------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 24 November 2001 Issue : 07/47 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Contents | National News | Business & Economy | Editorials & Features | Sports
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CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + Musharraf to stay as President + Karazai may get PM slot in interim setup + Team leaves for Kabul to trace Pakistanis + Non-Afghan fighters will not get safe passage + Pakistan closes Taliban embassy + Taliban rule out talks on Kandahar + Pakistan came out of crisis safely: Anwer + Pakistan playing major role in UN: Shamshad + Nangarhar gets interim govt + ANP not supporting govt: Asfandyar + Benazir urges CE to broaden political base + Pakistan wants UN to move quickly: No asylum for Osama, Omar + Pakistan's border policy remains unchanged + PPP seeks directive to EC: preparation for polls + PPP might part ways with ARD + PPP critcizes Saif release + Asif Zardari says he will not leave country + Asif assets case hearing adjourned + SC dismisses Asif plea against LHC order + Taj Co depositors' agony continues + Hoti still with Sharif + TNSM chief jailed for three years + Sino-Pakistan border reopens partially + Ahmed Faraz undergoes operations + Pir Pagara injured in accident + Charges framed against Jehangir Badar + Asma for case against military officer + 120 shops gutted by fire in cloth market + Court rejects Adnan's petition seeking child's custody + Former director of NIH indicted on corruption charges --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + US ready to defer loan repayments + Pakistan seeks debt relief from Paris Club + WB strategy for reconstruction of Afghanistan + UNDP to provide $168m: Shaukat + MoU signed for defence ties with Romania + SBP lifts foreign exchange quotas: Overseas travelling + US trying to end illegal transfer of money to Pakistan + Court bars ex-BCCI man from selling property --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + The Nazims' nizam Ardeshir Cowasjee + The fantasies of Pakistani liberalism Ayaz Amir + History's hard lessons Irfan Husain ----------- SPORTS + Pakistan take 2-0 lead + Pakistan Open in March + Khaqan and Salman dominate Pakistan's impressive victory + Pakistan to bid for senior and junior World Cups + PCB requests CBFS to reschedule tournament + Shoaib not yet exonerated + Pakistan monitoring controversy + PCB and BCCI discuss saga
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS 20011124 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf to stay as President ------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has decided to continue to hold the office of the presidency even after the October 2002 elections, informed sources said here. He would, however, not go through the process of elections but perhaps use the powers he enjoys today under the provisional constitution order (PCO) to give himself an extension of at least three years. The president, it is believed, feels that it would take him at least about three to four years to complete and strengthen the democratic and other institutions which he had started building soon after taking over the government on October 12, 1999. Therefore, the sources added, he had decided to remain president for three to four years more. It is not clear if he would continue to hold the post of COAS in which he had already given himself extension for an indefinite period. The sources said the elections would be held in time and there was no plan to set up a coalition government. Also, they said, the government was cutting no deals with any political party. They said the government was rather amused at the way some politicians were trying to create the impression that any deal was in the offing. When asked about the scheduled visit of Benazir Bhutto to India, the sources said the government was fully in control of things in the country and was not at all perturbed by such developments. Meanwhile, the government is said to be continuously studying its Afghan policy and the policy makers reportedly meet every other day to assess the situation. The government, it is said, believes that it had successfully safeguarded its national security, its Kashmir cause and nuclear assets in the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy. However, the recent statements by some US diplomats equating the Kashmir freedom struggle and terrorism have caused Pakistan to take up the issue with various world leaders. Pakistan is also concerned about the growing public perception that it was being ordered around by the US. There were reports that the US was searching Pakistan's ships in its waters for Osama bin Laden and also that it had closed down the Taliban embassy on the instructions of the US. The government is said to be chalking out a strategy to counter this impression. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011124 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Karazai may get PM slot in interim setup ------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: Hamid Karazai, former foreign minister of Afghanistan with royal family links and a respected Pakhtoon leader, is likely to get an important position in the transitional government that is expected to emerge following the UN-sponsored Bonn conference of all Afghan factions scheduled to be held in the coming week. Informed circles did not rule out the possibility of Mr Karazai getting the prime ministerial slot with the former King, Zahir Shah, functioning as a symbolic figure head of the state. These circles said Pakistan, which has no objection to Zahir Shah playing a role in keeping the unity of Afghanistan intact with his presence in the country, would be more than satisfied if Karazai was made the chief executive in the transitional government. Pakistan, these circles said, was likely to send two high-level officials including one from the foreign office to Bonn to attend the conference as interested observers. According to these circles, Islamabad was at first very much upset with the arrival of Northern Alliance troops in Kabul but later dismissed the unsavoury development as a tactical reverse because the world, Islamabad realized, was still pursuing the final objective of getting a broad-based, multi-ethnic government formed in Kabul. Afghan watchers in Islamabad said that the Northern Alliance troops were encouraged by Iran in its own self interest to take over Kabul after Taliban vacated the city. Pakistan was also worried in the beginning at the absence of any known Pakhtoon face who would be able to bring all the Pakhtoon factions together and enable them to speak with one voice. The Uzbeks were being led by Commander Rashid Dostum, Tajiks by Commander Fahim, the Hazaras by Commander Khalili, Commander Ismail was in control of Herat, and there were a number of strongholds in the North which were being led by pro-Rabbani commanders. However, as soon as the war in Afghanistan entered into its decisive phase a number of Pakhtoon leaders with known faces also came into the picture. These included Maulvi Qadeer and Deen Mohammad, both brothers of Commander Haq who was killed by the Taliban very early in the war. Younis Khalis and Commander Wardek were also considered to be high-profile Pakhtoon leaders with significant following. Prof Abur Rab Rasul Sayyaf and Gulbadin Hikmatyar too are expected to take a position along with the Pakhtoon majority. However, informed circles here identified Hamid Karazai as the man who would finally end up representing the Pakhtoons as well as the country itself which it is believed is likely to emerge as a loose federation administered by the jirga system both at the local as well as at the federal level. Pakistan is said to be continuing its efforts to get Kabul demilitarized and get the UN to cobble up a multinational force made up of troops from Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Pakistan is also said to be keenly watching what India, Russia and Iran are doing in order to influence the developments in Afghanistan in their favour. However, Islamabad seems to have persuaded itself into accepting the theory that Russia and US were still engaged in an international war of influence peddling, therefore, it believes that with the US visibly on the side of Pakistan, there was not much the Russian and Indian nexus could do to harm Pakistan's interests. Meanwhile, Pakistan is said to have requested the world community to get those trapped in Kunduz to surrender to some authority other than the Northern Alliance and then facilitate the transfer of these persons to Tajikistan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011124 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Team leaves for Kabul to trace Pakistanis ------------------------------------------------------------------- Bureau Report PESHAWAR, Nov 23: An Afghan delegation left here for Kabul to track down missing Pakistani fighters in Afghanistan and secure their release. The 22-member delegation would meet 'President' Rabbani and other Northern Alliance leaders in Kabul and negotiate with them for the release of Pakistani fighters in Afghanistan, a Press release said. The Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat Mohammadi(TNSM) that had mobilised and taken thousands of its activists to Afghanistan to take part in the fight against the United States, says that over 2000 of its fighters are still unaccounted for. Hundreds of Pakistani fighters are holding out along with Taliban and other non-Afghan militants in the besieged northern city of Kunduz. The Northern Alliance says that the non-Afghan fighters would be arrested and tried under the laws of the Islamic State of Afghanistan. The Press release said the Pakistani nation had treated Afghan refugees with sympathy and a spirit of brotherhood since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Therefore, it was incumbent upon the Afghans to try all-out efforts to maintain these relations and secure the release of Pakistanis captured by the Northern Alliance. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011123 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Non-Afghan fighters will not get safe passage ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Nov 22: Coalition forces will not allow a safe passage to non-Afghan fighters besieged in Kunduz by the Northern Alliance, a CIS spokesman said. "We will certainly not like to see the grant of safe passage to the non-afghan fighters back to their countries," Ambassador Kenton Keith of the Coalition Information Service told his daily briefing. All the Taliban fighters would be treated according to international norms, he clarified. He said all the non-Afghan fighters should be detained and registered with the International Commission for Red Crescent and added that their future would be discussed with their countries. He advised the Afghan fighters to lay down their arms immediately to avoid further bloodshed. "The best way to save lives in Kunduz is for the taliban there to surrender." He said they had heard encouraging reports that the Kunduz situation was moving towards a peaceful conclusion. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011123 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan closes Taliban embassy ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Nov 22: The government ordered closure of the Taliban embassy. Speaking at a Press briefing, foreign office spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan said the decision was conveyed to the Afghan Ambassador, Mulla Abdul Salam Zaef. The spokesman said that Pakistan would consider reopening Afghan embassy when a broad-based government in Kabul was put in place. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011121 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Taliban rule out talks on Kandahar ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent SPIN BOLDUK, Nov 20: The Taliban have ignored the call for holding negotiations with any tribal delegation for surrendering Kandahar, and said that Mulla Omar has not authorized Haji Bashar to hold talks in this regard. "All such reports are baseless and wrong. We are not holding talks with any tribal and other groups regarding our withdrawal from Kandahar," Mulla Najibullah Sherzai, a senior official of the Taliban foreign ministry, told reporters on Tuesday. He said that Kandahar was fully under the control of the Taliban. Answering a question, he said Haji Bashar was not chief commander of the Taliban. "He is a supporter of the Taliban and he has no taken part in the war against the United States." He rejected the claims of different tribal groups that they were holding negotiations with Haji Bashar for taking over Kandahar. Mulla Sherzai said that the Taliban had withdrawn from Kabul and other provinces to save the innocent Afghans from the US bombing. "We are planning to take back all these provinces and cities. Soon, the world would see our action in this regard," he pledged. About the Kunduz situation, he said the province was still under the Taliban who were fighting the Northern Alliance forces. However, he pointed out, if Mulla Omar ordered so then the Taliban would withdraw from Kunduz to save the civilians from the bombing. In reply to a question about Osama bin Laden, the Taliban official said they had no information about the presence of Osama in Kandahar. However, he confirmed, that Mulla Omar was in Kandahar, running the government affairs. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011119 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan came out of crisis safely: Anwer ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, Nov 18: The government has steered the country safely through the crisis by following the policy of being part of the international coalition against terrorism. This was stated by Information and Media Development Secretary Syed Anwer Mahmood at a press conference. He called it a "big achievement". Pakistan, he said, supported the war against terrorism as a matter of principle. "If we would not support the international coalition, one cannot imagine the consequences for Pakistan," he said, adding that Pakistan did not join the coalition for any economic consideration. The information secretary reiterated Pakistan's call for a broad- based, multi-ethnic political dispensation in Afghanistan, and said that the Security Council's resolution on the issue had vindicated Islamabad's policy. "There is no other option but to have a multi- ethnic, broad-based government. It is only a matter of time, and the sooner the un moves in that direction the better." Referring to Prof Burhanuddin Rabbani's statement in which he had stated that a meeting of all the Afghan groups would be convened in Kabul to discuss the formation of a broad-based government, the secretary said the international community was moving in that direction and hoped the situation would be soon normalized as a result of the initiatives taken by special UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi. Mr Mahmood said that whichever government was installed in Afghanistan, it would be in the interest of Pakistan to have friendly relations with that. Mr Mahmood said the transitional government and its successor would be broad-based which meant that even the interim government had to be broad-based. He dispelled the concerns of a questioner about the fallout of the present critical situation in Afghanistan and said: "We don't have to be overly worried." Responding to a question about the Taliban, he said that in any political dispensation, Taliban cannot be wished away. There has to be distinction between the hardcore leadership of Taliban under Mulla Omar and thousands of Afghans who followed him. Pakistan, he said, had not yet made any contact with the Northern Alliance and added that the UN envoy was taking initiatives for a broad-based government and when such deliberations took place under the world body, Islamabad would take appropriate steps. "When we talk of a broad-based, multi-ethnic government in Afghanistan, it means that Northern Alliance can be part of that dispensation, he said. Asked about the implications of the government policy on Kashmir issue and relations with India, the information secretary said that by becoming part of the international coalition the government had succeeded in neutralizing Indian propaganda. He said the world leaders had recognized that Kashmir is the core issue which must be resolved by India and Pakistan in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people. He referred to statements of President Gen Pervez Musharraf who had told US President George W. Bush that there was a freedom struggle going on in occupied Kashmir and there should be a difference between a freedom struggle and terrorism. He also referred to the statement of Secretary of State Colin Powell that Kashmir was a dispute which Pakistan and India should resolve through negotiations. Leaders of many other countries, including France and Germany, too were saying that Kashmir was a disputed territory and with this policy Pakistan had, in fact, strengthened the Kashmir cause. He termed reports that Osama bin Laden, Mulla Omar and others had crossed into Pakistan figment of imagination. He described such reports as irresponsible and motivated. About the Afghanistan embassy in Islamabad, he said it would continue to exist till a permanent government took over in Afghanistan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011119 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan playing major role in UN: Shamshad ------------------------------------------------------------------- NEW YORK, Nov 18: Pakistan is playing a leadership role in the United Nations, said the country's permanent representative to the UN, Shamshad Ahmad. He said in an interview with the APP that Pakistan's profile in the world body received a major boost during the recent visit by the president to New York to participate in the general debate of the UN General Assembly. "The president's visit reaffirmed to the international community Pakistan's principled policy on fight against terrorism, which was in keeping with the UN charter and resolutions. Our decision to be a part of the international coalition is rooted in our abhorrence of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations," he said. He said Pakistan was a recognized and respected name in the UN and during the year, it had been elected to the Commission on Human Rights, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, and the Executive Boards of the UN Development Programme and the UN Family Planning Association. Election to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs was with a record 52 votes out of 53. He said Pakistan had also won last month unanimous endorsement of the Asian group for its candidacy for the UN Security Council. Pakistan is a candidate for the non-permanent seat of the UNSC for 2003-04. The elections are to be held during the 57th session of the General Assembly next year. Endorsement by the Asian group, with support from leading countries like Japan, China and Saudi Arabia, has paved the way for Pakistan's victory. He said this was an ample acknowledgement of Pakistan's strong credentials and its commitment to the cause of international peace and security. He said Pakistan was one of the largest troop contributors to UN peacekeeping operations. So far, Pakistan has contributed to 28 peacekeeping operations, including police and civilian personnel beside troops.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011118 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Nangarhar gets interim govt ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Zulfiqar Ali JALALABAD, Nov 17: The Eastern Zone Leadership Council agreed to establish a broad-based, interim arrangement for the Nangarhar province headed by the former governor, Haji Abdul Qadeer. The five-member council appointed Haji Mohammad Zaman corps commander and Commander Hazrat Ali, an ally of the Northern Alliance, security chief of the province bordering Pakistan. Maulvi Mulla Jan Shinwari was nominated deputy corps commander. Functioning as a recommendatory body, the council was set up in Peshawar soon after the Northern Alliance forces captured Mazar-i- Sharif. The Eastern Zone supreme council, comprising Haji Din Mohammad, Qazi Amin Waqad, Maulvi Fazl Hadi Shinwari, Maulvi Samiullah Najeebi and Mir Sameeul Haq, would also announce the interim setup for the another three Pakhtoon-dominated provinces - Kunar, Laghman and Nooristan - within next few days. Talking to Dawn at the Governor's House in Jalalabad, Haji Qadeer, Haji Zaman and Hazrat Ali said that they had accepted the council's decision wholeheartedly and would work for peace and stability in the province. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011119 ------------------------------------------------------------------- ANP not supporting govt: Asfandyar ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ashraf Mumtaz LAHORE, Nov 18: Awami National Party president Asfandyar Wali says his party's policy on Afghanistan is the same which was some 15 years ago and adherence to it does not mean that the ANP has started supporting the Musharraf government. Talking to Dawn, he said his party did not recognize Gen Pervez Musharraf as president and was of the opinion that the elections should be held as early as possible to return the country to democracy. Asfandyar said for the past one decade and a half his party had consistently been demanding an end to foreign interference in Afghanistan, convening of a Loya Jirga and the establishment of a broad-based government in Kabul. "What the present government is saying today is what the ANP has been demanding for the past 15 years. This means the government has boarded our boat and not the vice versa," Asfandyar said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011118 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Benazir urges CE to broaden political base ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Latafat Ali Siddiqui TORONTO, Nov 17: Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has urged President Pervez Musharraf to broaden his political base as his government struggles to justify the US campaign against Taliban in the face of hard-line Muslim opposition. She praised Musharraf for showing "a lot of nerves" by sidelining powerful figures in the regime who were sympathetic to the Taliban, but told NBC she hopes his government "will now try to broaden its political base by co-opting the democratic parties in an interim government." Meanwhile, Ms Bhutto wrote a lengthy article in the Globe and Mail, that in the national interest, Gen Musharraf should hold fair and free elections and hand over power to the elected representatives. "Gen Musharraf," she wrote, "has yet to seize the window of opportunity, even as it begins to close as the country heads toward the general election date mandated by the Supreme Court for October, 2002. Even as he talks of the need for a broad-based government in Afghanistan, he ignores joint opposition calls to form an interim government in Pakistan." Benazir pointed out that Gen Musharraf, when asked recently whether he would run for president, replied that he would remain the president and "only the legalities have to be worked out." This startling revelation, she said, "raises concern that the oft- promised return to democracy is little more than a fig-leaf for a continuation of military dictatorship." According to Ms Bhutto, the stability of Pakistan is critical to the stability of South Asia, as well as the Muslim world. "In my view, that stability is rooted in a return to a truly representative democratic order." Ms Bhutto disclosed that her party "is in negotiation with Gen Musharraf to facilitate an exit strategy for the military. There is still a large gulf between the two sides, even though some confidence-building steps have been taken. We hope that Gen Musharraf's regime has the vision to conciliate rather than confront the moderate political forces even as the extremists take to the streets." Benazir observed: "Gen Musharraf now stands at the crossroads, as does my nation. He signaled a purging of the military and intelligence apparatus with the removal of hard-line generals identified with pro-Taliban elements. He aligned Pakistan with the forces of freedom that emerged to stand against terrorism. As a result, the United States lifted sanctions, pledged a significant economic assistance package, and agreed to substantial debt retirement to give the Pakistani economy room to breathe and grow. "If Gen Pervez Musharraf chooses the path of Zia ul-Haq, the political situation in Pakistan could quickly degenerate into a fundamentalist revolution. Not only would this empower terrorism and extremism in the world, but Pakistan's nuclear arsenal could be compromised. But if Gen Musharraf nurtures a return to democracy in Pakistan, he could win the support of the new parliament and the people as a different dictator." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011118 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan wants UN to move quickly: No asylum for Osama, Omar ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Nov 17: Pakistan expressed the confidence that the United Nations would soon get all Afghan groups together and a transitional government is formed to avoid civil war in Afghanistan. "We find it urgent to call a meeting of Afghan groups so that a broad-based, multi-ethnic government is set in place in Afghanistan soon," Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmad Khan told a daily press briefing. In reply to a question, he said all those Afghan groups who intended to make their contribution towards the multi-ethnic process should be invited. Pakistan's position, he stated, was that Kabul should be demilitarized and a multi-ethnic force should take it over so that an interim government got inducted and no infighting erupted or any past atrocity recurred. He said that Pakistan had in the past supported the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Conference and Six-plus-Two efforts for such a government in that country. He was optimistic that such an arrangement would be worked out soon. Pakistan would not grant political asylum to Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mulla Mohammad Omar, the spokesman said. The spokesman dismissed a question whether Pakistan would grant asylum to the two if they sought it under the relevant Geneva convention. "The Geneva convention cannot be applied so simply that everybody can (get asylum)," Mr Khan said. "Asylum is given to those who you think should be given asylum. The country giving asylum takes a decision under international laws as well as its own laws," he said. "So far as these persons you have mentioned, we have made it clear they will not be given asylum," Mr Khan said of Mulla Omar and Osama.-Agencies DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011124 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan's border policy remains unchanged ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: Pakistan has once again refused to open its borders with Afghanistan to accept more Afghan refugees and decided to stick to the policy of allowing entry to only vulnerable refugees. The recently-appointed chief commissioner for Afghan Refugees, Syed Asif Shah, said an estimated danger of a huge influx of refugees had been averted by following the policy of ensuring food security inside Afghanistan and encouraging national and international donors to set up and maintain camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs). He said the unwillingness of the government to accept more refugees was based on a bitter experience in 1995 when the world community had left over three million Afghan refugees at the meagre resources of Pakistan. According to the official, as the UN bodies have expressed inability to establish camps for the IDPs, the government has started encouraging some national relief organizations, including the Pakistan Medical Association, the Edhi Foundation and PRCS, to take an initiative and coordinate efforts for establishing camps inside Afghanistan across Torkham and Chaman areas. