------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 16 June 2001 Issue : 07/24 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Contents | National News | Business & Economy | Editorials & Features | Sports
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CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + Debt-exit plan prepared: Musharraf + Musharraf, Vajpayee equally vital in resolving Kashmir dispute + Govt not to hinder ARD campaign + CE pledges real democracy: Meetings with Nasrullah, Fatehyab + Musharraf to consult leaders on summit + Hearing of plea against SC office decision begins + AG hints at invocation of doctrine of necessity: Riba issue + High Court moved Muttahida wants LB polls stayed + Benazir's India visit before summit + Alliance for Restoration of Democracy team meets US, EU envoys + Four bomb blasts in Karachi: ASI killed + Law on way to ban sectarian outfits + CE wants new steps to combat sectarianism + Provinces voice concern at draft police law + Former speaker Gilani indicted + Former minister gets 9-year RI --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + Govt to opt for huge domestic borrowing: 2001-02 fiscal year + NFC to work out fresh arrangement: Resources distribution + Petrol prices up by 14.5%: Deregulation from July 1 + State Bank gets $350 million from World Bank + Riba deadline frozen by a year: SC refuses extension till 2005 + No interest-based transactions from July 1 + Sindh manages to collect 85% of targeted revenue + Ishrat warns against money laundering + Rs 212 million at source deduction by WAPDA irks NWFP + Political economy of Pakistan's foreign debt + Self Assessment Scheme allowed to public companies + World Bank decides to give $60 million for SAP + Exports grew by 7.24% during July-May: FBS + PIBs sale short of target: Fallout of hike in TBs yield --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + Allah be praised! Ardeshir Cowasjee + Pakistan's Khatimids: eyeless across the waters Ayaz Amir + How about some compassion? Irfan Husain ----------- SPORTS + Australia beat Pakistan by 7 wkts + Hanif expects Germany to be a tougher opponent + PSB rejects POA's plea for review of sports policy + India never ruled out playing in Pakistan + Miandad tells court he was misquoted + Shoaib, Sami ruled out of remaining tri-series ties + Shoaib's injury, contract makes Yawar unhappy + Waqar has revenge, psychology in mind
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS 20010616 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Debt-exit plan prepared: Musharraf ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, June 15: Gen Pervez Musharraf, said that the government had worked out a strategy to get a five-year breathing space to come out of the debt trap and revive the economy. The CE said "Our dilemma is that there is no money left in our budget for the development projects after meeting our essential expenditures. Taking loan is our pre-requisite otherwise we cannot progress," said Gen Musharraf. Gen Musharraf said, the "breathing space" would be available provided the International Monetary Fund and World Bank would give Pakistan loans facility for the Poverty Reduction an Growth Facility. Similarly, the London and Paris Club should reschedule Pakistan's loans." Gen Musharraf said Pakistan had just received $350 million from the World Bank on the zero interest rate as it had to pay only 0.75 per cent service charges. This facility was for the next 35 years which was as good as free. The CE said the country would come out of the debt trap in five years. Spelling out the government strategy during the breathing space, he said the country's GDP would be enhanced. Efforts would be mounted to raise the foreign reserve exchange at least up to the level of $3 billion, if not $4 billion. He expressed the confidence that exports would touch the $9.2 billion mark from $7.5 or $7.6 billion during the past two years. Similarly, he said, the country would generate about $3 billion, while endeavours were afoot to check the losses of billions of rupees being suffered by national corporations like PIA, Wapda, Railways and the KESC. Gen Musharraf said that during the next five years, the country's revenue would be raised. The revenue collection from 1993-94 to 1999 went up from Rs 200 to Rs 300 billion, but it was raised from Rs 100 billion to Rs 400 billion in the last two years. "This has never happened in the past." -APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010616 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf, Vajpayee equally vital in resolving Kashmir dispute ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jawed Naqvi NEW DELHI, June 15: Gen Pervez Musharraf's comments, stressing Kashmir's primacy as the core issue during his forthcoming visit to India, have prompted Prof Abdul Ghani Bhatt to stress that the Pakistan chief executive was as vital as Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in resolving the dispute of his Himalayan homeland. The chairman of Kashmir's All Parties Hurriyat Conference said "The man in Islamabad represents will and power. And the man in Delhi represents ethos and consensus". He said the Indian administration should not seek to marginalize the APHC during the forthcoming summit talks with Pakistan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010616 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Govt not to hinder ARD campaign ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, June 15: Veteran politician Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan in his meeting with Gen Pervez Musharraf was able to secure permission for ARD to continue its third phase of people's contact campaign without state intervention. Though the official handout released by the Army House did not carry such a promise, Nawabzada Nasrullah claimed at a press conference that the chief executive had assured him that the workers' conventions of ARD at Peshawar, Faislabad, Hyderabad, and a public meeting on August 14 at Liaquat Bagh would not be interrupted. On the demand to hold immediate elections for the restoration of democracy the chief executive reiterated his commitment to implement the Supreme Court's verdict in this connection before October 2002, Mr Nasrullah said. The ARD chief also conveyed to the CE the opposition's concern about the accountability process but the general did not give any assurance on this count, he said. About Benazir Bhutto's recent conviction by an accountability court in absentia, the CE said neither he nor the chairman of the accountability bureau were "aware" of the case, he said. To the question, whether he met the chief executive in his personal capacity or as chief of the opposition's alliance, he replied: "I went there in my individual capacity as a citizen of the country," he said. When the same question was asked by another reporter, he said, the ARD component parties had not put any restriction on his meeting the chief executive. Mr Nasrullah said that the CE assured that he would not demonstrate any "flexibility" on the Kashmir issue in his proposed talks with the Indian prime minister. However, the CE did apprise the ARD chief of his plan to consult political leaders before leaving for New Delhi. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010615 ------------------------------------------------------------------- CE pledges real democracy: Meetings with Nasrullah, Fatehyab ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Faraz Hashmi ISLAMABAD, June 14: The Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf met two more opposition leaders, Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan and Fatehyab Ali Khan, and reiterated intention to "introduce genuine democracy in the country." The meeting held at the Army House, Rawalpindi, lasted for more than two hours and besides proposed Pakistan-India summit a number of domestic issues including the government's reforms agenda, devolution of power to the grass roots level and steps initiated to introduce genuine democracy in the country, were discussed at the meeting, an official announcement said. Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan met the Chief Executive with the mandate of ARD component parties, ARD leaders said. Senior Vice-Chairperson of Pakistan People's Party Makhdoom Amin Fahim and Vice President of Pakistan Muslim League (N) Zafar Ali Shah, when contacted, confirmed that Nawabzada took them into confidence before going to the Army House. Syed Zafar Ali Shah said that ARD at its meeting had decided that in case of a meeting with Gen Musharraf, all the issues including restoration of 1973 constitution, ban on political activities and accountability process would be taken up and he would be apprised of the opposition's point of view on these issues. An official source said the Chief Executive secretariat has lined up three meetings between June 22 and June 28 to take people from a cross section of society into confidence about his upcoming visit to India. The first meeting would be held with all the political leaders and their opinion would be taken on Kashmir and other outstanding issues with India. Media persons including prominent journalists and editors and owners of leading newspapers would be invited at the second meeting and the third meeting would be held with the religious leaders and scholars. The religious leaders and scholars would be invited in their individual capacity and not as heads of different religious parties or groups. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010613 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf to consult leaders on summit ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Nasir Malick ISLAMABAD, June 12: Gen Pervez Musharraf will be holding a series of meetings with political groups, religious leaders and intellectuals in the third week of June to take them into confidence over his forthcoming visit to New Delhi, a senior government source told Dawn. "He will also like to hear their views on this subject." The source said that the CE wanted to have full support of the people before his Delhi trip. He said that Gen Musharraf would be meeting the political groups as he considers that it was necessary to achieve a national consensus on the issue before heading for the talks. Gen Musharraf met PML (LM) president Mian Azhar where this issue was also discussed. The political analysts said that Gen Musharraf had met the officially-supported group of the Muslim League after reports that the candidates of PML (N) were sweeping the local government elections in Lahore. Efforts were already under way to unite different factions of the Muslim League against PML(N). The source said that the chief executive would start meeting various political groups and religious parties in the third week of June. These meetings would be followed by his meeting with the editors, columnists and other intellectuals. "We have received a very positive response from the political and religious groups and we want to maintain this rapport with them," the source added while referring to the initial contacts being made by the government with the political groups and religious parties. "It is a national issue and we hope that political and religious leaders will lend their full support to the government," he added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010612 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hearing of plea against SC office decision begins ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, June 11: A four-member bench of the Supreme Court started hearing Dr Basit's appeal against the Supreme Court office decision of returning his constitutional petition seeking deletion of remarks against Justice Abdul Qayyum and Justice Rashid Aziz. Dr Basit had challenged SC Deputy Registrar's decision of returning his constitutional petition, seeking deletion of remarks against Justice Qayyum and Justice Rashid Aziz by the SC bench in SGS case. He has approached the Supreme Court for expunction of the remarks. The counsel stated that SC official had wrongly interpreted a Supreme Court judgment and added that the SC official had committed contempt of court. He said that SC remarks had made difficult for the two judges to perform their functions and his fundamental right guaranteed under Article 18 of the Constitution had been affected. He said that judges could not be removed by any other method except mechanism provided under Article 209 of the Constitution. He stated that, assuming for the sake of argument, that the recorded conversation of Justice Qayyum with Saifur Rehman was correct, the judges of the supreme court should have realized that judges were being pressurized. He said that telephone of sitting judges were still being taped and who knows that those would not be used against them at an appropriate time. He said earlier attempts to undermine the independence of judiciary failed because those attempts were made from outside, but this time judicial institution was stabbed by the members themselves. Three paragraphs, he said, were inserted in the judgment which had made difficult for the judges to continue their judicial functions. When he asked the court to decide whether his appeal against the order of Deputy Registrar was accepted, he was told to start his argument on the merits and both the issues would be decided simultaneously. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010612 ------------------------------------------------------------------- AG hints at invocation of doctrine of necessity: Riba issue ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, June 11: The attorney-general stated before the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court that if the judgment declaring interest-based banking un-Islamic was not suspended, there might arise the need for invocation of the doctrine of state necessity. The three-judge bench, however, did not hear the case. It observed that the Shariat Bench was not properly constituted and therefore, it would not hear the UBL application seeking stay of the Supreme Court judgment on the Riba issue. Aziz A. Munshi, the AG, requested the court that the operation of the judgment be suspended as it would create grave complications on June 30. The AG stated that the budget was likely to be announced soon and if the laws which the Supreme Court had found to be repugnant to Islamic injunctions, ceased to exist on July 1, a "grave situation" would arise in which millions of citizens might be affected. He said in that situation the doctrine of necessity might have to be invoked. The moment three-judge Shariat Appellate Bench took up the application of the UBL seeking suspension of the Riba judgment, Ismail Qureshi, an advocate from Lahore, raised objections on the constitution of the bench. Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmed, head of the bench, asked the counsel to take his seat and the court was not going to hear the UBL application as the bench was not complete. Raja Akram, the UBL counsel, asked the court to fix the next date of hearing as the matter was of "urgent nature and of utmost" importance. He said the deadline of June 30, 2001, fixed by the SC bench, was approaching fast and it would create a situation in which a large number of laws would cease to exist. The court, however, observed that the present bench was "incomplete" and it was the government's duty to fill the vacant post of a judge from among Ulema. The SC's Shariat Appellant Bench which had heard appeals against the Federal Shariat Court judgement, had consisted of five judges. They were Justice Khalilur Rehman Khan, Justice Munir A. Sheikh, Justice Wajihuddin Ahmed, Justice Maulana Taqi Usmani, and Justice Dr Mehmood Ghazi. Out of these, only two are available in the SC, as Justice Khalilur Rehman and Justice Wajihuddin Ahmed had ceased to exist as judge when they refused to take fresh oath under the PCO. Dr Mehmood Ghazi had left the Supreme Court to occupy the cabinet slot. Under the Constitution, two posts for Ulema judges exist, but at present there is only Justice Maulana Taqi Usmani. Justice Munir A. Sheikh observed that if the government wanted extension in the time of the deadline, it should file separate application in this regard. The SC bench consisted of Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmad, Justice Munir A. Sheikh and Justice Maulana Taqi Usmani. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010612 ------------------------------------------------------------------- High Court moved Muttahida wants LB polls stayed ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, June 11: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement has filed a petition in the Sindh High Court challenging the regime's city government plan and has prayed for staying elections to all election-oriented political and administrative bodies until new delimitations are held on the basis of a fresh population census. The petition in which the federation, the chief election commissioner, the chief census commissioner, Islamabad, the Sindh government, provincial Election Commissioner and National Reconstruction Bureau (NRB) have been made respondents, would come up on June 14 before a division bench. The constitutional petition of the MQM has been filed by its deputy convener Aftab Shaikh through counsel K. M. Nadeem, signed by attorney Nawab Mirza. The Muttahida has prayed for directing the respondents to hold a fresh population census in a just, fair and transparent manner. It has also prayed for directing the federation to comply with the mandate of the constitution enshrined in Article 2-A and 51(3) of the constitution, by making statutory provisions for compulsorily holding population census after every 10 years or within a reasonable time, thereafter in a fair and transparent manner and publicise its results. It also prayed for issuing a writ of prohibition, restraining the respondents from holding elections/electoral exercise to all or any election-oriented political/administrative bodies without first holding a fresh population census and without delimitation of constituencies. The MQM also wants the delimitation of constituencies/ voting units on the basis of such published results of the population census before holding new elections. The MQM also wants re-allocation of seats in the national and provincial assemblies and for the proposed district governments on the basis of such published results of the population census by ensuring "electoral equality" and equal weightage of vote in the constituencies so delimited. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010611 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Benazir's India visit before summit ------------------------------------------------------------------- Monitoring desk ISLAMABAD, June 10: Former prime minister Benazir Bhutto is likely to visit India much before the forthcoming summit between Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. "Bhutto would continue her efforts to go to New Delhi much before Musharraf's proposed summit," sources in PPP said here on Sunday. "Efforts are on to work out an invitation as well as dates for the proposed visit at the earliest," they said. "Despite the sentence, there is no change in her plans to visit India," PPP media adviser Farhatullah Babar said here. "If anything else, the sentence has redoubled her will to fight against the subversion of democracy," he said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010614 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Alliance for Restoration of Democracy team meets US, EU envoys ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, June 13: The US ambassador in Islamabad William B. Milam held out an assurance that the Bush administration was keen to see an early return to democracy in Pakistan and would play an effective role in this regard. Talking to a delegation of Alliance for Restoration of Democracy which met him at the US embassy he said every effort would be made to ensure an early return to democratic order, lifting of curbs from political activities and protection of fundamental rights. The ARD team led by Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan included Javed Hashmi and Saranjam Khan (PML), Makhdoom Amin Faheem (PPP) and Asfandyar Wali Khan (ANP) also met a delegation of 10 ambassadors of European Union in Pakistan. The ARD members apprised the US ambassador of the political and economic situation including internal and external conditions and urged him to put maximum pressure on the military regime to hand over power to the elected representatives after holding elections. Referring to the recent invitation from Indian premier Atal Behari Vajpaee the delegation said that only an elected leader could hold talks from a strong position and hence it was all the more necessary that such talks were held when the power is transferred to an elected government. The ARD expressed its willingness to enter into talks with the military regime but only on mechanism of an honorable return of army to barracks, restoration of constitution and establishment of a democratic government in the country. In its meeting with the ARD delegation, the European Union diplomats assured on behalf of the EU that all necessary steps would be taken which led to the revival of democratic order in the country. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010614 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Four bomb blasts in Karachi: ASI killed ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, June 13: A police official was killed and 17 people were injured in four bomb explosions and firing incidents in the city. The violence took place on the day of the strike called by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and Jiye Sindh Qaumi Mahaz to protest against the police action on Sunday and against the water shortage in the province. Three blasts occurred in the evening in Clifton within the span of an hour: first in a police mobile, second one at a garbage dump near the Boating Basin and the third one at an eating house at the Boating Basin roundabout. Earlier in the morning, a time-bomb exploded near the Mereweather Tower. The city police chief said it was premature to state who was behind the explosions. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010610 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Law on way to ban sectarian outfits ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Faraz Hashmi ISLAMABAD, June 9: An ordinance, being drafted to curb sectarianism in society, is likely to ban all the sectarian organizations, Dawn reliably learnt. Apart from putting a complete ban on sectarian organizations, the law would enforce stringent code of conduct for Pesh Imams and religious leaders, particularly in dispensation of religious services, an official said. The law would restrict use of loud speakers only to Azan and Khutba delivered during Juma and Eid congregations. Though speeches with sectarian overtones would not be permitted under the law, a provision would be made mandating submission of an audio recording of the speeches delivered at mosques and Imambarghas to the local administration, he said. The law would formulate regulations for the religious processions as well. It would also impose a ban on publication of pamphlets and handbills or sale of cassettes containing material aimed at whipping up sectarian sentiments, the source added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010614 ------------------------------------------------------------------- CE wants new steps to combat sectarianism ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, June 13: Chief Executive, directed the ministries of interior, law & justice and religious affairs to urgently develop a package of measures to combat sectarian terrorism including introduction of a comprehensive law to deal with the menace. The proposed measures including the draft law will be drawn in consultation with the provincial governments and will be presented for consideration of the federal cabinet in its next meeting, said an official statement. The chief executive reiterated that no individual or group would be allowed to fan hatred in the name of sect or creed.