------------------------------------------------------------------- DAWN WIRE SERVICE ------------------------------------------------------------------- Week Ending : 28 September 2002 Issue : 08/39 -------------------------------------------------------------------
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CONTENTS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS + Election 2002 is marked by notable departures + Musharraf needs no parliament nod: Ranjha + Polls definitely on Oct 10: Musharraf + EC tells candidates to abide by code + Agents allowed to check material before polls + Govt asked to provide security to observers + Parties mull strategy to check 'organized rigging' + Shahbaz, Kulsoom to move SC + SHC moved against rejection of Benazir's papers + PPP, PML-N to cooperate for supremacy of parliament + PML-QA denies rigging allegations + PML-Q for cohesion between govt, armed forces + PML-N leader urges people to reject 'king's party' + PPP vows to oust military rulers + PPP to emerge as single largest party: Rabbani + Beg says army pressing candidates into joining PML-QA + MMA vows to end US influence + Altaf pledges to provide basic needs to people + MQM seeks new constitution + Removal of Qadianis' names: writ filed in SC + Christians' killing: police inquiring survivor + Seven Christians shot dead in Karachi + Held Arab's link with 'Hamburg cell' seen + Five Al Qaeda suspects held + Musharraf sees no imminent danger of war + Govt rejects WB report on defence budget + US to help raise conventional arms capability + US to provide $47m for law enforcement + New Delhi allegations ridiculous: Islamabad + Seven killed as train derails near Sibi + 20 killed as bus falls into ravine --------------------------------- BUSINESS & ECONOMY + Japan to give $200m for poverty eradication + Saudi Pak okays Rs351m financing + Rs795m bids for Bank Alfalah, ICP Funds + Stocks maintain upward trend on weekend session --------------------------------------- EDITORIALS & FEATURES + 'To the best of my knowledge and belief...' Ardeshir Cowasjee + Baghdad poker Eric Margolis + Our saviours & their shibboleths Ayaz Amir + A house divided Irfan Husain ----------- SPORTS + PCB gives another chance to ex-manager + Nasir blasts Wasim and Saeed for not facing Australia + Abbas topples Jansher to reach last four + Pakistan hopes to improve performance
DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS =================================================================== NATIONAL NEWS 20020924 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Election 2002 is marked by notable departures ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Qudsia Akhlaque ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: The elections that come on the heels of a massive 'political cleansing' are marked by more departures than any other in the country's history. Former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, representing Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), have been forced into exile. The political career of the two would-be main contenders for the prime ministerial slot has been for the foreseeable future stymied through a Presidential Order. By virtue of the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance and the Legal Framework Order prepared by the National Reconstruction Bureau, certain political luminaries are either in detention or stand disqualified. They include Shahbaz Sharif, Gauhar Ayub, Javed Hashmi, Yusaf Raza Gillani, Asif Zardari and Nawaz Khokhar. A lot of ousted political heavyweights have their scions contesting the polls. For the first time, the public representatives across the political divide will have something in common - they will be graduates. None of the new heads of the major political parties seen as likely contenders for the prime ministerial slot - Amin Faheem and Mian Azhar - have a track record in government at the federal level. It will be the first instance since 1988 that there will be no woman candidate for the top slot, unless Zubeida Jalal is considered as one. Another significant aspect of the elections is the bonding of seven major religious parties under the banner of Muttahida Majlis-i- Amal. Previously, they entered electoral alliance with the mainstream political forces. However, this time the religious parties have forged an alliance to bring Islamic revolution. Unlike previous election campaigns, this one has been low-key, short in duration and scope. It has lacked flavor, spontaneity and enthusiasm, at least this far. No gimmicks or antics that would engage or amuse the voters. No spirited and milling crowds at public meetings - rather no big rallies for concerns of security and the curbs on political activity. Notably, there has been an absence of organized media campaign that had been the hallmark of previous elections. Unlike the past, no media consultants have been hired by leading political parties nor political advertisements have appeared in the press. Hussain Haqqani and Mushahid Hussain, who masterminded the media campaign of the two former premiers, are also missing. Hence no fact sheets circulated and no front-page ad campaign in newspapers that marked the elections in the 1990s. While constituency-level political dynamics may be evident, there are no broad issues that dominate the limited electioneering. The campaign has largely been devoid of issues such as unemployment, price hike, access to social services, and law and order. Local patronage, not public policy, seems to be the focus of the elections. The overriding issue is not the Kashmir dispute, the nuclear bomb, corruption or terrorism. The call is for a truly representative government, not one in uniform. The khakis have done what no one could do previously. They have created a sympathy vote for the cheerless and once bitterly condemned politicians. They have brought the two major political parties together, even if only to push the one-point agenda of sending the army back to the barracks. With the establishment making little effort to conceal its support for the king's party, concerns of pre-poll rigging have become real and deep. It is the first time in the country's election history that Nazims are at play in power politics. They are being used to ensure victory of the incumbent government's favourites, even though there is a law prohibiting that. The reduction of voting age limit to 18 years has increased the number of voters by some 5.2 million to around 72 million. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020923 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf needs no parliament nod: Ranjha ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ashraf Mumtaz LAHORE, Sept 22: Gen Pervez Musharraf needs no ratification by parliament of his election as president by virtue of the April 30 referendum nor is he required to seek a fresh election to retain himself as the head of state for the next five years, Law Minister Dr Khalid Ranjha said. Talking to Dawn, he said if new parliament was of the view that it could not work with Gen Musharraf, it would be free to oust him through impeachment, the procedure for which had been laid down in the Constitution. The minister said that the election of the president through the referendum had been made part of the Legal Framework Order and incorporated in the 1973 Constitution, which was now in abeyance. The day the Constitution was revived, the LFO would be part of it, which would mean that the referendum would enjoy the constitutional cover. In such a situation, he said, the election of Gen Musharraf as president would be fait accompli for new parliament and the general would be under no obligation to seek a fresh election. Asked what would new parliament have to do to oust the president if it was of the opinion that it could not co-exist with him, the minister said impeachment was the only method available to legislators. Under the 1973 Constitution, the president may be impeached by a two-thirds majority of the bicameral legislature. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020923 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Polls definitely on Oct 10: Musharraf ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 22: President Gen Pervez Musharraf said he was willing to sign a certificate, if there was any, to confirm that the Oct 10 elections would be held as planned. "I have said this 200 times that the elections would be held on schedule. I am now ready to sign a certificate, if there is one," he said after distributing prizes on the conclusion of the COAS Championship at the Rawalpindi Golf Club. "The election commission is following the time-table that has been set for them and there would be no rigging, the polls would be fair and transparent." "Claims of pre-poll rigging by some parties are all baseless." There is a lot of interest in Pakistan elections abroad and the European Union mission can send in as many monitoring teams as they like. "The elections would be completely fair." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020923 ------------------------------------------------------------------- EC tells candidates to abide by code ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Sept 22: The Election Commission once again asked the political parties and all the contesting candidates to abide by the code of conduct already issued by the commission in this regard to ensure smooth, peaceful and orderly election campaign for the forthcoming general election. Chief Election Commissioner Chief Justice Irshad Hasan Khan (retired) referring to already issued 22-point code of conduct for the political parties expressed hope that implementation on this code of conduct would ensure decency, respect for opponents and peaceful election campaign for the forthcoming elections. The code of conduct already approved by the commission, was issued on July 5 to seek public opinion and for effective and meaningful consultations with the political parties and then it was finalized keeping in view the proposals received from various political parties. STATMENTS OF ACCOUNTS: The Election Commission which gave additional days to seven political parties to submit their statements of accounts duly certified by chartered accountants will decide the fate of these parties on Monday. An spokesman for the Election Commission told APP that on the request of some of the parties, the commission had given one more chance to these parties to submit the statements of their accounts by Sept 23. The seven political parties namely, Jamote Qaumi Movement, Kakar Jamhoori Party Pakistan, Pakistan Awami Quwwat Party, Pakistan Brohi Party, Pakistan Jamhoori Aman Party, Pakistan Progressive Party and Tehreek Wafaq Pakistan are facing disqualification if they do not submit duly certified statements of their accounts. These parties have so far failed to submit their statements of accounts and now the commission has decided to give them another chance to submit their statements by Sept 23, failing which the symbols allotted to them will automatically stand withdrawn without any further notice or proceedings. These parties then will be disqualified and cannot participate in the forthcoming general election. POSTAL BALLOT: The Election Commission explained that the polling staff and police personnel who have been assigned duties at the polling stations are advised to apply for postal ballot by Sept 30. An spokesman for the Election Commission told APP that applications for postal ballot should be made on prescribed form with the returning officer of the constituency in which such persons are enrolled as voters. Application forms for postal ballot can be obtained from any returning officer. The voters to whom postal ballots are issued will not be entitled to vote in person at the polling stations. The application should be forwarded/endorsed by the office/department of the voter concerned to guard against unauthorized person applying for postal ballot.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Agents allowed to check material before polls ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: The Election Commission (EC) has directed the presiding officers (POs) to allow polling agents of the candidates to check the ballot paper books with serial numbers, to ensure that all the ballot papers meant for their polling stations were available in polling bags, and that nothing was detached from them. The EC in its meeting reviewed the measures it had been proposing to ensure fair elections, and said that on the polling day, the sealed polling bags should be opened in the presence of the polling agents. The commission asked the POs to ensure that each sealed polling bag contained a detailed invoice of all election material and the ballot paper books with serial number. The EC said it also should be ensured that a certificate should be obtained from the polling agents in whose presence the polling bags were opened and the polling commenced. The EC stated that the ballot papers provided at the polling stations were not numbered, and only the counterfoils of the ballot papers bore the running serial number. The commission said the rationale behind this was that once a ballot paper was issued to a voter, and he marked and inserted it in the ballot box concerned, and no one could find as to who has voted for whom. The chief election commissioner said it should also be ensured that all ballot boxes should also be shown empty to the polling agents and should be sealed for balloting in their presence and a certificate to this effect should also be obtained. The commission, highlighting the other measures, stated that it should be ensured that in the "statement of count" (Form-XIV), copy whereof was enclosed, the presiding officers should write the number of votes secured by each candidate both in words and figures to eliminate the chances of any alteration. About the results, the commission announced that on the basis of statement of counts in respect of all polling stations in a constituency, total votes polled and the votes polled by each contesting candidates would be summed up by the returning officer (RO) concerned for each NA and PA constituency. The ROs would prepare preliminary results of election and the each result would also be signed by the candidate concerned or his election agent, who might be present at that time. The commission clarified that such results for the constituency would be announced by the concerned ROs locally at the spot, and a copy of the preliminary results for the constituency would be pasted at the prominent places outside the ROs offices. The result would also be transmitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan through telephone and fax, and they would be released to the electronic and print media by the Election Commission, the EC said. About the consolidation of results by the ROs, the Election Commission clarified that every result would be finally consolidated on a date fixed by the officer concerned. The consolidation would be carried out in the presence of the candidate and/or the election agent of the candidate, the EC added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020924 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Govt asked to provide security to observers ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: The Chief Election Commissioner "directed" the federal and provincial governments to provide security to the international observers in the forthcoming general elections to "see for themselves the transparency of the election process." The CEC Justice Irshad Hasan Khan has issued the directives after the EU announced that it would reduce the strength of its observers which it intended to send to Pakistan because of Pakistan's "reluctance to meet security requirements." Justice Irshad had been telling the international observers in the past that they would be welcome to "observe" but not to "supervise" the forthcoming general election. An EC announcement, whose tone and tenor was different from the previous announcement, said: "The international observers are most welcome to observe the pre-poll arrangements, voting process and counting of votes by the presiding officers at the close of the polls." The EC announcement said the observers could also witness the preparation of preliminary results by the returning officers after receiving statements of count from all polling stations of his constituency. The EC said that the presiding officers would announce the preliminary result locally and shall provide a copy thereof to be affixed outside his office for information of general public. The CEC emphasized that the Election Commission is arranging necessary briefing sessions for the observers in the EC secretariat at Islamabad and in the offices of the provincial election commissioners and necessary briefing material is being provided to the observers. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020925 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Parties mull strategy to check 'organized rigging' ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ahmed Hassan ISLAMABAD Sept 24: Three major political parties have begun mulling a unified strategy to forestal what they fear "chances of organized rigging" on selected seats on the election day. People's Party Parliamentarians Chairman Makhdoom Fahim, Pakistan Muslim League (N) Chairman Raja Zafarul Haq and Pakistan Tehrik-i- Insaf Chairman Imran Khan are expected to meet in the federal capital in the next couple of days to reach a consensus on giving a substantive ultimatum to the establishment to stop meddling in the electoral process or to go for an all-out agitation, informed sources of the three parties confirmed to Dawn. They were also in contact with the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal leaders and had taken them into confidence in taking a united stand against the expected rigging, the sources said. According to PPP spokesman Farhatullah Babar, all the major parties in the run are extremely perturbed over the reports of a planned rigging on the election day after all pre-poll rigging actions taken. "There are chances of misuse of election material when it is delivered in the evening of October 10," he said, adding that Makhdoom Amin Fahim was arriving here by evening and would start meeting the leaders of other like-minded politicians to plan a strategy. Mr Fahim, who has already held meetings with the leaders of these parties, told a news conference the other day that he was meeting the politicians to achieve the objective of national reconciliation. "It is very tough to fight against the establishment's moves but we are determined to expose every player of the power game before the masses as well as the world opinion leaders," said a political source. PIT Information Secretary Akbar S. Babar indicated that the leaders of the three parties might hold a joint press conference on Sunday. He said Imran Khan was also expected to speak to the press to expose the establishment's activities towards manipulation in shape of pre-poll rigging and rigging on the day of elections. Another suggestion is that these leaders during their meetings may consider chances of the maximum cooperation by making seat adjustments on the most crucial seats, where the top candidates of their parties were contesting. One of the suggestions is that the PPP withdraw its candidate from the contest against Raja Zafarul Haq in Rawalpindi, as the PML-N has already asked its candidate to withdraw from contest against Makhdoom Amin Fahim. Similarly, they are also likely to discuss the possibility of withdrawing their candidates for the seats for which pro-government heavy weights are contesting. Their main target is said to be PML-QA President Mian Azhar, who is contesting for two National Assembly seats. The biggest hurdle in the way of getting all these leaders together is that all of them are pretty busy in their own electoral campaign in the four provinces. Makhdoom is contesting polls in Sindh, Imran in Mianwali, Swat and Lahore and Raja Zafarul Haq is fighting the battle of his lifetime in Rawalpindi. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020928 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Shahbaz, Kulsoom to move SC ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter LAHORE, Sept 27: The Lahore High Court (LHC) dismissed all the six petitions of PML-N leaders Shahbaz Sharif and Kulsoom Nawaz for inclusion of their names in the final lists of candidates, upholding the election tribunal's decision disqualifying them from elections. The full bench of LHC comprising Justice Javed Butar, Justice Ejaz Chaudhry and Justice Jamshed Ali observed that they had examined the written orders of the election tribunal disqualifying the petitioners. There was nothing on record to show that the detailed judgment had been issued after the expiry of tribunal's life-span. A detailed judgment would be issued later. After pronouncement of the short order, the counsel for the petitioners, Ashtar Ausaf Ali, said he would challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court as soon as he got a copy of the detailed judgment. The petitioners had nominated the returning officers for NA-119, NA-122, PP-141 and PP-142, all candidates from these four constituencies of Lahore, the election tribunal and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as respondents. The petitioners submitted that orders of the returning officers concerned clearing both Mr Shahbaz and Ms Kulsoom for elections, were restored when the election tribunal failed to sign its disqualification order within its life span. It was pleaded that the nomination papers and the authority letters appended with those papers had been signed by the petitioners. Lastly, Mr Shahbaz had refuted the tribunal's declaration that he was a wilful defaulter. When the full bench delivered the verbal order, Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Khwaja Saeeduz Zafar had completed his arguments. He submitted that it would be presumed that the tribunal's verdict had been written and signed the day it was announced verbally. The delay in signing the judgment was a procedural anomaly, which could not hurt a judgment's validity, he added. The state argued that under the Representation of People's Act (ROPA) 1976, a candidate was supposed to say under oath that whatever he had disclosed in nomination papers was true. However, it was contended, an affidavit signed by one Dr Makhdoomi had been appended with the papers of Mr Shahbaz, saying that the latter had signed the nomination papers himself in front of the former who, in fact, was sitting in Pakistan. It was argued that this affidavit had been prepared in Pakistan whereas Mr Shahbaz had not visited Pakistan since his departure to Saudi Arabia. The state contended that the petitioner's wrong statement of facts had put his credibility in doubt and defeated the purpose of ROPA, which was aimed at bringing honest candidates to the fore. The DAG said the signatures of both the petitioners on nomination papers differed markedly from those on affidavits. He acknowledged that there could be a slight difference in signatures of a person depending on his state of mind and sitting posture, which, however, could not cause such a marked difference as there was in this case. He contended that the finding of election tribunal that signatures of the two petitioners appeared to have been forged was not open to judicial review. It was argued that the affidavit produced by Hamza Shahbaz before the tribunal saying that signatures on the nomination papers were of his father did not have any legal value since it had not been attested by any authority. The DAG submitted that Mr Shahbaz would be considered a wilful defaulter as long as the amount owed by him was not paid off. The bench asked as to how could Mr Shahbaz be regarded as a wilful defaulter when he and Nawaz Sharif had handed over the assets of Ittefaq Brothers and Ittefaq Foundries Private Limited to the company judge concerned. The DAG replied that the matter of loan recovery was not yet over, as no final orders had been issued in this regard. Mr Shahbaz would be considered a wilful defaulter till the announcement of company judge's final orders. The state in its concluding arguments submitted that the delivery of ballot papers to the officials concerned had been started, and these petitions could not be allowed at this stage. The bench was requested to reject the petitions on grounds that the polls could not postponed for allowing the petitions, as such a permission would be against national interests. To a bench query, Punjab Advocate-General Maqbool Ellahi Malik submitted that mere arrangements for retirement of liabilities did not relieve a respondent of default. Not a single penny had been given to the plaintiff bank in this case so far, he added. He further said the election tribunal's finding that Mr Shahbaz was a wilful defaulter had obtained finality and could not be challenged. In a short reply to state arguments, petitioners' counsel submitted that under the law, an election tribunal was bound to deliver the verdict in an open court and within its life-span. He said variations in the signatures of Mr Shahbaz and Ms Kulsoom did not amount to forgery. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020928 ------------------------------------------------------------------- SHC moved against rejection of Benazir's papers ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, Sept 27: Three constitutional petitions have been filed in the Sindh High Court by the attorney of Ms Benazir Bhutto, against the dismissal of her nomination papers for the two NA constituencies of Larkana and one reserved seat for women, by the returning officers and subsequently by the Election Tribunal. Ms Bhutto's nomination papers were rejected on the ground that the petitioner has been convicted and sentenced to imprisonment under Section 31-A of NAB ordinance 1999 by NAB Court Rawalpindi / Islamabad in Reference No.23/2000, the disqualification prescribed under clause (n) of Sub-Article 2 of Article 8-D of the Conduct of General Election Order 2002 and clause(r) of Sub-section (1A) of section 99 of the Representation of People Act 1976 is attracted. Being aggrieved by the order she preferred an appeal bearing Election Appeal which was dismissed. Ms Bhutto's attorney Farooq H.Naek claims in the memo that having no other efficacious and alternate remedy he filed the petition on the grounds that the impugned orders are bad on facts and in law. They are based upon surmises and conjectures and contrary to the law applicable thereto and the judgments of the superior courts in the matter. It is his case that the respondents erred in holding that having been convicted by the Accountability Court Rawalpindi the appellant is disqualified to contest election. He maintains that the respondent No.1 erred in holding that the judgment/order of the Accountability Court cannot be looked into by the Tribunal and that it has no domain to nullify the said judgment and set aside the conviction awarded by the said court. He also maintains that the respondent erred in holding that the terms convict, conviction, criminal trial, nolo-contender and sentence cannot be considered while deciding the appeal and that there is no illegality or infirmity in the order passed by the respondent. Farooq Naek maintains that the petitioner never absconded in terms of Section 31-A, of the NAB Ordinance, 1999, as she had left the country with the permission of the Lahore High Court, dated 30-12- 1998. Thus, no question of disqualification under clause 2(n) of Article 8D of C.E.O No.7 of 2002, amended by C.E.O 21 of 2002 and under Article 63(1) (P) of Legal Frame Work Order arises. Article 8D 2(n) and Article 63(1)(p) of Legal Frame Work order 2002 only applies where a person has been 'convicted' and sentenced for absconcion. Under Section 31-A of NAB Ordinance 1999 the guilt is determined by operation of law and not as a result of conviction. Thus, the disqualification envisaged under Article 8D 2(n) and Article 63 (1)(p) does not apply in the case of the petitioner. Even otherwise the NAB Courts do not have the jurisdiction to convict and sentence the petitioner and any order passed without jurisdiction is a nullity in the eye of law and has to be discarded. Even otherwise Section 31-A of the Ordinance, 1999, only applies where a person absconds in order to avoid being served with any process, the attorney maintains. It is the petitioner's contention that Section 31-A of the NAB Ordinance, 1999, is violative of Article 175 of the Constitution as it interferes with the judicial functions which the Courts are required to perform in accordance with, inter alia, the Criminal Procedure Code, while dealing with cases of absconcion. The legislative fiat reflected by Section 31-A of the Ordinance, 1999, flouts the independence of judiciary. The petitioner has already filed a constitution petition bearing No. D-1427/2002 challenging the vires of section 31-A of NAB Ordinance 1999 as well as of Article 8D 2(n) of C.E.O 7 of 2002 as amended and Article 63(1)(p) of the Legal Frame Work Order 2002, and the same is pending adjudication before the full bench of the SHC. It is his contention that orders of Accountability Court Rawalpindi have been assailed by Mr Muhammad Sardar Latif Khoso Advocate, who was allowed to appear on behalf of the petitioner in all the references before various courts vide order dated 30-12-1998 by the Lahore High Court Lahore, and intra court appeal in this regard is pending adjudication before the LHC, Rawalpindi Bench. The petitioner has prayed for declaring that the orders passed by the respondents are illegal, without jurisdiction and of no legal effect and for setting aside the same and directing the respondents to revise the list of validity nominated candidates for election to the national assembly by incorporating her name. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020925 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PPP, PML-N to cooperate for supremacy of parliament ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, Sept 24: People's Party Parliamentarians chief Makhdoom Amin Fahim said that the PPP and PML (N) would cooperate with each other for the supremacy of parliament, though they have not yet struck a deal on broad-based seat adjustments. He said that efforts were on to narrow down the gaps. He also declared that if the PPP leadership was pushed to the wall, the option of boycott was also open, though he emphasized that the PPP was a serious contender in the October elections to establish the people's supremacy through parliament. He spelt this out while talking to newsmen, party workers and supporters at the residence and election office of NA-250 candidate Dr Mirza Ikhtiar Baig. He declared that despite all the attempts by the rulers to create impediments for the PPP and its leader Benazir Bhutto, his party would not abandon the struggle for the rights of the downtrodden and supremacy of parliament. He said that struggle and going behind bars was nothing new for the PPP leadership and workers who were prepared to sacrifice everything. The prolonged imprisonment of Asif Zardari and others was proof of that resolve and determination, he added. Amin Fahim, stressed that his party firmly believes in democratic political dispensation and is not going to give a walkover to the "Kings Party". However, the double standards of the regime were adding to dissension and division in society, which is dangerous for the federation and the country. He said that the PPP had demanded free, fair and transparent elections, but the rejection of Ms Bhutto's nomination papers was not fair play. He dispelled the impression that Ms Bhutto was afraid of coming back to Pakistan, and said that she could return any time, but the timing and mode was part of party strategy. Fahim said that only time will tell how effective and independent the next prime minister would be. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020926 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PML-QA denies rigging allegations ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent KOHAT, Sept 25: Brushing aside the allegations of pre-poll rigging, Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gilani, senior vice president of Pakistan Muslim League (QA), has said that the government and some political parties have a common vision on a number of issues, therefore, the president has a strong "desire" to see them in the future parliament through fair and impartial elections. Talking to a group of newsmen at his residence, Mr Gilani said that the politicians have lost credibility among the masses because they never wanted to strengthen the institution of parliament and instead relied on non-political organizations just to let down the opponents. "Nobody had the courage to bring any motion against the army meddling in politics although the constitution had all the provisions to facilitate the functioning of the house. It was their corruption which forced them to lean towards army for help and undermine the power of the parliament, he added. The prime ministers always went for a patch-up through the military to settle political scores among themselves and invited them not to only interfere but grab power", Mr Gilani observed. He accused both Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto of violating the rules of the game and making important decisions in their houses without consulting the cabinet and party members into confidence. "Both were power-hungry and running the country's affairs as King or Queen," he remarked. Both of them blamed the army, he said, for interference and criticized the ISI political role when they were out of power or sitting in opposition, but never had the courage to consult the parliament, which was a supreme body to deal with such things. Moreover, the army was united, whereas the politicians were divided at all levels and played a very selfish role. He said that he had a strong believe that President Musharraf would transfer the power to the elected parliament as soon as the speaker of the new assembly was elected. