeting that people should be encouraged to open foreign currency accounts to keep therein the dollars they had purchased from the open market. They suggested that CBR should not investigate the source of income from the holders of these accounts adding if the proposal was implemented Pakistan would generate $5-$6 billion. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010707 ------------------------------------------------------------------- KSE 100-share index sheds another 14.43 points ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, July 06: The KSE 100-share index fell further by 14.43 points at 1,306.29 as compared to 1,320.72 a day earlier owing to the weakness of the leading base shares including PTCL, Hubco and others. Minus signs again dominated the list, major losers being Shell Pakistan, Dawood Hercules, Atlas Lease and Javed Omer, falling by Rs.2.15 to 2.70 followed by Adamjee Insurance, General Tyre, Engro Chemical, EFU General, Crescent Bank and Highnoon Lab, off one rupee to Rs.1.50. Leading gainers were led by Ghandhara Diesel, Lever Brothers, Abbott Lab, Janana De Malucho Textiles, Bolan Casting, Glaxo- Wellcome Business Insurance and Nazir Cotton, which posted gains ranging from one rupee to Rs.5.50. Trading volume fell to 49m shares from the previous 88m shares as losers held a strong lead over the gainers at 118 to 42, out of 211 actives, with 51 shares holding on to the last levels. Hubco again led the list of actives, off 40 paisa at Rs.17.80 on 10m shares followed by PTCL, lower 25 paisa at Rs.16.95 on 10m shares, PSO, up 10 paisa at Rs.128.35 on 7m shares, Adamjee Insurance, off Rs.1.55 at Rs.50.45 on 4m shares and Engro Chemical, off Rs.1.50 at Rs.52.50 on 3m shares. Other actives were led by ICI Pakistan, easy 20 paisa on 2.535m share followed by MCB, lower 30 paisa on 1.988m shares, Sui Northern, lower 15 paisa on 1.374m shares, World Call, off 25 paisa on 1.334m shares and Fauji Fertilizer, lower 25 paisa on 1.180m shares. DEFAULTER COMPANIES: Shares of five companies came in for trading, most active among them being Automotive Battery, lower 20 paisa at Rs.3.05 on 6,000 shares followed by Allied Motors, unchanged at Rs.1.80 on 3,000 shares and Colony Textiles also unchanged at Rs.8.25 on 2,000 shares. FORWARD COUNTER: All the six shares listed on the forward counter came in for renewed selling and finished further shaded under the lead of Dewan Salman, which was quoted lower by 65 paisa at Rs.16.25 on 39,500 contracts followed by PSO and Ibrahim Fibre, off 35 paisa each at Rs.128.50 13.80 respectively on 60,000 and 13,000 contracts. Hub Power again proved the most active speculative scrip, lower 30 paisa at Rs.18.20 on 0.190m shares and MCB was off 20 paisa at Rs.23.25 on 70,500 contracts. Hubco hit the highest at Rs.18.20 at which level it closed, while PSO rose as higher as Rs.128.90 before late selling brought it down to close at Rs.128.50. Sui Northern was traded at the last rate of Rs.9.40, which was also the day's lowest and the highest on 2,500 contracts.Back to the top
EDITORIALS & FEATURES 20010701 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Dastur-an-Dastur ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ardeshir Cowasjee His rank and style was grandiose: Asho Dastur-an-Dastur Shams-ul- Ulema Dastur Doctor Maneckji Nusserwanji Dhalla, High Priest of the Parsis of Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and the North West Frontier Provinces, but to his flock he was just their 'Dasturjee', as he was known with affection and reverence. He was born in Surat on September 27, 1875, and he died in Karachi on May 25, 1956. We recently commemorated his 81st death anniversary. He never told us his word was law, for all to observe and obey, for his wisdom and learning were never challenged. He was not orthodox or dogmatic, as is the case with all truly learned scholars, so he was a tolerant man who preached tolerance. He had studied Iranian languages at the Sir Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy Madressah in Bombay where he met and consorted with Dadabhoy Naoroji, Sir Phirozeshah Mehta, Sir Dinshaw Watcha, Sir Dinshaw Mulla and the Tatas. He then went on to further study Avesta and his religion at the Columbia University, New York, under Professor L Jackson, where he was awarded the degree of Master of Arts in 1906 and a Ph.D. in 1908. In 1929, his university invited him to be with them to celebrate the 175th anniversary of its founding during the reign of King George III of England as the King's College. It was an occasion on which the university honoured its outstanding alumni, those who had contributed to the furtherance of the knowledge of the arts and sciences, by awarding to them honorary degrees. Dhalla was awarded a D.Litt. He was a voracious reader and the library at Columbia was amply equipped with volumes on the Avesta and Pahelvi languages, and on Zoroastrianism. During his lifetime he visited Columbia five times to read and to study. A man of meagre means, he had no problem with being helped and supported by members of his community who chipped in with contributions towards his travel and living