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011122 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PPP seeks directive to EC: preparation for polls ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent FAISALABAD, Nov 21: PPP's Secretary General Aftab Ahmed Khan has urged President Gen Pervez Musharraf to direct the Election Commission authorities to accelerate work for holding general elections in the country. Talking to newsmen, he said that only an elected government can steer the country out of the present crisis. He said that in view of rapidly changing situation in Afghanistan, the military rulers should constitute a committee comprising senior politicians, military high-ups and renowned journalists for reviewing the situation and suggest feasible policies. He said that the PPP had already raised its voice for uprooting terrorism. He claimed that some government functionaries had launched a vilification campaign against the politicians only to achieve their ulterior motives bringing bad name to the Musharraf government. Criticizing the government steps to give special attention to the rescheduling of loans, he proposed that efforts should be made for the revival of national economy by encouraging foreign investor and exploring new markets for the indigenous products. He also demanded that the federal government should announce a fresh financial policy in accordance with present industrial and economical scenario of the country. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011120 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PPP might part ways with ARD ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ashraf Mumtaz LAHORE, Nov 19: The fate of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy hangs in the balance after the sudden dissociation of the Awami National Party and indications that the Pakistan People's Party will soon follow suit. Sources privy to the conversation between PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and ANP president Asfandyar Wali before the Nov 17 ARD meeting said the former prime minister had asked the ANP only to "DELAY" the decision for a couple of weeks and had "NOT PRESSED THE ANP NOT TO PART WAYS" with the ARD. The ANP leaders have gathered the impression that the PPP could take a decision about its association with the ARD any time. However, ARD president Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan is confident that the alliance will stay intact and play its role for the restoration of democracy. He said the PPP had not left the Nov 17 ARD meeting despite prolonged canvassing by the ANP. This, he said, showed that the party wanted to remain in the coalition. The PPP leaders who represented the party at the alliance meeting had said that their party was a component of the ARD and would remain in it. It is said that the ANP leaders who had decided to break ties with the ARD had not taken the party into confidence. An important party leader is believed to have conveyed the impression to the ARD leadership, expressing concern over what his colleagues had done. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011124 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PPP critcizes Saif release ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter LAHORE, Nov 23: PPP Punjab president Qasim Zia criticized the release of Ehtesab Bureau chief Saifur Rahman, saying the military regime was releasing the "genuine" corrupt people. He said the PPP leadership was being victimized in the "ONE-SIDED" accountability process. He said his party would continue its struggle for the restoration of democracy from the platform of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD). He also said that the PPP would take an active part in the future politics and party chairperson Benazir Bhutto would return to Pakistan and participate in the forthcoming elections. However, her return to the homeland would be decided by the Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the party, he added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011123 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Asif Zardari says he will not leave country ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Nov 22: The jailed PPP leader, Asif Ali Zardari, has confirmed that his party is holding dialogues with the government, but said no secret deal would be made. "Being politicians and members of a large political party, we believe in dialogue as a key to the resolution of the problems," he told newsmen. Mr Zardari said that he would not leave the country like Nawaz Sharif. He claimed the government wanted to hold early general elections in the country, most probably in March, after the fall of Taliban government in Afghanistan due to high sentiments of the public, particularly in Balochistan and the NWFP. He was of the view that the extremist religious parties could take advantage and exploit the situation. However, Mr Zardari doubted the elections would be held in free, fair and transparent manner. He said in the past dictators had always imposed hand-picked people on the nation through the elections. He said all sections of the society, including journalists, lawyers, academicians, scientists and scholars, should realize that the country had suffered most due to this practice of imposing hand-picked people on the nation. Even the newly-elected Nazims should realize this fact because their importance would emerge only if fair elections are held," Mr Zardari observed. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011124 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Asif assets case hearing adjourned ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: The Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, modified the stay order it had granted against the filing of a third supplementary reference against Asif Zardari on charges of possessing assets beyond his known source of income. Justice Ali Nawaz Chowhan adjourned the case on the request of Raja Shafqat Abbasi as senior advocate Raja Anwar was not available. The case will now be taken up on Nov 29. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011121 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SC dismisses Asif plea against LHC order ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Report ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: The Supreme Court dismissed Asif Ali Zardari's petition against the order of the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court transferring two cases involving Asif Zardari to Accountability Court, Attock Fort. The Supreme Court bench held that after going through the record of the cases, it was of the view that no illegality had been committed by Chief Justice of Lahore High Court in exercizing his discretion in accepting Prosecutor-General of Accountability's application for transfer of cases from accountability courts at Lahore and Rawalpindi to Attock Fort accountability court. The Supreme Court also dismissed a review petition filed by Mr Zardari against the order of the Supreme Court in which it was held that the Accountability Courts should conclude the trial of the cases within three months. However, if Mr Zardari or anyone on his behalf caused delay in the trial of the cases, he should remain in Islamabad until the trials are concluded, the bench observed. The court further observed that it was an order passed with the consent of the parties and no case had been made out for the review of the earlier order. The court, however, directed the Accountability Court, Attock Fort, to conclude the trial within three months of the passing of Supreme Court order. The SC bench comprised Justice Sheikh Riaz Ahmad, Justice Mian Mohammad Ajmal and Justice Deedar Hussain Shah. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011121 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Taj Co depositors' agony continues ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter LAHORE, Nov 20: Hope of any early end to the agony of the collapsed Taj Company depositors was belied when a lawyer claiming to lead one of their factions sought adjournment of proceedings aimed at working out a settlement. Justice Jawad S. Khwaja, a Lahore High Court company judge, had before him a plan drawn up by Advocate Tariq Kamal Qazi for restructuring the company with the depositors as its shareholders. The plan was opposed by Deputy Attorney-General Khwaja Saeeduz Zafar on behalf of the Securities and Exchange Commission, successor to the Corporate Law Authority, whose plea for the liquidation of the company to satisfy the claims of the creditors and depositors was accepted by the LHC but stayed by the Supreme Court. The DAG said the depositors were interested in refund of their stuck-up amounts and not in revival plans which may or may not work. There were serious differences among the depositors and it was almost impossible to make them agree on a plan. The judge, however, said a meeting of the depositors having 75 per cent of the stuck-up amount was worth calling as some good may come out of it. They were free to accept or reject the plan. However, as the judge took up the petition, Advocate Khurram Wasti sought adjournment of the hearing to study the plan thoroughly. Justice Khwaja was surprised at the request as, he said, the depositors should be more keen on a prompt disposal. Accepting it, however, he adjourned the case for Feb 5. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011119 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Hoti still with Sharif ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter LAHORE, Nov 18: ANP leader Azam Hoti has denied suggestions that he was released from jail as a result of some deal between his party and the government. Talking to Dawn, he said he had sought bail on medical grounds back in July. Mr Hoti said he was not the only one to get bail on medical grounds as several leaders facing NAB cases, including PPP leader Faisal Saleh Hayat, were also set free on medical grounds. The former minister said had there been a deal between the ANP and the government, his party should have stood on the side of the government. But, he said, this was not the case. He said what the government was saying about Afghanistan today was the same the ANP had been reiterating for the past 15 years. Mr Hoti said he was still a supporter of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, in whose cabinet he was a minister. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011122 ------------------------------------------------------------------- TNSM chief jailed for three years ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Intikhab Amir PESHAWAR, Nov 21: Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-i-Mohammadi (TNSM) chief, Maulana Sufi Mohammed, was imprisoned for three years under section 40 of the Frontier Crimes Regulations (FCR), governing the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) at Kurram Agency, according to official sources. The secretary of home and tribal affairs, Javed Iqbal, told Dawn that section 40 FCR had been applied to the TNSM chief by the court of political agent of Kurram Agency. "THIS IS NOT A CONVICTION," the secretary said, adding that the PA court had the authority to release him any time. Maulana Sufi Mohammed and some 30 of his armed supporters were arrested by the political authorities of Kurram Agency in Fata, on Friday last on the charges of entering Pakistan without valid documents and possessing unlicensed weapons. The secretary said the PA court had the authority to release him if he the TNSM chief furnished an affidavit assuring good conduct in future. The TNSM chief and his supporters were sent to Dera Ismail Khan jail under tight security. Legal experts said under the law the detainees did not have the right to move higher courts. However, they could be released at any time or their imprisonment could be extended for another three years if the detainees failed to improve their behaviour. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011122 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sino-Pakistan border reopens partially ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Amir Hussain HUNZA, Nov 21: At a meeting held between Pakistan and Chinese immigration authorities at Sost, upper Hunza, reoppening of the border was decided here. Representing the Chinese immigration authorities, Mr Wuvee, the deputy chief, immigration, Tashqurghand, said there were almost 116 Pakistan-bound trucks, carrying trade goods, were stranded in Urumchi, which would soon be allowed to enter Pakistan via Sost. He said that the border was closed on October 9 this year following the Sept 11 attacks in US. The Chinese official explained that the closure of Khunjerab border was due to the proximity of the Karakoram Highway to Afghanistan and the political turmoil there, which could pose a threat to security in the area. Mr Mohummad Ghias, the Pakistani counterpart of Mr Wuvee, said the border would remain partially open as long as the immigration authorities in both countries deemed it fit to be so. Later, talking to newsmen, Mr Wuvee said the border would remain open only for cargo service and that business tours, individual trips and all such activities across the border would not be allowed. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011122 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ahmed Faraz undergoes operations ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent NEW YORK, Nov 21: Ahmed Faraz was operated upon for multiple medical condition at a hospital in Syracuse, New York. Poet Faraz told Dawn that he had three different operations, one to open a blocked artery in his heart, one for aneurysm, one for a related kidney problem. All three operations were very successful, and I am resting now," he said. "The doctors have advised me that recovery could take up to three weeks," he said. He praised Pakistani Dr Noor Zaman who took him to Syracuse hospital where he was a resident doctor and then to his home for his initial recovery. Initially, Faraz's condition was serious but timely intervention helped him. Faraz, who is staying with a friend in the suburb of Washington DC, said that besides the "Arduous phase of recovery one misses friends at home. Loneliness in recovery is a big problem," he said. However, he was confident of a full and complete recovery. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011118 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pir Pagara injured in accident ------------------------------------------------------------------- NAUSHAHRO FEROZE, Nov 17: Pir Pagara, chief of Pakistan Muslim League (F) and three others were injured when his Land Cruiser collided with a speedy Datsun pickup on National Highway near Moro. Pir Pagara was going to Karachi from his village Pir jo Goth when the accident occurred. As a result three occupants of the pickup - Raza Mohammad Mehar, Abdul Hameed Arain and Abdul Rasheed Arain were seriously injured. Pir Pagara was also injured. However after receiving first-aid, he continued his journey to Karachi.-BoC DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011123 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Charges framed against Jehangir Badar ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter LAHORE, Nov 22: An accountability court framed charges against former federal minister Jehangir Badar in a reference pertaining to alleged misuse of official powers. Mr Badar pleaded not guilty. The court summoned prosecution evidence on December 1. The reference alleged that Mr Badar appointed 205 people in violation of rules through managing directors in the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines, the Sui Southern, the Oil and Gas Development Corporation and the Pakistan State Oil while holding the portfolio of minister for petroleum and natural resources in 1989-90. It was further alleged that he allocated 61 petrol filling stations through the PSO MD to different people in violation of rules. Another allegation was that 32 LPG quota licences were issued by him in violation of relevant rules. He enlisted 97 people as contractors for the SNGPL. Another allegation against him was that he failed to exercise his official powers to prevent a contract worth Rs8 million awarded to M/s Amin Brothers. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011120 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Asma for case against military officer ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter LAHORE, Nov 19: Strongly condemning the torture of a senior journalist by a serving army officer, Advocate Asma Jahangir has demanded the registration of a case against the accused. In a statement issued, she said that the refusal on the part of police to register a case against the accused army officer depicted that there were practically two laws being followed in the country - one for the army and the other for the ordinary people. The attitude of the army officer showed that the army had no honour for the ordinary citizens of the country and that it considered itself as the ruler of the country and the people as its subjects, she added. Mr Hashmi, a senior Dawn staffer, had been attacked by an army officer near the Press Information Department on Saturday. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011121 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 120 shops gutted by fire in cloth market ------------------------------------------------------------------- By S. Raza Hassan KARACHI, Nov 20: At least 150 shopkeepers, workers and hundreds of women associated with the garment trade at Karim Centre Saddar have lost their livelihood due to a large inferno that broke out on Monday night. The fire broke out at the electric meter room located at the first floor of the six-storey Karim Centre on Zaibunnisa Street and spread to other meter rooms. According to the fire brigade assessment, about 120 shops were gutted while over 50 shops suffered partial damaged, but their merchandise was rendered useless due to smoke. The building could not be recommissioned perhaps at least for a week for business, opined a firefighter at the spot. The fire which broke out around 1:45 am on Monday was put out by Tuesday evening by the fire department. The chief fire officer told Dawn that all the exit points were blocked, the improper electrical wiring added to the spread of fire. The presence of numerous small petrol-filled generators on each floor also added to the fire and the huge quantity of combustible material made matters worse, Atta ur Rehman said. Regarding the building structure, he said that at the moment the superstructure was intact and their was no danger of collapse. However, he added that the KBCA might carry out a survey and determine the status of the building structure. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011122 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Court rejects Adnan's petition seeking child's custody ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Nov 21: The judge of the Islamabad family court, Mohammad Jehangir Mir rejected the petition, filed by singer Adnan Sami Khan, seeking custody of his son Azan, who is at present living with Zeba Bakhtiar, former wife of the petitioner. Zeba had obtained the custody of the seven-year-old child after fighting a long legal battle that ended in the Supreme Court. Soon after divorce, Adnan had taken the child to Dubai and then Canada. The Supreme Court had directed the ministries of interior and foreign affairs to ensure the delivery of the child to the mother. The court had passed the order under the Muslim Family Law Ordinance. In his latest petition, Adnan Sami Khan had contended that the child had attained the prescribed age limit and that it was in the best interest of the child in terms of his education and growth that he should be given into his custody. The court, however, observed since Zeba Bakhtiar had obtained the child's custody from the Supreme Court, the petition could not be entertained. It may be mentioned that Adnan's father Arshad Sami Khan has also filed a damages suit to the tune of Rs5 million against Zeba Bakhtiar and her father for allegedly bringing his family into disrepute by levelling baseless allegations. The case is yet to be decided by another civil court of Islamabad. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011124 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Former director of NIH indicted on corruption charges ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Nasir Iqbal ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: An accountability court indicted ex-director of National Institute of Health (NIH) Aurengzeb Toru on charges of acquiring property worth Rs17.2 million beyond his known source of income. The charges stated that the accused Aurengzeb Toru, being NIH purchase and procurement director misused his official authority and amassed properties worth Rs17.2 million in connivance with co- accused Sukbar Khan and Javed Khan, who also acted as his "BENAMIDARS" and front men. According to the charges, the accused was the owner of a plot No 292 in sector I-8/3 in September 1993 which he purchased at Rs990,000 in his name. He then constructed a house on the same plot with a cost of Rs1.2 million which he later transferred in the name of his wife. According to the charges, the accused purchased another plot measuring one kanal and 10 marlas in Mohra Noor (Banni Gala) in June 1999 at Rs600,000 in his name. He also purchased a plot measuring 13.5 marlas in the same vicinity i.e Mohra Noor at a value of Rs270,000 in the name of his wife. In addition, he again purchased two more plots measuring 16.5 marlas and 14.5 marlas in the same area at Rs300,000 and Rs281,000 in the name of his co- accused Sukhbar Khan. The accused also owned a CNG station-Capital Gas (Pvt) Limited- jointly operated by him and his wife. The total value of this station is Rs12.8 million. The accused also purchased Capital Forex (money changer business), the office of which is situated at Al-Asghar plaza Blue Area Islamabad. The business is operated jointly by him and Javaid Khan. The same business is now registered as Khan money changer. The accused also owned Euro dollar money changer business which is located at the Hajvairy Plaza Blue Area. He purchased the business in June 1999 in the name of his wife and Javaid Khan, his nephew with a total investment of Rs565,000. The charges also accused him for holding 6 bank accounts in his name and in the name of his wife besides both the co-accused were also holding equity/shares of Rs9.3 million. Sukbar Khan also possessed foreign exchange bearer certificates (FEBC) worth $100,000 which he purchased from the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP).
BUSINESS & ECONOMY 20011124 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US ready to defer loan repayments ------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Correspondent ISLAMABAD, Nov 23: The US has indicated to Pakistan that it is prepared to extend repayment period of its outstanding loan to 40 years with a grace period of 16 years. According to independent economists, this would amount to a write- off of about 35-40 per cent of the outstanding loan amounting to $3 billion. Informed sources, however, said that Pakistan was trying to get the US to also reduce the interest rates on this loan which, if Washington agreed, would mean a write off, equivalent to 70-80 per cent of the loan. They said Pakistan was expected to make a case for an extension in the repayment periods and reduction in interest rates for all its bilateral outstanding loans at the forthcoming Paris Club meeting tentatively scheduled for Dec 11. Pakistan seems to have come to the conclusion that the donors for their own respective reasons were not in a position to accept its request for a write off of all its bilateral debt amounting to about $12.5 billion. Some of the donors like Germany and Japan are reported to have explained to Pakistan that if they made an exception in Islamabad's case then they would have to do the same for some other heavily- indebted countries as well which they were not in a position to do. Russia is said to be heavily indebted to Germany. Meanwhile, Pakistan is said to be fairly satisfied with the extent of fiscal support which the donors are extending currently for budgetary and balance of payments support and hopes that this support would be further expanded with the passage of time. Pakistan is also pressing for increased market access and expects the US and Japan to come around to accepting this request soon. The European Union has already enhanced the market access which alone is estimated to increase export earning by 500 to 700 million dollars annually. Pakistan is also watching rather keenly the various international developments taking place on the Afghan reconstruction and rehabilitation front and hopes to make massive gains once these efforts are launched. The domestic cement and iron and steel industries as well as many other economic activities are expected to get a boost as a result of the commencement of work for rebuilding Afghanistan as Pakistan because of its proximity and 2,500 km long border with Afghanistan hopes to serve as the most acceptable conduit for skilled and unskilled labour, material and capital going into Afghanistan during the reconstruction period which is likely to last for about 20 years and cost as many billion dollars. Pakistan also expects to gain from the eventual development and exploitation of Central Asian oil and gas wealth as the US which has strategic interest in these assets would hopefully like this wealth to be marketed through Afghanistan and Pakistan routes rather than through Russian or Iranian routes. This is said to be one of the two reasons why Pakistan believes this time the US would not walk away from Afghanistan. The other reason, it is believed, is Washington's long-term interest in getting rid of international terrorism which it thinks has taken firm roots in Afghanistan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011124 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan seeks debt relief from Paris Club ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Nasir Jamal LAHORE, Nov 23: Pakistan is working on a request to seek debt relief from Paris Club which is expected to meet in next 4-6 weeks. "We've already contacted the individual countries constituting Paris Club, seeking relief in the (bilateral) debt from them. Now we're awaiting their collective response at the meeting," Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz told reporters. "I cannot say how the United States is going to respond to our request. We'll know its response at the meeting," he told a questioner. Pakistan is seeking immediate, maximum relief in its bilateral debt of about $12 billion from the Paris Club member countries in order to put its wrecked economy, hit hard by the Sept 11 terror attacks and the ongoing war in Afghanistan, back on the rails. Though it is not clear whether the lenders would agree to its request for debt relief or not, there are some indications of positive response in return for Pakistan's support to the US-led international coalition against terrorism. To a question about the government's request seeking a low-cost Poverty Reduction and Growth Fund facility from the International Monetary Fund, he declined to give the details. "You'll know the details when the IMF executive board meets on Dec 5," he said. "I cannot divulge anything right now." It is pertinent to note here that he was rebuked by an IMF spokesman last year when he claimed that the IMF had agreed to provide $596 million low-cost facility for 10 months to Pakistan to support its balance of payments weeks before the IMF board gave its approval. Shaukat Aziz said the government was also "negotiating debt swaps with Germany, Italy, the UK, and Norway for education, health and some other areas of social sector". He said President Gen Pervez Musharraf would preside over a high- level meeting at Islamabad on Monday to "APPROVE SEVERAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS OUTSIDE THE PSDP" in the areas