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020923 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PML-Q for cohesion between govt, armed forces ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 22: The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-i-Azam (PML-Q) has pledged to continue the policies of Gen Pervez Musharraf, if voted to power in the coming general election. Speaking at a press conference, the central vice-president of the PML-Q, Syed Kabir Ali Wasti, said that his party believed in complete cohesion between the government and the armed forces in post-election scenario. Mutual confidence and harmony between the armed forces and political institutions is necessary to bring the country out of the crisis, the vice president added. Mr Wasti said that after sweeping the elections his party would initiate a process of dialogue with India for the solution of Kashmir dispute by taking the leadership of the Pakistani armed forces into confidence. The leader made it clear that his party did not believe in efforts made by Nawaz Sharif. "We will take each and every step towards normalization of relations with India by consulting the armed forces," he added. Mr Wasti was confident that the parliament and provincial legislatures to be elected next month would play a historic role in safeguarding the national interests. He said the PML-Q would resolve chronic problems including unemployment and would work for strengthening of national economy. The PML-Q leader advised the fellow politicians not to confuse the election environment, which might result in a low turnout. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020923 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PML-N leader urges people to reject 'king's party' ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 22: The Pakistan Muslim League-N candidate from NA- 48, Syed Zafar Ali Shah, has urged the people to reject the "king's party" in elections as it represented the usurpers of their rights and those who have been instrumental in repeated suspension of the democratic order. Speaking at corner meetings in suburban area of the capital, the former MNA said: "Islamabad is brain of the country, therefore the electorate must keep it in their mind that a wrong decision on their part could cause trouble to the whole of the country." He strongly defended former prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharif with regard to the allegations that he had plundered the national wealth. "He was the saviour of the nation, who was taking the country on a path of prosperity and peace. His schemes of easy loans for peasants and for public transport vehicles were the first acts of their kind ever introduced by any government," he maintained. In addition to this, "the bold act of making Pakistan a nuclear power speak volumes of his being a sympathizer of the downtrodden and an advocate of a strong Pakistan," Mr Shah said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020928 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PPP vows to oust military rulers ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent QUETTA, Sept 27: The chairman of the People's Party Parliamentarian (PPP), Mukhdoom Amin Fahim, has said his party will fulfil its commitment to restore democracy in the country and will not compromise the rights of the people. Speaking at a public meeting in connection with the party's election campaign at the Ayub Stadium, he announced that the PPP would bring Benazir Bhutto back to the country and nobody could stop her from becoming the country's prime minister for the third time. "There will be a direct fight on October 10 between killers of (Zulfikar Ali) Bhutto and supporters of PPP," Mr Fahim said, adding that the people would vote for the party to bring it once again in power. He said the PPP had rendered great sacrifices for ousting all the military rulers from power and would continue its struggle for the removal of the present rulers. The PPP leader said the government had given unemployment and price-hike to the people, who, he added, were facing great hardships. He claimed that his party would win the October polls, as the people would give their decision in favour of the PPP that had always served them with honesty. He appealed to the people to vote for PPP candidates in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020924 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PPP to emerge as single largest party: Rabbani ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter LAHORE, Sept 23: PPP acting secretary-general Raza Rabbani claims that his party will emerge as the single largest group at the centre and in the Punjab and NWFP, capable of forming governments there, in case the regime holds free and fair elections. At a news conference, he said this was his assessment of the possible party position despite massive pre-poll rigging already carried out in favour of what he called 'king's party'. He alleged that the regime wanted to keep the major political parties out of the electoral process to be able to bring in people of its own choice in assemblies. But, he made it clear, the PPP would frustrate such designs by taking an active part in the polls. The PPP, Mr Rabbani said, was committed to contesting the elections as enthusiastically as was the regime determined to using every possible tactics to get results of its own choice. Asked if the party was so serious about taking part in the electoral process, why the PPP leaders frequently talked of the boycott option, Mr Rabbani said options to deal with various situations were always available. Before the news conference, the PPP leader inaugurated an election cell which would document pre-poll rigging methods used by the regime and intimidation of the party workers and supporters. The proof would be provided to the election commission as this was the only relevant institution which should be approached in such situations. The cell, the like of which will also be working in the other provincial and federal capitals, will also monitor the election results. Election candidates facing hardships at the hands of the regime have been directed to approach the cell of their respective areas. Mr Rabbani said the regime was targeting the PPP but the latter would not be browbeaten. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Beg says army pressing candidates into joining PML-QA ------------------------------------------------------------------- Amjad Mahmood LAHORE, Sept 26: Awami Qiadat Party president and former chief of army staff Gen Mirza Aslam Beg claims that army officers are pressing AQP candidates into joining the PML-QA. "Maj Mubashar of the Rangers approached AQP candidate Rana Ashraf (PP-158) and directed him to join the PML-QA as, according to him, it would settle all his affairs," Mr Beg told Dawn. Party's information secretary Muhammad Mehdi and media adviser Tariq Gill were also present. Gen Beg said the Rangers had taken the step after he addressed an election meeting of Mr Ashraf at Jallo Mor a day before. Asked if the party would launch a formal complaint with the Election Commission or the army authorities, he replied in the negative. "It will be of no avail. The (army) officers will deny the report and there is no other authority powerful enough to redress the grievance despite the provision of evidence." Moreover, he added, there was also the possibility that the authorities might force the complainant (the candidate) to disown the complaint. The AQP had fielded 70 plus nominees for national and provincial assemblies seats throughout the country but the number was reduced to 35 as many candidates were made to withdraw their nominations and some were issued wrong election symbols, he claimed. He did not believe that the government would indulge in rigging on the polling day. "The rigging has been done before the polling and I have also pointed out this matter to the European Union monitoring team." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020924 ------------------------------------------------------------------- MMA vows to end US influence ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Correspondent QUETTA, Sept 23: Revival of the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, ousting of the Karzai government and enforcement of the Islamic laws and system in Pakistan are top priorities of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), a central leader of the coalition has said. "End of the US influence in the region is another important priority of the religious parties united at the MMA platform", Maulana Noor Mohammad, a central leader of the bloc and JUI-F said while speaking at a press conference. Mr Noor Mohammad, a former Balochistan minister, flayed the role of the United State in the region including Afghanistan, and said the religious parties of Pakistan would not abandoned their struggle for the revival of Taliban government in the war-torn country. He said: "We are contesting elections against the secular forces in the country. People have tried the PPP and PML several times, but they failed to resolve their (people) problems." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020928 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Altaf pledges to provide basic needs to people ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, Sept 27: The chief of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Altaf Husain, declared that if his party formed government, it would bring prices of essential commodities to such an affordable level that no one would be forced to commit suicide due to hunger, unemployment and discrimination. Speaking to a big election public meeting in Nishtar Park, Mr Husain lashed out at the religious parties and the rival Haqiqi for allegedly deceiving the people whose cause they claimed to represent. He also demanded of the regime to demolish the "no-go areas" if the elections had to be transparent, free and fair. Urging the international observers to take note of the situation with regard to the "no-go areas," he said: "If the government will not demolish the no-go areas, how can one say the elections will be transparent, and free, when we are not able to propagate out views." At the outset, he castigated the killing of seven Christians in Karachi and observed a one-minute silence to express solidarity with the Christian community and the bereaved families. He said those who were attacking religious minorities and those who were abetting such attacks were not friends of Pakistan or of the Muslims. He warned against a possible backlash in Western countries where a sizable number of Muslims lived. Mr Husain, whose speech was punctuated by a highly-charged slogan chanting and flag-waving crowd, repudiated the perception that by advocating the case of Sindhi-Mohajir unity he had bartered away the rights of the Mohajirs. He said those who were spreading this perception were Mir Jafers and Mir Sadiqs, who had come on military trucks when the operation of June 19, 1992 was unleashed against the Mohajirs. He said the unity of Sindhis and Mohajirs was not directed against Punjabis, or Pakhtoons, or Baluchis. He also came down heavily on the MMA and alleged they had joined hands due to political expediency, otherwise none of them saw eye to eye, and they pitted Muslims against Muslims. He categorically declared that when Sindh would be free from the clutches of the oppressive federal rule, not a single Punjabi or Pakhtoon, who had made Sindh his permanent abode, would be harrased or thrown out. He urged such Punjabis and Pakhtoons to stop looking towards Punjab and the NWFP for solution of their problems. He said when Sindh would get its rights, they too would reap the harvest. Mr Husain also referred to the MQM manifesto which called for drafting a new constitution and autonomy to the provinces in the true spirit of the 1940 Lahore Resolution, administrative restructuring, human welfare, development and security. He declared that after coming into power the MQM would not only end downsizing, but would also provide honourable job opportunities. He also warned the feudals who were threatening MQM supporters in the interior of Sindh. He declared that the MQM government would provide electricity, water, and gas to every nook and corner of Sindh and provide health and education facilities. He also declared that the MQM would punish those responsible for karo-kari (honour killing) and the practice of marriage with Quran. He warned those who convert schools into autaq. "The MQM is a peace-loving political party which believes in non- violence and oppose terrorism in all forms and manifestations," he said. Mr Husain also referred to measures that would be taken by his party for the rights of women and measures for providing them with jobs. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- MQM seeks new constitution ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, Sept 26: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement unfolded its election manifesto which calls for a new constitution and provincial autonomy according to the 1940 Lahore Resolution. The elections 2002 manifesto, titled "Moving Pakistan forward" was presented by deputy convener Aftab Shaikh, who was flanked by other deputy conveners Nasreen Jaleel, Shoaib Bokhari, and Dr Farooq Sattarat a news conference. In the preamble, the MQM says it is a peace-loving political party and opposes terrorism. The MQM wants an independent and non-aligned foreign policy and wishes to promote close and friendly relations with all the countries. It believes that all disputes should be settled through negotiations. It wants to strengthen the defence of the country. Such policies, it stresses, should be formulated as can enable people from every region of the country to be recruited into the armed forces. The MQM claims that all the past constitutions, including the 1973 constitution, have failed to provide the fundamental rights, security, democracy, freedom, social justice and equality to the people of Pakistan. The main reason for this was the non-inclusion of the true spirit of the Resolution of 1940 which was the basis of the Pakistan Movement. The civil and military autocrats have made so many amendments to the constitution of 1973 that it has lost its original form, spirit and utility. Keeping in view the failure of the constitution of 1973, the MQM proposes the formulation of a new constitution by an assembly with equal representation from all the constituent units. The proposed constitution should not only envisage the reincarnation of the spirit of the Resolution of 1940 but should also be in conformity with the genius and aspiration of the people, it claims. The new constitution should have all the salient features of a true federation - supremacy of parliament, autonomy of the provinces, the federation having only three subjects, ie, defence, foreign affairs and currency, a bicameral legislature with meaningful powers to both houses, joint electorate, independence of judiciary, free press, gender equality, equality of all citizens before law and equal representation of all the constituent units in all federal services. The MQM will not defend those arbitrary laws that were designed by any regime to discriminate against a person or community for his/her or their personal faith, belief or creed. It has come to the conclusion that provincial autonomy and decentralization are sine qua non for the internal stability of Pakistan. The MQM therefore stands committed to striving for complete economic, financial, administrative and political autonomy for the provinces. It stands for: a) Make Senate an effective body for the protection of the constituent units' rights; b) The provinces shall have full autonomy in accordance with the Resolution of 1940;c) No taxes or fees will be raised by the Federation on its own behalf; d) Funds needed by the Federation for defence, foreign affairs and currency will be paid by the provinces on the basis of their population; e) The amount of Zakat will be distributed in the same district from where it is collected. It also stands for bringing all the