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010610 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Provinces voice concern at draft police law ------------------------------------------------------------------- By M. Arshad Sharif ISLAMABAD, June 9: The provincial governments have expressed reservations about certain provisions of the draft Police Ordinance 2001, which they say are likely to impinge upon independence of the judiciary and provincial autonomy, sources told Dawn. Earlier this month, the National Reconstruction Bureau sent the draft of the proposed Police Ordinance 2001 to the provincial governments, seeking their comments. The draft was sent to the provincial governments after the federal law ministry raised objections that the provinces should not be ignored on the law and order matter, designated as a provincial subject by the Constitution. The sources said that concern had been expressed in regard to sections 33(1)(a), section 45(2)(a) and section 69(1)(a) of the draft ordinance, which proposed giving powers to the chief justice of the Supreme Court and chief justices of the high courts to appoint certain members of the planned national and the provincial public safety commissions. There was no need to involve chief justices in selection of officers who were supposed to exercise executive authority, the officials said, adding, that the element of separation of judiciary from the executive had been ignored by the framers of the draft ordinance. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010612 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Former speaker Gilani indicted ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, June 11: The Accountability Court No III indicted former speaker of the National Assembly, Yousaf Raza Gilani, for corruption and misuse of powers and causing a huge loss to the national exchequer. The charge sheet stated that Mr Gilani had set up camp offices at Lahore and Multan and had purchased 10 luxury cars worth Rs15.2 million for his personal use, burdening the national exchequer. The court also summoned the prosecution witnesses for Wednesday after Yousaf Raza Gilani denied the charges. The NAB had arrested the former speaker on February 10, 2001 from Lahore. The charge sheet said that despite the fact that the former speaker enjoyed the facility of a hostel in Islamabad, still he ordered for furnishing two rooms at the Ghazi Ilamdin Shaheed hostel which costed the nation Rs172,000. Similarly, he set up another hostel at Multan, the furnishing of which costed Rs110,000. The bills of seven telephones he used amounted to over Rs3.6 million which were paid by the National Assembly secretariat. Of these seven telephones, four were on his personal use while three were official. The charge sheet also stated that a Toyota Corona bearing registration number IDG3605, which was purchased at a cost of Rs649,000 got damaged when it fell in a nullah by one of his friends. Similarly, another Pajero vehicle (IDG6541) was reportedly stolen. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010612 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Former minister gets 9-year RI ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent QUETTA, June 11: The Accountability Court No. I, Quetta, convicted and awarded a total of nine years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of over Rs23 million in two references to Haji Behram Khan Achakzai, former minister for irrigation and power in two references. According to the judgment announced by the judge of the accountability court, Mohammad Anwar Kasi, in the first reference pertaining to the misuse of government mechanical equipment, including bulldozers and rigs as provincial minister, the court found him guilty and awarded him seven years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs22,472,409. The court ordered that the fine money should be recovered by forfeiting the convict's movable and immovable properties, and in case of default in the payment of fine money he would undergo an additional two-year rigorous imprisonment. In the second reference, Haji Behram Khan Achakzai, belonging to the JUI(F) and former minister of the Jan Jamali-led coalition government, the court awarded two years rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs1 million. In case of default in payment of fine money he would further undergo for eight-months rigorous imprisonment. The second reference filed by Regional Accountability Bureau (RAB) pertained to illegal allotment of shops of the Municipal Committee Chaman. The allegations against him, that as chairman he had allotted several shops illegally, were proved. The learned court also disqualified him from holding any public office and taking part in any election for 10 years. He was also barred for 10 years from obtaining a loan or financial benefit from any government bank or financial institution. Special prosecutor M. S. Rakhshani, advocate, represented the Regional Accountability Bureau in the court.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY 20010610 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Govt to opt for huge domestic borrowing: 2001-02 fiscal year ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ihtashamul Haque ISLAMABAD, June 9: The government will resort to massive domestic bank and non-bank borrowing to generate Rs250 billion for new water resources and important infrastructural development projects during 2001-2002. The National Economic Council (NEC), was confronted with the current tough resource position and reached the conclusion that without opting for both bank and non-bank borrowing, it was difficult to address serious issues like water shortages and funding for significant development projects. Official sources said the NEC was informed that the IMF was not likely to object to huge domestic borrowing what was termed "crucial funding requirements". The capping on monetary expansion will significantly be removed during the next financial year with a view to securing formidable domestic borrowing. The sources said that the finance ministry and the Planning Commission could not satisfactorily identify new resource mobilization sources that was why it was decided that the government has no option but to go for unprecedented domestic borrowing to manage its affairs during the next financial year. It was decided that the government would acquire funds by issuing bonds on behalf of various organizations. These bonds, the sources said, will carry handsome profit. NEC, approved the idea of big domestic bank borrowing. However, NEC conceded that by seeking huge bank or non-bank borrowing the domestic debt was bound to increase. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010614 ------------------------------------------------------------------- NFC to work out fresh arrangement: Resources distribution ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Sabihuddin Ghausi KARACHI, June 13: The federal government is convening the first meeting of the National Finance Commission (NFC) on July 8 to work out a fresh arrangement for national resources distribution between the federation and the provinces and among the provinces for next five years from 2002-2003 to 2006-2007. Well placed sources in Sindh government said that the provincial committee on the NFC is also meeting in Karachi in the first week of July to prepare a strategy for the NFC deliberations. This committee, according to the sources, will elicit views of businessmen, agriculturists and other sections of the population in the province to articulate Sindh's position on the issue of national resources distribution in the NFC meetings. "No official document to spell out Sindh's position on the national resources has been prepared as yet," well placed and authoritative sources in Sindh government informed Dawn. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010614 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Petrol prices up by 14.5%: Deregulation from July 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Khaleeq Kiani ISLAMABAD, June 13: The government increased petroleum prices by 9.4 per cent to 14.5pc with immediate effect and authorized Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) to adjust these prices on a fortnightly basis from July 1. Petroleum Secretary M. Abdullah Yousaf said the revision had been approved by the cabinet and added that it was the last time the government was announcing the petroleum prices. Referring to the deregulation of prices, he said it was a "big step" towards deregulation of the petroleum sector. The cabinet decision involved four aspects: increase in petroleum prices, authorization of the OMCs to fix future prices, change in internal freight equalization margin to link local refinery prices to those fixed by the OMCs, and replacement of petroleum development surcharge with a petroleum levy on the product basis. The secretary said that in addition to the product-wise fluctuation in international prices, the government had taken into account 3.84pc devaluation of currency during the March-May quarter to fix the new prices. The new prices would be applicable to 29 depots in various parts of the country, and consumers would be charged after adding the transportation cost (from the depot to the retail outlet) to the prices, ranging from 6 paisa per litre to Rs1.90 per litre. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010615 ------------------------------------------------------------------- State Bank gets $350 million from World Bank ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, June 14: The State Bank of Pakistan received $350 million disbursed by the World Bank as Structural Adjustment Credit (SAC). "Yes, the amount of $350 million has been disbursed to us by the World Bank," confirmed the SBP Governor Dr Ishrat Hussain. Talking to Dawn by telephone from Karachi, he said that the new World Bank concessional loan will further help improve the country's foreign exchange reserves. Responding to a question, the State Bank governor denied that the central bank had asked the bankers to cap the inter-bank rate at Rs63 viz-a-viz the dollar. Nevertheless, he said the central bank had warned the bankers not to indulge in speculation due to which there were problems in the market. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010615 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Riba deadline frozen by a year: SC refuses extension till 2005 ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Rafaqat Ali ISLAMABAD, June 14: The Supreme Court extended for one year the deadline for the implementation of its judgement which had declared all forms of interest-based banking un-Islamic. The deadline, which was to expire on June 30, was extended to June 30, 2002, with another possible extension if the government showed sincerity in the implementation of the judgement. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010613 ------------------------------------------------------------------- No interest-based transactions from July 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Shujat Ali Khan LAHORE, June 12: Besides leaving the government with 17 days to bring about a radical transformation of the national economy, Monday's proceedings in the Supreme Court betray a highly reprehensible carelessness about matters of crucial importance. As the law stands today, Pakistan is bound to shun all interest- based transactions from July 1. It cannot negotiate, least of all accept, any loan carrying interest. A number of laws, including all enactment�s relating to banks and recovery of loans, the Insurance Act, the Savings Banks Act, the Civil Procedure Code and SBP Act, shall have to be extensively amended to replace the existing financial system with an interest-free economy. Commercial banks will no longer be able to extend loans on the basis of mark-up, which has been held un-Islamic. The so-called profit-and-loss accounts will come to an end. Savings certificates will not fetch fixed profit and will all become 'units of a mutual fund'. The prize bonds schemes will cease to exist. The government, in short, will neither pay nor charge interest on domestic borrowings in any form. Contractual obligations in respect of existing foreign loans will be discharged but an effort will be made to renegotiate them without seeking any interest-bearing loan after July 1. The reconstitution of the bench presents no problem but the scope of review being restricted, the UBL petition is unlikely to result in any material change. The government may at best seek extension of time-limit as it repeatedly did in separating the judiciary from the executive at the magisterial level. However, insofar as the constitution is concerned, there is no provision even for a review. As for extension, time frame is of the essence of the SC judgement. A financial emergency can be proclaimed under the constitution but not to prevent or delay the enforcement of a court order. The government may have to fall back upon 'the law of necessity' as indicated by the attorney- general on Monday. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010615 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sindh manages to collect 85% of targeted revenue ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, June 14: Mainly due to improved collection from stamp duties and the infrastructure fee in the present fiscal year, Sindh government has been able to achieve about 85 per cent of Rs 7.25 billion, provincial revenue target. Persistent drought and water shortage in large parts of the province, coupled with total confusion about the enforcement of agricultural income tax are the factors responsible for meager recovery of tax from farmers this year. The budget projection of Rs850 million tax from farmers and Rs 800 million Abiana (irrigation service charges) remain unrealized to a large extend. The provincial excise and taxation department is given the task of collecting 12 taxes with a target of Rs 4.14 billion. In last ten months it has collected Rs 3.61 billion which is about 87 per cent of the target. Infrastructure fee is fast emerging as one of the leading provincial revenue earner for Sindh. Officials claim that the total recovery from this levy in last ten months amounts to Rs 1.27 billion, as against an original target of Rs 1 billion. Officials are confident that infrastructure fee collection would touch Rs 1.50 billion by end June and would be one of the leading revenue earner for the province in the coming years. Indicated recovery from this source in the current fiscal is about Rs 2.5 billion. "If exploited professionally and honestly, stamp duties with much lower rates than now, have the potential to generate more than three times of the current collection", a source said. Infrastructure fee is an innovative levy enforced and collected only in Sindh since 1995. This tax was introduced by the Advisor to PPP Government in Sindh on Finance and Development Syed Asad Ali Shah. It is recovered at the rate of 0.05 per cent of all the import invoices. The budget documents project motor vehicle tax collection at Rs 900 million, out of which the Excise and Taxation Department has recovered Rs 706.79 million in ten months. Property tax is another major source which generated Rs 717.85 million as against a target of Rs 1 billion. One of the major source of revenue is licensed wine stores in the province. The area police officers harass the owners of wine stores, many of whom have closed down their business. The total recovery of tax from wine stores is Rs 543.56 million as against a target of Rs 900 million. The department has also collected 60 to 85 per cent of paddy development fee, professional tax, cotton fee, hotel tax and bed tax on hospitals. Tax on marriage halls and license fee on video shops were abolished two months after the budget. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010615 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ishrat warns against money laundering ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, June 14: State Bank Governor Dr Ishrat Husain warned banks that they should not become conduit for money laundering. "I would not pretend that it is not there. I know it has been happening," said the governor referring to money laundering in Pakistan. He said banks must be extremely careful in transacting businesses making it sure that they do not have an element of money laundering. He said the State Bank would have to have a full police force if it had to check money laundering through conventional methods. So he asked banks to start self-policing not only to check money laundering but also to ensure that they do not indulge in any unethical practices. He warned banks that they should not allow themselves to be used as a conduit for over and under invoicing; flight of capital and money laundering-even if it means loss of business. He also warned heads of banks particularly those of state-run banks that they should not try to win support of one government or the other and focus on their professional responsibilities. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010610 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rs 212 million at source deduction by WAPDA irks NWFP ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Intikhab Amir PESHAWAR, June 9: WAPDA has deducted at source Rs212 million from the NWFP's electricity duty account, official sources told Dawn on Saturday. The move has prompted a quick reaction from the provincial government which, according to sources, in an official communiqu� to WAPDA has disputed the move. "WAPDA has deducted the amount without giving any details with respect to the bills against which the settlement has been made or the names of provincial government's entities whose dues have been adjusted," said official sources. Sources said that the province had asked WAPDA to provide details of the bills against which the adjustment has been made and the exact position with regards to the annual collections it has made against the electricity duty on behalf of NWFP. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010611 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Political economy of Pakistan's foreign debt ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Dr. Izzud-Din Pal It should come as no surprise that serious reservations are being expressed in the media of Pakistan about the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and other organizations associated with the country's economic affairs. What is important to note is that the critics belong to various shades of opinion, ranging from social democrats to those who are on the religious right. The track record of these institutions in solving financial crises in the world, be that in South East Asia, Latin America or Africa, does not allow much comfort concerning their latest tricks in this country. Whether their objectives are based on "Washington Consensus" or "Prague Consensus" makes no difference. It is the same vinegar under different labels. One cannot blame the mess that Pakistan has inherited on the IFIs, however. Their involvement in the meantime has become deeper and, starting in 1993, the country has been locked in a long-term comprehensive commitment with them. That should have been a wake-up call but the leaders remained either blinded by hubris or intoxicated by a "heavy mandate" to realize the gravity of the situation. This indifference was paralleled often by the efforts of the bureaucrats to fudge data and to exaggerate projections. The growing financial crisis turned into a crisis of confidence, from the donors' point of view. One cannot of course deny some of the progress made under pressure from the IFIs such as improvements in efficiency and productivity in the banking sector, and in manufacturing and agriculture. Pakistan, however, did not need outside pressure to take necessary steps in this direction. Several home-based experts were giving warnings about these and other related issues facing the economy but they were ignored. Now the country is confronted with a serious dilemma about the social consequences of adjustment measures. This is a repetition of the story from many other countries that have dealt with the IFIs. The literature on this subject is rich and growing. Dr Shahrukh Rafi Khan in his book entitled "Do World Bank and IMF Policies Work?" (Macmillan, 1999) has examined both the questions of the assistance of the IFIs and their social effects with reference to Pakistan. I would like to add another perspective to the issue. The IMF position is quite clear. Pakistan must correct its macroeconomic situation, and in order to do so, it must maintain the sustained strong-demand management policies and fully adhere to the structural reform agenda in order to achieve its growth targets over the medium term. Behind the jargon, it is a call to adjust the economy in the direction of achieving external and internal balance in line with the model. For the former, the country must pursue a "genuinely flexible exchange rate" along with free capital mobility, and to achieve the latter, it must remove all barriers in the working of the market mechanism as defined by the IFIs. In other words, prices of goods and services must not be disturbed by the evil influence of subsidies or regulations. All this should be accomplished under the umbrella of "good governance"-a concept that carefully defines the role of the state so that it is strictly confined to establishing effective law and order and protecting rights of individuals and business contracts. It is in this context that the recent reports of the two committees on taxes and debt should be examined. The recommendations for tax administration have successfully underlined the basic problems: difficulties concerning assessment and collection of taxes and diversion of a part from the collected revenues into the pockets of the intermediaries. How taxes are administered is very important but the issue goes beyond that. In the advanced societies, there are no angels among taxpayers and tax collectors, but the leakage's are usually minor, occasional, not recurring. The tax collector does his job efficiently and is quite willing to help the people by advising them about possible exemptions hidden in the maze of taxation manuals, to minimize their tax burden. And the taxpayer gives up a part of his income according to his perception about how and why "his" money is used by the government. The report on debt management envisages that by the year 2004, the country can meet its debt obligations mainly through aid flows, with some income from divestment of government operations. The recommendations of the committee have been received with a mixed reaction about its assumptions. I do not wish to repeat these arguments here. I am, however, puzzled by the emphatic tone of its advice to the government asking it to pursue the IMF-sponsored adjustment and structural reform "single-mindedly". It is not a matter of ignoring resistance from labor unions and the redundant public employees, as the report suggests. It is a question of social consequences of the IFIs conditions. If the government decides to follow the conditions, knowing fully well that it would be redesigning the economic and social system of the country, then it would not be done for the first time by a military regime in the country. To generalize from my above observations, it is a question of credibility of the political system and it has been in disarray for a major part of Pakistan's existence. It is a sad fact that the military has been involved in the politics of the country since 1953, promoting or demoting political leaders, directly or indirectly, with long interludes of direct rule by the generals in co-operation with their senior commanders. On each such occasion, they were able to find a cause to legitimize their action and sustain their power. Ayub Khan was able, for example, to ride over the wave of the "developmental state" with the trickle-down goodies promised by his advisors who were men of sincere convictions, and in their efforts to reconstruct the economy, they followed