expenses to and in the US. My maternal grandmother, Dinbano Rustomjee H J Rustomjee, was loving, liberal and loveable, whereas my paternal grandmother, Aimai Fakirjee Cowasjee, in whose house we grew up was relatively orthodox and severe - she had to be strict as she ruled over a rebellious crew. Both were literate and could read and write English. Aimai used to harangue Dasturjee on the subject of smoking and insist that in his preachings to the community he inform them that Zarathustra had firmly laid it down that his followers were not to indulge in the use of tobacco. Dasturjee would patiently explain to her, 'My dear Sister, Zarathushtra lived and died long before Raleigh found and brought tobacco back to England from America.' Tolerance is what we must have in Pakistan, and tolerance is what we must all preach. In one of Dhalla's books, 'Homage Unto Ahura Mazda' (Nemo Ahurai Mazdai), is his essay 'Let none nurse intolerance', which needs to be read and digested: "Intolerance and bigotry and dogmatism are the bitterest enemies of religion upon earth. They make religion a tyrant, a persecutor, a veritable daeva, the demoniac perversion of angelic religion. "All bigotry is blind and stupid and savage. Sectarian bigotry is as bad as inter-religious bigotry. Bigotry stifles reason and the bigot, in his frenzy, is out to force all to believe what he believes. "All religions come from one and the only God, who makes himself known by many a name. From the same source, like the tributaries of a river, they flow. All religions make man equally good upon earth and with equal safety do they conduct his soul to heaven. One alone is truth and all religions teach this truth, for religion itself is truth. "All open their hearts to the same God. All unbosom their hearts to the same God. All seek refuge in the same God. All concentrate their thoughts on the same God. All seek fellowship with the same God. All yearn to be united unto the same God. All commend their souls into the hands of the same God. Man has no right to demand that his neighbour shall address God after his pattern and shall pray in his own way and worship according to his liking and sacrifice unto God in the manner he does. "No thinking man's own idea of God and religion, at all times and in all conditions of life, is ever the same. For everybody's views on religion, then, it is not possible ever to be alike. Monotonous would our world become, if all thought equally and in the same way without ever differing in religious beliefs and practices from one another. Nature shines in her luxuriant glory because of the wide variety of her form and colour and beauty. So do there bloom and blossom in the garden of the spirit pervading mankind, foliage and flowers of all shades and grades of devotion and religious emotions. "Teach me, my God, to see that I have no right to impose my own way of thinking upon others. Teach me to acknowledge and honour the right of all to pray and worship and sacrifice in their own way. Let me not be a purist and regard those as irreligious who regard not formalism. Keep me free from sectarian spirit, and give me strength to root out from my heart bigotry and fanatic zeal. Teach me to discern true religion from religiosity. Fill my mind and heart, Ahura Mazda, with the spirit of toleration." The people of India and Pakistan, in particular the leaders, all tend to be intolerant and over the last 54 years have done nothing to dampen strife. Now, both countries are at an important crossroad in their existence. India's leader, Atal Behari Vajpayee, is a democratically elected prime minister whereas our man, Pervez Musharraf, rode in on horseback. But it matters little how he came in. He enjoys the support of the people, including the obscurantists and the educated. From what one gathers in this age of technology and cyberspace, both Vajpayee and Musharraf are striving for peace, both are aware that their countries are inhabited by a vast majority of the poverty-stricken, the hungry and illiterate. It is their interests that must prevail. What is of importance is that discerning men on both sides of the border, all who have a voice of any kind, must help both leaders in their quest to reduce strife and hatred and bring in peace which only can bring in and nurture prosperity. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010706 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Revisiting the past ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ayaz Amir I have been watching elections since 1964 - the year the Field Marshal and Ms Jinnah squared off against each other - and, in one form or the other, participating in them since I came of age. This record is no testimonial to my civic-mindedness. It only reflects my rural origins. In Islamabad and the posher parts of Pakistan elections are an irrelevance. They have nothing to do with the lives of ordinary people. In the other Pakistan, comprising the stretching hinterland and the congested cities, elections are a necessity. Anyone aspiring to local self-importance can ignore them only at his peril. Ignore the political process - regardless of what form it