federally-administered areas as regular districts within the jurisdiction of the respective provinces, except the federal capital, and strengthening of local bodies institutions. It also stands for bringing all the cantonment areas within the political ambit of the local/district/city government. It maintains that governor should remain in office on the pleasure of provincial assembly. The MQM believes that fair and impartial elections alone are not sufficient for a parliamentary democratic order. Full and complete power needs to be transferred to the elected representatives immediately after the election results are announced. Some convention (on rotation basis) will be established to have the posts of President, Prime Minister, NA Speaker and Senate Chairman filled, keeping in view adequate provincial representation. Structural changes needed to control budget deficits, optimize the tax base and reduce public debts will be effected. It is of the view tat the first input to growth is thus human resource. It proposes to allocate 5% of GNP annually for education, make education compulsory up to 10th Class and impart free education up to the primary level, subsidize girls' education in rural areas, bring 100% literacy rate in urban areas, 75% male and 50% female in rural areas within five years and cent per cent literacy within 10 years. It propose to allocate 4% of GNP annually for the health sector and introduction of a comprehensive social security system. It is proposed to abolish all such laws that cause injustice to women. It proposes to provide more opportunities to women to join the teaching profession. More training schools for female nurses, midwives and lady health visitors have got to be opened. Population Welfare Centres need to have at least 75% female staff. It has proposed new paradigms of economic growth. It has proposed that local and provincial planning boards should be established and the perspective and or National Plan, whether five-year or rolling, to be formulated on the recommendations of these boards. While emphasizing the need to maintain free economy, it maintains that downsizing or rightsizing will be resorted to in phases in such a way that the displaced are absorbed by the new/expanded projects under the new economic policy. It is also correlated with our social security system proposed. It has also resolved to accelerate the development of Port Qasim, Gawadar and Keti Bunder ports through the private sector, but ownership of the land shall remain vested in government. It maintains that Water Distribution Accord(s) shall not be tampered with, except with the unanimous consent of the provinces. No new irrigation projects that adversely affect the growers of lower riparian areas, including Kalabagh dam, Thar Flood Water Canal Project/ Greater Thal Canal Project, be undertaken without the approval of all the provincial assemblies and by the Council of Common Interest. Wapda's power distribution system will be provincialized immediately till it is privatized. The manifesto also outlines various matters connected with the rural population also. It stands for abolishing the government cooperative department and instead encourage cooperative farming (including cattle and poultry), credit and marketing through private cooperatives. Solid waste management schemes to be launched in metropolitan cities to begin with. It is committed to implementing the Karachi Mass Transit Project besides providing road network in rural areas, launching the Northern Bypass Project, Karachi, tone up traffic management in urban areas and encourage private enterprise in the road transport sector. In the context of providing security to the people from terrorism, sectarian killings, etc, the party proposes that, according to the principle of autonomy, maintenance of law and order shall be the exclusive responsibility of the provincial governments. There shall be no federal interference in any form. All forces - federal and quasi-federal - for maintenance of law and order shall work under home minister (treasury bench) through a board comprising a member of provincial assembly (from the opposition), home secretary and chief of the provincial police, also duly shared and supported by the local government. The principle of chain of command has got to be re-established. It is of the view that police have utterly failed to provide protection to the common man and is viewed as perpetrator of crime and lawlessness. So all the police and administration have to be local having domicile of the province where they serve. It also proposes various restructuring of the police administration system and dispensation of justice. It has devoted considerable space to the need for abolishing feudalism which is identified with social injustices, honour killing, gang rape, etc. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020925 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Removal of Qadianis' names: writ filed in SC ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 24: The Supreme Court has been approached to end discrimination against Qadianis in the forthcoming general elections, as by deleting their names from the voters lists, they have been deprived of the right to contest elections. Petitioner Shahid Orakzai, in his constitutional petition under Article 184(3) of the Constitution filed, has stated that Article 7C of the Conduct of Elections Order, 2002, was discriminatory against a specified minority because it deprived those who did not sign an oath about the finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH). He stated that Article 7C was extremely discriminatory against Qadiani group and negated the very theme and purpose of joint electorate. It deprived Qadianis from participation in election both as voters and as a candidate for a general seat. He further contended that there was no rationale for including the oath about the finality of the Prohpethood of Holy Prophet Mohammad, in nomination form unless all the general seats were formally allocated to Muslims. "The provision that anyone refusing to take oath would get his name deleted from the joint electoral rolls is all more ridiculous. How an electoral roll be called a joint electoral if the name of a non- Muslim is deleted just because of his belief." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Christians' killing: police inquiring survivor ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, Sept 26: The police have begun investigating the role of the only survivor of the Rimpa Plaza massacre as he has been continuously changing his statements since then. The agents of federal Investigation Agency (FBI) have also joined the inquiry beside the Pakistani investigators. Sources in the police investigation wing said Robin Piran Ditta, was the only eyewitness to the horrible incident. The police got the sketches prepared of the possible attackers with the help of Ditta. He told the police that there were three armed men who committed the crime. However, the investigators were suspecting that Ditta had been concealing some information and he had tried to misguide the police. He told the police that all of the killers were Urdu- speaking. Contrary to his statements, the sketches prepared with the help of Ditta appeared to be Sindhi and Punjabi-speaking. The investigators said they believed Ditta had got prepared misleading sketches. They said the differences in the statements of Ditta had created doubts. Ditta had told the police that he went out to buy tea and when he came back, two armed men caught him and beat him. The armed men then escaped. Later, he came to know about the incident. After some time, the investigators said Ditta retracted from his earlier statement and said he was tied with the chair beside his other colleagues and as first, who was sitting beside him, was shot, he fell unconscious. His chair on which he was sitting also rolled down. He was untied by the police. Later, on a query that who had opened the door when another worker Rahim Bux Azad knocked the door, Ditta said he did that. The investigators questioned him that how could he open the door when he was tied with the chair. To this, he had no answer. The sources said the leaders of Christian community in the country had been continuously exerting tremendous pressure on the police to release Robin Piran Ditta. They alleged that he had been subjected to torture. "We have taken him (Ditta) to a doctor for a medical checkup and he is all right," said a police officer. An FIR was registered at Garden police station on the complaint of Dr Zafar, administrator of Idara Amn-o-Insaf. He mentioned in the FIR that some personal files were also missing from the office. The sources said the Federal Investigation Agency (FBI) agents and the officials of the US consulate also visited the place of incident to inspect the crime scene. They minutely examined the place where the killings took place. They also obtained finger prints from different things including table, chairs, adhesive tapes, etc. They took some evidence with them for further examination. Meanwhile, the police investigators including the city police chief Asad Jehangir and DIG Investigation, Fayyaz Leghari, visited the place of incident and demonstrated a fire to know whether the killers had their pistols silencers. The outer door of the office was locked and a bullet was fired. The sound of the fire was heard outside the office and in the other offices, which indicated that the killers had their TT pistols silencers. The investigators also collected some more evidence from the place of killings. The also seized the literature available at the office and some previous issues of the monthly Jafakash, which was being published from the same premises. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020926 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Seven Christians shot dead in Karachi ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Arman Sabir KARACHI, Sept 25: Seven Christians were shot dead and another was seriously wounded in an NGO's office located at Rimpa Plaza. Six of them died on the spot. The other two wounded were taken to the Civil Hospital, where one of them died. Each of them was shot a single bullet into his head from point blank range. They all belonged to Idara Amn-o-Insaf, a Christian charity which has been operating for the past 30 years. The dead were identified as: Iqbal Allah Rakha, 40 (driver); Benjiman Sadiq, 26, (driver); Kamran Anjum, 25, (computer operator); Jan Muneer, 30, (office assistant); Aslam Martin, 45, (communication coordinator); Mushtaq Roshan, 51, (accountant); and Edwin Foster, 20. Robin Sharif, the assistant communication coordinator, was seriously wounded. Robin Piran Ditta, the peon and watchman of the office remained unhurt and suffered a heart problem after he was beaten up by the killers. He told the police that he went to buy milk and did not lock the door. When he came back, he was held up by two armed men, who beat him up, went out of the office and closed the door. He said he was shocked to see his colleagues dead and wounded. He opened the door when another office worker, Rahim Bux Azad, knocked at about 10:15am. He unlocked the electrical door, which could only be opened from inside. Rahim Bux immediately informed the police at 15. Sindh police chief, Syed Kamal Shah, told newsmen at the NGO's office that it appeared to be an act of terrorism. "However, the motive of the incident will be thoroughly investigated after which the police will be able to arrive at any conclusion," he added. He also did not rule out the act of a foreign hand. According to him, two men armed with TT pistols made the entire office staff hostage at gunpoint, tied them to chairs in a library room, blind-folded them and shot a single bullet to everybody's head. Five of them died on the spot. The sixth was found near the bathroom door. Eight empty bullets were found from there. "We are trying to collect all maximum available evidence from the spot, which would help investigate the killings," the police chief said, adding that the killers left Robin unhurt, who was a useful witness. The police chief said the Idara Amn-o-Insaf was patronized by the Church of Pakistan. He said a monthly magazine Jafakash was also being brought out from this office, which highlighted the issues relating to human rights and labour rights besides social issues. On May 22, Edwin Noon, 45, the chairman of Idara Amn-o-Insaf (Organization for peace and justice), was found dead in his office near Tibet Centre. Police found the body trussed-up and the victim's mouth was sealed with adhesive tape. The police said the victim had been injected some poisonous substance. His wife, Sara Edwin Noon, was later made chairperson of the organization. She said: "We didn't receive threats in the past. We don't know who is behind the incident and what was their motive," she added. The Bishop of Sindh and Balochistan, Sadiq Daniel, said: "It was a shameful and dangerous act to target the Christians. The security is needed to be increased for the security of the Christian community." Daniel did not support the suggestion that it could be an outcome of a communal dispute within the Christian community. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020926 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Held Arab's link with 'Hamburg cell' seen ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ismail Khan PESHAWAR, Sept 25: An Al Qaeda suspect arrested in Peshawar last week may well be a member of the so-called Hamburg cell that planned and executed the Sept 11 terrorist attacks in the US last year, a senior intelligence official said. The official dealing with the case said Lutfi, who used four different aliases and picked up from a suburban locality in Peshawar, had left Hamburg (Germany) shortly before the terrorist attacks in Washington and New York. "He may have a lot of information," the official said. A team of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) accompanied by Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) raided a house in Jehangirabad last week and arrested Lutfi along with a Pakistani and Afghan national. Officials at the time had identified the 30-year-old Tunisian as Saleem but investigators now say the suspect used different aliases and speaks Arabic only. "We know that he received training at an Al Qaeda facility in Afghanistan and his travel documents show that he lived in Germany, France and Spain," the official familiar with the interrogation of the suspect said. "He is not a well-known figure. But we believe that he is important," he said. Lutfi, according to investigators, arrived in Pakistan shortly before the attacks on World Trade Centre and the Pentagon and crossed over to Afghanistan. He, however, later sneaked back into Pakistan through the tribal region in October last. "He had been hiding in Peshawar since then." He said Lutfi was being questioned by Pakistani investigators and had not yet been turned over to the Americans. The other members of the so-called Hamburg cell were: Ramzi bin Al Shibh, arrested in Karachi recently, and Mohammad Atta, who was killed in one of the hijacked planes that destroyed the US landmarks. AL QAEDA CELLS: The official acknowledged reports that the Al Qaeda's network remained intact and that its militants were hiding in the Pakistani tribal areas, including the North and South Waziristan tribal regions, Bajaur and the districts of Peshawar and Swat. "The trouble is that they don't stay at one place for more than a week and keep on changing their hideouts." The official said Pakistanis and Afghans sympathetic to Al Qaeda continued to provide logistical support to the militants. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020924 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Five Al Qaeda suspects held ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Shafiq Ahmad PESHAWAR, Sept 23: A joint raiding team has arrested five Al Qaeda suspects in Peshawar and Mianwali. Of them, an Al Qaeda member and two others were arrested by a team of Crime Investigation Department (CID) and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) from Peshawar's Jehangirabad area, while the two others were held from Mianwali. Officials in Peshawar said the arrests had been made following a tip-off from the FBI team. The three belonged to different nationalities. "One is a Tunisian national, one belonged to Nooristan province of Afghanistan and the third one is Pakistani," sources added. The raiding team also seized a computer and some data. Sources said during the initial investigation, all the three Al Qaeda suspects were changing their names, but finally the name of one suspect was confirmed as Saleem. The Pakistani national belonged to the Bajaur tribal agency. An AFP report said two men were identified as Saeedur Rehman and Juma Din, an Afghan. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020928 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Musharraf sees no imminent danger of war ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 27: President Gen Pervez Musharraf advised India to overcome its internal problems rather than putting blame on Pakistan for everything. Talking to reporters after a function, he rejected Indian allegations that Pakistan was involved in a recent attack at a Gujarat temple. "What is going on in that Indian state is a fallout of the killing of thousands of Muslims," he said, adding that India should set its own house in order rather than indulging in mudslinging. Responding to a question about the possibility of war, the president said there was no imminent danger but the nation must have confidence in its defence force. He said Pakistan was fully prepared to thwart any misadventure and that no one should harbour any ill-intentions against the country. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Govt rejects WB report on defence budget ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: The government has rejected the latest World Bank report, which says that Pakistan is spending 29 per cent of its budget on defence. "The total defence expenditure in the budget for 2001-2002 was 18.6 per cent which has been reduced to 16.5 per cent in the budget for 2002-2003," said the economic advisor to the ministry of finance, Dr Ashfaq Hasan Khan. "Therefore, it is absolutely wrong to say that the government is spending 29 per cent of the budget on defence and it is very high by international standards," he added. Commenting on a Dawn's report published, Dr Khan said the government had objected to the World Bank's report, which, he said was a draft report and not a final report. "We have raised the issue with the bank and told its officials that language of the draft report was extremely harsh and needs to be improved," he added. The ministry official told Dawn that he had attended a video conference recently in Washington and had expressed his serious reservations about the draft report. He was hopeful that the WB would rectify its report by incorporating facts which were being given to it by the government. Dr Khan said that Pakistan's defence budget had been static for the last three years. "In fact, it has been capped," he said, regretting that some officials of the World Bank did not bother to look into facts before preparing their draft report. "Pakistan's defence budget is not our problem but the real problem is debt servicing for which we have made available Rs289.7 billion during the current financial year," he said. Responding to a question, he said the defence budget, which used to be seven per cent of the GDP in 1980s, had declined to 3.6 per cent of the GDP and as such there was a substantial reduction in it. "But look at India which is spending 42 per cent of its budget on defence despite the fact its fiscal deficit is hovering around 10 to 11 per cent of the GDP," the official said, adding that whatever little defence expenditure had been increased last year by Pakistan, it was due to threat perceptions in the region and India's massive building of troops on borders. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020928 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US to help raise conventional arms capability ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ihtashamul Haque RAWALPINDI, Sept 27: The United States has agreed to enhance Pakistan's conventional defence capability by making substantial military cooperation with it. "We have an interest in working together with Pakistan's armed forces to address Pakistan's security concerns and help enhance its conventional defence capabilities," visiting US Undersecretary of Defence, Douglas J. Feith said. Speaking at a joint news conference with Pakistan's Defence Secretary, Hamid Nawaz, Mr Feith said Pakistan and the United States had developed a major understanding on vital issues including bringing an improvement to the present alarming security environment in the region. He termed a 3-day meeting of the Pakistan-US Defence Consultative Group (DCG) as very successful and said a number of areas had been identified for enhanced military cooperation between the two countries. He led a 40-member US delegation at the meeting. The Defence Secretary, Hamid Nawaz, said during the extensive talks, issues concerning acquisition of new military hardware including F-16 aircraft, training and joint exercises were discussed. "Pakistan has also given a new defence list to purchase US arms and we hope now that not only our previous transactions, which got interrupted, will be cleared but new weapons would also be offered to help improve Pakistan's conventional defence capabilities," he added. "We have communicated our defence list to the Americans," he said, adding that the US government realized that conventional defence capabilities of Pakistan were needed to be improved," he further stated. He told a newsman that the US side had sought to further enhance cooperation to counter terrorism and check infiltration across the border. "Both the countries have developed a very sound basis for future military cooperation," the defence secretary said, adding that substantial progress had been made to forge new and better military cooperation between the two countries. Mr Feith said Pakistan had made a very important contribution to make operation "Enduring Freedom" a success. "We have put together a good military relationship to work against terrorism and improve security environment in the region," he added. About Pakistan's defence needs, the US Under Secretary said during the three-day talks this issue along with extending more financial assistance, training and joint exercises came under active discussion. Asked how the United States could help Pakistan specially when India was getting all possible military cooperation from Russia and Israel and that how his country would like to balance it, he said: "We have reviewed Pakistan's defence requirements and as I told you that we have an interest in enhancing Pakistan's conventional defence capabilities as sought by Islamabad," he replied. Answering to a question, Mr Feith said from the US point of view Pakistan was exerting itself to effectively deal with Al Qaeda and Taliban. "But we know that border areas of Pakistan with Afghanistan are very difficult terrains. Pakistan and the US made some success but not as much as we like," he said. However, he appreciated that Pakistan was doing a lot to track down Al Qaeda members. He said necessary support would be provided to Pakistan army and the police to monitor the activities of terrorists. "We have discussed new ideas over the issue". Mr Feith said his country had decided to give all necessary equipment, financial assistance, training and sharing of more intelligence with Pakistan to chase Al Qaeda and other terrorists. "And in this behalf a list of priorities has been prepared," he said without elaborating. Mr Feith told a reporter that he was not aware of the statement of the US ambassador to India in which he had said that infiltration from Pakistan had increased into Kashmir. However, he said the US was hopeful that Pakistan would ensure that there was no infiltration across the Line of Control. DEFENCE TIES: Replying to question whether military cooperation between Pakistan and US as existed in the early 1980s would be revived, Mr Feith said a decision had been taken to build a long- term relationship which should be mutually beneficial. About the release of military hardware to Pakistan, the US Under Secretary said the US policy-decision making was a complex issue due to which things could be delayed for some time. "We hope to make sure that we are well informed about the views of Pakistan on defence trade," he said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020926 ------------------------------------------------------------------- US to provide $47m for law enforcement ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Sept 25: The United States will provide a grant of $47 million for the development of the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and for launching high-tech projects in the field of law enforcement. This was announced at a meeting of the Pak-US Joint Working Group on Law Enforcement. The Pakistani side was led by Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider, while the visiting US side was led by the coordinator for counter- terrorism of the States Department, ambassador Francis Taylor. The meeting was also attended by US Ambassador in Islamabad Nancy Powel. The meeting discussed cooperation between the countries in the field of counter-terrorism. "During the meeting, the US side agreed to provide equipment and training and also committed to provide an additional fund to the tune of $47 million for the development of Fata and launching of high-tech projects in the field of law enforcement," said a senior official of the interior ministry, while talking to APP. The two sides held a discussion to improve their cooperation and took decisions to strengthen the capacity of Pakistan's law enforcement agencies to combat the menace of terrorism. They expressed satisfaction over the progress so far achieved in the ongoing war against terrorism and re-affirmed their commitment to enhance the existing level of cooperation. It was also decided that the second meeting of the joint working group on law enforcement would be held soon. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020926 ------------------------------------------------------------------- New Delhi allegations ridiculous: Islamabad ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Sept 25: Pakistan said India's allegations that Pakistan planned an attack on a Hindu temple in Gujarat state were irresponsible and would only heighten tension in the region. "These are highly irresponsible statements," Foreign Ministry spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan told Reuters. He was referring to a statement earlier by Indian Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, accusing Pakistan of planning Gujarat attack. "These accusations are ridiculous," Khan said. Two gunmen opened fire and hurled grenades at people in the vast temple complex in Gujarat, killing 29 people and wounding more than 70. One Indian commando was killed during a later assault and two policemen died of their wounds, police said, bringing the total death toll, including the two gunmen, to 33. Advani cited a speech by President Pervez Musharraf to the UN General Assembly this month in which he referred to Gujarat. "This indicates they had planned this for sometime," Advani said. Khan said India was in the habit of rushing to conclusions and accusing Pakistan of anything happening in India even without holding a preliminary inquiry. "Such baseless accusations will only add to heightened tensions," Khan said. He urged India to pay attention to improving its law and order situation rather than laying blame at the door of Pakistan. "We have strongly condemned this reprehensible attack because it was mounted on a place of worship," Khan added. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Seven killed as train derails near Sibi ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Saleem Shahid & Shamim Shamsi QUETTA, Sept 26: At least seven people were killed and 57 injured when eight bogies of Quetta Express derailed as a railway bridge on Sibi-Jacobabad section collapsed. The Quetta-bound Quetta Express coming from Rawalpindi met with the disaster, some 200km east of here at 10.05am, suspending the train service with the rest of the country. Fifty-seven injured, including women and children, were admitted to the Government Hospital, Sibi. The medical officer of the hospital, Dr Ghous Bakhsh Barozai, confirmed that 12 of injured were in serious condition. The exact point of the accident was the Railway bridge No 130-B. The 200-ft-long bridge, located between Dambuli and Dinghra, was built by the English over a century ago on a storm river allowing the flow of hill torrents and floods during rains. The Pakistan Railways authorities said sabotage activity could not be ruled out, however, the probe had been ordered into the accident. The Chief Controller of Quetta Railway Division, Jalilur Rehman, confirmed that 57 persons had been injured out which 47 had been hospitalized at Sibi. "Those injured seriously are being shifted to Quetta and other hospitals for specialized treatment," he added. Others with minor injuries have been discharged. Rescue and relief operation started as four relief trains have been rushed to the spot from Sukkur and Quetta and for restoring the railway track. More than a dozen ambulance vehicles of the provincial health department and Edhi Welfare Centre rushed to the spot. Residents of the nearby villages and notables also helped the injured in reaching them to hospitals. A number of government agencies, personnel of Pakistan army also reached the spot and helped the Railway officials in relief work. Some injured were taken out by cutting the twisted metals. According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred when the main diesel engine and a passenger bogie passed the bridge which collapsed and bogie fell down in the nullah followed by seven other bogies. "Six pillars of the Railway bridge collapsed causing the disaster," a senior official of the Sibi administration told Dawn over telephone. Chaos and confusion gripped the scene of accident and the passengers were screaming for help. The Chief Controller of Pakistan Railways, Jalilur Rehman, said the train service had been suspended, which could remain suspended for at least two days as trains are operating on a single track. "It will take reasonable time to clear the track. The Railways may build a diversion from the collapsed bridge," Mr Jalil said. Pointing out to the cause of the accident, he said the bridge collapse was the apparent reason for the accident. However, he said, Chairman of Pakistan Railways has ordered an inquiry. In the meantime, the hospital sources have identified seven persons who lost their lives. They are: Syed Gul son of Sardar Allah Gul of Saranan; Abdul Malik son of Meharban Khan and Abdul Rehman son of Meharban Khan of Naushki; Mohammad Zaffar son of Ahmed Khan of Dhaddar; Iftikhar son of Nazir Ahmed of Sialkot; Haji Allah Ditta and Abdul Qayyum. The body of Iftikhar was taken away by his relatives to Sialkot who were travelling with him in the same train. The bodies of others were in Civil Hospital, Sibi. List of 48 injured in train derailment: Out of the total wounded, 10 were admitted to Railway Hospital Sibi and their names are: Ms Wilson, wife of Abdul Hameed; Zafar Iqbal Mohammad Hayat; Mohammad Rasoolpur Tarar; Mohammad Aslam, son of Fateh Mohammad; Iftikhar Ahmed, son of Abdul Hameed; Mustafa, son of Ghulam Rasool; Mohammad Umar Daraz, son of Mehar Ali; Mohammad Shahzad, son of Mohammad Bahadur Khan; Mohammad Azhar, son of Shan Mohammad and Shahid Ali, son of Mirza. While the remaining 38 were admitted to Civil Hospital Sibi and their names are: Inamul Haq; Mohammad Tufail; Qasim; Mohammad Akhtar; Imran; Atta Mohammad; Zulfiqar; Ms Kishwar Saghir; Ms Sakeena Bibi; Majid; Amar Farooq; Musa Naseer; Ms Shamaila; Mohammad Shakeel; Mohammad Ahmed; Liaquat; Aslam; Abdul Qadir; Mohammad Qasim; Master Rehmat Ali, son of Mehar Din; Mehmood Ahmed; Arif Mehmood; Mohammad Idris; Mohammad Hanif; Abdul Khaliq, son of Inayatullah; Zar Khan Sadar, son of Safdar Hussain; Inamullah, son of Mohammad Yousuf; Surraya Bibi, wife of Amin Masih; Haji Ghulam Qadir, son of Qadir Bakhsh; Ms Parveen Akhtar, wife of Mohammad Amin; Ms Bilqis, wife of Mohammad Aslam; Ms Mumtaz Bibi, wife of Fateh Mohammad; Choudhry Abdul Hameed; Ms Razia Bibi, wife of Nazeer Ahmed; Ms Hameed, wife of Haji Mukhtiar; Ms Akhtar Fahmeeda, wife of Qamar; Qamar Sharif, son of Mohammad Sharif and Shahzad .- APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020928 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 killed as bus falls into ravine ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Tariq Naqash MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 27: At least 20 people were killed and 25 others injured when an overloaded passenger bus fell into a deep ravine near Pir Galli village on the Khuiratta-Mirpur Highway, police and witnesses said. The Bhatti Transport Service vehicle (AJK-6140) was going to Mirpur from Khuiratta village in district Kotli when it veered off the road while negotiating a sharp curve at about 8:35am, police said. A witness told Dawn by telephone that the bus was overloaded with some people sitting on its roof. As the driver was negotiating the steep curve, he lost control and resultantly the vehicle fell into the 500-feet deep ravine, he said. Police said 20 people, including two women and a police official, died in the accident. They were identified as Mohammad Amin, son of Shafi; Rashid, son of Abdul Majeed; Zaraat Bibi, wife of Nazar Mohammad; Tahir, son of Azam (conductor); Sub Inspector Chaudhry Zafar Hussain; Raja Masood, son of Raja Abdullah; Mohkam Deen; Mohammad Abbas; Pervez and Javed, sons of Munshi Khan; Tasweer Begum, wife of Moazzam Khan; Arshad Gul and Mehfooz Gul, sons of Shamshad Gul; Younus, son of Mohammad Rafiq; Masood, son of Zaman, Rizwan, son of Ilyas; Farhat, son of Barkat Hussain; Shahzad, son of Zulfikar; Mohammad Sharif, son of Ghulam Mohammad; and Younus Khan. Of the 25 injured, 14 were admitted to the DHQ hospital Mirpur. They were identified as Mohammad Iqbal (driver), Muzammil Hussain, Zakia Bibi, Mohammad Fazil, Mohammad Shafi, Fayyaz Begum, Mohammad Asif, Surayya Begum, Arif, Altaf Hussain, Taimur, Ansar Mehmood, Mohammad Iqbal and Ghalib Hussain. At least five other injured were taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad. A doctor at the DHQ hospital Mirpur told this correspondent that condition of some of the injured was serious. Officials feared that the number of casualties could be more, because many persons had removed the victims from the site of the accident without informing the police.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY 20020923 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Japan to give $200m for poverty eradication ------------------------------------------------------------------- TOKYO, Sept 22: Japan will provide $200 million to Pakistan till next year as second part of the $300 million pledged last year. Director of Japanese foreign affairs ministry's southwest Asia division, Takio Yamada, told APP that his country had already provided $100 million to Pakistan. Japan has also decided to provide soft loan of billions of Yens for the completion of third phase of Kohat Tunnel. The loan would have a 10-year grace period with nominal interest rate and it would be paid in 30 to 35 years. He said Japan had provided soft loan for the first and second phase of the tunnel. The first phase had been completed and the second was in progress, he said. He said Japan wanted to assist the government for initiating projects to eradicate poverty. The government of Japan promised to give $300 million to Pakistan in two years as part of financial assistance for poverty eradication programme. He said that after the visit of Pervez Musharraf, a parliamentary delegation headed by a leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, Mitsuo Horiuchi, visited Pakistan. The exchange of delegations would continue, he said. -APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020922 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Saudi Pak okays Rs351m financing ------------------------------------------------------------------- ISLAMABAD, Sept 21: Saudi Pak Industrial and Agricultural Investment Company (Pvt) Limited approved a total financing of Rs351 million to 11 companies in manufacturing, financial services, communication and petroleum sectors. The financing will facilitate expansion of existing production facilities and create additional capacities. Board of Directors of the company has given approval, in this connection, in its 80th meeting held in Dubai, under the chairmanship of Dr Abdullah T. Al-Thenayan, who is also Director General of Arab Company for Livestock Development, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The board reviewed the operating performance of the company for the first eight months ending August 31, 2002 of current financial year and expressed its satisfaction on all the key areas of operation including approval and disbursements of new financing and position of collection of dues from long-term and short-term financing portfolio. Since inception the company has provided financing facilities of Rs14,505 million, which includes direct equity investment of Rs1,690 million, and term financing of Rs12,815 million. In addition the underwriting of public issue of shares and guarantees have also been provided for a total amount of Rs1,825 million. The company, a joint venture of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is committed to accelerate industrial development in Pakistan by providing loans and investment facilities to industrial projects sponsored by private sector.-APP DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020922 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Rs795m bids for Bank Alfalah, ICP Funds ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 21: Abu Dhabi Group of UAE offered the highest bid of Rs27.56 per share against the floor price of Rs26.56 per share for the remaining 30 per cent shares (22.5 million), making a total of Rs620.1 million. The group has already acquired 70 per cent shares of Bank Alfalah (former Habib Credit & Exchange Bank) in 1997 through an open bidding. The offer came during bidding of 28 per cent equity stake in Bank Alfalah. Sealed bids for ICP Mutual Fund-lot-A were opened by the representatives of print and electronic media, and Abamco bid of Rs175 million was declared the highest one. The Privatization Commission recommended to the Cabinet Committee on Privatization (CCoP) to approve the bids for the two transactions. The Privatization Commission met under chairmanship of Minister for Privatization Altaf M. Saleem, who is also chairman of the Commission. The other party Javed Omer Vohra & Co attended the bidding but gave no offer for Bank Alfalah. The Privatization Commission had received four EoIs from interested parties for the divestment of a minimum of 28 per cent equity stake in Bank Alfalah Limited through a 'block sale' to the general public through an open bidding process. The buyer will also pay for two per cent shares allocated for the employees. In case, employees do not buy these shares, the Privatization Commission would reimburse the amount received on that account to the highest bidder. For the ICP Mutual Funds, the bid received were: (I) ABAMCO Limited, Rs175 million; (II) Consortium of Arif Habib Securities Limited and Arif Habib Investment Management Limited, Rs125.1 million; (III) Charless Schmitt & Associates Limited (CSA), Hong Kong, Rs63 million; (IV) Consortium of Pakistan Kuwait Investment Company (Pvt) Ltd and Al Meezan Investment Management, Rs102.01 million; and (V) Pakistan Industrial Credit & Investment Corporation Ltd (PICIC), Rs162.5 million. Sulaiman Ahmad Al Hoqani from UAE, though deposited the earnest money, did not turn up for the bidding. The three highest bidders - ABAMCO Limited, Arif Habib Investment Management and PICIC - were asked to raise their bids in the second phase of open bidding round but all the three declared that they have given their final offer. Therefore, ABAMCO Limited was declared the highest bidder. For the sale and transfer of the management rights of lot 'A' of ICP Mutual Funds, the Privatization Commission had recommended nine parties for pre-qualification. The Privatization Commission had received 16 EoIs from local and foreign Fund Managers. The successful bidder will manage the Fund under the rules prescribed by the Securities Exchange Commission of Pakistan. Bidding was also held for the acquisition of 75 per cent government-owned share of Lyallpur Chemical & Fertilizers Limited (LC&FL) and 25 per cent shares of a private company which authorized the Privatization Commission to sell them. The bidding opened with Rs120 per share floor price for 100 per cent shares with a minimum increase of one rupee per share but could not proceed further as the participating two bidders did not make any offer. Chanar Sugar Mills Ltd Lahore and Sitara Chemical Group of Industries, Faisalabad, insisted to substantially reduce the floor price. This was not acceptable to the Privatization Commission. As such the bidding process was cancelled. The Privatization Commission Board reviewed the implementation status of various transactions, which included Pakistan State Oil, OGDCL, HBL, POL, NITL and offering of additional shares of NBP. A road show for NBP shares offer for sale has been planned at Karachi Stock Exchange on September 24, 2002. The Board members and senior officials of the respective ministries attended the meeting. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020928 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Stocks maintain upward trend on weekend session ------------------------------------------------------------------- Staff Reporter KARACHI, Sept 27: Stocks on Friday maintained their uppish leaning as investors continued to build up long positions on the counters where dividend announcements are due and the lower levels, which ensure handsome capital gains. After touching the day's peak level at 2,025 at one stage, the KSE 100-share index managed to finish with an extended gain indicating that it could resume its upturn when the trading starts on Monday. The final close of both the sessions was at 2,019.04 as compared to previous level of 2,013.85, up 5.19 points, reflecting the strength of PTCL and PSO. The higher closing reflects that the new system has worked well. After holding a couple of mock trading sessions during the last about a month the KSE on Friday held two - morning and afternoon sessions - to test the accuracy of the new system, which it wants to put in operation in due course. It started trading in the new system on trial basis after the Juma prayers for about two hours and till the close at 5 p.m. the activity remained insipid. The brokers will take sometime to fathom the technicalities of the most modern system and after that it will replace the current one. Locally developed, the new system, according to KSE sources was most transparent. The software put into operation has the capacity to take in daily turnover of over 700m shares as compared to the existing one's 300 to 500m, and it will cater to the needs of future expansion in the daily volumes. Floor brokers said firm closing at the weekend session generally paves the way for a sustained run-up during the next week and indications are that blue chips could rise further on the strength of fresh buying triggered by higher dividend news. "Investors are not inclined to sit on the sidelines as an attractive bait of sell-off of the leading state units has reinforced their perception about a sustained bull-run in the coming sessions," they added. Bulk of the buying interest remained confined to Hub-Power, PTCL, PSO, MCB, National Bank, and some of the leading cement shares, including D.G. Khan and Lucky Cement, which have announced modest dividend. Wyeth Pakistan led the list of leading gainers, up Rs42 followed by Ferozsons Lab, Treet Corporation, Shell Pakistan, Island Textiles and General Tyre, which posted gains ranging from Rs3.70 to Rs7.50. Bata Pakistan and Noon Pakistan also showed good gain. Bulk of the support was inspired by higher dividend. Losers were again led by Grays of Cambridge, off Rs15, followed by Millat Tractors, HinoPak Motors, Siemens Pakistan, Clariant Pakistan, and Ghani Glass, off Rs1.45 to Rs3.75. Trading volume fell to 114m shares from the previous 153m shares but gainers held a fair lead over the losers at 160 to 107, with 64 shares holding on to the last levels. Hub-Power led the list of actives, easy 10 paisa at Rs24.05 on 21m shares followed by PTCL, unchanged at Rs20.15 on 15m shares, PSO, up 40 paisa at Rs196.25 on 11m shares, Adamjee Insurance, higher by 95 paisa at Rs44.25 on 9m shares and Engro Chemical, higher 55 paisa at Rs63.25 also on 9m shares, D.G. Khan Cement, lower five paisa at Rs12.45 on 7m shares and ICI Pakistan, up 45 pasia at Rs41 also on 7m shares. FORWARD COUNTER: Active trading was again witnessed in hub-Power, which rose by three and six paisa for both the settlements on combined turnover of 14m shares followed by PTCL, lower 6 pasia for the ruling contract at Rs20.06 on 5.699m shares and higher by three paisa for the distant at Rs20.30 on 3.657m shares. PSO rose by 45 and 10 paisa for both the contracts at Rs196 and Rs159 on 2.452m and 1.440m shares, respectively. Other actives were modestly traded, mostly on the higher side. DEFAULTER COMPANIES: Custodian Modaraba came in for active selling and fell by 45 paisa at Rs4.05 on 17,000 shares followed by Allied Motors, easy five paisa at Rs9.50 on 12,500 shares and Crescent Board, unchanged at Rs2.80 on 3,500 shares. DIVIDEND: Universal Leather cash 60 per cent; Noon Pakistan 50 per cent; Pakistan Refinery cash 37.5 per cent, interim 25 per cent already paid; Liberty Mills 17.5 per cent; Pakistan Synthetics 20 per cent; Habib Bank Modaraba 16 per cent; UDL Modaraba five per cent; Lucky Cement 7.5 per cent; D.G. Khan Cement 10 per cent bonus shares; Pioneer Cement cash 5 per cent; and Union Bank right shares at the rate of 66.67 per cent.Back to the top
EDITORIALS & FEATURES 20020922 ------------------------------------------------------------------- 'To the best of my knowledge and belief...' ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ardeshir Cowasjee It is extremely difficult to get to the bottom of many of the alarming stories we read in our press. My column last week made mention of a September 14 news item which related how a religious school teacher, a Qari (a reciter of the Quran), of the small town of Yazman, near Multan, had chopped off the tongue of a 13-year old student who some days previously had observed his teacher sodomizing a fellow student. The boy's father, a Pesh Imam (a leader of prayers) had told reporters that his son had witnessed the sexual assault, had been threatened by the Qari not to tell anyone about it, had told his father, and the Qari had then used a razor on his tongue. But no arrest had been made, as the boy's family had not so far lodged any complaint with the local police. Another report in another newspaper on the same day had it that the boy, Hafiz Abdul Qadoos, was aged 18, that he had reported the matter to the police and that a case against Qari Bashir Ahmed, the seminary in charge, who had deprived him of the power of speech, had been registered under sections 336 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The case was registered on the complaint of the boy, who 'told' the local SHO that he and the Qari had for long been at daggers drawn, that on several occasions he had thrashed the Qari, and that on September 2 the Qari in his turn had overpowered him and 'injured' his tongue with a sharp weapon, and then threatened him with dire consequences 'if he let the cat out of the bag'. The boy's father, when contacted by the police told quite a different story. He claimed that the injuries to the his son's tongue were self-inflicted and that boy had not lost the power of speech. The police maintained that the boy had given his statement in writing as he could not speak. Some of the town's people had told the police that the Qari had first sodomized the boy Qudoos and then cut off his tongue. Come September 18 and in a further report on the incident we learnt that the Yazman police had discharged the case against the Qari as two local doctors had declared that the injury was indeed self- inflicted. A fresh case had been filed under section 182 of the Penal Code against the boy Qudoos for having misled the police. All quite normal happenings in our neck of the woods. We will presumably never know the truth, nor will we learn of the true state of the injuries to the boy, nor of his fate. If someone concerned in this sordid matter can do a spot of clarification, the people will at least learn what is or is not what. On September 19, a news report from Naushahro Feroze, headlined 'Jirga hands over girl, land in murder dispute', gave us the startling news that a former ambassador of Pakistan, Syed Manzoor Ali Shah, had been a member of the three-man jirga. One Naban Solangi had been murdered by three of his relatives. The judgment of the Jirga was that two of the accused, a father and son, would hand over one acre of land and Rs 10,000 to the sons of Solangi and that the third accused would hand over his daughter. Both parties readily agreed. Again, normal happenings. A headline in a Lahore newspaper yesterday reads: 'Jirga system to remain intact, says governor.' The NWFP governor has declared in Bajaur Agency that the tribal areas will not be subject to judicial reforms. Will our other three governors follow suit? This would be quite in keeping with our times. Another report in this newspaper on September 19, underneath the blazing headline 'Policemen wanted in rape cases still at large', related how, during the past two months there had