the methodology that was in vogue during that period but the results were mixed at best. General Ziaul Haq was lucky to seize on the Afghan war, reinforcing his rule through a shrewd blend of his brand of Islamic reform. About General Musharraf's regime, it is too soon to draw a meaningful conclusion. The straws in wind point to an uncertain performance at the present time. The accountability process has not yet created any major tangible results. The exile and pardon of Nawaz Sharif has weakened the original claim for the coup. The other leader under the shadow continues a comfortable life in self- exile, pontificating on the national issues. The recovery of loan defaults has been quite inconclusive. About all, the devolution plan does not seem to have aroused any widespread enthusiasm in the country, perhaps because of a mood of deja vous with reference to Ayub Khan's basic democracies. The Shariat Appellate Bench has presented the General with a "landmark" verdict on riba even though the parliamentary system remains in abeyance. But then Ziaul Haq successfully practiced the art of bringing Islamic reform through fiat. It is also reported that the busy-body minister of religious affairs in the Musharraf government is preparing draft legislation to introduce Pakistani brand of Saudi moral inspectors. How would that jibe with the Chicago model where rational behavior in economic activity is determined only by the market forces? The government is working under a deadline, however. Its exit strategy will have an impact on the economy. The pros and cons of presidential versus parliamentary rule is a controversial issue; it may not have as serious an implication for the economy as that concerning the rumored establishment of the national security council. Unless there is a strong political representation, a forum such as the council would be a partnership of unequals. It is understandable that the military wants to preserve and protect its interests, economic and strategic, but there is a need for transparency and fairness in the distribution of privileges, economic and political. Can Pakistan produce new and strong political elite? This question cannot be answered unless the nation is given an opportunity, followed by more opportunities, to hold free and fair national elections. What people need are a perception and a sense of participation in the affairs of the state. It is the sine qua non of what, for the lack of a proper term, is called economic growth. The latest trend in the theoretical discussions on the subject is to admit how little we know about this phenomenon. It is because the economist, in my view, has used blinkers of assumptions and stylized facts to draw conclusions about the "crucial" factors responsible for accelerating development. The process is much larger than the canvass of the economist, trained in the narrowness of the field, can accommodate. The general model breaks down when we notice variations around it. China is a complex case, worthy of a very careful study. The East Asian "tigers" grew in the framework of the US foreign policy, accompanied by centrifugal technology which allowed production process to spread out from the home base. The colonial Hong Kong responded to a different challenge, and the city-state of Singapore under a patronizing Lee Kuan Yew became a technical powerhouse. Closer to home, several states in India seem to present interesting examples of successful growth-promoting strategies. Kerala, for example, decided decades ago that the well-informed and well- educated citizen is the only permanent asset in the society. There is no reason for Pakistan not to be able to accomplish its goals, if it would observe the path that was planned at the time of its establishment. I would conclude with the following points, touching upon some sacred cows of the Chicago model, and hope that they would receive serious consideration as part of the agenda for the exit strategy of the military rule:- 1. Foreign capital: Pakistan cannot afford the luxury of unregulated movement of short-term (speculative) capital under the present circumstances. 2. Exchange rate: The rupee has gone through many pressures, including the changes in currencies in the Asian region. It seems that further creeping devaluation's would become self-defeating. Export prices have a tendency to adjust to the new (expected) parity, neutralizing the advantage in the external value of the currency. The studies done on the export performance seem to support this contention. Also, those who do empirical work on world trade would recognize that sometimes export performance can only be explained by what may be called the comparative political advantage. Concerning imports, I do not see any reason why some obvious non-essential imports cannot be banned in order to conserve the hard-earned foreign exchange. 3. Agriculture: It is not too late to bring about a meaningful reform in the agricultural sector of the country. It would be a mistake to minimize the importance of agriculture for the future of Pakistan. The so-called high-tech advanced economies jealously guard their agricultural sector and aggressively protect it in their foreign economic policies. 4. Education: The country needs to provide its citizens with modern education, not only in natural sciences but in social sciences and humanities as well. The present system of madaris cannot accomplish that goal, even with some introduction of modern curriculum. The need is to develop an attitude of mind that promotes inductive approach to problems of life. That will be possible only if the curriculum is liberated from the thick shadows of Imam Ghazali. In the universities, it is important to set higher standards for research and publications, a goal that cannot be achieved without giving a real sense of dignity and freedom to the scholars. At present, there are only pockets of solid scholarship, oases of intellectual activity against enormous obstacles. 5. Poverty: The only effective means to alleviate poverty is to increase economic growth that is equitable and pro-poor. The Chicago model would permit giving entitlement and property rights to the under-privileged. That may or may not be an important factor in promoting development. China has managed a remarkable economic progress without conventional property rights. However, China was not able to reduce inequalities through economic growth in its sophisticated cities. That impetus came from rural development in the 1980s, which cut the poverty rates. One could still argue that in the informal sectors, introduction of insurance, limited liability, and marketing that accompany property rights would produce appropriate results in a country such as Pakistan. One needs not cast doubts on the property rights, in order to emphasize that the state has the responsibility to correct market imperfections and to implement social programs. Health, education, basic needs and shelter cannot be left to the market forces. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010611 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Self Assessment Scheme allowed to public companies ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Khaleeq Kiani ISLAMABAD, June 10: The government has decided to extend "Self- Assessment Scheme" to all the public limited listed companies, banks, financial institutions, leasing and modaraba companies in the fiscal year 2001-02. The legislative and administrative measures to strengthen Self- Assessment Scheme (SAS) would be introduced through the Finance Ordinance 2001 that would give legal cover to the budget 2001-02, documents made available to Dawn reveal. Central Board of Revenue Chairman Riaz Hussain Naqvi has claimed that International Monetary Fund, the finance minister, the Committee to Revise Income Tax Ordinance (CRITO) and the CBR itself have approved these new measures which would be released as part of the budget document. In view of the revenue risk and limitations of section 59 of the Income Tax Ordinance, the scheme would be applicable to all persons and cases except public companies and companies engaged in the business of banking, leasing and modaraba in the assessment year 2001-02 and the law would be amended to provide for all embracing permanent self-assessment for the assessment year 2002-03. The CBR would provide elaborate disclosure requirements for banks, leasing companies and modarabas to ensure that they provide correct statements and do not hide facts because they were the largest revenue spinners, claimed the CBR chairman. For the audit of these companies separate enabling provisions will also be made whereby the income tax commissioners would be empowered to select, for any reason, any of these companies or banks for audit. Their audit will not form part of general random and parametric selection for other ordinary business. The CBR will also prescribe, for revenue consideration, a minimum of 10 per cent increase over the last assessed or declared income, whichever is higher, for the assessment year 2001-02. However, public limited companies, banks, financial institutions would not be subjected to parametric selection for audit. For main revenue spinners or the largest tax dodgers like textiles, the commissioners would be empowered to select any company for audit, for any reason. It would be specifically incorporated in the scheme that selection for total audit should be made through computer ballot on random or parametric basis and the formula for selection of cases should be confidential as per universal international practices. The IMF, the tax reforms committee and the CBR have also agreed that self-assessment would be available only to those who maintained minimum prescribed accounts. The announcement to this effect would be made in the Finance Ordinance 2001 so that tax payers get notice in advance. The requirement of accounts on the pattern of accounts prescribed for sales tax with emphasis on filing stock inventory has been incorporated in the scheme. The accounts to be prescribed for each category would be notified before June 30, 2002. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010612 ------------------------------------------------------------------- World Bank decides to give $60 million for SAP ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ihtashamul Haque ISLAMABAD, June 11: The World Bank has decided to extend 60 million dollars to Pakistan for the Social Action Program (SAP-II). We will immediately process disbursements for the withdrawal applications that have been submitted to us", says Abid Hasan, Acting Country Director of the World Bank for Pakistan and Afghanistan. "I wish to record our appreciation for all the federal and provincial governments' staff who have made this happen", he added. In a letter, dated June 7, to the Secretary-General, Ministry of Finance, Moeen Afzal, Mr Hasan said that the withdrawal applications currently with the Bank, amounted to approximately 60 million dollars and would be disbursed from the EC Trust and the IDA credit. The government was informed that the World Bank was ready to discuss any detailed questions regarding the status of individual sub-program disbursements. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010613 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Exports grew by 7.24% during July-May: FBS ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, June 12: Country's exports grew by 7.24% during July-May, 2000-2001 to $8.249 billion against $7.693 billion during the same period of last year. According to provisional data released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) on Tuesday, exports from Pakistan during 11 months of this fiscal stood at Rs 478.715bn compared to Rs 398.084 billion during the same period of 1999-2000, showing an increase of 20.25%. Exports during May 2001 increased by 7.83% to $793.146 million over April, 2001 when recorded at $735.579 million and by 4.36% compared to May, 2000 $760.011 million. In rupee terms, export amounted to Rs 49.040 billion in May 2001 compared to Rs 44.920 billion in April, 2001 and Rs 39.367bn during May, 2000 showing an increase of 9.17% over April, 2001 and 24.57% over May, 2000, respectively. Similarly, imports during July-May, 200-2001 totaled at $9.798bn as against $9.296bn during the corresponding period of last year, showing an increase of 5.39%.In terms of rupees, imports valued at Rs 567.967 billion in 11 months as against Rs 481.065bn during the corresponding period of last year showing an increase of 18.06%.Imports into Pakistan during May, 2001 amounted to Rs 58.017 billion compared to Rs 50.008bn in April 2001 and Rs 49.354bn during May, 2000 showing an increase of 16.02% over April 2001 and 17.55% over May 2000. Based on the above provisional figures of imports and exports the balance of trade in May, 2001 was (-) 8,977 million in terms of rupees and (-) 145.204 million in dollars. The balance of trade figures cumulative from July , 2000 to May 2001 were (-) 89.252 billion in terms of rupees and (-) 1.548bn in dollars.