takes - and you count yourself out of local affairs. The authors of the Devolution Plan say all this will change after their new system is ushered in. Power from the top will filter down to the grassroots enabling people to become masters of their own destiny. It's a beguiling thought but at odds with the reality of military rule. General Musharraf is not about to draw in his fangs. The brave new world he and his scientists are creating differs only in matters of detail from previous models. The substance is the same with elections and local councils only obscuring the real thing within. Why hold elections at all? I have often wondered at their utility. They involve the mass of the people in an exercise both tortuous and painful. While raising exaggerated hopes, they confer no political sovereignty. Nor do they alter the contours of power, a lesson successive generations of Pakistanis learn at a cost which involves the loss of innocence and the onset of an all-pervasive cynicism. In passing, note may be taken of one of the good things about the Devolution Plan. It wrests planning and development from the mandarins of the provincial capitals and brings these precious commodities to the districts. This is a step forward. But it is a far cry from the dispersal or distribution of power about which such a great song-and-dance is being made. I don't know whether the Mansteins of the Reconstruction Bureau realise it but what they are offering the people of Pakistan is a fresh compact: sovereignty in local affairs in exchange for a distancing from national affairs. Which is a bit like the deal offered the Chinese people by the Chinese Communist Party: get rich and improve your living standards but don't question the Party's right to rule. The Chinese comrades have delivered on their promise. Can the Pakistani comrades do the same? The one nagging fear about the new paths to local grandeeism being charted by the Devolution Plan has to do with the quality of the Nazims and the role of the police. If the nazims who will step into the executive shoes of the deputy commissioners start settling political scores we might as well start composing the obituary of the incoming order. A heavy responsibility will rest on the shoulders of the police. Will it stand up to this burden? More than the nazims it will be the police department which will help make or mar the new system. One thing from my own observation I can put down in this regard. When Shahbaz Sharif as Punjab overlord proposed recruiting direct inspectors into the police force I as an MPA who was consulted strongly opposed the idea, arguing that inductees at the upper rungs of the ladder were a source of demoralisation for their colleagues below. The chief minister's argument was that the police had become so rotten that only shock therapy, and an immediate infusion of fresh blood, could help improve matters. I must confess that from what I have seen of direct inspectors in my own district, Punjab's erstwhile overlord was right and I wrong. In my own Thana Nila the SHO is a direct inspector and while his inexperience can often be exasperating he is scrupulously honest, with not a whiff of scandal about him, and diligent in the performance of duty. He says "no" to me more often than I like, a fact which I keep bringing to the notice of the SSP, but most of his negatives, I find, are based on merit or, as I would like to think, ignorance, not dishonesty. More power to his tribe. But to return to my theme, one general conclusion from the local elections the military's whiz-kids can safely draw. In Punjab, the powerhouse of Pakistan politics, the electoral strength of Nawaz Sharif's Muslim League is well on the way to being broken. Rawalpindi Division, the heart of the army's recruiting belt, was a Nawaz Sharif stronghold. As evidenced by the local election results, not any longer. With other factions coming to the fore the glue holding the Muslim League together is coming apart. This is an interesting development. Political strength first came to the Muslim League through local elections ordained by General Zia. Now it is losing the same, and experiencing a gradual political meltdown, through local elections sponsored by another general. Those who live by the sword, die by the sword. Change sword to local elections and you have an epitaph for the Nawaz League. But the fruit shed by this once powerful party has not fallen into the lap of the pro- Musharraf League led by Mian Azhar. The grief of the one has not translated into the strength of the other. As a rule local bigwigs have scored well where they have been strong on the ground. But there has been no wave favouring one party or the other. Gen Naqvi should be pleased. The depoliticization he and his fellow-generals sought, and which has been dear to the heart of every military ruler, is taking place. The national press in this respect has got the picture wrong. In saying that the same political faces or the same political surnames have scored big, the metropolitan papers have missed the point. It is not local politicos, the kind who score big in local elections, whom the military dislikes. Organised