of education, health, and poverty reduction. He was hopeful that the infrastructure projects being launched by the government would help reduce poverty, and create thousands of new jobs for the unemployed. He was hopeful that the infrastructure projects being launched by the government would help reduce poverty, and create thousands of new jobs for the unemployed. He said: "Pakistan has so far received $600 million from the US." Japan has committed to provide Pakistan $300 million, the UK $100 million, and the European Union $50 million. Unlike past, he claimed, the "donors had attached no condition to the funds transferred to Pakistan that was reflective of their confidence in our economic policies and programmes". "The donors are confident that the money given to us would not be wasted by us and would be spent to improve the social sector," he said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011124 ------------------------------------------------------------------- WB strategy for reconstruction of Afghanistan ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Jawaid Bokhari KARACHI, Nov 23: The World Bank is developing a strategy, plan and appropriate mechanism to fund and manage the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Going by the experience of post-conflict reconstruction in other countries, the WB has thrown up ideas and proposals in an Approach Paper (AP) that would be on the agenda of 3-day major conference, it is co-sponsoring with UNDP and ADB in Islamabad from November 27. Initial thoughts include the creation of a Trust Fund to mobilize external support and setting up of a reconstruction agency in Afghanistan. The strategy would be finalized after seeking guidance from WB board of directors. The reconstruction plan would have both short-term and medium-term components. Short-term priority areas include: Agricultural recovery, generation of livelihoods for returning refugees and displaced people, supporting existing communities through provision of basic services and small-scale development and empowerment programmes, rapid rehabilitation of main road network, expansion of de-mining programme, massive short-run employment generation through public works programme, re-starting and expanding key social services like education and health, with a focus of reaching girls and women and human capacity mobilization for social services, infrastructure and public administration. "Afghanistan's economy in a state of collapse," says the Approach Paper. Inflation has wiped out the value of Afghan currency in the 1990s and at present the currency is printed by the Northern Alliance without any monetary control. The key economic institutions of the State-central bank, treasury, tax collection and customs, statistics, civil service, law and order and judicial system -are extremely weak or simply missing. Basic infrastructure -roads, bridges, irrigation, canals, telecommunications, electricity, markets- has been destroyed or orientated towards the war effort. In 1978, prior to the long drawn-out war against Soviet occupation and subsequent internecine conflict, Afghanistan was largely self- sufficient in food and a significant exporter of agricultural products. Agriculture was largely concentrated in narrow river valleys and plains. Manufacturing was largely undeveloped, with only a few plants producing textiles, cement and medicines, etc. During the rule of former King Zahir Shah, the macro-economic policies were balanced, with budget surpluses, a market-based competitive exchange rate and modest foreign and domestic debt. The country had good major road network as well as some other infrastructure including major irrigation and hydro-electric facilities. In those times, the modern infrastructures did not extend beyond the main arteries and urban centres. Social and other services like education and health was limited to relatively small urban centres. A three-year drought and resulting famine, the recent ban by Taliban on opium production, the choking trade via Pakistan and the massive displacement of population, says the Approach Paper, have exhausted what coping capacity was left among families and civil society after a prolonged armed conflict. The primary education gross enrolment rate has most recently been estimated at 39 per cent for boys and 3 per cent for girls. Secondary and higher education, crucial to producing future skilled professionals, presents even a bleaker future. According to reports at a recent World Bank sponsored workshop "the situation in health is equally grim." UN and NGOs estimate that infant mortality in Afghanistan is the highest in the world at around 165 per 1,000 births, while 257 infants out of every 1,000 births die before they are five. Life expectancy at birth is estimated at 41 years of age. The country has the largest population of disabled in the world because of direct or indirect consequence of war. A recent WB funded study estimated that as many as 500 persons per month fall victims to mine accidents and unexploded ordnance. To sum up, Afghanistan's economic structure has been gravely weakened, distorted and made more vulnerable through two decades of conflict. Agriculture and livestock are highly vulnerable to natural conditions. Trading activities are vulnerable to the policies of neighbouring countries, notably Pakistan. Remittances, another major source of income, tend to be stable, but nevertheless are vulnerable to changes in economic conditions in source countries. Majority of the Afghans suffer from a pervasive sense of insecurity. The WB Approach Paper also points out the significant regional spill-over effects of the Afghanistan's economic situation through unofficial trade, narcotics, tourism, extremism, financial flows and movements of people. And the conflict-related and conflict- enabling economic activities and structures have been entrenched. There are significant groups who are benefiting from the current situation and have a vested interest in its continuation. The background information provided by the WB paper describes Afghanistan as landlocked, mountainous, remote, sparsely populated, ethnically diverse and yet geopolitically important country. It has long been the poorest country, falling near the bottom in terms of average per-capita income and UNDP's human development index. Afghanistan was at peace between 1930s and 1970s and underwent a modest degree of economic and social development. Modernization was concentrated in cities and towns. Most rural areas retained their, traditional more, governance structures and social practices. The Afghan state remained relatively weak and had limited reach in most of the country. The present in-country population is estimated at 18-20 million and if all the refugees were to return the population would about 25 million. Currently, about an estimated seven million people are vulnerable to famine. Its human resource has been severely depleted and its social capital has been eroded. State institutions are largely non- functional, the economy and society have become fragmented. Thus, Afghanistan faces serious political problems, a dire humanitarian emergency in the short run and massive assistance for reconstruction and development over time. WB considers that the time is ripe to prepare for Afghanistan's post-conflict reconstruction. Although it would be premature to put a price tag on Afghanistan's reconstruction before a detailed assessment, the WB Approach Paper says "the costs are expected to be high." The Afghanistan's reconstruction cannot be separated from the long term economic and social development as it would make the task of maintaining political stability and promoting national integration very difficult and leave Afghanistan highly vulnerable to resurgence of conflict, the paper concludes. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011118 ------------------------------------------------------------------- UNDP to provide $168m: Shaukat ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Nov 17: The United Nations Development Program will provide $168 million to Pakistan during 2001-2002 to support various development programs, including poverty alleviation. "The UNDP has doubled its annual development assistance for Pakistan and will extend this year $168 million," said Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz. Speaking at a joint news conference with Dr Hafiz Pasha, UN Assistant Secretary General, he said that the government of Pakistan hailed the decision of the UN to double its annual assistance. He said the new aid will be in the shape of grant and utilized in various spheres but priority will be given to poverty alleviation in the provinces. "During my visit to Pakistan, I have observed firm commitment at the highest levels to pursue the long-term reform process, despite the present crisis in Afghanistan and impact of downturn in global trade and investment climate. In this context, the UN System in Pakistan is making special efforts to expand its current commitments and launch new programmes to meet the most dire needs, particularly in the areas most affected by the crisis," Dr Hafiz Pasha said. He said during meetings with federal and provincial government officials, there was an agreement on upscaling the UNDP program in Pakistan in the areas of poverty alleviation, governance, environment, disaster management and gender. Over the past five years, the UNDP has given grants for programs totalling $84 million. "For the next three years, we plan to more than double this allocation, using UNDP core funds, global thematic trust funds, Global Environment Facility funds, and cost-sharing with government and donors." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011120 ------------------------------------------------------------------- MoU signed for defence ties with Romania ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Nov 19: Pakistan and Romania have decided to expand military cooperation by importing arms and ammunition from each other. Official sources said that a Memorandum of Understanding had been signed between the two countries to this effect. Pakistan Ordnance Factories chairman Lt-Gen Abdul Qayyum signed the MoU at Bucharest with the head of Romarm, the defence establishment of that country. Romania will buy 125mm and 100mm tank ammunition which had been made by Pakistan for Al-Khalid tank. In return, Pakistan will import various kinds of arms and ammunition from Romania to meet its requirements. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011123 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SBP lifts foreign exchange quotas: Overseas travelling ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Mohiuddin Aazim KARACHI, Nov 22: If you are travelling abroad for any purpose you are now free to buy from the banks as much foreign exchange as you need at the inter-bank exchange rate. Earlier, people traveling abroad used to get a fixed quota of foreign exchange from the inter-bank market: they could buy only $2100 per year for private visits and $9000 per year for business visits abroad. The State Bank allowed the banks to sell as much foreign exchange to people going abroad as may be needed by them. But it made it clear that before doing so the banks should satisfy themselves about the genuineness of the requirement of the travellers by verifying the documentary evidences provided by them. Bankers said in doing so, they would not need to take prior SBP permission. The SBP made this announcement through a circular (F.E. 21). The circular said the decision to allow liberal release of foreign exchange to people travelling abroad was taken "with a view to further liberalizing the foreign exchange activities." The one-paragraph circular gave no details but bankers said the SBP decision would enable the following categories of people to buy foreign exchange from the inter-bank market according to their genuine requirement: (i) People traveling for private or business visits abroad including government servants and employees of semi-government institutions. (ii) Journalists and others traveling abroad to participate in international events. (iii) People traveling abroad for professional training or for Tabligh (spreading the message of Islam). (iv) Persons proceeding abroad for medical treatment. (v) Government/semi-government employees traveling abroad on duty or training or on posting or retirement-and on leave. Also those employees traveling abroad as members of some delegations. (vi) Persons proceeding on migration abroad. (vii) People going abroad on business visits. (viii) Representatives of consultancy/construction companies and firms. (ix) Traders traveling abroad with along with sample goods and businessmen proceeding abroad to take part in fairs and exhibitions. (x) Exporters as well as non-exporter business executives of firms or companies desiring to get foreign exchange against credit cards. (xi) Students travelling abroad to study; and (xii) Students already staying abroad for studies would now get foreign exchange bought from the inter-bank market and remitted to them by their relatives or friends. FAST LIBERALIZATION: The SBP decision to lift curbs on the sale of foreign exchange by banks to people travelling abroad came just a day after it had allowed the banks to buy or sell foreign exchange between themselves without any commercial transaction on the back. Senior bankers say the two decisions indicate that the liberalization of foreign exchange regime is taking place much faster than expected. What makes it possible for the State Bank to move faster in this area is that the gap between the inter-bank and open market exchange rates has come down from more than Rs2 per dollar before September 11 to less than Re1 per dollar now. "The lesser the gap between the two exchange rates the lesser would be the chances of misuse (of liberal foreign exchange regime)," said a senior banker. POSITIVE SIGNAL: Senior bankers say a faster-than-expected liberalization of foreign exchange regime would serve as a positive signal for international creditors and the investors about Pakistan's capability to meet its external obligations. They say sending positive signals to the investors is very much necessary at the time when the country is striving hard to come out of an economic slump that might deepen further in the wake of the ongoing war in Afghanistan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011121 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US trying to end illegal transfer of money to Pakistan ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Amjad Mahmood LAHORE, Nov 20: US Ambassador to Pakistan Wendy Chamberlin said that her country was taking a firm position to end all forms of illegal transfer of money to Pakistan, including Hundi. Talking to reporters, she said they (the US government officials) were working with Pakistan interior ministry officials to develop a system to check this illegal practice. The Pakistan government was losing revenue and taxes on remittances due to money laundering, while the money transferred through illegal means could also be used by terrorists and drug smugglers, she feared. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011122 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Court bars ex-BCCI man from selling property ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Nov 21: The additional district and sessions judge, Safdar Hussain Malik, entertaining a recovery suit of the defunct Bank of Commerce and Credit International (BCCI), has restrained the sponsors of a housing society from disposing of its assets worth millions of rupees. In a liquidation-related matter, the court restrained a former BCCI employee from disposing of his properties, including the housing project, spread on a 660-kanal land, and two houses in E-7, Islamabad. The housing scheme in sector E-16 is said to be a project of RP Corporation, a private limited company. Sayed Raza Ali the former BCCI employee allegedly plundered the bank to the tune of 17 million pound sterling and purchased assets in Islamabad and Karachi. After the bank was liquidated on the charges of money-laundering in January 1991, the liquidators were empowered by the London, Luxumburg, and Cayman courts to recover the amounts from the accused. These moves led to several judgments against the BCCI employees, including Mr Raza. The accused insisted before the court that he was one of the owners of RP Corporation and not the sole proprietor of the housing scheme. Therefore, he can not be stopped from dealing in the affairs of the housing scheme. The court, however, observed that the liquidators had brought sufficient material on record that the land and the property were acquired from the money plundered by the accused.Back to the top
EDITORIALS & FEATURES 20011118 ------------------------------------------------------------------- The Nazims' nizam ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ardeshir Cowasjee What must be repeated endlessly, for as long as what remains of Jinnah's Pakistan exists, and bear repetition ad infinitum is one well known sentence from Mohammad Ali Jinnah's momentous speech - his creed - delivered on August 11, 1947: "The first duty of a government is to maintain law and order so that the life, property and religious beliefs of its subjects are fully protected by the state." Now, we all know the famous section in the Pakistan Penal Code, Section 295 (c). In 1986, the Criminal Law (Amendment Act, III) was passed by the hand-picked pious members of champion-of-Islam General Zia-ul-Haq's Majlis-i-Shoora headed by Mohammed Khan Junejo and it added Section 295(C) to Section 295 of the PPC. This is a weapon designed to be used for personal vengeance, a weapon with which scores can be settled, a weapon to be employed for personal gain. It reads: "Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation, or by imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace by upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall be liable to fine." In April 2000, Chief Executive (as he then simply was) General Pervez Musharraf instructed National Security Council member Attiya Inayatullah to organize a seminar on human rights. He very correctly there made a reference to the blasphemy laws, realizing the criminal abuse they arouse and in an effort to prevent such abuse he announced his intention of amending the laws so that prior to the registration of an FIR, a deputy commissioner (now a Nazim) would be required to make investigations as to the veracity of the charge - a mere token change in the law but nevertheless a step in the right direction approved by the external world and by the sane and balanced internally. Some days later, for no good reason other than fear, he retreated and told the nation that such an amendment was not possible. Now, fortunately for the nation and the country, he and his officers have far less fear of the bigots and the religion-manipulating mischief makers. We are progressing. Many of us know how our textile mills are harassed. They print designs sent by their buyers abroad - Japanese, French, Chinese, Taiwanese, American, Irish, and many others - and the mischief making manipulators when they wish to not only extort but to make wicked mischief manage to perceive in any design they may choose to set their eyes upon a squiggle or a line which they interpret as 'Allah' or 'Mohammad'. They then literally terrorize the mill owners with threats of exposure, reports to the police, the mullahs, the authorities, etc., unless substantial sums are paid up. These terrorists also recruit and bribe the more irresponsible inexperienced members of our press who are wont to print alarming reports intended to instigate and arouse the public. Remember how some time ago, one of these 'religious' extortionists even managed to read the word 'Allah' in the 'Nike' sign, which is plastered all over what is worn by a large number of our public, and shown on our hoardings and television advertisements. The latest mill victim is Yunus Textile Mills of Landhi, owned and managed by the brothers Yunus, their family, and shareholders. The group owns many industries and is counted as one of the top exporters of Pakistan. The owners are deeply and truly religious, followers of Islam in its correct and original form, and their philanthropy is well known. On October 23, Nazim Mohammad Shahid of Landhi sent a written complaint to the senior superintendent of police of the Malir and also informed the local Urdu press that he had heard that Yunus Textile Mills was printing cloth with a design in which can be detected the words 'Allah' and 'Mohammad'. According to his report to the police, this had caused much resentment in the area and consequent unrest among the locals. He asked that preventative measures be immediately taken to quell the alleged but imaginary discontent. The Nazim then telephoned the mill and asked the manager to come to his office and give his explanation to members of the press who had gathered there. Before the manager could leave the mill a team of four reporters and a photographer arrived in his office from a local Urdu daily. They had been informed by the Nazim that defamatory material had been printed by the mill, and that he had made efforts to contact the mill management without success. They alleged that the entire locality was up in arms against the outrage and that the law and order situation was getting out of hand. The manager told them that no such inflammatory material had ever been printed in his mill, and that he, his workers and the owners were God-fearing Muslims who, knowing the current trend, strictly and conscientiously avoid printing any material which could be deemed to be even vaguely objectionable or hurt anyone's feelings. The press team declared they were satisfied. As soon as they left, the representatives of the mill management went to see the Landhi Nazim and told him what they had told the press. The Nazim assured them that he too was satisfied and would see that a clarification of the matter was printed in the press. The next day, October 24, the same newspaper whose reporters had earlier visited the mill manager's statement and also printed the original version of the Nazim together with his photograph and photographs of the samples of two pieces of cloth which he had given them. The report was most provocative and was obviously made inflammatory with intent. On October 25, Abdul Qadir Mandokhel of Quetta claiming to be an advocate and the chairman of the 'Mandokhel Welfare Organization' went to see City Nazim at the KMC head office and complained to him that Yunus Textile Mills had printed objectionable material. Nazim Naimatullah asked Mandokhel to lodge his complaint with the executive district officer, Syed Mahmood Shah. He did so. Mahmood Shah, who is in charge of the promotion of industry in this city, then organised a raiding party comprising Mandokhel, Dr Laeeq, a medical doctor in charge of medicine quality control, Mubarak Shah, Laeeq's deputy, Ahsan Mirza, the assistant district officer, Inspector Sabir Sipra, the Station House Officer of the KMC police station in charge of encroachment removals, three 'police constables, Amir Jalai of a Urdu daily newspaper, and his photographer, and Hafiz Abdul Rais, the Sindh representative of Mandokhel's office. They forcibly entered the mill premises and one of the godowns. The mill security staff resisted but were taken care of by the uniformed policemen. The management raised objections against the unnecessarily stronghanded behaviour of the raiding team and suggested they sit down and discuss the matter. The mill administrator made it quite clear that in the contentious design there was no possible way that the words 'Allah' or 'Mohammad' could be perceived, even by the most twisted mind, and he gave them a sample of the cloth. The raiders left saying they would investigate further. During the discussions, the man Mandokhel threatened to have the mill sealed, the culprits charged with blasphemy, and then hanged. On October 26, Mandokhel filed FIR 390/01 in the Qaidabad police station, on which is noted in Urdu, loosely translated here: I, Duty Officer, Sub Inspector Zulfikar Haider, confirm that I have a written word for word report regarding crimes which have been committed under Sections 295 (b) and 295 (c). Therefore a case has been filed against the mill owner of Yunus Textile Mills, Mohammad Ali, and Director Technical Tanvir Ahmad Siddiqui and all other persons involved in the FIR lodged for further investigation by SHO Shujaat Hussain. President General Musharraf and the nation have gone to war against the world of terrorism. Must we suffer this evil at home? DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011123 ------------------------------------------------------------------- The fantasies of Pakistani liberalism ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ayaz Amir "The Afghan situation has presented a unique opportunity to draw a line in the sand against a tiny minority of unenlightened, obscurantist and backward-looking religious extremists who hold the majority of moderate, dynamic and futuristic-looking Pakistanis hostage." -General Musharraf in New York Who's held a gun to the nation's head? It cannot be the Beards who have never held power in the state. While they can be accused of many things--principally of being a nuisance and of filling the airwaves with rhetoric we could all have done without-- mismanaging the nation's affairs is not a sin that can be laid at their door. For this feat of endurance--ineptitude and folly spread over 50 years--the English-speaking governing elite in power since 1947 has to carry all the blame. In Pakistan's power structure the Beards have been outsiders. All the institutions of state--political, military, bureaucratic, judicial--have been the exclusive preserve of a governing class whose greatest achievements have been self- perpetuation, corruption and an incompetence that often defies analysis. What have the Beards to do with this record? The Beards had no representation in the first Constituent Assembly, so are not to be blamed for the delays in framing a constitution which plagued the nation's early years. They did not elevate Ghulam Muhammad to the Governor Generalship or Iskander Mirza to the presidency. They had no hand in Ayub Khan's military coup, which really derailed the country and set the stage for the country's dismemberment in 1971. It was not the Beards who led the country into the folly of the 1965 war but rather the quintessential liberal elite represented by Ayub Khan and his coterie of advisers. It bears asking at this point as to who is a liberal in the Pakistani context and who a fundo? A liberal is someone who has climbed the ladder of an English education for social and other forms of preferment, Pakistani liberalism having nothing to do with any intellectual tradition, much less with the Whig tradition of British history. It is all form and no substance. Crackling thunder, no rain. Conversely, a fundo means someone who is (mostly) from the other side of the tracks and seeks solace, or a solution to the world's problems, in a literal and narrow rendering of the tenets of Islam. What is the touchstone of the liberal credo? An end to prohibition (something with which I agree but for different reasons). That's about it. It's more fun being sentimental about the national interest in a crowded bar or a club than in the enforced privacy of one's home. Pakistan's most famous generals--Ayub, Yahya, Niazi, etc--fought their most successful battles on bar stools. Much as Pakistan's bureaucrats and politicians, positively lyrical when the right stuff flows, have rivalled the achievements of Pericles in similar settings. Prohibition has not just been hard on the nation's drinkers (a touchy issue with which it is possible to sympathize). It has also ruined the tone of Pakistani metaphysics. The fundamentalist, on the other hand, is a creature of rage. Not because his ideology predisposes him to this attitude but because rage, helpless anger and frustration are the typical responses of the outsider: he who wants to be in but is not and who therefore enjoys the luxury of denunciation without the burden of responsibility. It