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010616 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PIBs sale short of target: Fallout of hike in TBs yield ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Mohiuddin Aazim KARACHI, June 15: Institutional investors showed little interest in 10-year Pakistan Investment Bonds apparently due to recent hiking of short-term treasury bills yield that has made the bonds less attractive for them. The State Bank could sell only Rs 4.3 billion worth of bonds against the target of Rs 12 billion. SBP had received Rs 4.6 billion bids of which it accepted bids worth Rs 3.4 billion and scrapped the rest. As usual SBP advanced no reason for rejecting the bids but as all the rejected bids were far below par value most bankers say the rejection indicated that SBP was not ready to sell the bonds at extremely low prices. Despite that it was for the first time since the launching of the bonds in December 2000 that the central bank sold them not only at par or on premium but also at discounted value. Bankers said the State Bank sold Rs 3.8 billion bonds at par and Rs 500 million bonds at slightly discounted price i.e. for Rs 99.80 per Rs 100. This means that SBP raised the yield on Rs 500 million bonds from a fixed 14 per cent to 14.03 per cent. Bankers say this otherwise negligible rise in the yield has a symbolic value. Bankers say SBP should not desist from hiking up long-term interest rates if it continues to defend the rupee by enhancing discount rate and T- bills rate.Back to the top
EDITORIALS & FEATURES 20010610 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Allah be praised! ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ardeshir Cowasjee HELD in Bangladesh, at Dhaka, on June 1 and 2 was the South Asian Conference on Fundamentalism & Communalism: Role of Civil Society. Two participants from Pakistan were Air Marshal Asghar Khan and Educationist Hamza Alavi, both of whom delivered strongly worded papers on how this malaise affects Pakistan. The Air Marshal's theme was universalism and the inability of the Muslim countries to come to grips with the modern world, adapt to it, and learn to live in and with it. The ideas of human liberty, equality and fraternity, the democratic belief that all men are equal in rights and obligations, and the promotion of rationalism and scientific thinking do not sit easily with adherents to the Muslim faith. As said Asghar: "The simple idea of human liberty and settling issues by rational means, employing scientific modes of thinking has escaped Muslims. Unless this deficiency is removed there can be no hope for their progress." As is so amply illustrated by the examples of Pakistan and its unfortunate creation, the Taliban: "Orthodox ulema preach against rationalism and liberalism. They represent today forces and tendencies that have kept Muslims weak, divided and backward. They actually operate as a priestly class that demands special privileges." He touched upon the modern phenomenon of the establishment of Islamic states, a concept that came into existence in the 20th century, brought on by some form of insecurity. For in earlier years, Islamic scholars of all sects were at ease with the various political systems and rulers of their countries. Islam was not proclaimed to be in conflict with kings, presidents, dictators, heads of government. It existed in tranquillity, at peace with the world. The Khomeini revolution and the Taliban have established the rule of the clergy, a concept foreign to the basic tenets of pure Islam. Religion has evolved into a weapon in the hands of unscrupulous corrupt men hungry for absolute power. As said the Air Marshal: "Unless Muslims learn the simple principle of not allowing individuals, whether mullahs or generals, to use religion for their own benefit, troubles will continue". This, we here in Pakistan, have learnt to our cost. The strife between the Muslim world and the rest of the world is a no-win situation. The Air Marshal's final summation: "There is a lot of learned discussion of what are western values and what are eastern norms. Europe and the West have no proprietary rights over ideas such as equality, liberty and fraternity or social justice. They belong to the whole world and underpin modern civilization... they belong to all of us. Human values and rights are universal. An idea is not a geographical entity. No matter where it was born, it belongs to all mankind." Hamza Alavi's concentration in his paper, The rise of fundamentalism in Pakistan, was on how this bogey has overtaken Pakistan's society and politics, slowly and surely. Uneducated bigots in the form of mullahs and maulanas, who wave a gun in one hand and the Quran in the other, have been pandered to by our unscrupulous politicians who have used these fanatics to promote their own aims and intents. Ziaul Haq is of course the bete noire who really knew how to manipulate religion and its dangerous unstable leaders. He was the one who brought them to the fore, into prominence, and gave them an importance which has so damaged this country, its economy, its law and order and its image. However, Alavi dates the misuse, abuse and exploitation of religion for political ends back to the days of the country's first prime minister. When Liaquat Ali Khan moved his Objectives Resolution in the Constituent Assembly in 1949, nowhere in it was contained the word 'Sharia', nor did it advocate the imposition of an Islamic rule. It merely stated "Muslims shall be enabled to order their lives, in the individual and collective spheres, in accord with the teachings and requirements of Islam...". It also provided for non-Muslims to "freely profess and practice their religions". Liaquat maintained the traditional secularism of the Muslim League, and of its true leader, sadly by then dead, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. But he shortly afterwards changed his position, putting away the traditional secular stance as his political base became threatened by splits in the Punjab League, the true base of power. Daultana and Mamdot were in conflict; Mamdot quit the League and formed his own party. Liaquat panicked. He further panicked at the situations in East Bengal, Sindh and Balochistan, where powerful movements had arisen against what was felt to be Punjabi domination. Regional autonomy and fairer shares were demanded. Unrest was rampant. So, according to Alavi, he grabbed at the straw of Islamic rhetoric ; he was the first to wave the banner 'Islam in danger', a banner that has been waved down the years whenever one of our tinpot despots in or out of uniform have wished to consolidate themselves or attempt to hang on to waning power. Liaquat abandoned Jinnah's stand, and his own former stand, against any form of pandering to the religious right. He laid the path. In a way he institutionalised the abhorrent practice. He gave the mullahs "a visible public role, but without any real share in power". He established a Board of Talimaat-i-Islam to provide jobs for the senior ranking mullahs, the ulema. "But the Board was to be no more than a facade for the new found religious rhetoric of politicians". Thus it came about over 50 years ago, and has been with us ever since. The next manifestation of the cynical exploitation of religion through its blind zealots was the anti-Ahmadi riots in Punjab, engineered by Chief Minister Mumtaz Daultana for reasons which Alavi declared were too complicated and far too lengthy to be related at the conference. Then we come to General Yahya Khan's years, when surprisingly religiosity and religious rhetoric again reared its ugly head. "General Sher Ali redefined 'Pakistan ideology' as 'Islamic ideology'", the Yahya government's primary concern being to delegitimize the growing, threatening Bengali nationalism. We all know where that led. Along came Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who "misguidedly decided to exploit religious ideology" and whose "foolish populist rhetoric" stirred the mullahs into action. As said Alavi, therein lay the seeds of his own self-destruction and the coming to power of Ziaul Haq, the subsequent 'Islamization', "the crude and cruel distortions of Islamic teachings", Shariat courts (the equivalent of which exist in no other Muslim country), and many other perversions. Zia, of course, claimed to have a direct line to the Almighty by whom he declared he had been appointed. He was helped along by the Afghanistan situation and the consequent proliferation of militant mind-numbing deeni madaris, wherein lay the seeds of the Taliban menace which now hangs over us like the legendary sword of Damocles. Pakistan was totally transformed, openly in thrall to the mad mullahs. Alavi dwelt on the matter of the most damaging decision so far taken by the Shariat courts, "manned by persons who hold rigid religious views" - the abolition of interest in all its forms to be achieved by the end of this month. "No enemy of Pakistan could have devised a more potent weapon to destroy the country," he said, with reason. Now, on Thursday, UBL filed an application in the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the Shariat Court order and all we can hope is that law, justice and, above all, sanity will prevail. Hopefully, General Pervez Musharraf having spoken as he spoke at the Seerat conference on June 5, Alavi's statement that "the present government seems paralysed in the face of the diehard religious lobby" no longer holds true. It may be that at last the generals, in their combined wisdom, have realised that the Republic of Pakistan and its people can no longer be held hostage, as Musharraf put it, by a minority of obscurantists intent on dragging them backwards into the dark ages.Musharraf has declared his willingness to meet the Indian premier, Atal Behari Vajpayee, at any time, at any place. Wise Vajpayee has extended a hand of friendship which Musharraf has gracefully accepted. Much cannot be expected from the first meeting but even if it ends with each saying to the other, 'Glad to have met you and hope we meet again soon', it will be an achievement. The general should not take with him any of those misguided beings with fixed, set, unbendable minds. And as for his foreign minister, what can one say about him other than to quote from a news item of June 9? Reportedly, on June 8, Abdul Sattar, foreign affairs expert, sent a congratulatory message to Robin Cook, the former British foreign secretary: " ... I look forward to working with you for improvement of our bilateral ties in all fields." Jack Straw was appointed British Foreign Secretary on June 8. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010615 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan's Khatimids: eyeless across the waters ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ayaz Amir Twice with huge majorities have the people of Iran elected Muhammad Khatami as their president in the hope that he would roll back the influence of the Iranian clergy and usher in an era of reform and liberalization. To his supporters his first stint in office was a disappointment because he lacked the power to implement his policies or put flesh on his good intentions. It is still too early to say how his second term as president shapes up. But the signs are not auspicious, for he remains a hobbled president, his popularity not underpinned with real power. The army and the judiciary continue to be in the grip of the conservative elements who look to Iran's spiritual leader, Ali Khamenei, for guidance. How different the situation in Pakistan. The glory and reality of power unite in General Musharraf's person. Notwithstanding his insatiable appetite for official briefings, he is his own spiritual guide and philosopher and his own implementer of policy. The only college of cardinals he has occasionally to defer to is the corps commanders conference but with the hierarchical principle embedded firmly in the Pakistan army's psyche, this deferment is often more nominal than real. What the Chief, in closet confabulation with his closest colleagues, proposes is what becomes official doctrine and policy. With major-generals, brigadiers and colonels virtually swarming out of the woodwork and spreading over different layers of the administration, the bureaucracy is cowed down and demoralized. What remains of its spirit is gradually ebbing away at the prospect of the administrative changes likely to be wrought in the name of devolution. Every military dictatorship in Pakistan hitherto was a partnership between the army and the bureaucracy. By putting army officers everywhere and pushing the bureaucracy into a subordinate position General Musharraf's dispensation is breaking new ground in this regard. The political parties are lost, the Sharifs in darkest limbo, Ms Bhutto in desperate straits, the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy more a collection of comic characters than a coalition to be taken seriously. The plight of the politicians is not the stuff of legend or resistance but a study in despair. All previous military dictators had to contend with vibrant opposition parties. Musharraf was handed their irrelevance on a platter. Nor did he have to do anything to earn this advantage. When he arrived on the scene such was the performance of the political parties during the previous ten years that they had already played themselves out of the reckoning. Judge of the military government's strength by some other yardsticks. No political government could have put Dr A. Q. Khan, Pakistan's self-promoting Oppenheimer, out to pasture. No political leader could have bearded the maulanas in their den the way General Musharraf did on the occasion of the Prophet's birthday when he asked the assembled doctors of the faith to heed the lessons of realism. No political government could have so faithfully followed the IMF's prescriptions of economic belt-tightening as the Musharraf government has done. In contrast to Khatami's powerlessness, so much power then at Musharraf's disposal. But to what uses has this power been put? Mao extolled the virtues of a clean sheet of paper because on it the most exquisite drawings could be sketched. On the relatively clean slate Musharraf got what has he been able to draw? Certainly, the army faces handicaps, not least in the shape of the economic crisis the country faces. With Pakistan crushed under debt, there is no money to go around, no money to spend on welfare projects. But this precisely is the test of leadership: to make the best of scarce resources. Other countries have faced severer hardships than anything experienced by Pakistan. But they have met them with fortitude: made hard choices, cut down on flab and concentrated on essentials. The effects of the US trade embargo are visible in Cuba. What would be shiny elsewhere in Cuba gives a rundown appearance. But revolutionary Cuba made its choices long ago. While no one there starves, the standard of living for ordinary Cubans is not high. There is certainly little of the tacky consumerism that passes for prosperity in most other countries. But then Cuba's health and education sectors are amongst the best in the world. Of our economic circumstances we keep on whining but what painful waste-cutting surgery have we undertaken to meet this challenge? As the burden on the poor and the not-so-rich steadily increases, there is no let-up in the extravagance which is the hallmark of Pakistani governance. Indeed, from the way things are run in Islamabad, and from the fleets of cars whizzing the good and great (including the military brass) from place to place, no outsider would guess Pakistan was in deep financial trouble. In any event, the effectiveness of government is not solely to be judged on the basis of money. Even if there is no money to spread around, what about the quality of administration or the delivery of services? Every authoritarian government claims that it has made the trains run on time. What metaphorical trains run on time in General Musharraf's dispensation? Law and order: not even the most sanguine of observers would say it has improved in the last year and a half. The same holds true for the quality of justice, the attitude of the police, the education available in state schools, the health care on offer in state hospitals. The same corruption, extortion and delays everywhere. Far from improving, the normal operations of government, already down and out, have been battered further. The government's whiz-kids say they are stabilizing the economy. The World Bank and the IMF certainly seem impressed by their efforts which is why aid money has started flowing in Pakistan's direction again. But a thought might have been spared for stabilizing the administration too. Instead of which a Great Leap Forward is being contemplated in the name of devolution. Even if there are good things in the devolution plan, the question to ask is whether even a brilliant theory is worth anything in the hands of bumbling experts. Or take a look at Karachi. One of the undeniable achievements of Benazir Bhutto's second administration was to break the back of the MQM's near-insurgency in the summer of 1995. The army (let us not forget) had earlier failed to bring peace to Karachi. With the help of the police and the Intelligence Bureau, Maj-Gen Naseerullah Babar broke the back of the MQM's armed resistance and put its cadres to flight. Smarting from that experience the MQM lay low for a long time. Now, as its strike calls attest, it is rearing its head once more. With sectarian killings and a resurgent MQM, the situation in Karachi today, when a military government is in power, is more uncertain than at any time during the last five years. Every now and then Lt-Gen Moinuddin Haider, the interior minister, blows hot and cold over sectarianism. But what exactly has he or his government done to stamp out this menace? Shahbaz Sharif took a tougher line against sectarianism than any general. Musharraf has only called Qazi Hussain Ahmed an "unbalanced" character. Shahbaz Sharif actually took on the Jamaat-i-Islami and as a response to the violent scenes the Jamaat created on the occasion of Mr Vajpayee's bus trip to Lahore gave its activists a lesson they are not likely to forget in a hurry. That the Musharraf government is in power and there is no one to challenge its authority is an undisputed fact. That there are good aspects to this government - tolerance of dissenting views, General Musharraf's relaxed and easy personality - is also not in dispute. But that stability at the top is accompanied by sloppy and ineffective administration below is equally true. Sure, in the little over a year and a half that it has been in power, the Musharraf government has improved its standing in the eyes of the world. But it has not improved its standing with the Pakistani people whose stoical attitude mirrors these words of Odysseus: "Be patient now, my soul; thou hast endured still worse than this." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010616 ------------------------------------------------------------------- How about some compassion? ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Irfan Husain Year in and year out, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan documents the horrors inflicted by the government and society on the weak and the disadvantaged. Minorities, women and prisoners of every stripe are humiliated, tortured and oppressed in an institutionalized fashion. Foreign human rights organizations point out these excesses regularly as well. But rather than taking steps to halt these horrors, successive governments, some journalists and the elite prefer to dismiss these reports as exaggerated, uninformed and an "interference in Pakistan's internal affairs." The police and sundry intelligence agencies use torture as a routine investigative tool; in fact, it is their only investigative tool. Even fingerprinting, a 150-year-old technology, is not widely used as our cops prefer to thrash suspects to within an inch of their lives. But we are all comfortable with this state of affairs. All discussions of the endlessly debated police reforms revolve around the structure of the proposed set-up and not the method of investigating crime. However, lest we feel we are alone in this socially accepted and sanctioned brutality, let me introduce those readers unfamiliar with his unbiased and honest reporting to Robert Fisk. Writing for The Independent, Fisk recently filed this despairing article: "Why, I ask myself, am I spending more time than ever in 25 years covering the Middle East, cataloguing the barbarity, torture, hangings, head-chopping and human rights abuses of the region? No, I'm not talking about Israel's death squads, its vile torture apparatus at the Russian compound in Jerusalem and its shoot-to- kill army, some units of which are turning into an undisciplined rabble. I'm talking about the blind, cruel, vindictive Muslim regimes of the Middle East. Because I'm beginning to ask myself if there isn't something uniquely terrible about the way they treat their people, the way they kill their people, the way they abuse them and flog them and string them up..." It is perhaps revealing that Saddam Hussein, despite the hundreds of thousands of deaths he is responsible for, continues to be a hero to millions of Muslims across the Islamic world. I know the following passage will not make any converts, but let me quote from the preface to Samir Al-Khalil's book (published in 1989) "Republic of Fear": Since I finished writing Republic of Fear, the chamber of horrors that is Saddam hussein's Iraq has mushroomed into something not even the most morbid imagination could have foreseen. The war with Iran ended in the summer of 1988 on favorable terms for Iraq. But did the violence stop, or even abate? On the contrary, it turned in on itself... "The day after the cease-fire came into effect, Iraqi warplanes went into action with chemical weapons against Kurdish villages. Between August 25 and 27, several thousand helpless civilians died. The attacks continued on a systematic basis through September. It had of course been done before, in the town of Halabja in March 1988 where around 6,000 perished... How many died in these attacks? We may never know. Tens of thousands of army deserters had collected since 1980 in the marshes region of southern Iraq. They were given an ultimatum. What happened to those who handed themselves in? We know only what happened to those who didn't; they were gassed." Al-Khalil goes on to lament the silence that greets such viciousness outside Iraq: "Western governments looking toward lucrative markets... are not doing enough. They turn a blind eye to the worst excesses when these do not involve them directly. More ominous is the active support Saddam Hussein's regime receives from the Arab world - from regimes in particular but also from public opinion... Not a word of condemnation of the indiscriminate use of poison gas to eliminate a civilian population has appeared in the Arab press..." Nor in the press here, one might add. It is not the widespread use of systematic violence in our part of the world that is as disturbing as its easy acceptance at every level of society. Defenders of the system point to the blood on the hands of other civilizations