------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 29 September 2001 Issue : 07/39 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Contents | National News | Business & Economy | Editorials & Features | Sports
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CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + Islamabad not to join any military action: Foreign Office + Embassy staff withdrawn + US to consider Pakistan view: Support to Northern Alliance + Pakistan opposes help to Northern Alliance + No compromise on national security, says Musharraf + Afghan envoy supports negotiated settlement + Washington plan to waive democracy strictures + US hints at lifting more sanctions + Washington lifts sanctions against Islamabad, Delhi + Norway also lifts sanctions + Benazir asks US to back party-based elections + Laden wanted to control Islamabad: Benazir + SBP freezes accounts of Al Rashid Trust, Harkat + Protest lodged with news channel + Nuclear assets in safe hands, says Maleeha + President pushing country into blind alley, says PML + PML against US attack from Pakistan + New Delhi will not complicate situation: Jaswant + Taliban, WFP talks remain inconclusive: Takeover of UN offices + Plea to open border rejected + No accord on border opening: Govt rejects UNHCR claim + Pakistan to open borders for refugees: UNHCR + Govt-ANP deal seen behind Hoti's release + Issuance of visa restricted + Strict search at airports ordered + Ambassador dies in accident --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + IMF okays $596m Pakistan loan + Ordinance to protect FCAs promulgated + Economy to get a boost, says Shaukat + Stocks end session on mixed note + Stocks make recovery on institutional support + Suspension fails to make any difference --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + The enemy within Ardeshir Cowasjee + Standing a 20-year nexus on its head Ayaz Amir + Reality check Irfan Husain ----------- SPORTS + SAF Games Postponed + Organizers decision supported
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS 20010927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Islamabad not to join any military action: Foreign Office ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: Pakistan said it was part of the global coalition against terrorism but can never be part of any hostile action against Afghanistan. "Pakistan cannot and can never join any hostile action against Afghanistan or Afghan people," Foreign Office spokesman Riaz Mohammad Khan told reporters. "We are deeply conscious that destinies of the two people and two countries are intertwined," he said, adding: "There is no joint operation or any specific operation or contingency plans (by the United States) which has been placed before Pakistan." The spokesman said it was a fight against terrorism in which Pakistan was part of international coalition and we wanted the Afghan government to be responsive to what international community wants from it. "It is not fight against any people or any country." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010925 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Embassy staff withdrawn ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Faraz Hashmi ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: Pakistan for security reasons has withdrawn all its staff from its embassy in Kabul and consulates in some other cities of Afghanistan, a foreign office spokesman said. When asked whether the staff withdrawal could be considered as severing of diplomatic relations, Mr Khan pointed out that Afghan ambassador was still in Islamabad. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US to consider Pakistan view: Support to Northern Alliance ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Tahir Mirza WASHINGTON, Sept 26: The United States will keep Pakistan's sensitivities with regard to the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance in mind while considering its next moves in Afghanistan. This was indicated by White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer while responding to questions on Pakistan Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar's statement cautioning Washington against trying to install a Northern Alliance-led regime in Kabul and describing any such course as a recipe for disaster. Mr Fleischer said the US was aware of the indisputable nature of Pakistan's relationship with the Northern Alliance, which had a historical context, and would keep all interrelated strains in view as it went about its efforts to end the actions of Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, "hosted and harboured by the Taliban". DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010926 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan opposes help to Northern Alliance ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 25: Foreign Minister Abdus Sattar warned against attempts to provide military assistance to anti-Taliban groups, specially Northern Alliance, saying that it would be a recipe for disaster. Speaking at a joint press conference along with chief of EU delegation Belgium Foreign Minister Loui Michel, Abdus Sattar said: "We are concerned to read reports that Afghan groups are asking for military assistance from the United States. Any such decision on the part of any world power will be a recipe of adding suffering to the Afghan people." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010925 ------------------------------------------------------------------- No compromise on national security, says Musharraf ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said said that sanctions against Pakistan were being lifted owing to his government's sagacious and timely decisions, and the country's economy would now be back on the road to progress and prosperity. President Musharraf maintained:" There is no question of any compromise on national security, independence and sovereignty and all the decisions have been taken in the greater national interest," he said. He said: " We hold the national interest supreme and the armed forces are fully capable of safeguarding strategic national interests." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010925 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Afghan envoy supports negotiated settlement ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD Sept 24: Reiterating that the Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden has gone into hiding within the country, the Afghan ambassador in Islamabad said on Monday that the efforts to trace him and convey him the decree of ulema council as approved by Mullah Omar had so far failed. Speaking at a news conference at Afghan Embassy, which was attended by foreign journalists in large number, the Afghan Ambassador, Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, contradicted a report that the British elite force had joined hands with the opposition Northern Alliance or had come face to face with the Taliban forces. Replying to a question, he said his country was still looking for a negotiated settlement of the issue to save the country from another war and was ready to utilize all available channels for this end. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010926 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Washington plan to waive democracy strictures ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON, Sept 25: After waiving nuclear-related sanctions against Pakistan, the Bush administration is looking at the question of taking similar action in relation to democracy strictures applied after the 1999 military takeover. A clear indication to this effect was given by Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman at a special briefing for foreign press correspondents. Mr Grossman, who was the State Department's liaison with Congress on the removal of nuclear-related curbs last week, said a number of legislators, both in the Senate and the House of Representatives, had urged that the administration should also look into waiving the democracy sanctions, "and we are currently doing so". If the administration moves in this direction -- Pakistan will become sanctions-free for the first time since 1988 and become entitled to substantial economic and military aid. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010925 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US hints at lifting more sanctions ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: The United States indicated that it might lift democracy-related sanctions against Pakistan under section 508 as its "small military delegation" entered into a dialogue with Pakistan military authorities about specifics of the anti-terrorism cooperation. "We are looking at it (waiver of section 508 sanctions) very seriously but it would require a different kind of administrative and legislative mechanism," US Ambassador Wendy Chamberlin said. The two sides issued separate statements on debt rescheduling agreement signed by the US ambassador and secretary Economic Affairs Division Naveed Ahsan. The agreement automatically relieved Brooke sanctions. The statement issued by US embassy said: "This agreement will reschedule $379 million (including late interest) in government-to- government debt and is the final action on the general agreement on debt rescheduling for Pakistan reached by creditor Paris Club members on January 23, 2001." The written statement distributed by the finance ministry said: "Under this agreement debt service of $375.4 million covering maturities of USAID, PL-480, CCC, US Exim bank, DOD Program Debt, due during the period from Dec 1, 2000, to Sept 30, 2001, including arrears of Nov 30, 2000, due on loans contracted up to Sept 30, 1997, have been consolidated and rescheduled." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010924 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Washington lifts sanctions against Islamabad, Delhi ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Tahir Mirza WASHINGTON, Sept 23: Displaying unusual speed on a weekend, the Bush administration has responded to Islamabad's support in the current crisis by lifting all sanctions against Pakistan except those imposed under democracy strictures. The administration, according to the Pakistan embassy sources here, has confirmed that sanctions under the Glenn, Pressler and Symington amendments have been waived. Democracy-related Section 508 sanctions, which cover some important areas in both military and economic cooperation, will continue to stay in place "for now", although they have in the past been modified to meet specific targets. Nuclear-related sanctions against India have also been removed. The removal of most layers of sanctions clears the way for Pakistan to get economic help from the US and international financial institutions where Washington enjoys decisive influence. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010929 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Norway also lifts sanctions ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 28: The Norwegian government lifted sanctions on government-to-government cooperation with Pakistan. In a Press statement issued by the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Minister for Development Cooperation Anne Kristin Sydnes said the Norwegian government, under the present circumstances, feels that it is the time to lift sanctions," she said. "In this way we want to express our support to Pakistan, who today finds itself in a very difficult political and economic situation," she said. She said that Norway would continue to encourage Pakistan to sign and ratify both the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). "The future development cooperation will be outlined following consultations with the Government of Pakistan," the Norwegian Minister said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Benazir asks US to back party-based elections ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent NEW YORK, Sept 26: Saying that an alternative to democratic Pakistan was "horrific", former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has called upon the US and the international community to support free, fair and party-based elections in Pakistan in Oct 2002, In an article in Tuesday's Wall Street Journal Ms Bhutto said "a democratic Pakistan is the world's best guarantee of the triumph of moderation and modernity among one billion Muslims at the crossroads of our history." She said bluntly "the alternative of a long-term, nuclear-armed Pakistani dictatorship has consequences that could make Sept 11 look like a mere prelude to an even more horrific future for the civilized world." Ms Bhutto who has written her opinion in several US dailies recently warns that "Islamabad may be tempted to ask the United States to abandon its support for Pakistani democracy in exchange for support in the war against international terrorism." She said "allowing dictatorship to strengthen its stranglehold over the democratic institutions of Pakistan can, in the long run, create an even greater Frankenstein than the US miscalculation with the Mujahideen in the 1980s. Osama commandeered jets. Pakistan has nuclear weapons. The United States must demand a democratic Pakistan to stave off a true catastrophe in the future. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010925 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Laden wanted to control Islamabad: Benazir ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent WASHINGTON, Sept 24: Benazir Bhutto, has disclosed that during her tenure Osama bin Laden supported the pro-Taliban forces in Pakistan in their bid to control Islamabad as the centre for their battle against the civilized world. In an article in The Washington Post, she said in 1989 Bin Laden poured more than $10 million into an unsuccessful no-confidence move to bring down my government. Years later, after the attack on New York's World Trade Center in 1993, Bin Laden-backed mastermind, Ramzi Yousef, fled to Pakistan. "Working with the FBI, my government's law enforcers apprehended Yousef near Islamabad. Before we extradited him, we learned the Bin Laden apparatus had made two unsuccessful assassination attempts against me in 1993." She said during the tenure of my government, we closed an important paramilitary training university in Peshawar and disarmed other forces. We arrested militants; they were on the run. We extradited wanted terrorists. They hit back by bombing the Egyptian embassy in Islamabad, burning the National Assembly and hijacking a school bus. But when my democratically elected government fell in November 1996, the range of the militants increased, she said. She added the Sept 11 terror attacks and their grim toll, climaxed in a call to end international terrorism. As America leads this fight, I caution that Pakistani democracy not be sacrificed at the altar of Afghanistan. It is right for America, as it battles international terrorism, to sow the seeds of stability. Democracy and debt reduction are two pillars on which the edifice of a political structure promising peace and stability can be raised. It is also right to rescind the discriminatory Pressler sanctions, which soured relations between our countries for a generation, she said. It is also important for America and the rest of the world to keep their commitment to democratic values by continuing to press for party-based elections in Pakistan next year open to all candidates and all parties. She suggested that two of the most important long- term goals for our region should be the formation of a broad-based government in Afghanistan that gives confidence to the refugees to return to their land and, equally important, the restoration of true democracy to Pakistan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SBP freezes accounts of Al Rashid Trust, Harkat ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: State Bank ordered a freeze on the bank accounts of Harkat ul-Mujahideen and Al Rashid Trust which were included on a terrorism blacklist made public by the United States. Both groups were named on a list of 27 individuals or groups identified as being linked to terrorism by US President George W. Bush. The trust's funds, which include both dollar and sterling accounts, are kept with Habib Bank Ltd. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010924 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Protest lodged with news channel ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: The government has lodged protest with a leading American news channel for carrying a story based on videotapes provided by the Indian army. "We have written protest letters to the president of Atlanta-based organization and talked to their senior people who are currently in Pakistan," Information Secretary Anwar Mahmood told newsmen. The government, he said, had also expressed its indignation over the international news channels' reports showing Pakistan army's movement in some mountainous region and an army truck passing through a road. "That was a route-march, which every army unit undertakes in routine," the spokesman for President Pervez Musharraf, Maj-Gen Rashid Qureshi said. Refuting reports of army deployment on the country's western borders, Maj-Gen Rashid said that neither the Pakistan army nor the Taliban had made any deployment on the borders. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010924 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Nuclear assets in safe hands, says Maleeha ------------------------------------------------------------------- WASHINGTON, Sept 23: Pakistan's nuclear assets are secure and there is no question of any outside element gaining unauthorised access to them, Pakistan's ambassador to the United States, Dr Maleeha Lodhi, declared in an interview. She was asked during an interview on the CBS Sunday news programme "Face the Nation" if Pakistan's nuclear weapons were safe. She called concerns about their safety being expressed in recent days, overblown. Asked for her reaction to President Bush's decision to lift three layers of nuclear-related sanctions against Pakistan, she said it was a welcome decision that was long overdue and it was her hope that it would open a new chapter in relations between the two countries. Asked to comment on reports from Islamabad that the Pakistan government would try to moderate US actions, she answered: "I think as many other countries are part of the international coalition with the United States in the fight against terrorism, we, not unlike the UN secretary general and other people, would obviously like it to be an effective fight against terrorism which should also ensure that innocent people do not suffer in this fight and nothing is done that is not measured, not carefully targeted, so that we can deal with the aftermath of the situation and not end up exacerbating the crisis we have. Asked if Pakistan would allow the mobilisation of any Western ground troops, the ambassador replied, "I think until the United States has evolved its operational plans and got into specific discussions with us, it would be very premature for me to respond to that. I am not at liberty to get into operational details." Asked if at this point there was anything off the table, she said, the only thing that had been indicated was that it would not be possible for Pakistani forces to be involved in an operation outside the country's borders.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010925 ------------------------------------------------------------------- President pushing country into blind alley, says PML ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: Acting President of Pakistan Muslim League Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said that President Gen Pervez Musharraf was pushing the country into a blind alley just to perpetuate his military rule. Speaking at a press conference Mr Hashmi claimed that President Musharraf for his vested political interest was keeping the masses in absolute darkness but the people had already expressed their abhorrence to his decision of lending support to the United States. Reiterating the demand for restoration of democracy he said, it was very hard for a military and an unrepresentative government to appreciate the sentiments of the public. He said that the government could have restored the parliament and the issue could have been placed before it. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010923 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PML against US attack from Pakistan ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 22: Chairman Pakistan Muslim League (N) Raja Zafar- ul-Haq said his party would give a protest call in case the United States attacked on Afghanistan from Pakistani soil. He said in this grave situation, the military should immediately revert to its original role and a representative government should be installed forthwith. It called upon the government to adopt a sagacious policy and desist from any action that could create internal chaos, endangering the life and property of millions of Pakistanis, and leave the country's western borders insecure. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010923 ------------------------------------------------------------------- New Delhi will not complicate situation: Jaswant ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Faraz Hashmi and Javed Naqvi ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI, Sept 22: In their first direct contact since the Agra summit in July, Mr Sattar spoke to Mr Singh to discuss the arriving military campaign against the Taliban. Mr Singh asked Mr Sattar to convey to President Pervez Musharraf that India had "no intention to add to the current complexities that the government and the people of Pakistan are faced with." Mr Sattar explained that the remarks made by President Pervez Musharraf in his address to the nation were prompted by a barrage of Indian propaganda against Pakistan. Foreign Office spokesman Riaz Mohammad Khan told reporters in Islamabad that Mr Sattar had exchanged views with Mr Singh about the situation arising out of Sept 11 terror attacks in the United States. Mr Sattar apprised Mr Singh about Pakistan's decision to support international efforts against terrorism, the spokesman said. The foreign minister pointed out that Pakistan's policy had been cast in the mould of the United Nations resolution. The FO spokesman confirmed that the United Arab Emirates, one of the three countries which recognized the Taliban regime, had severed its diplomatic relations with Afghanistan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010926 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Taliban, WFP talks remain inconclusive: Takeover of UN offices ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 25: The initial negotiations between the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan, Mullah Abdus Salam Zaeef and senior UN officials about the take over of the United Nations offices and communications apparatus by the Taliban in Afghanistan, remained inconclusive. Addressing a press conference, a spokesperson of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan (UNOCHAA), Stephanie Bunker, said that the UN's resident coordinator called on the Afghan ambassador and apprised him of the seriousness of the Taliban's action starting from September 21. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Plea to open border rejected ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: Pakistan turned down a United Nations request for immediate opening of its borders with Afghanistan, and declared that the borders would remain sealed until forced by the situation arising out of possible US strikes against Afghanistan. "... within Afghanistan, if the situation becomes untenable, or if there is an attack, purely for humanitarian reasons, we will contemplate (the opening of border)," the federal minister for frontier regions and Northern Areas, Abbas Sarfaraz Khan, told a press conference. He said Pakistan, expecting the fresh arrival of refugees, had drawn up a contingency plan in consultation with the UN bodies to accommodate one million Afghan refugees. "For one million Afghan refugees, $122 million will be needed for the first six months," he said, adding that the figure did not include food support. However, the minister said, Afghan women, old men, children and the seriously sick stranded across the Chaman border might be allowed entry in due course and sheltered by the government of Balochistan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010926 ------------------------------------------------------------------- No accord on border opening: Govt rejects UNHCR claim ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 25: The federal government has formally asked the United Nations to stop issuing incorrect statements about the Pakistan-Afghan border policy. Talking to Dawn on Tuesday, Federal Minister for Northern Areas and Frontier Regions Division, Abbas Sarfaraz Khan, said there was absolutely no change in the Pakistan-Afghan border policy. "We have spoken to the UNHCR and asked them to stop issuing incorrect statements regarding the matter." The reservations of Pakistan have been communicated to the United Nations in writing, he said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010925 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan to open borders for refugees: UNHCR ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: The Government of Pakistan has reached an understanding with the United Nations to open its borders and allow Afghan refugees into the country. Speaking at a news conference, the spokesman of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Peter Kessler, said that the Afghans who want to cross over to Pakistan will be allowed. The UNHCR officials said that the movements out of Kandhar, near Balochistan in Pakistan, are also visible. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010924 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Govt-ANP deal seen behind Hoti's release ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Waseem Ahmad Shah PESHAWAR, Sept 23: The release order of Awami National Party's leader Azam Hoti by the Lahore High Court has raised many eyebrows and legal circles believed that his release is an outcome of a clandestine deal between the party and the government. A source privy to the whole affair told Dawn that the ANP buys release of Azam Khan Hoti, undergoing prison term of 14 years, in return of supporting the government in the crisis emerging in the aftermath of Sept 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. The source said: "In the past the ANP remained a strong opponent of providing any support to the US by Pakistan, specially allowing its airspace, logistics and sharing intelligence, but in the instant case the ANP leadership has assumed silence on these issues." A legal expert dealing in criminal cases expressed surprise over allowing bail to Mr Hoti by an accountability appellate bench of the Lahore High Court and suspension of his sentence. He claimed that such things happened in rare cases. He said that Mr Hoti was allowed bail on medical grounds, but across the country a number of persons detained under the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance, 1999, were suffering from more critical diseases as compared to Mr Hoti but they were not allowed bail. Mr Hoti was convicted on Oct 7, 2000, by an accountability court at Attock Fort in a reference pertaining to receiving kickbacks for awarding contract for installation of telephone booths on the Motorway. He was sentenced to 14-year rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs20 million. He has been an asthmatic. An official of the NAB told Dawn on the condition of anonymity that under the NAB Ordinance 1999 every offence was non-bailable and the courts in very few cases allowed bail to an accused. He informed that under the NAB law only few people were fortunate enough to get bail: former federal minister Anwer Saifullah and a former director general of Peshawar Development Authority Syed Zahir Shah, were allowed bail a few months back by the apex court, but both of them had undergone their prison terms. The official claimed that in one of the cases even Aga Khan Hospital had given its findings about an under-trial prisoner of accountability court that he should be sent abroad, but even then he was not allowed by a high court. In another case an accused was suffering from paralysis, but he was kept behind the bars, he added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010925 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Issuance of visa restricted ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: Pakistan has issued a directive to all its embassies not to issue visas without Islamabad's approval, the foreign office spokesman said. "After the incidents of Sept 11, we felt the need for a more stringent visa policy," Riaz Ahmed Khan said. The visa policy that Pakistan had been pursuing was fairly lenient as it aimed at promoting tourism in the country. However, in view of recent development, Pakistan had decided to tighten the visa policy a bit, he said. Now all the visa applications would be referred to Islamabad for clearance. The visa policy was being tightened primarily because an army of journalists had landed in Pakistan and more were expected in anticipation of US military action against Afghanistan, a source said. Besides security concerns, presence of such an large number of media persons in Islamabad, Quetta and Peshawar had already become unmanageable for the government. Moreover, some of the news channels had carried speculative stories. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Strict search at airports ordered ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: Defence Ministry has ordered the Airport Security Force to conduct a final search of passengers as well as the crew members at all airports before they enter the aircraft, a source. At present, the passengers undergo the search twice before they are allowed to board a plane. Under the new orders, the final body and hand-baggage search would be conducted right at the gate of the plane, the source said, adding that the ASF air guards were also likely to be redeployed within a couple of days. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010923 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ambassador dies in accident ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Latafat Ali Siddiqui OTTAWA, Sept 22: Pakistan High Commissioner to Canada Tariq Altaf died after having suffered head injuries in a road accident. He leaves behind his wife and two daughters. According to the embassy sources, Mr Altaf, 55, was taken to hospital with multiple injuries. He was put on the respiratory system for a couple of hours before he was pronounced "clinically dead".
BUSINESS & ECONOMY 20010927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- IMF okays $596m Pakistan loan ------------------------------------------------------------------- WASHINGTON, Sept 26: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved the final tranche of Pakistan's $596 million stand-by loan with the fund, IMF sources said. The third and final tranche is around $130 million. "It went through without any problem," said one source present at the meeting of the IMF's decision-making executive board. He added that while Pakistan is in favour with the international community because of its cooperation with the United States in the wake of the Sept 11 attacks on New York and the Pentagon, the country has also "been doing rather well" in sticking to its IMF-backed economic program. The Pakistan embassy said on Wednesday that the country's economic team, including Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz and Central Bank Governor Ishrat Hussain, are due to arrive in Washington on Oct 8 for talks with the IMF on a new loan.-Reuters DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010929 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ordinance to protect FCAs promulgated ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 28: President Pervez Musharraf promulgated an ordinance to protect foreign currency accounts. According to the ordinance named Foreign Currency Accounts (Protection) Ordinance, 2001, "no person holding a foreign currency account shall be deprived of his right to hold and operate the foreign currency account." The FCA holder would not be restricted in any manner, temporarily or permanently, to lawfully sell, withdraw, remit, transfer, use as security within or outside Pakistan. Under the law no suit or other legal proceedings should lie against the federal government or any person for anything done in good faith done or intended to be done in pursuance of his this ordinance. The ordinance would have overriding effect on laws which are in existence for regulating the FCAs. The law specifically provides that protection provided to a foreign currency account holder under this ordinance should be in addition to and not in derogation of the protection provided under the Protection of Economic Reforms Act, 1992. Under the new law, the federal government, can make rules, in consultation with State Bank of Pakistan, for carrying out the purposes of this ordinance. The State Bank, under the new law, can make regulations consistent with the provisions of this ordinance. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010924 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Economy to get a boost, says Shaukat ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Khaleeq Kiani ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz has said the US move to lift sanctions against Pakistan "would help speed up economic activities and improve prospects of foreign investment in the country." With the waiver of these sanctions, the United States could now vote in our support in the multilateral institutions like the World Bank, IMF and ADB and help facilitate American investment in Pakistan, he said. The private sector could now secure soft-term credits from the Exim bank of America to import machinery and equipment from the United States, he added. Meanwhile, two investment and export-import banks of United States operating overseas - OPIC and EXIM Bank - would be allowed to finance private sector projects in Pakistan as a result of the proposed waiver of US sanctions. Finance ministry officials, requesting anonymity, agreed that President Bush could only waive the sanctions for a specific period and then the congress would lift them once it was convinced with the post-waiver performance. Oil and gas, textile and information technology sectors would be the main beneficiaries on the civil side. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010929 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Stocks end session on mixed note ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, Sept 28: The KSE 100-share index was up by 4 points. Trading was, however, suspended soon after the opening as trading could not be resumed in the shares of ICI Pakistan, which along with its Pak PTA have made debut after the demerger a day earlier. The KSE 100-share index finished with an extended gain of 3.90 points at 1,133.44 as compared to 1,129.54 a day earlier, reflecting the relative strength of leading base shares. Active short-covering in the fertilizer shares followed by reports of withdrawal of 15 per cent sales tax appears to have played a role of major morale booster neutralizing the negative impact of the weekend selling. The market advance was again led by Pakistan Oilfields, which posted a fresh sharp gain of Rs.28.75 on active follow-up support on some positive developments. Shortage of floating stock could be another reason behind the price flare-up. Other good gainers were led by Ishaq Textiles, Sapphire Textiles, Pakistan Refinery, Shell Pakistan, Dawood Hercules and several others. Losers were led by PSO, which remained under pressure for the third session in a row and have lost about Rs.12.00 amid rumours of some problems in settling the badla business. Others to fall further were led by Al-Ghazi Tractors, Atlas Honda, Millat Tractors, Knoll Pharma and Lever Brothers, falling by Rs.1.10 to 6.00. Trading volume showed a modest decline at 43 million shares from the previous 46 million shares as losers forced a strong lead over the gainers at 88 to 55, with others remaining unchanged. PTCL topped the list of most actives, up five paisa at Rs.13.75 on 12 million shares followed by Hub-Power, easy 25 paisa at Rs.13.35 on 9 million shares, PSO, off Rs.3.20 at Rs.105.60 on 6 million shares, Ibrahim Fibre, firm five paisa at Rs.11.35 on 2 million shares and Sui Northern, lower five paisa at Rs.7.75 on 1.347 million shares. FUTURES CONTRACT: PSO also came in for active selling on the forward counter in sympathy with its continued fall in the ready section and ended lower sharply by Rs.3.00. Others fell fractionally. PTCL proved to be volume leader, fractionally down on over 4 million shares in both the contracts followed by Hub-Power, also easy on 3.5 million shares. DEFAULTER COMPANIES: Allied Motors again came in for active support and ended higher by 45 paisa at Rs.3.20 on 3,500 shares followed by Hydery Construction, up 10 paisa on 1,000 shares. Sept 28,2001 Market at a glance TONE: easy, total listed 757,actives 168,inactives 589,plus 55,minus 88,unc 25. KSE 100- SHARE INDEX: previous 1,129.54,Friday's 1,133.44,plus 3.90 points. TOP TEN:gainers Pak Oilfields Rs.28.75,Shell Pakistan 4.00,Sapphire Fibre 1.75,Dawood Hercules 1.50,Ishaq Textiles 1.25. LOSERS: Knoll Pharma Rs. 3.45,PSO 3.20, Lever Brothers 6.00, Al-Ghazi Tractors 1.45 Atlas Honda 1.34. TOTAL VOLUME: 43.018m shares. VOLUME LEADERS: PTCL 12.310m,Hub-Power 8.810m,PSO, 5.415m,, Ibrahim Fibre, 1.970m,Sui Northern 1.340m shares. Atlas Honda 1.34, revised DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010926 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Stocks make recovery on institutional support ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, Sept 25: Stocks staged a snap rally on active institutional and general support followed by reports that the KSE high-ups have allowed a 10-day relief to settle disputed carryover transactions. The KSE 100-share index finished with a marginal decline of 0.75 points at 1,105.04 after having fallen early by more than 34 points. The KSE 100-share index finally ended fractionally lower by 0.75 points at 1,105.04 as compared to 1,105.79 a day earlier, although some of the leading base shares ended further lower under the lead of Hubco. Most of the leading MNCs again led the market blue chip decline under the lead of Lever Brothers, off Rs22.60 followed by Shell Pakistan, Glaxo-Wellcome, Abbott Lab and Knoll Pharma, falling by one rupee to Rs4.75. Other prominent losers were led by Sitara Chemicals, Sapphire Fibre, Sapphire Textiles, Lakson Tobacco, and Pakistan Oilfields, which suffered fall ranging from Rs1.80 to Rs4.75. Most of the price increases were fractional barring New Jubilee Insurance, Nishat Chunian Spinning, Crescent Steel, Fazal Textiles and PSO, which posted gains ranging from one rupee to Rs3.70. Trading volume showed a modest increase at 48.547m shares as compared to 38m shares a day earlier but losers held a modest edge over the gainers at 73 to 55, with 36 holding on to the last levels, out of 164 actives. The most active list was topped by PTCL, up 10 paisa at Rs13.20 on 21m shares followed by Hub-Power, lower 30 paisa at Rs13.15 on 11.112m shares, PSO, up Rs3.70 at Rs117.45 on 4m shares, Sui Northern, firm by 10 paisa at Rs7.40 on 2m shares and Fauji Fertiliser, higher by 90 paisa at Rs31.00 on 1.469m shares. Other actives were led by Dewan Salman, lower 25 paisa on 1.053m shares, Engro Chemical, up 10 paisa on 0.961m shares, MCB, up 75 paisa on 0.883m shares, Adamjee Insurance, off Rs1.05 on 0.789m shares and Nishat Mills, lower 10 paisa on 0.747m shares. FORWARD COUNTER: Trading activity expanded modestly as the turnover figure rose to 3.456m shares from the previous 2.633m shares, bulk of which 1.545m shares went to the credit of PTCL, up 10 paisa at Rs13.25. Hub-Power followed it lower five paisa at Rs13.30 on 0.503m shares. Among the major gainers, PSO was leading, up Rs3.00 at Rs118.00 on 0.301m shares and FFC-Jordan Fertiliser, firm by 10 paisa at Rs2.85 on 99,500 shares. DEFAULTER COMPANIES: Only Colony Textiles came in for trading and accounted for 17,000 shares done at the last rate of Rs8.75. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010925 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Suspension fails to make any difference ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, Sept 24: The KSE 100-share index was off about 34 points at 1,105.00, signaling to breach next psychological barrier of 1,100 points, but turnover figure was light at 38m shares as leading buyers were not inclined to cover positions even at the falling prices. Lifting of N-related US sanctions and some corrective steps taken by the KSE authorities to put the KSE back on the rails failed to enthuse investors as they resorted to fresh panic selling when the trading resumed after a week's suspension. The KSE 100-share index suffered a fresh fall of 33.85 points or 2.25 per cent at 1,105.79 as compared to previous 1,139.64 when the trading was suspended a week ago to check panic selling triggered by attacks on the World Trade Centre and Pentagon. The Securities and Exchange Commission has allowed five per cent either-way change in the share values that is Rs.5.00 loss and gain in the share having a face value of Rs.100.00 and the same ratio in those whose par values are Rs.10.00. Apart from ban on blank selling, the KSE has also changed the rules of buybacks of shares but all corrective steps taken before the reopening of the market did not work. Institutional traders, who have committed to support the market after injecting Rs.5 billion in the carryover transactions failed to make bigger showing, although some analysts reported their entry at the fag-end of the session. Although final cash dividend at the rate of 55 per cent by Lakson