should be a sobering thought that all the debacles which stand out in our history were the products of 'liberal' endeavour: from the war of 1971 to the more recent adventure in Kargil. Sure, the religious right had something to do with some of these ventures but only as cannon fodder and foot soldiers. The actual decisions were made over their heads by the country's 'liberal', English-speaking establishment. The Jamaat-I-Islami played the role of an auxiliary militia in East Pakistan in 1971 and a leading role in the agitation against Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1977. Throughout the Zia era it acted as'B' team of the military regime. Some of the religious outfits were deeply involved in the first Afghan 'jehad' against the Soviet occupation. But in all these ventures the religious right was playing out roles scripted and directed by General Headquarters or Inter-Services Intelligence. While the religious parties and, later, the madrassas proved useful to the state, they were never the state. How strange then that today they should be demonized as the source of all our problems. Who held whom hostage? It was not the madrassas which forced any government to support the Taliban. This was a decision taken by the national security establishment in pursuit of 'strategic depth' and similar notions which have characterised our Afghan policy. The madrassas had it not in their power to hold the nation hostage. It was the army and the intelligence services which brooked no assault on the "obscurantist elements" because they were seen as serving the 'national interest'--a bogey in whose name every last lunacy can be justified. Of course after the change of political climate in Pakistan it is near-treason to suggest that prior to September 11 General Musharraf subscribed to the same philosophy he now so stoutly berates. His own words on numerous occasions testify to the fact that on Afghanistan, Kashmir and the great strategic space provided to Pakistan by its nuclear capability his views were no different from that of the Beards. Both sides, the army and the Beards, swore by the same strategic orthodoxy (this adjective, strategic, deserving close examination for all the mischief it has caused). It goes to General Musharraf's credit that he changed his mind quickly when circumstances changed. Consistency, after all, as Mullah Omar might reflect, is not a virtue at all times. Even so, he could try putting Pakistan's peculiar brand of obscurantism in perspective. When the very bastions of national security are infected by the spirit of holy war, does obscurantism reside in the madrassas or in the bastions standing guard against the enemy? So there we have it. Pakistan's problem lies not amongst its bearded population or in the obscure curriculum taught in its religious seminaries. If it did, the solution would be simple: bulldozing the madrassas and perhaps press-ganging their students into the army. The problem lies elsewhere: not in the minds supposedly chained to the past but in the 'liberal' establishment which has always prided itself on having its eyes on the future. The best that this establishment produced has served Pakistan ill: taking it into useless defence pacts (SEATO and CENTO), fighting useless wars, making the country hostage to one futile ambition after another. The madrassas and the Beards while responding emotionally to many senseless ideas have had no part in creating this sorry legacy. Even now, we are clutching at the wrong end of the argument. Our problem is not joining or staying out of the international mainstream, the great clichi spawned by our decision to join the American war on Afghanistan. For most of our 53 years as a nation we were amongst the most allied of America's allies and thus in the very centre of the international mainstream. What good did that do us? The Beards had not arrived on the national scene by then. It was the old governing class--crack English, premium whisky (alas) and all--which made a mess of the nation's affairs. Know thyself is a maxim applicable as much to nations as to individuals seeking to find a way out of their distress. It is not the elimination of the Beards which is our foremost problem but the eradication of obscurantism from the hearts and minds of the national security establishment. If the attention showered on Pakistan becomes another instrument for self-perpetuation, and for the lengthening of the Musharraf order, then Pakistan has gained nothing from this crisis. With the fall of Kabul and other cities our importance as a frontline state has already gone. The rest of the bubble will also burst because bubbles never last. Only if the army pursues a Kemalist agenda and sets the country on the path to an enduring democracy will we be able to say that we took the right turning and exploited the situation to our advantage. But for this to happen and for us to start on this journey, the first essential is to stop pretending that the Beards and madrassas have been the source of our problems. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011124 ------------------------------------------------------------------- History's hard lessons ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Irfan Husain If I were to get a dollar for every lesson Muslim leaders had failed to learn over the years, I would be a rich man today. Time and again in Islamic history, leaders have refused to draw the obvious conclusions from events and their subjects have paid a heavy price for their stupidity. But instead of penalizing their rulers, they have blamed everybody else but those directly responsible for their misfortunes. This gullibility among the ruled, combined with the cynicism of their rulers, has produced a seemingly unending series of man-made and entirely avoidable disasters spanning centuries that led inexorably to the Gulf War a decade ago, as well as the current situation in Afghanistan. One problem of course is that Muslim societies have traditionally been ruled by despots who have surrounded themselves with sycophants. Even today, democracies in the Islamic world can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Under such autocratic rule, decision-making is usually highly personalized and hence whimsical. This leadership style leads to the selection of unqualified and unsuitable individuals for the top slots in the bureaucracy as well as the defence forces. When nepotism is rampant, talent and intelligence are discounted; officers picked for their family ties and personal loyalty are unlikely to offer independent advice that may be unpopular with their patron. You do not have to be a management guru to see that this administrative model is a recipe for disaster, and so it has proved to be for centuries. Although this system also prevailed in the West, it was discarded in favour of democracy and meritocracy which were found to be much more efficient and flexible in running modern societies and economies. Yet Muslim states have copied only the trappings of democracy, rarely its essence. Arab countries hold farcical one-party elections in which the dictator of the day wins a 99 per cent majority, leaving outsiders wondering about the fate of the dissenting one per cent. When personal preferences and prejudices rule the destiny of millions, institutions cannot develop and flourish. Leaders like the Colonel Qadhafi can bankrupt his oil-rich, under-populated nation, subject his people to repression for three decades, and still be admired by Muslims across the world. Saddam Hussein can invade Iran without provocation and fight a bloody war that bled both nations white over ten years without protest from the Islamic world. Then the same tyrant can invade Kuwait, triggering the Gulf War and the subsequent sanctions that have devastated his country, and still be regarded a hero from Morocco to Malaysia. Incidentally, he runs one of the most vicious police states in the world, but one doesn't hear of Muslims demonstrating against him. Another case in point is the on-going American bombing in Afghanistan. Here is one of the poorest countries in the world, ravaged by years of invasion, civil war and drought , but nonetheless takes on the most powerful state the world has ever seen. Had the Afghan cause been just, this defiance would have evoked our admiration and sympathy. However, all this death and destruction has been invited for the sake of Osama bin Laden, a terrorist who did not have the courage to either give himself up or commit suicide to save his hosts from the devastation they are now being subjected to. At school, it was considered honourable to step forward and accept one's medicine like a man when the entire class was threatened with collective punishment if the guilty party did not confess to his crime. But in this case, bin Laden too has joined the pantheon of heroes of the Islamic world. One problem with all three examples given here is that very few of our despots understand the realities of power in the modern world. In a recent article called "It's the daisy-cutter, stupid!", Kamran Shafi made the point that the Taliban had been routed by the sheer weight of the firepower unleashed on them by the Americans. While this is obvious to most of us, there are still many Muslims here and elsewhere who feel it is somehow 'cowardly' for the Americans not to commit their ground troops to fight the Taliban, relying instead on cruise missiles and B-52s. Indeed, our ex-spymaster, the (mercifully) retired General Hameed Gul, referred to American troops as "cream puff soldiers." What these latter-day Saladins fail to understand is that military strategy has changed with the induction of the new technologies, and it would be irresponsible for a modern commander to risk his soldiers where he can get the same job done by planes flying at 20,000 feet above the ground. Both Saddam Hussein and Mullah Omar are too ignorant of these realities to comprehend that they simply cannot withstand the storm of steel and fire a modern superpower can unleash. Ignorance is at the root of Muslim weakness and decline today. There exists a fundamental contradiction between the dictates of despotism and those of modernism: Muslim rulers risk being unseated if their subjects are educated in the modern sense of the word. Hence they are willing to accept and even encourage the setting up of madressahs where only the scriptures are taught. However, even where modern institutions have been established, students are not encouraged to question and criticize the status quo. although some of them have been the centres of protest, they are not centres of creative research: for this, students have to go to western universities. Thus, the Muslim world has lost some of its finest minds as it cannot furnish them with the tools or the intellectual environment they need. This brain-drain in turn feeds into the stagnation and torpor that characterize the Muslim world today. Even in a country like Pakistan where, thanks to its colonial heritage, there is a constant demand for democracy despite its repeated bouts of military rule, there is a sizable section of the population that is out of touch with reality. Even educated people (or specially educated people) view modernity and secularism with grave suspicion. They seek to make a clear distinction between their faith and what they see as western values. For them, reason and rationality are in conflict with the fundamentals of religion. Indeed, if they take the scriptures literally, they may well be right. But even in secular Muslim countries like Iraq and Libya, despotism has marginalized and isolated them to the point where, despite their vast oil wealth, they are totally irrelevant to world affairs. Until Muslim societies can resolve all their many contradictions and learn the lessons they have ignored for centuries, they will deserve to be left behind as they rail against the injustice of history and the march of progress.
SPORTS 20011122 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan take 2-0 lead ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Reporter RAWALPINDI, Nov 21: Medium-pacers Junaid Zia and Kamran Sajid shared six wickets to help Young Pakistan to an easy six-wicket victory against the touring Sir Lankan Juniors in the second one- day International at the Rawalpindi Stadium. The bowling, backed by sharp fielding, made things quite easy for the home team as they dismissed the tourists for 133 in 44 overs, and then overhauled that total in 28.1 overs, scoring 136 for four. The victory put Pakistan 2-0 up in the five match series with a game in Sheikupura and two in Lahore still to go. The only scar on what was otherwise a remarkable victory was a catch taken at mid wicket by Muhammad Fayyaz of Sri Lankan opener S. Perera. While television replays clearly showed that he had floored the catch off a Junaid Zia delivery, Fayyaz pretended as if he had taken it cleanly. Umpires ZI Pasha and Iqbal Butt could not make out if it was a clean one but they did not seem to have much doubts initially as the batsman himself quickly left the crease. The catch stood and the unlucky opener trudged back after scoring 19 runs. Pakistan coach Haroon Rasheed told Dawn that Fayyaz got confused as his team-mates quickly rushed in to celebrate. He agreed though that it was the only black mark in a wonderful day's work. After Sri Lanka had been put in by home skipper Salman Butt, the visitors could not cope with the accurate line and length of the Pakistan pace trio comprising Junaid, Kamran and Najaf Shah. Only P. Ranawake in the middle order with 23 from 49 balls was the top run-getter while his mates could not impress much. Junaid finished with the figures of figures of 3-34 off nine overs two of which were maiden. Kamran on the other hand bowled five maidens in his quota of ten overs and conceded only 32 runs for three wickets. Najaf was good with the ball too snapping up two wickets for 29 runs. For their fine efforts, both Junaid and Kamran were declared joint winners of the Man of the Match award. When Pakistan began the chase, Salman fell cheaply for five and then Khaqan Arsal (16) went with the Pakistan total standing at 35. Opener Saqib Zia scored a patient 28 off 51 balls before falling to medium fast N. Des Wijeratne who had him caught by P. Ranawake and then Kamran Sajid couldn't do much and was dismissed for just 9. At 70 for four the Sri Lankans seemed to be coming back but then Asim Munir Butt with an unbeaten 37 and Muhammad Fayyaz who struck a brisk 28 not out made sure things do not get out of hand. Left arm medium fast bowler N Des Wijeratne took the wickethonours for the Sri Lankans with three for 32. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011122 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan Open in March ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Reporter ISLAMABAD, Nov 21: The prestigious Pakistan Open, postponed last September, has been rescheduled for March 9-17 next year at Lahore. The meeting, chaired by the president of PSF, Air Chief Marshal Mushaf Ali Mir, besides finalising the dates of the tournament, enhanced its prize money from US $80,000 to $100,000. Secretary of the PSF Sqd. Ldr Sajid Waheed said the federation was now planning to buy a portable four-side glass wall court for the Pakistan Open. The Open, had to be put back following the terror that struck the US on September 11 which led to the foreign players refusing to travel down to Pakistan for the tournament. Sajid said that the new dates were chosen carefully as March was thought to be the best time for the event which will be organised by the Punjab Squash Association. The house re-elected Jahangir Khan as the vice president of PSF for a second term of three years and deliberated at length about holding the elections of the provincial associations. In the light of the new sports policy, the squash bosses decided that Punjab, Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan hold their elections before the deadlines set for them. The sports policy will bring to an end the tenures of Qamar Zaman and Muhammad Ali Jogazai as secretaries of the provincial associations of NWFP and Balochistan respectively. Rehmat Khan, who coached the legendary Jahangir to stardom, would continue to train the junior players. However, a decision on coaches for the seniors would be taken in due course, Sajid said. A proposal was approved whereby the affiliated members of the PSF would sponsor four players for the National Games. A committee, with one representative each from the Armed Forces and the secretary himself, was formed to finalise the national and international calendars for the year 2002. The importance of women's squash also came up for discussion with the president emphasising the need for associations to concentrate on training women players and holding tournaments for them so that a competitive environment could be created within the provinces. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011119 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Khaqan and Salman dominate Pakistan's impressive victory ------------------------------------------------------------------- KARACHI, Nov 18: Khaqan Arsal and skipper Salman Butt hit sparkling unbeaten half-centuries as Pakistan thrashed Sri Lanka by nine wickets in the opening Under-19 One-day International at National Stadium. Sri Lanka Under-19 were restricted to 198 for nine in their 50 overs after their captain Dhammika Niroshan won the toss and elected to bat first. Pakistan Under-19, in reply, reached the target for the loss of opener Kamran Younis by scoring 202 for one in 43.5 overs. Right-hander Khaqan smashed 93 not out off 107 balls with 15 fours while left-handed Salman hit an enterprising 82 off 115 deliveries with 10 hits to the ropes during the unbroken 136-run second wicket stand. Earlier, some fine tidy bowling and superb fielding by Pakistan teenagers caused the slide in Sri Lankan batting ranks as five of their batsman were run out which compounded their problems. Sri Lankans slumped to 34 for three after promising paceman Umer Gul had opener Upul Tharanga caught behind by Zulqarnain for 17. Mevan Dunusinghe fell to Junaid Zia for four and four balls later Sahan Wijeratne was run out for a duck. Sumal Perera and Jeevan Mendis added 58 for the fourth wicket. Perera was bowled by left-arm spinner Kamran Younis for 37. Jeevan with Farveez Mahroof added another 56 for the sixth wicket to retrieve the situation but once the partnership was broken the remaining batting fell away. Left-hander Mendis top-scored for the touring side with a defiant 56 off 91 balls. He hit three fours and a six. Umer Gul and off-spinner Irfanuddin were the pick of home side bowling attack. Umer took one for 28 in 10 overs and Irfan captured one for 24 in his 10 overs. -APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011120 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan to bid for senior and junior World Cups ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Correspondent LAHORE, Nov 19: Pakistan will be the candidate of hosting the Senior and Junior World Cup hockey tournaments and the 25th Champions Trophy. The Senior World Cup is scheduled be held in 2006 and the junior in 2005. The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary Brig. Mussaratullah Khan told journalists that Pakistan will present its case in the FIH Executive Board meeting to be held at Brussels (Belgium) on Nov 29. He said that Pakistan would fight for the 25th Champions Trophy as an alternative of the 23rd edition which was held at Rotterdam (Holland) this month after shifting from Pakistan due to security reasons in the region. He said that according to the FIH decision Pakistan had the opportunity to hold Champions Trophy after every two years. Following this rule Pakistan would be awarded the 26th edition, but the PHF was interested to get the silver jubilee year tournament in place of 23rd Champions Trophy. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011121 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PCB requests CBFS to reschedule tournament ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Reporter KARACHI, Nov 20: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has urged the Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) to reschedule April's Sharjah Cup so that it can host New Zealand. Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand are slated to appear in the April tournament. A PCB official confirmed that the CBFS has been requested to organize the April tournament in March so that New Zealand's cancelled tour to Pakistan can be reprogrammed in April and May. "YES, WE HAVE REQUESTED THE CBFS TO LOOK INTO THIS PROPOSAL. IF ALL GOES WELL, WE MIGHT HOST NEW ZEALAND FOR THREE TESTS AND AS MANY ONE-DAY INTERNATIONALS IN APRIL AND EARLY MAY," chairman of the PCB Lt Gen Tauqir Zia said from Rawalpindi. If CBFS succeeds to convince New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on fresh Sharjah Cup dates, India stands a 60-40 chance to replace the Black Caps and end their three-year ban on playing cricket at "NON- REGULAR VENUES" by making their first appearance since October 2000. Also in the fray are the West Indies as the Caribbean players would have just concluded their series in Pakistan and can appear in the desert city on their way home where they take on India. The Sharjah tournament is planned between April 10 and 19 while New Zealand conclude their home series against England on April 3. "If CBFS and NZC agree, New Zealand can come to Pakistan immediately after their series against England and wind up their assignment in Pakistan by the first week of May. The PCB chairman further argued that if New Zealand came in July- August, the contracts of three Pakistan players and a Black Cap player in English county championships might be affected. Shahid Afridi is signed with Leicestershire, Abdur Razzaq with Middlesex and Saqlain Mushtaq with Surrey while Chris Cairns has commitments with Nottinghamshire. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011121 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shoaib not yet exonerated ------------------------------------------------------------------- SPORTS REPORTER KARACHI, Nov 20: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said it would fight Shoaib Akhtar's case all the way but made it clear that it would not allow the paceman to bring the game into disrepute. "We will continue to fight medical battle for Shoaib with the International Cricket Council (ICC). But at the same time, it isn't correct that Shoaib has been exonerated of misconduct charges," PCB chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia said. Tauqir said he hasn't received disciplinary committee's recommendations against Shoaib. He admitted that match referee Denis Lindsay had not taken note of the misconduct but clarified that the PCB was looking above the incident. "We have excellent relations with the Sri Lankan board. The players have good relations with Sri Lankan players. But Shoaib's conduct was unacceptable and could have spoiled everything. We have special relations with Sri Lankan board who came forward to help us when we needed them. The PCB doesn't want that its players dent player-to-player or relations between two boards. "Shoaib has apologized to the fans and to Mahela Jayawardena. But the case isn't over as yet. I have to see the findings and recommendations of the disciplinary committee before announcing the decision," Tauqir said. Clarifying the medical battle, Tauqir said he was bemused that Shoaib was handled as a commoner. "For example, Muthiah Muralitharan and Shoaib played in the same match. The two have been cleared by the same Western Australia university. But only Shoaib has been reported. "If the ICC says Muralitharan's case was old, then let it open previous books. The PCB will continue to fight the case until the ICC spells out its policies." The PCB boss said he had great respect for Michael Holding and dismissed impressions that he was against his visit to Pakistan. "In fact, I wanted him in the past to help the academy boys. I know if Holding comes now, he will not only assist Shoaib but many other fast bowlers. "But my contention is that if Dennis Lillee has cleared Shoaib, why doesn't the ICC recognize it. After all, Lillee enjoys the same reputation as Holding." Tauqir agreed that accepting Holding as Shoaib's bowling adviser would help the fast bowler, "but at the same time it would mount that I have accepted ICC's decision to invoke Stage Two. Besides, there is no guarantee that Shoaib would not be reported again if Holding clears his bowling action." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011121 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan monitoring controversy ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Reporter KARACHI, Nov 20: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) were closely monitoring the controversy involving Sachin Tendulkar who was Tuesday found guilty of ball-tampering. While the Pakistan authorities restrained from commenting on the issue, sources confirmed that if the International Cricket Council (ICC) kept in abeyance the ban on Tendulkar, the PCB would raise the issue of Waqar Younis. The Pakistan captain was fined 50 per cent of his match fee and banned from a one-day international last year in Sri Lanka by New Zealand's John Reid. Sources, said the PCB would review the footage of Tendulkar's incident and will then compare it with Waqar Younis' episode to examine the similarities. "And if the incidents are identical, the PCB will press for the ICC to scrap the punishment on Waqar off the record books," sources said. Although the ICC cannot reverse the one-man ban on Waqar, the least it can do is to remove the stigma against the name of the champion fast bowler who has been a scourge for the batsmen throughout his career. The only official reaction from the PCB on the controversy was that it repeated its call for best match referees and umpires from all the Test playing countries rather than ICC's decision to have a select group of officials. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20011122 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PCB and BCCI discuss saga ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Reporter KARACHI, Nov 21: The Sachin Tendulkar saga has apparently brought India and Pakistan cricket authorities closer when heads of the two boards exchanged views on the controversy. According to highly places sources, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Jaghmohan Dalmiya wrote a formal letter to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia. Sources further said Dalmiya, a former International Cricket Council (ICC) president, also made a personal telephone call to Tauqir and deliberated on the subject. Although no official version was made available from Pakistan cricket authorities, sources said the BCCI has sought Pakistan's help to overcome the crisis which India believes is targeted against the Asian block. Dalmiya, it is believed, has also written a similar letter to Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL). The Asian block has suffered largely due to the biased and unaccommodating attitude of the ICC officials. Muthiah Muralitharan, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Shoaib Akhtar have previously faced ICC wraths before Tendulkar and five other Indian players were targeted at Port Elizabeth. "Dalmiya has expressed concerns that if the rules of the game were similar, why were only Asian cricketers being penalized. He has also argued that no player from Australia, England or South Africa has either been suspended or reprimanded despite breaching the code of conduct time and again," sources said. The Pakistan cricket authorities, who enjoy excellent relations with their counterparts, have promised full support and have proposed Dalmiya to chalk out a counter-strategy, sources said. Sources added that while Dalmiya has asked Pakistan's support on Tendulkar affair, in response he has assured backing to Tauqir in getting Shoaib Akhtar cleared from the charges of suspect bowling action. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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