at different points in history. But actions are judged in the context of their times: just because other societies destroyed statues in earlier times is no justification for the Taliban to blast the magnificent giant Buddha carvings in Bamiyan. Similarly, Halaku Khan's trail of terror does not give his successors the license to kill. Nevertheless, the blood-letting does not stop: in Algeria, tens of thousands of innocents have been slaughtered, many by having their throats slit, in an unending civil war. Thousands of Kurds have been killed in Iraq, Turkey and Iran over the years. We Pakistanis have the blood of an unknown number of Bengalis on our hands. Iranians and Iraqis bled each other white for a decade. And everywhere in the Muslim world, torturers and hangmen go about their grisly task every day. Back to Fisk: "Down in Saudi Arabia, where public execution is a fine art, they're well on their way to meeting last year's rich crop of 113 beheadings... Our friends the Saudis are second only to the merciless Saddam when it comes to butchering their people in public... Then there's the other refinement of Saudi sadism: "cross amputation" (the chopping off of right hand and left foot for supposed crimes)..." Apologists for these regimes seek refuge behind concepts like "Muslim traditions" and "deterrent punishment" as if the world had not moved forward from the days when cruelty was built into statecraft. But now fundamental human rights are at the heart of constitutions around the world. For a modern state to indulge in such barbarism on a daily basis is to deny the progress humanity has made over the centuries. For believers, here are some words from Fisk's article to ponder over: "What does it represent, this behavior by the states of the Middle East? Yes, I know the Americans are poisoning, frying or shooting their condemned at a ferocious rate. And of course I know about 'sharia' law. I've heard more than I want to about its severity. But what about the mercy and compassion that are among the first words of the Quran? In Arab and Iranian homes, Muslim families exhibit infinitely more compassion and love than westerners. They don't send their elderly and incurably sick to die in nursing institutions. The old and the fatally ill spend their last days in their family homes, cared for to the end by relatives. Shame on us. But how come the same men and women can stand on a rooftop to scream at a woman strangling on a rope?"
SPORTS 20010610 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Australia beat Pakistan by 7 wkts ------------------------------------------------------------------- CARDIFF, June 9: Australia beat Pakistan by seven wickets in their triangular series One-day International, Shane Warne paving the way with three wickets and Ricky Ponting hitting a high-speed 70. Pakistan, opting to bat, recovered from a bad start to reach 257 before they were dismissed on the penultimate ball of their 50 overs. Australia, however, never looked in trouble despite losing Adam Gilchrist early to pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar. Ponting, looking in brilliant form, made 70 off 68 balls including 12 boundaries, and Mark Waugh made 47 as the two put on 92 from 88 balls for the second wicket. Captain Steve Waugh (54 not out) and Michael Bevan (56 not out) put on an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 116 as Australia reached the target in the 46th over.-Reuters DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010612 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hanif expects Germany to be a tougher opponent ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Shazad Ali KARACHI, June 11: Hanif Khan, rated Germany the most challenging outfit his side will be facing in the four-nation tournament during the back-breaking tour to Europe. "The Germans are to give Pakistan a testing time during the four- nation in Hamburg, the major event of the tour," Hanif told Dawn. Pakistan begin their tour with matches on June 15 and 17 against Spain. They then travel to Hamburg to play a match against hosts Germany on June 20 followed by quadrangular tournament from June 22-24 involving world and Olympic champions The Netherlands, South Korea and Germany. According to a slight change in the program, Pakistan will be facing Belgium on June 26 in Brussels on their way to Amstelveen to play three Tests against The Netherlands on June 28, 30 and July 1. Hanif said the reason to consider Germany a potentially dangerous side was they had been fielding a settled team for the last two years. He said the Germans were under the wings of coach Paul Lissek when they appeared in Azlan Shah tournament in Kuala Lumpur last year and Sydney Olympics in September. "I have watched them in both the events and they were quite impressive. I must say they will dominate the game in the time to come," he said. He said Germany, had mostly youngsters in their ranks with 18 to 22-year-old players, while Pakistan an average age of 25. "The Germans will also be having home crowd and ground advantage in Hamburg." "The Koreans, the Olympic silver medallists, will be the second challenge for us due to their fast pace and short passing game which is quite difficult to handle," he added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010612 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PSB rejects POA's plea for review of sports policy ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Reporter ISLAMABAD, June 11: Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) out rightly rejected request by the Pakistan Olympic Association to have the national sports policy reviewed. "There is going to be no review of the policy," Brig Saulat Abbas, Director General (PBS) declared Monday following reports in the press that the POA had requested the ministry of sports to reconsider its decision of restricting the tenures of federation officials to two terms of four years each. The decision will be a killer blow to all long-serving officials of the federations including the POA, which has so far used the Olympic charter that reportedly forbids government interference in sports federations, as a means to blackmail the government. But PSB chief dismissed this impression and said that nowhere does the Olympic charter say that the government cannot put a limit on the tenures of office-bearers running the national federations. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010614 ------------------------------------------------------------------- India never ruled out playing in Pakistan ------------------------------------------------------------------- Monitoring Desk SHARJAH, June 13: The International Cricket Council (ICC) chief Malcolm Gray has said that the Indian Sports Minister Uma Bharti never ruled out India playing in Pakistan but had only slammed the BCCI officials for jumping the gun regarding the government announcement. "The minister never said India would not play in Pakistan. She only hit out at the Indian board for making the announcement before getting the approval from the country's foreign affairs ministry," Gray said. "Now that we have a Test championship in place, what we can do is to deduct the points if a particular country refused to play with the other for political reason," he said. As for tackling the issue of non-regular venues (as Bharti described some), he said programming of the cricket schedule on a more global basis by the ICC could help solve the problem. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010613 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Miandad tells court he was misquoted ------------------------------------------------------------------- LAHORE, June 12: Lahore High Court was informed by former coach and captain Javed Miandad that he didn't accuse the senior players of being involved in match-fixing during this year's tour to New Zealand. Miandad claimed that the situation was created due to mis- reporting. Asghar Haider, the counsel for Miandad, also produced a written reply on behalf of Miandad. The court also granted permission to the petitioner's counsel to make party to a reporter of a foreign news agency and reporter of a national Urdu daily who had allegedly misquoted Miandad's statement. The counselor Aftab Bajawa had requested the court to summon the reporters to clarify the situation. The court also admitted the request of Javed Miandad for exemption from appearance to the court.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010613 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shoaib, Sami ruled out of remaining tri-series ties ------------------------------------------------------------------- LONDON, June 12: Pakistan pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar's England tour ended in disappointment on Tuesday after he was ruled out of the rest of the triangular One-day International series. Assistant team manager Mohammad Ahmed said: "He's not feeling well and is unfit for international cricket." The 25-year-old bowler, who is now set to play for an English village team, fell ill with a mystery stomach problem at the start of the month after playing in the first of two Tests against England. He spent a night in hospital but blood tests and a stomach scan proved negative. He returned for the one-day defeat against Australia at Cardiff on Saturday but left the field halfway through his spell, clutching his stomach. He later reportedly vomited and coughed up blood. Shoaib is now expected to play for an English village team in Kent, Lashings, which has recruited a series of West Indian internationals this season including Brian Lara. -Reuters/AFP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010615 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shoaib's injury, contract makes Yawar unhappy ------------------------------------------------------------------- Monitoring Desk KARACHI, June 14: The steam is out of the 'Rawalpindi Express' Shoaib Akhtar or so it seems with his unceremonious exit midway through the England tour and a stern warning by the management to "either find a bowling guru or risk going right off the rails". Akhtar missed the triangular one-day match against England due to poor fitness. It had been reported the paceman had vomited blood during a game at Cardiff, and Wales. The bowler has now signed to make big money from the Kent village-cum-celebrity side Lashings. His first game could be as soon as this Friday, against an East Kent League Representative XI at Sutton Valence. But the team management were apparently not pleased with either the injury or his new assignment as the paceman had already cost nearly Rs 10 million on his medical treatments, hiring of a bowling coach exclusively for him and his boarding and lodging expenses over almost one year. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010616 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Waqar has revenge, psychology in mind ------------------------------------------------------------------- CHESTER-LE-STREET, June 15: Pakistan captain Waqar Younis has revenge and psychology in mind as his team prepare to take on world champions Australia in the triangular one-day series at The Riverside on Saturday. Although the game is academic with both sides already through to the Lord's final on June 23, Waqar said it was vital for Pakistan's confidence to win at least one of their last two round-robin matches against the so-far unbeaten Australians. "Tomorrow�s game is important for us. I'm not sure if it's that important for the Australians but it is very important for us to give a good show before the final," the fast bowler told Reuters. "We need to win at least once against them, at Riverside or at Trent Bridge, so we can have a little psychological effect on them for the final." Steve Waugh's Australia, the 1999 World Cup champions, have won their first three triangular tournament outings while Pakistan, who lost to the Aussies by seven wickets in Cardiff, have won twice in three matches.-Reuters ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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