politics, the life-blood of political parties, is what the military mind hates. For instance, what does it matter to Commander 10 Corps if PPP nominees have gained ground in Rawalpindi? As members of a rudderless party it will be hard for them to resist going over to the side of authority, whatever be the shape of that authority. Local councillors need funds for development. They cannot survive on principles alone. The problem for the military is over the long-term. A closed political system, such as Ayub Khan's was and Musharraf's promises to be, breeds frustration and anger. The middle class, the motor of political thought and activity in most countries like Pakistan, feels left out. What is more, a closed political system also breeds cronyism and corruption. From Indonesia to Nigeria the most conspicuous feature of military regimes is the corruption which leaves their country dry. There is much talk of cleanness at the top of the Musharraf government. Wait till complacency sets in. Military men don't admit it, perhaps they don't even understand it, but the great cyclical leaps in corruption we have had have all been under military regimes. Not because soldiers are more corrupt than civilians but because army rule, by destroying democracy, removes a check on administrative corruption. Yes, I can hear angry cries about the felonies of politicians. But a point lost on sophisticated urbanites is the check-and-balance role of any political system, no matter how corrupt. A myth beloved of generals is about the watchdog role of the military. Sooner than anyone realises the army becomes part of the problem. What are the people left with? Another coffin of shattered dreams. When their anger breaks out, the system performs a cleansing act, removing the Ayub Khans and Suhartos but without touching the essentials. Another election is ordained, new alliances are made and the air is full of talk of a new beginning. New faces emerge - the Benazir Bhuttos and the Megawati Sukarnos - with whom the people identify their hopes. But nothing changes. Only the past re- invents itself in fresh colours. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010707 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sink or swim ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Irfan Husain The scenes from Seattle were reminiscent of the anti-Vietnam war protests that swept the United States in the sixties and early seventies and finally brought that conflict to an end. Whatever the outcome of the WTO talks, one thing is certain: the official agenda has been successfully hijacked by the odd alliance of trade unionists, environmentalists, students and anarchists who briefly ruled the streets of Seattle. One group conspicuous by their absence were representatives of developing nations, although they will be the biggest losers if the US and the European Union get their way. Indeed, ever since the World Trade Organization came into being in 1995 as the successor to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), there has been relative apathy in the Third World to the implications of the agreement signed by 130 members of the WTO. We have been particularly laggard in focusing on the key provisions of the agreement that affect Pakistan directly. Instead of coordinating with similarly placed countries, we have been locked in our sordid little world of politics and corruption. The result is a total lack of preparation in adjusting to a more open and liberal international trading system. The implications of the Seattle talks are far-reaching and will touch the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world. Consumers, farmers and manufacturers will all be affected to varying degrees. Unfortunately, developing countries have woken up to these coming changes rather late, thus failing to evolve a common platform and strategy for Seattle. Luckily for them, American protesters have taken up their cause. So what has ignited the protests in Seattle? Basically, the WTO is different things to different groups. It offers vast opportunities to multinationals as well as efficient (and often subsidized) farmers, while spelling doom to inefficient manufacturers and small farmers. And it will deal a heavy blow to nations that turn a blind eye to child labour and indulge in gender discrimination as well environmental damage. In brief, countries like Pakistan will derive few benefits while standing to be the biggest losers from trade liberalization. As custom duties head towards zero in most categories of goods by 2005, our manufacturers will face increasing competition from imports that will be both cheaper and of better quality. Our farmers will be unable to compete with produce from Europe and America that is grown on huge, mechanized and massively subsidized farms. It is true that Pakistani customers will benefit from greater choice, lower prices and better quality. However, this increase in imports will result in higher trade deficits and a fall in the value of the rupee. Ultimately, the economy will come under intolerable strain as many manufacturers and farmers face ruin. When the WTO came into being in 