Tobacco was well below the previous 100 cash and 50 per cent bonus, it was well-received in the market as was reflected by a sharp rise of Rs.5.00 in its share value at Rs.60.00. Minus signs again dominated the list under the lead of MNCs, notably in the pharma and energy sectors: Lever Brothers Rs.35.40, Knoll, Glaxo-Welcome, Dawood Hercules and shell Pakistan, which fell by Rs.3.00 to 10.15. Other prominent losers were led by PSO, Pakistan Oilfields, Al- Ghazi Tractors, and National Refinery, falling by Rs.1.80 to 4.70. Gains were fractional barring, Liberty Mills, Thal Industries, Prudential Commercial Bank after the management change and Lakson Tobacco, up by one rupee to Rs.5.00. Trading volume was modest at 38m shares as selling was confined within the permissible limits but losers maintained a strong lead over the gainers at 121 to 22, out of 177 actives. PTCL topped the list of actives, finishing at the floor rate of Rs.13.15, off 65 paisa on 20.070m shares followed by Hub Power, down 70 paisa at Rs.13.45 on 8m shares, PSO sharply lower by Rs.4.70 at Rs.113.75 on 2m shares Fauji Fertilizer, the only exception among the actives, up 80 paisa at Rs.30.10 also on 2m shares and Sui Northern lower 35 paisa at Rs.7.30 on 1m shares. FORWARD COUNTER: Bears onslaught was more visible on this counter as leading shares ended with sharp fall under the lead of PSO, off Rs.4.50 at Rs.115.00 on 0.256m shares followed by Engro Chemical down Rs.2.40 at Rs.44.70 on 58500 shares. Hub-Power and Fauji Fertilizer suffered decline ranging between Rs.1.15 to 1.55 at Rs.12.90 and 29.45 on 1.072m and 31,000 shares respectively. PTCL was off 60 paisa at Rs.13.20 on 1.767m shares followed by MCB, easy Rs.1.10 at Rs.19.00 on 45,500 shares. DEFAULTER COMPANIES: Activity on this counter was dull barring Gammon Pakistan, which was traded unchanged at Rs.11.50 on 4,000 shares and Al-Asif Sugar also unchanged at Re1.00 on 500 shares.Back to the top
EDITORIALS & FEATURES 20010923 ------------------------------------------------------------------- The enemy within ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ardeshir Cowasjee A few supporters of Nawaz Sharif have called me since last Wednesday gloating over the perceived discomfort of President General Pervez Musharraf whilst addressing the nation. Their contention is that the Mian's normal wooden expression would have been far more apt to the occasion. Perhaps, but then, is his wooden expression not invariably a sign that nothing has penetrated his head? This takes me back to the early 1980s when I was in London. My wife, a physician, and her cousin Feroze Bharucha, a psychiatrist, convinced me that my then state of depression was clinical and I was in need of professional treatment were I to get over it. The psychiatrist referred me to his master. Notwithstanding my protestations that I was merely depressed by the depressing circumstances combined with the English weather, I was persuaded to visit Feroze's professor, a specialist. The professor had a clean desk, with not one bit of paper upon it, and he sat with folded arms and listened to my recitation of woes, taking no notes, saying very little but agreeing with me wholeheartedly on the weather factor. At the end of the appointed half hour, he rose, saw me to the door, shook my hand, told me to go out and enjoy my life and that he would be writing to Feroze. In his report he reproduced exactly the sequence of events as narrated by me and his summation was that under the circumstances if I were not depressed then there would be something seriously wrong with me which would warrant further investigation. This is no time for retrospection or introspection, or for the compilation of a never-ending list of our faults, mistakes, misjudgments, stupidities and sins. It is now time to look ahead, to look outwards, thoughtfully, calmly, making haste slowly. What is now urgently and direly needed is an entire revision of our worn-out 'principled stand', our battered supreme national interest, and the high moral ground upon which we claim to rest but which long ago sank below sea level. Our 'moral, political and diplomatic' support stand, under the totally new circumstances, will also have to undergo some adjustments. It will no longer be possible to try and fool the world by using one euphemism or another to cover the acts of terrorists. The president general may indeed find it troublesome and tiresome to deal with the bigoted ignorant obscurantist one per cent who hold the nation hostage and who insist on perpetuating these useless negative 'strikes' which do nothing but further damage our economy and our international image, but he should be able to at least rein in those who have learnt, those who have served in the army in which he serves, and those who are now, so to speak, kicking this nation in its rear end. Devious disgruntled men such as Hamid Gul, Javed Nasir and Aslam Beg should be muzzled, or put away into a deep dark dungeon from where their voices cannot be heard. One must give credit to Naseerullah Babar, godfather of the Taliban, as he has not uttered. His fault is that he does have a tendency to jump into bed with the wrong political companions. Rumour has it, he was used to 'negotiate' with the Taliban leadership. If he was, he was the ideal choice. If he was not, he should have been. He is not to be found in Peshawar. Is he in Kabul lecturing Mulla Omar or is he in Dubai conferring with his party boss? There are over 400 foreign press people in Islamabad right now filing their daily stories. Men such as Hamid Gul find easy prey amongst those not fully experienced or familiar with the jokers in this country's pack. Take The Times (London) of September 19, which on its overseas news page carried the banner headline 'President faces backlash as country splits' over a story on Pakistan with a photograph of Hamid Gul sitting next to one of the mullah fraternity. As we all know, the one per cent, plus the likes of Hamid Gul, are in no way capable of splitting this country. Hamid Gul, a former head of the ISI, a former corps commander, has few rivals in irresponsibility. He is quoted as having said : "The decision to support America under pressure is one of the military leadership and not the decision of the Army as an institution. The nation will never accept. Such a decision by an employee of the state has no validity. If Mulla Omar gives a call for jihad the Islamic world will support it. America's chocolate and cream soldiers cannot compete with the battle-hardened Afghans. Afghans are happy that the Americans are coming because they can take them prisoner and use them as hostages." Is Saudi Arabia not the cradle and citadel of the Islamic world? Do we visualize the Saudis or the Iranis rising to the Mulla Omar bait? And what about Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and Turkey, Indonesia and Bangladesh - to name but a handful. Does Gul count upon them rushing to the call? As for the chocolate soldiers, does he imagine they fight with bows and arrows? As a soldier himself (of whatever flavour) he should know how many hours it will take the chocolate soldiers to take out every single one of our 'strategic assets'. This country is not yet quite capable of going to war against the world. Irresponsible jingoism only sends out the wrong signals and it may well bring the war to us. I am not aware of the preparedness of other parts of Pakistan, but I am aware of things in this city of Karachi. Congested, overbuilt, badly built, criminally built, its crowded shopping malls and plazas, some of them only half-built or a quarter built, its super and other markets, are perfect fire traps. Most of them have perpetual 'temporary' electric wiring - a sure invitation to disaster. The first thing that the busy foundation-stone laying governor of this province should now do is to have all such places surveyed and plans prepared of the ground conditions which should be given to whatever it is that exists of the various fire departments. At least this will be a starting point from which to operate and seek out the existing hydrants. And have our firemen considered and recorded from where the water will come that is needed for their pumps and hoses in the areas they serve? Then the government electric inspectors should be put to work to inspect all the hanging string-tied electrical connections and close dangerous areas until the necessary repairs are done. So far Musharraf has taken the right decisions. The people must support him rather than instigate riots against what he has done whilst keeping the interests of Pakistan firmly in his mind. The very minimum percentage should ask their religious leaders to list for them the number and names of members of their families who are now residing permanently or temporarily in the safety of the United States of America. Qazi Hussain Ahmad for one is said to have two of his sons learning or working there. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010928 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Standing a 20-year nexus on its head ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ayaz Amir Once again a successful attempt is afoot to confuse the Pakistani public. It is being told that the military government has made a brave and correct choice in not siding with the Taliban and in agreeing to assist the United States in its still fuzzy war against 'global terrorism'. This proposition is worth examining, if only briefly. Regardless of the guilt or innocence of Osama bin Laden, only a Pakistani government gone mad could have sided with the Taliban at this juncture. And if a mad Pakistani government had taken such a step it would have faced the wrath of the Pakistani people first before facing anything else from the US. The common Pakistani would have been appalled at such a decision. So what is the military government taking credit for? That it did not go down the path of madness? The real choice before it was either to go the whole hog with the Americans, without asking any questions, or to preserve a semblance of calm and while offering assistance question the Americans on specifics and the likely fallout of future events on Pakistan. Would Washington have considered such a demarche as rebellion? All this talk of Pakistani installations being wiped out in four days by American military might, and of an American-Indian nexus developing to punish Pakistan, is not so much counsel of fear as of outright absurdity. We wouldn't have been telling the Americans to go to hell. We would merely have been trying to see through the haze. This might have provoked American bluster but for how long? American rhetoric is already toning down (not that CNN or other TV channels are greatly helping this process). So it would have been in our case, without our precious 'nuclear strategic assets' facing the threat of instant annihilation. But we sought wisdom in panic and promised the Americans everything they asked for. If this was the brave and correct choice made by the military government then it is a matter of opinion that no other course was available. While military specifics are blanketed in uncertainty one thing is for sure: after the storm passes Pakistan will be left alone holding a flood of refugees. We can't cope with our own problems. How do we cope with the problems of a war brought to our doorsteps? Debt rescheduling and the partial lifting of US economic sanctions will provide us much-needed relief. But are these rewards adequate to the problems that we are likely to face? Far from focusing on the refugee question, Pakistan's diplomatic and military bonzes are still pursuing the chimera of a pro- Pakistan regime in Afghanistan. For 22 years, no less, we have played this game, now supporting one faction or leader, now another. To no avail. From Hikmatyar, once the ISI's darling, to the Taliban, our king-making efforts in Afghanistan have come to haunt us. But we refuse to learn and even at this time Foreign Minister Sattar is warning the world about the consequences of supporting the Northern Alliance. Why can't we get over our Afghan obsession? It has distorted national thinking more than any other issue. Sectarianism, the militarization of religion, the spawning of a maulvi and 'jehadi' culture, the spread of madrassah education and the besmirching of Pakistan's image abroad are all offshoots and consequences of this. Something else too. The lines between domestic and external policies have become blurred as a result of this involvement. The forces of religion which should have been confined at home have become regional players. The intelligence agencies whose role should be confined to external vigilance have spread their wings to dabble in domestic politics. Therefore while the spirit of jihad has distorted foreign policy priorities, the spirit of intervention and guidance has destabilized national politics. Getting out of this mess is a more pressing necessity than shoring up our sinking finances. The present moment brings with it an opportunity. For the first time since 1978 - when after the Taraki coup we got involved in Afghan affairs - the nexus between home-grown fundamentalism and the military has been broken. The clerics are on one side, the military commanders on the other. This is the real godsend for Pakistan, even more than the lure of economic benefits. The people of Pakistan were helpless before this alliance and on their own could never have ruptured it. But for Pakistan to fully recover from the effects of this alliance, this rupture has to be made permanent. Putting the religious parties in their place is not a problem. They have always lacked popular support and still do. Which is why their calls to the public have largely gone unheeded. The more important task is to eradicate the maulvi or fundamentalist mindset from the intelligence agencies. If one of the spinoffs of the present crisis is this, some of the irrationality dogging national policy these last 20 years will be removed. As Ardeshir Cowasjee has aptly put it, the enemy is within. Let us look to it rather than to demons such as the Northern Alliance. As to the expected bonanza from dancing to America's tune, let us put it in perspective. Money is one thing, the ability to use it another. For our services in Afghanistan during the eighties we got plenty of money. Where did it all go? Where has Indonesia's oil wealth gone? Or for that matter, Nigeria's? In both cases pilfered by a corrupt oligarchy. This is where self-respect and national dignity come in. The work ethic, without which no development is possible, is closely linked to such intangibles as dignity, honour and the ability to look adversity in the eye. The notion current in Pakistan that we have no dignity and therefore should not worry too much about how we get some economic advantage is little different from the mentality of the street-walker. Allied to this notion is the belief that showing the faintest streak of independence is akin to national annihilation. National weakness can't get purer than this. Look at neighbouring Iran, a terrorist state in American eyes. The British foreign secretary comes to pay a visit and inclines his body ever so slightly when he meets the Iranian president. The two sides hold useful talks but soon after Jack Straw's departure the Iranian spiritual leader, Ali Khamenei, delivers a blistering attack on the US and says that Iran will not be part of any coalition against the Taliban (even though, let us bear in mind, there's no love lost between Iran and the Taliban). No one is talking of flattening Iran. Agreed, our economic difficulties are greater. But then the economic argument, stripped to essentials, underlies the philosophy of the street-walker. Clarity is the first casualty in such a situation. If one talks of national pride, it is taken to be jingoism. If it is said that we explore details with the Americans and seek guarantees for the problems that are bound to arise, it is read as support for the Taliban. If military wisdom - which, after all, is responsible for our Afghan imbroglio - is questioned in any way, we say national unity is threatened. It is a time for unity but also a time for scepticism because once events are on the march it may be too late to ask any questions. Another thing. When US anger is assuaged after punishing the real or imagined perpetrators of the recent terrorist attacks, Pakistan will still be left with the necessity of living in peace with its neighbours. There will still be an Afghanistan to our right and an India to our left, and an unsettled Kashmir on the roof of the world. Now that we are riding high on the tide of world opinion it would be especially becoming on our part to renew the invitation to the Indian prime minister to visit Pakistan. What if India tried to embarrass us during the present crisis? Must we play tit-for-tat with it always? To do something not out of compulsion but free choice will make us look good and lend an aura of statesmanship to our diplomacy. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010929 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Reality check ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Irfan Husain Over two weeks after the ghastly events of 11 September, we remain glued to our television screens while commentators and analysts, now as familiar as old friends, report on the latest developments. And every once in a while, the image of a jet plane slamming into the World Trade Centre returns like a recurring nightmare. But while most of the coverage is instantly forgettable, some footage remains etched in our memory. One such documentary was called "Behind the veil" aired recently by CNN. Featuring a young Afghan woman brought up in the United States who returns to her native country, it was a searing experience as it revealed what the Taliban had reduced their own people to. The narrator smuggles a concealed video camera into Afghanistan to film women trying to survive in a brutally misogynist society. The daily suffering of ordinary Afghans, the massacre of opponents, and the deliberate erasure of joy and colour are depicted with pain and passion. An unblinking expose of one of the most tyrannical regimes of our times, it should be required viewing for anybody who seeks to defend the Taliban. In particular, those demonstrating in the streets protesting the impending attack on these barbarians should be forced to watch it several times a day. While no sane person wants to see ordinary Afghans suffer any more than they already have, "Behind the veil" makes it clear that if their nightmare is to end, the evil that is the Taliban has to be removed forever. And if it takes a short, sharp military campaign to rid us of them, so be it. Although it is clear that the Taliban will soon be consigned to the dustbin of history, the post-Taliban scenario is a troubling one. We tend to overlook the fact that before they swept into power (courtesy the Pakistan government, let us not forget), Afghanistan had been wracked by a vicious civil war. Kabul was reduced to rubble by warlords fighting over the capital, and not by the present Taliban government. So bringing back the Dostams, the Hikmatyars and the Rabbanis is not necessarily a formula for peace and good governance. In their own way, they are thugs who have contributed heavily to our neighbour's distress. When our foreign minister warned the Americans to avoid taking sides in Afghanistan, he conveniently forgot that for years, successive governments in Islamabad have been doing just that. In an attempt to install a pliant regime in Kabul, the ISI funnelled 60% of all the cash and arms that flowed in from the US, Saudi Arabia and sundry others during the Soviet occupation to Hikmatyar. The assassinated Tajik leader Ahmad Shah Masood, one of the most effective and charismatic leaders of the resistance, was starved of help. Even now, thousands of Pakistanis are in Afghanistan fighting the Northern Alliance under the Taliban banner. But all these efforts at controlling events and decisions in Kabul have backfired time and again. The tribal, ethnic and sectarian mosaic that is Afghanistan admits of no easy answers or quick fixes. One real concern is that after the Americans have appeased their understandable desire for revenge by arresting or killing bin Laden and pounding the Taliban, their coalition will either get bored or move on to a new target and the media circus will go with them. Pakistan, however, will be stuck with another flood of refugees, large groups of armed and dangerous religious militias on its own soil, and a powder keg with a smouldering fuse next door. In short, what is to prevent the Americans from walking away just as they did once the Soviets left Afghanistan? The post-Taliban scenario calls for patience, subtlety, and the will to exert pressure and apply power over an extended period of time. Our newly rediscovered American allies are not famous for any of these qualities. In addition, the Afghan terrain and temperament are notoriously treacherous. But despite all these doubts and caveats, General Musharraf's decision to support the Americans in their war against terror is the right one, if only because the alternative is even more unattractive. So far, the protests have been more pro-Taliban and anti-American than they have been anti-Musharraf. However, once the cruise missiles and the B-52s start inflicting heavy casualties, the mood in the streets of Karachi and Peshawar could well change. The major components in these demos have been Pakistani and Afghan Pushtun tribesmen and militants of some pro-Taliban religious parties. The average, middle-of-the-road Pakistani continues to support the government, and the lifting of sanctions will firm up this support even further. Actually, this sudden crisis can benefit Pakistan in some unexpected ways. Quite apart from the lifting of economic and military sanctions, this conflict can roll back the creeping Talibanization that had threatened to tear this country apart. A number of us had been warning of the baneful effects of the insane policy of encouraging extremist elements to further the agenda of successive governments in Afghanistan and Kashmir. There will now be huge international pressure to rein in such groups, and hopefully, their power and influence - out of all proportion to their numbers - will decline. In this admittedly optimistic scenario, the government will be able to initiate the tough steps against jihadi groups General Musharraf had promised but was unable to take a few weeks before the attacks in the United States. In Kashmir, he will find it difficult to continue supporting armed militancy while joining the anti-terrorism chorus in other parts of the world. In many ways, this crisis has crystallized the contradictions in our internal and external policies, and will hopefully lead to their review and revision. While President Bush has pledged to fight and eradicate terrorism around the world, Pakistanis do not have to look very far to tackle this menace. Over the last two decades, we have become so used to random violence and terrorist attacks that we assign them the same level of personal and police attention that we do to common acts of criminality. It now takes a cataclysmic event like the terror bombing of the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon to shake us out of our torpor and force us to act. Now that we are poised to emerge from our largely self-inflicted isolation, we need to remind ourselves that peace and prosperity are incompatible with fundamentalism and extremism. Whenever we forget this basic rule, we should watch "Behind the veil" again.
SPORTS 20010924 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SAF Games Postponed ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: The 9th South Asian Federation (SAF) Games were postponed after the technical delegates, who were to supervise the events, expressed their inability to come to Pakistan following escalating tension in the region. The Games, which were to run here between Oct 6 and 15, are now likely to take place sometime around February next year. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20010924 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Organizers decision supported ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: The national federations officials and those associated with the Pakistan teams supported the organizers decision to postpone the 9th SAF Games, saying it would give the athletes a chance to prepare even more. Col Asif Dar (retd), vice president of the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation, while endorsing the decision said that the athletes and officials must take full advantage of the opportunity and aim to beat India on the medals table. "All the organisational aspects of the Games have been looked after well and now preparation of athletes should be our only consideration." Manager of the football team, Maj Muhammad Ashfaq, said that the extra time available to them now would do the team a world of good. Secretary of the Pakistan Squash Federation, Sqd-Ldr Sajid Waheed also approved the decision, saying it was a right thing to do in the prevailing conditions. But he said it would affect the players who had just peaked and were ready to enter competition. ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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