1995, member states had a decade to make the structural adjustments needed to bring their economies into line with the requirements of free trade. However, successive Pakistani governments since then remained blind to the need to gear up the economy, and our manufacturers, spoiled by decades of subsidies and official pampering, did not put in the investments and hard work necessary to increase efficiency and quality. None of this is to suggest that trade liberalization is not a good thing. All things being equal, it brings about a better deal for the consumer and provides manufacturers a level playing field to compete on. But in real life, things are seldom equal. For years, multinationals have employed lawyers specializing in international trade to draft provisions that benefit them, and these clauses are then placed in the working papers of governments that spearhead the cause of these giant corporations. Manufacturers in developed countries are far more efficient than those in developing countries, and generally enjoy greater economies of scale. Farmers in the West are generally subsidized and produce food far in excess of national requirements; much of this excess is exported to the rest of the world at prices that small farmers elsewhere cannot match. Before GATT and the WTO, countries protected their own interests through high tariff barriers and restrictive import policies. However, this will no longer be possible. For instance, the governments of Pakistan and India will not be able to restrict imports from each other without attracting severe penalties. Indeed, this policy of cutting our noses to spite our faces has always been incomprehensible: both nations prefer paying far higher prices in importing goods and services from the rest of the world rather than trading directly with each other. According to Third World critics of the WTO agreements, the whole thing is a western conspiracy to further impoverish poor countries. But while we demand greater access and lower tariffs on our exports to the richer markets in the world, we are unwilling to grant similar access to their products. However, the fact remains that the present system of international trade is tilted in favour of the developed countries: currently, tariffs on imports from the least developed countries are 30% higher than on imports from developed nations. Indeed, according to an Oxfam estimate, trade barriers are costing developing countries up to $700 billion annually through lost exports. International trade is now a far bigger factor in the global economy than it was fifty years ago, having increased fourteen times since 1950 to $6,500 billion in 1997. Twenty six per cent of the world economy now is directly linked to international trade as compared to 8% in 1950. Clearly, then, there is a growing need to regulate this burgeoning commerce and protect groups and countries unable to withstand the growing power of multinationals. However, there is a real danger of the WTO becoming a handmaiden of western interests, much as the United Nations has. The fact that developing nations have so far not played an active role in GATT and WTO negotiations is one reason they are in the very real danger of being marginalized even further in the world economy. For Pakistan, the problem is that our politicians, planners and businessmen have still not grasped the opportunities and dangers of globalization. With a largely illiterate workforce, a poor work ethic, a ramshackle physical and social infrastructure, outmoded management and a corrupt bureaucracy, there is just no way we can compete in the global market without following protectionist policies. And these policies are about to be scrapped under the WTO agreement we are signatory to. The name of the game now is 'sink or swim', and there is no indication that we are taking any swimming lessons.
SPORTS 20010702 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Saqlain stars for Surrey with six-wicket haul ------------------------------------------------------------------- LONDON, July 1: Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq marked his return to county cricket by taking six for 89 for champions Surrey against title rivals Lancashire at The Oval. His only real rival as the world's best off-spinner, Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan, had already taken five for 81 as Lancashire dismissed Surrey for 248 but Saqlain's efforts meant Lancashire only had a first innings lead of 28 on the second day. Just as he had done in Pakistan's Second Test victory at Lancashire's Old Trafford ground, Saqlain was in the thick of engineering a collapse, the visitors declining from 110 without loss to 172 for six. But unlike England, Lancashire's tail wagged, the final four wickets adding another 104. Former England wicket- keeper Warren Hegg was 74 not out. Australian-born Jamie Haynes paid heavily for going back against Saqlain and was the Pakistan star first Championship wicket of the season, lbw for 57 from 111 balls including seven fours. Lancashire were now 110 for one and Haynes' fellow opener and captain John Crawley, was next out, lbw for 43 playing no stroke against the sharp Martin Bicknell. Wickets fell regularly with Saqlain getting Glenn Chapple caught at silly mid-off after the previous ball had been driven for six. Surrey's Mark Ramprakash, who made 59 on Friday, had a day to remember as it was confirmed he had been recalled to the England Test side, albeit as cover for injured county colleague Graham Thorpe (calf). The 31-year-old former captain of Surrey's arch-rivals Middlesex moved across the River Thames during the close season with the specific aim of reviving his Test career. Elsewhere, Australian Darren Lehmann plundered another century for Yorkshire as they went on a run spree in their match against Leicestershire. Lehmann, who was 35 not out overnight, scored 104 off 133 balls to become the third centurion of the innings following Michael Lumb (122) and Matthew Wood (102) on the first day of the division one game. It was the first time for 26 years three Yorkshire batsmen had reached three figures in the same innings of a championship fixture. Lehmann, who went into the game with a first-class average of 75.62, struck 13 fours as he dominated a fourth wicket stand of 110 in 30 overs with skipper David Byas (30). Gary Fellows (34) and debutant Richard Dawson (37), who hit 21 off one over by former England pace bowler Phil DeFreitas, boosted leaders Yorkshire to exactly 500. Third-placed Leicestershire were then dismissed for 174 at the close of the second day, their former paceman Steve Kirby doing the damage with six for 46, including three for 12 in his opening six- over spell. In the other division one match at Cardiff, all six of Glamorgan's top order hit half-centuries in a championship fixture for the first time since 1951. Starting the day on 370 for three against Northamptonshire, the Welsh side reached 556 for seven declared with further half- centuries from Michael Powell (86), Adrian Dale (54) and Robert Croft (93). Bottom-of-the-table Northants closed on 116 for one, with Western Australia's Mike Hussey 53 not out. Hampshire, second in division two, are well placed to force victory over struggling Derbyshire, who followed on 233 behind at Southampton. Adrian Aymes (73) and Shaun Udal (81) broke a 104-year-old record for Hampshire's eighth wicket against Derbyshire by adding 130 before the home side were dismissed for 383 in their first innings. England left-arm paceman Alan Mullally and Zimbabwean all-rounder Neil Johnson took four wickets each as Derbyshire were shot out for 140. They closed on 10 without loss in their second innings. Worcestershire opening batsman Philip Weston drove home his side's advantage over Nottinghamshire by scoring an undefeated 185 on the second day at Worcester. Leading by 88 on first innings, Worcestershire piled up 356 for eight to lead overall by 444 after Weston made his runs off 299 balls with 31 boundaries.-AFP/Reuters DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010703 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan hold Netherlands 2-2, clinch series 1-0 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Reporter KARACHI, July 2: Pakistan clinched the three-Test series 1-0 when they managed a 2-2 draw with the World and Olympic champions The Netherlands in the third hockey Test. The first Test had also ended in a 2-all stalemate, while Pakistan thrashed the Dutch 3-0 in the second Test, making it a must-win situation for the home side. Pakistan's penalty corner specialist, Sohail Abbas, scored what was his 12th goal of the tour, to gain the lead off a short corner in the first half. The Netherlands leveled before the half time hooter. Atif Bashir once again put Pakistan in the driving seat, scoring in the second half. But the game ended in a deadlock after the Dutch netted an equaliser. Pakistan had started their tour with 6-2 win and a 3-3 draw in the Tests against Spain in Barcelona, lost 4-2 to Germany in a one-off Test in Hamburg. Pakistan, who finished second behind Germany in the four-nation tournament in Hamburg, salvaged a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands, were defeated by Germany 3-2, and beat South Korea 8-6. Pakistan were beaten 2-1 by Belgium in Brussels in a one-off Test before they won the series against the Dutch. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010702 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan stun Netherlands ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Reporter KARACHI, July 1: Pakistan went 1-0 up in the three-Test hockey series when they outclassed world and Olympic champions The Netherlands 3-0 in the second Test at Utrecht. The Pakistanis, who are on a 17-day trip to Europe, were held to a 2-2 draw by the Netherlands in the first Test. Pakistan's victory is the first against the Dutch during the tour. The game between the greenshirts and the Netherlands in the four- nation tournament in Hamburg also ended in a one-all stalemate. The Dutch received an early shock when striker Kashif Jawwad grabbed the lead for Pakistan in the ninth minute of the first half. Muddasir Ali helped his side forge 2-0 ahead with a field goal in the 20th minute. Penalty corner executioner, Sohail Abbas, who had enabled the visitors draw in the first Test, scored off a penalty corner to complete Pakistan's tally in the 61st minute. The hosts now face a must-win situation in the third and the last Test, which was scheduled for Sunday night. The team is expected to return on Wednesday. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010704 ------------------------------------------------------------------- India refuse to play against Pakistan in Dubai ------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW DELHI, July 3: India turned down an invitation to play a field hockey series against Pakistan in Dubai early next year, saying it did not want a match-up on neutral soil. "If we can play against each other in either country, why should we go to a neutral venue?" said Indian Hockey Federation President Kunwar Pratap Singh Gill. "If we cannot play against each other in India or Pakistan, there is no point in playing in a third country," the Press Trust of India quoted Gill as saying.-AFP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010704 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PCB mum over Miandad as Bangladesh batting coach ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Correspondent LAHORE, July 3: Javed Miandad has not sought prior permission from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for his new assignment as batting coach of the Bangladesh cricket team. The PCB has appointed Miandad as head of its newly formed management committee on domestic cricket, National Umpiring Council, rules and disciplinary affairs. The working of the committee, is likely to suffer due to his absence. When asked to comment on the appointment of Miandad as batting coach for Bangladesh and the loss PCB would suffer, the PCB director Brig. Munawar Ahmad Rana failed to give any satisfactory answer but said Miandad was not a regular employee of the board and was an independent person in his own right. It may be recalled that Miandad was removed as coach of Pakistan team on the pretext that he was needed in the PCB advisory council as stated by chairman Lt. Gen. Tauqir Zia. The advisory council has been dissolved but Miandad was appointed as head of the management committee, setting aside the apprehension that the dual responsibilities of Miandad may hamper the smooth working of the committee. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010704 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shokat leads Pakistan in Pro-Am Asia Cup ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, July 3: Asian Games gold medalist Shokat Ali will lead a three -member Pakistan squad in the inaugural Pro-Am Asia Cup Snooker Championship being held in Bangkok from July 9 to 14, Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Association (PBSA) announced. Shokat who is based in Manchester is ranked 49th in the world professional circuit, won the individual gold in 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok and as a result of his ranking Pakistan earned automatic qualification in the competition because of world ranking. Muhammad Yousuf and Farhan Mirza are the other members of the team and Wahid Tawalwala will be the manager. Nations having professionals ranked among the top 64 in the world made direct qualification in the event which included Hong Kong, Pakistan and hosts Thailand. The other five countries are China, India, Malaysia, Singapore and United Arab Emirates (UAE) which made the finals after qualifying rounds. Teams have been drawn in two groups. Group 'A' comprised Hong Kong, Malaysia, UAE, Pakistan while Group 'B' consists of China, India, Singapore and Thailand. Two top teams from each pool will qualify for the semi-finals. The winners of tournament will get pound sterling 9000, runners-up will pocket 4500. Each of the participating cueist will get pound sterling 1000 as guarantee money.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010706 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ordinance on anvil to enforce National Sports Policy ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, July 5: An ordinance is in the process of legislation to enforce the National Sports Policy announced on April 15 this year. The ordinance, virtually to sound the death-knell to officials of several sports federations in the country, is likely to be promulgated later this year, probably just after Oct 6-15 SAF Games. "The draft is currently with the Law Division and the process of legislation is to take next few months before it is laid before the President for formal promulgation," sources in the concerned ministries say. The relevant provisions of the new national sports policy bar office-bearers of a sports organisation, including the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), from holding more than two terms of four years each. The policy also makes athletics and hockey as the mandatory sports in schools and colleges besides stressing the development of sports at the grass-roots levels of tehsils and districts.-APP ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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