been reports of gang rapes involving policemen. In one case, a woman, the mother of two, was found in Neelam Colony crying in agony as her face had been burnt with acid. She was taken to Jinnah Hospital where it was established that she had been raped. Her story was that she had been abducted by three policemen of Karachi, taken to Mian Chunnu in Punjab, and repeatedly raped over the course of one week. She was brought back to Karachi, threatened with the usual 'dire consequences' if she spoke out, and the dire consequences in her case was a dose of acid-throwing. A 'clarification' to this story issued by a 'spokesman' was published in yesterday's Dawn. It only serves to further confuse the issue - the object obviously being to adhere to the old saying, 'if you cannot convince them, confuse them.' Again, perfectly normal. The second case took place in Karachi's Kashmir Colony, involving four policemen, who took a young girl to a Defence house, raped her, and then dumped her near Golden Towers (also in Defence). A case has been registered against the four policemen, who of course absconded and remain at large. On quite a different topic which I touched upon last Sunday, on the difficulties now faced, post-9/11, by Pakistani students trying to obtain admission to US colleges and the requisite US visas, 'Aliya and Saqib' responded by e-mail: "Hello, Your recent article with the mention of Pakistani/ Muslim students not getting visas, brought back the memory of the Aga Khan medical students and Duke University. I am sending you the web documents regarding an incident in which a Duke professor told students that he won't consider their applications because they may be terrorists." The story dates back to December 19, 2001: "Medical school dean apologizes for faculty letter sent to foreign students. Three Pakistani medical students, whose inquiries about working in a research laboratory were initially rebuffed by a Duke University professor, have been sent a letter of apology from Dr R. Sanders Williams, dean of the Duke School of Medicine. "Williams also has sent a message to the Duke University Medical Centre community that reaffirms Duke's commitment to cultural diversity. "In his letter e-mailed to the three students at Aga Khan University Medical College, Williams stated, 'I have learned of your interest in spending time in one of our research laboratories and of the intemperate and inappropriate response that you received from Professor Michael Reedy in your quest for information. Professor Reedy's initial response to you does not represent the views of Duke University or of Duke University Medical School. "...... 'I have spoken with Professor Reedy and, as he indicated to you in his follow-up e-mail, he sincerely regrets his initial response and appreciates very much your acceptance of his apology. I am convinced his response is both sincere and appropriate. In addition to his apology, I want to express my own on behalf of our school.' "The students concerned had e-mailed Reedy about possible summer research opportunities in his laboratory, Reedy replied by e-mail: 'Your ethnicity and your age (student age = idealistic) are so similar to those of the jihad-minded terrorists from the schools that nurtured the Taliban and Al Qaeda that it is not worth our trouble to try to determine if you are a well-disguised terrorist or a real learning-motivated medical student. You may well be innocent, but some of your neighbours are as potentially lethal as anthrax or HIV, and must be protected against. "As long as there are zealots whose idea of reasonable dialogue and persuasive rhetoric is suicide bombing, we seem to have no efficient choice but to react with suspicion, which must motivate us to extreme avoidance or to kill-or-be-killed defensive activism aimed at extermination.' "Reedy later apologized: 'I see now that my negative reaction came mainly from my anger and frustration with the extremism and deceptiveness of the terrorists of Sept. 11, which seemed to destroy my personal hopes for a reasoned an peaceful resolution of international conflicts. ... Your messages touched me in that sore spot, and I fired back at you in anger and frustration ......... I deeply apologize for my violent words and bad manners.' "Reedy also noted that the incident had 'made very clear to me that the ease and speed of e-mail can embody hazards as significant as its conveniences'." This last observation is very correct. All involved in the occurrences related in this column have undoubtedly acted in keeping with their respective characters and with the knowledge each possesses. Should the people of Pakistan educate themselves to remain in synchronization with the world outside, or should we keep to our insular ignorant barbaric ways and expect the world to accord us respect? DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020926 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Baghdad poker ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Eric Margolis The latest hand of high-stakes Baghdad Bluff Poker is really getting interesting. Here's an update: President George W. Bush: Just as the Texas Crusader was about to invade Iraq, ostensibly for refusing to admit weapons inspectors, the slippery Iraqis agreed to inspection. How dare Saddam cooperate! Fight fair, you Iraqi scoundrel! So now Bush says he will block UN inspectors from going to Iraq. How confusing. If the US is now blocking UN arms inspectors, can Iraq go to the UN and get approval to invade the US and do a regime change in Washington DC, maybe putting the Rev. Jesse Jackson in the White House? Bush just blasted Saddam for 'undermining and weakening the UN.' In his very next sentence, he vowed to ignore the UN Security Council and invade I-Raq, as he calls it, if the UN didn't give him a green light to attack. Bush is determined to destroy a nation whose name he can't even pronounce correctly. No problem, however, with the supine US Congress. Special interests that have bought Congress demand war on Iraq. More important, Bush and Congress (Democrats and Republicans alike) fear the minute Iraq war fever subsides, they will be crucified over the gargantuan scandals engulfing Wall Street and Corporate America. The Clinton and Bush administrations and Congress all took huge donations from the super-crooks at Enron, Worldcom, Global Crossing and their Wall Street co-conspirators, and were thus party to the most massive swindle in American history. November elections are only six weeks away. Bush and Congress must keep voters terrified by the bogeyman of Baghdad or the folks in Peoria will exact revenge on the politicians who enabled the mother of all frauds. Iraq: Saddam says...Bush is taking orders from Israel and wants to rob us of our oil. Meanwhile, trusted aides are burying a few old cans of chemicals and toxin deeper in the desert. Showing untypical diplomatic agility, Saddam has temporarily split the great powers and is busy offering oil deals to Russia, China, and France. However, on a down note, Iraqi Life Ltd just cancelled his insurance policy. Britain: This week, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw accused the Iraqis of being 'duplicitous.' That's a five-dollar word that means two- faced. Talk about the kettle calling the pot black. The British invented duplicity. In fact, double-dealing British imperialists created many of the world's chronic problems. Thank the Brits for Palestine and Israel; Belfast; India, Pakistan, and Kashmir; Iraq; and the mess in Africa. London is determined to grab a share of Iraq's oil once Saddam is overthrown. That's why Tony Blair, known far and wide as 'Bush's poodle,' is barking so loudly. Russia: Well, says clever President Putin to unclever George Bush, maybe we'll give you a green light to invade Iraq, but the price will be allowing us to invade Georgia and smash the Chechen independence-fighters, plus about $12 billion in cash, and a chunk of Iraq's oil for our Russian oil companies. By the way, hearty thanks from my old pals at KGB for branding the Chechens 'terrorists.' France: The French are too clever to stand in the path of the charging American bull, so they are temporizing and hedging, trying to slow down the rush to war while making sure that if the US invades Iraq, French oil firms and arms producers will get a share of the plunder of Iraq. Germany: In a stunning act of independence, Germany's chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, while seeking re-election, has strongly opposed any US invasion of Iraq, a position supported by a majority of Germans. Never before has subservient post-war Germany stood up to Washington. Europeans are delighted; Washington is furious. Expect more Hollywood films about World War II. Israel: Being very low key. But has put its mighty US lobby into high gear to press for a US war against Iraq...then against Iran, then Syria, then Lebanon, then Libya. Once the Arab states are shattered, Israel will dominate the Mideast. 'The Israel-Iraq Oil Company'...now, that has a nice ring to it. The Arab Rulers: Cowering in their palaces. Can't decide whether they are more petrified of a run amok Bush administration or their own angry people. Most Arab leaders will come down against Saddam, since their personal protection and fortunes are assured by the US, and they know they're next to be 'liberated' if they don't obey.- Copyright Eric S. Margolis 2002. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Our saviours & their shibboleths ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ayaz Amir The reformers who walked into the political arena three years ago, vowing to turn the country's fortunes around, can plume themselves on some notable successes. Politicizing their own institution, the military, they are well on their way to depoliticizing the country. The current election campaign makes this amply clear. A damp squib so far, it has yet to set fire to anything. I speak from the frontline. Not that there is no enthusiasm on the part of the contesting candidates. They are pitching in whatever they can. And let me remind armchair revolutionaries that electioneering is pretty tough business which, to make a success of, requires vigour, energy and cash in equal measure. It is just that the terms of this election have been so restricted that it is more BD election (the local elections under Ayub Khan) than anything else. No national-level leaders tramp across the country, the politics of exile having taken care of this. The Sharifs sit in Jeddah, anxiously scanning the national horizon from afar. Ms Bhutto mulls over her misfortunes in Dubai. Their lieutenants at home lack the fire of leadership. So the only fires being lit remain confined to press statements. In the field local issues predominate. And apart from party ticket, which still retains its importance, what counts is the standing and worth of the individual candidate. The reform managers of the government can congratulate themselves on the downgrading of politics and its substitution by parochial issues. Presidential supremacy has already been ensured by constitutional slaughter. The two leaders who could have spoiled the government's calculations are far from the scene of action. The electoral arena thus lies stripped of serious issues. No one is campaigning against the Musharraf government; the two major parties concentrating on the task of winning the maximum number of seats. They seem in no mood, or indeed in no position, to rile the army's feathers. The Q League is working to the government's advantage because the harsh criticism that its leadership is inviting would have been directed in other circumstances at the military government and its lack-lustre performance. The government thus has little to worry about. All it has to ensure is smooth polling on election day, free from the shenanigans which turned the April referendum into a farce and a comic hit with the people. The government can afford a limp turnout. What it cannot afford is the perception of a rigged election. That would be good for the opposition parties. They'll have something to talk about. It'll be disastrous for the government. Apart from anything else, it will invite comparisons with the state elections in Indian-held Kashmir. But if the perception of fairness be the aim, something will have to be done about the district nazimeen who are making a nuisance of themselves by their partisan behaviour. With the purse strings of district funds in their hands, they are in a position to lend powerful support to their favourite candidates. The Election Commission's hollow warnings have had not the slightest effect on them. To this extent this has been a free election, with the nazimeen free to indulge in what interference they choose. In any event, the real power over the nazimeen is not the Election Commission but the provincial governors. By not curbing the nazimeen the governors are complicit in their behaviour. Nor should this appear odd. The governors form the vanguard of General Musharraf's election team and they want the pro-government candidates (Q Leaguers take heart) to win. The military hierarchy, however, (and let this be noted) is keeping itself clean. Unlike the nazim elections last year and the referendum earlier this year, the corps commanders or the ISI are not directly meddling in this election campaign. For this they deserve the nation's thanks. Pre-poll rigging is another thing. We have seen a fair amount of this, the government queering the pitch for its own team. About macro-management from afar I cannot say, obviously not being in the know. But of micro-interference of the referendum kind there are few signs - the ISI, the real Election Commission of Pakistan, keeping its whistles and guns clean. The blatant interference on offer comes from the governors and their nazim stooges. May the governors have sleepless nights and may their dreams not come true. But to turn to other issues: what gives any election a keen edge is not the language of manifestoes - who reads them, in any case - but the question of power. An election is about power, its retention or capture, or it is about nothing. But where the question of power is already decided, zest disappears from the exercise. If a football match is not about winning or losing, what is it then about? Some such conundrum lies hidden in this election. General Musharraf has been Caesar for the last three years. He is to be all-powerful president for the next five. The people of Pakistan have had no choice in the matter. They have simply been told what is in their best interests. These have been defined as "five more years for Musharraf" although Musharraf, the eternal optimist, says he needs not five years but seven to fix the country. When the question of power thus lies settled, what remains for this election to decide? The country's permanent finance minister is the IMF. Its commander- in-chief for the next five or seven or, God willing, ten years will be Musharraf. So the fools taking part in this election, what are they running for? No one has tried to answer this question. Did the 1962 National Assembly elected under Field Marshal Ayub Khan achieve anything? Did the 1965 assembly under the same cover achieve anything? Did the political experiment hatched under the tutelage of General Ziaul Haq give the country anything apart from more unrest and turbulence? What good will the present experiment achieve? Unless there is a national meeting of minds, unless the military understands the basic truth that politics is best left to the workings of democracy, Pakistan will know neither stability nor internal peace. And its dreams of economic progress will remain unfulfilled. Large sections of the population tolerated, if not welcomed the military intervention of October '99, thinking that it would be just that, a short-lived intervention. If even General Musharraf's most ardent fans had any inkling that the coup they were welcoming would turn into a long drawn-out affair, they would have withheld their clapping. What if this affair turns into a nightmare? From where will the Pakistani nation then begin? This has been our tragedy, one step forward, several back. Always back to the beginning, always returning to first principles, perpetually searching for the Holy Grail of stability. Most pilgrimages come to an end, at journey's end lying the oasis of fulfilment. Not so in our case. Our journey is all beginning and no end - the curse of Sisyphus with a twist added to it. Is this what a nation of 140 million souls deserves, a nation not without talent or resources? Must it always remain a testing lab for different kinds of political experiments? I am sure that the majority of corps commanders know little of the Government of India Act 1935. That gave more political liberty to a conquered people than the present dispensation gives to a free people. The British did not impose partition on India. They discussed partition and other options with the representatives of the Indian people - Congress, Muslim League and other parties. The independence of India and the birth of Pakistan were the outcome of a consensus between the British and the major Indian actors. It was not something decreed by a conference of corps commanders. Let us not forget another thing. British colonialism was based on institutions, and strong institutions at that, and the rule of law. It was not the ad hoc mess we have made of our polity.We have to break out into the future. Only there lies our salvation. Instead, we remain trapped in shibboleths. The greatest creator of shibboleths is the national security state and the myths its weaves to ensure its supremacy. Nothing in the present election provides even a glimmer of hope that these shibboleths are about to be tested, let alone broken. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020928 ------------------------------------------------------------------- A house divided ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Irfan Husain It is a measure of how badly democratic institutions in Pakistan have been mauled that barely a fortnight before the general elections, many people are sceptical that they will be held at all. The rest of the electorate is convinced that the government will rig the elections to manufacture a result that suits the military rulers. This kind of cynicism is grounded in recent history. Official interference in virtually every election conducted after 1970 has led many people to believe that their choice is not accurately reflected in the final results. Also, we have seen a series of elected governments toppled at the whim of the establishment which has shown its contempt for the popular mandate time and again. On top of this abysmal record has come a crop of constitutional amendments relating to the elections, apart from making the next assembly and government subservient to the president. The presence of the Chief Election Commissioner, the man who supervised Gen Musharraf's farcical referendum, does not inspire much confidence in the fairness of the elections. And a final contribution to the general sense of disillusionment and despair is the ham-handed way in which this government has pressured many candidates into changing allegiance. The unedifying spectacle of government officials from governors to chief secretaries twisting arms to secure a 'positive result' is a sign of things to come. For instance, according to impeccable sources, a popular PPP candidate in Khanewal was threatened with dire consequences by officials in and out of uniform to withdraw his nomination papers and re- submit them as an independent candidate. The poor man was finally forced to go along. The game-plan that is emerging is to ensure that the PML (Q), also known as the King's Party, emerges in the National Assembly with the biggest number of seats, so a coalition can be formed with smaller parties and independents. It will be simple for President Musharraf to dictate to this bunch of political orphans. He will easily get them to accept the prime minister of his choice, apart from obtaining their endorsement for a five- year extension for himself as president and their acquiescence for his National Security Council as well as the scores of ordinances and constitutional amendments he has issued. However, if our murky electoral history has showed ample evidence of official interference, it has also proved that more often than not, the establishment's attempts at fine-tuning the results do not always work out. Thus, in 1988 the PPP won a plurality despite the government's efforts. In the last elections held in 1997, Nawaz Sharif won a massive majority that allowed him to amend the Constitution to suit himself, much to the annoyance of the establishment. This time, too, the people might surprise both the government and the pundits. Having visited several constituencies and talked to candidates and their political workers as well as other politicians and political observers, I am not wholly convinced that despite all the obstacles placed in the path of anti- government parties, things are going according to plan. Multiply this picture across Punjab and Sindh, and you get the makings of a surprise result. In the past, the establishment cobbled together an electoral alliance of anti-PPP forces; thus, these groups, flying the flag of the PNA or the IJI, did well as they put up joint candidates to face the PPP in constituencies across the country. This time, they will be dividing the right- wing, pro-establishment vote. But just about everybody I spoke to in Lahore is convinced that an outright PPP victory would be beyond doubt if Benazir Bhutto were to return before the elections. The pro-government parties are facing the problems of incumbency while enjoying official support. Firstly, any government in a problem-ridden country like Pakistan is bound to become unpopular over time. Prices and unemployment have both increased over the last three years, and the onus for this is being laid at Musharraf government's door. The downsizing and privatization of public sector units are hugely unpopular with the masses, whatever the economic merits of these policies. For them, the dictates of the IMF and the World Bank are remote issues: all they know is that their sons are not getting jobs and they have to pay more for basic necessities. Then, the American bombing of Afghanistan has been very unpopular, and Gen Musharraf is being blamed for supporting the Americans; this too is rubbing off on the pro-government parties. Nawaz Sharif's faction of the much-divided Muslim League, used to official patronage over the years, is not motivated enough to stand up to the establishment. Thus, its top candidates have deserted in droves and joined the pro-government group of the party. Nevertheless, the PML(N) will probably gain a respectable number of seats. The religious parties have managed to get together under the banner of the MMA, but historically, they have never gained over five per cent of the popular vote, so they will play a role only in the event of a very tight election. The MQM is likely to do well in urban Sindh, although there are persistent rumours of a deal between it and the army in which it will not contest five or so seats in Karachi to let certain establishment favourites make it to the National Assembly. Given the peculiar relationship between the MQM and the army, this would not be a surprising development if it proves to be true. Short of major irregularities on election day, it is entirely possible that the PPP will emerge as the biggest single party in the assembly and be in a position to form a coalition government with the PML (N). But while this would not be Gen Musharraf's preferred outcome, it would be one he could live with, given the wide-ranging powers he has given himself. For instance, his new- found ability to throw out the prime minister without dissolving parliament will give the future leader of the house something to think about before he tries to pull a Junejo on the president.
SPORTS 20020927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- PCB gives another chance to ex-manager ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Imran Naeem Ahmad ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: Manager Yawar Saeed was relieved of his duties because of his "professional commitments" as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) continued to play its favourite past time the game of musical chairs. In his place Brig Khawaja Mohammad Nasir was asked to take the hot seat he first occupied in 1999 for almost a year before he was shown the door. Nasir will be on his way to Colombo "shortly" to join the Pakistan team before the first Test against Australia starting Oct 3 but only time will tell what magic wand he is taking along to stem the rot. While Nasir prepared to fly out, Yawar dismissed reports that he had been sacked. "I have already been on tour for a long time and with the Australia series being played at neutral venues, I can no longer afford to be away from my job at the Lakson Group of Companies," he told Dawn after meeting Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, the chairman of PCB. Terming the two-and-a-half-hour meeting as "cordial", Yawar dubbed as PCB's "indispensible official" said that he was leaving after serving the orginisation for 18 years in one capacity or the other and had no regrets whatsoever. "I have had a wonderful association with the Board and am going out on a happy note." DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Nasir blasts Wasim and Saeed for not facing Australia ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Mohammad Yaqoob LAHORE, Sept 26: The newly appointed manager of Pakistan team alleged that some senior players chose to stay home rather than face Australia in the three-Test series possibly fearing failures against world's best cricket playing nation. Brig Khawaja Mohammad Nasir told Dawn that Saeed Anwar and Wasim Akram had preferred to take rest instead of facing the Australians. "Saeed should have great confidence in God and he must face the Australians," Nasir declared. He said that it was not a good ploy to throw the youngsters to face world champions. But he vowed that he would try his level best to get maximum results from the lads. And added that he would prepare the young Pakistan team with the spirit of slogan "Go, fight and win". The manager said that God had given youngsters a golden chance to show their guts and cement a permanent place in the team. Imran Farhat, Faisal Iqbal, Hasan Raza, Taufiq Umar, Mohammad Zahid and the uncapped Naveed-ul-Hasan are the new players included in the team after Saeed, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Akram and Yousuf Youhana ruled themselves out of the series. Nasir said that the team would not suffer much due to absence of Wasim. He said that in fact the batting line of the Pakistan team was weakened to a large extent in the absence of Inzamam, Youhana and Saeed. "The bowling is still potent with the likes of Shoaib Akhtar, Waqar Younis, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami, Saqlain Mushtaq and Mohammad Zahid in the team," he said. Nasir said that as he had majority of inexperienced players so now he was not under any kind of pressure of being defeated. "With an experienced side, everyone expects the team to win, but now the nation expects only a fight from these youngsters," he said. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020927 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Abbas topples Jansher to reach last four ------------------------------------------------------------------- By Ian Fyfe KARACHI, Sept 26: Mohammad Abbas of Egypt, seeded No 28 in the world, caused quite a stir at the Pakistan Navy Roshan Khan Jahangir Khan squash complex, when he toppled former world champion Jansher Khan 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the Chief Of Naval Staff International. The former world champion making a comeback after a three-year lapse due to injuries, elbowed the world No 14 Egyptian Omar Elborolossy in three gruelling games the previous evening and seemed on course to reach the semifinals after disposing off Mohammad Abbas. But this was not to be. The Egyptian youngster attacking from the word go matched Jansher stroke for stroke in the first game. Jansher after a fairly long rallies, picked up the first two points. But the Egyptian was soon abreast 2-2, before Jansher being awarded a stroke, stole the lead again 3-2. Matching each other point for point, the scores read 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5, before Jansher drew away 7-5, which later increased to 9-7. Unruffled with the situation, Abbas pinched six vital points on the trot to take over the lead 12-9. Jansher forcing his opponent to smash into the tin drew closer 10-12 and 11-13, but Abbas with two great smashes off the wall grabbed the opening game 15-11. Like the previous game Jansher once again took early lead moving ahead 2-0, before Abbas came back strongly to surge ahead 5-2. Jansher rallied again, closing the gap 4-5 with two fine shots, which left his opponent stranded on the court. Another three points on the trot took the Egyptian in front 8-4 and increasing his lead 10-6, it seemed Jansher was doomed to surrender the second game also. Calling up on his reserves, Jansher with the crowd noisily urging him on levelled the scores 10-10, with Abbas on the defensive. A stroke awarded to Abbas enabled the Egyptian to take over the lead again 11-10. The scores were levelled again 11-11 and 12-12. As the fierce duel continued, Jansher was a stroke away from winning the second game 15-14, only to see Abbas level the scores again 15-15, with a fine placing just above the tin that caught Jansher on the wrong foot. However, with a stamp of class, Jansher pinched the next two points to win the game 17-15 and level the game scores at 1-1 to the delight of the partisan home crowd. Getting a tremendous reception when on the court again, Jansher after levelling the points 1-1, slipped down the ladder to trail 1- 4. Suddenly it was a different ball game altogether. Abbas on the attack increased the lead in the vital third game 2-6, and 3-12. Jansher reduced to a mere passenger surrendered the third game 4- 15, which enabled Abbas to take a winning 2-1 lead. Stunned into silence, the crowd saw their hero take the lead in the fourth game, but was on the receiving end again. Abbas levelled the scores 1-1 and after being awarded a stroke he was in front 3-1. The former world champion fighting on levelled the scores at 5-5 and the crowd went wild when Jansher took over the lead 6-5. Abbas was soon abreast at 6-6 and then 7-7, before he pulled away 9-7. Playing perhaps his best squash Jansher had the crowd urging him on, levelling the scores 11-11 and forging ahead 12-11. The scores were tied again 12-12 and when Jansher's back hand smash hit the tin, Abbas went in front 13-12 only to be caught up again at 13-13. But after 58 sweaty minutes on the court it was all over for Jansher. Abbas picked up the next two points to emerge a 3-1 winner. Thursday's results (prefix number denotes seeding): Quarterfinals: 1-Karim Darwaish (Egypt) beat John Williams (Australia) 15-12, 15-13, 15-7; 4-Shahid Zaman (Pakistan) beat Wael El Hindi (Egypt) 15-3, 15-11, 12-15, 15-10; 3-Mansoor Zaman (Pakistan) beat M. Essam A. Hafiz (Egypt) 15-9, 15-6, 15-10; Mohammad Abbas (Egypt) beat Jansher Khan (Pakistan) 15-11, 15-17, 15-4, 15-13. Friday's fixtures: Semifinals: Karim Darwaish (Egypt) v Shahid Zaman (Pakistan) at 3.00pm; Mohammad Abbas (Egypt) v Mansoor Zaman (Pakistan) at 4.00pm. DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS*DWS 20020924 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Pakistan hopes to improve performance ------------------------------------------------------------------- Sports Reporter ISLAMABAD, Sept 23: The Pakistan contingent will set out in quest of gold as they board the plane for Bangkok on their way to the Asian Games city of Busan. Pakistan will feature in the following disciplines at the Games that will explode into action: Boxing, weightlifting, squash, billiards and snooker, rowing, sailing, wrestling, shooting, hockey, kabaddi, tennis, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, karate, bodybuilding, volleyball, football, cycling, judo, athletics, gumnastics and wushu. The kabaddi, bodybuliding, karate and taekowondo teams will leave for Busan on Friday. The squad (sponsored by Pakistan Sports Board): Squash: Mehboob Khan (coach), Mansoor Zaman, Shahid Zaman Table tennis: Mrs Raheela Kashif (coach), Ghazala Roohi Swimming: Sadiqa Afzal (manager), Kiran Khan, Ayesha Tajwar Kabaddi: Muhammad Sarwar (coach), Muhammad Mansha, Tariq Hussain, Zubair Ahmed, Badshah Gul, Muhammad Akram, Mukhtar Ahmed, Muhammad Latif, Noor Akbar, Muhammad Akram Jnr. Muhammad Saleem Tennis: Rasheed Malik, Aisamul Haq, Aqeel Khan Sailing: Khalid Bashir Cheema, Tahir Abbas, Shahryar Arshad, Riaz Muhammad, Naseem Javed, Abdul Hameed, Muhammad Yousaf, Muhammad Tanvir, Muhammad Huzaifa Farooqi, Miss Andrea Yasmin Rehman Rowing: Lt. Col Hammad Khalid, Rizwanul Haq, Azmat Javed, Muhammad Afzal, Zeeshan Majeed, Muhammad Akram, Muhammad Adeel Sultan, Naseer Ahmed Shooting: Javed Lodhi, Zahid Ali, Irshad Ali, Mustaqeem Shah, Ahmad Sultan, Daud Jan, Muhammad Ayaz Tahir, Nazish Khan, Urooj Fatima Karate: Kashif Zia, Farman Ahmad Billiards and snooker: Shah Nawaz, Wahid Fakhruddin Tawawala, Arifullah, Muhammad Hussain, Saleh Muhammad, Muhammad Yousaf, Khurrum Hussain Agha, Naveen Perwani, Imran Shehzad Bodybuilding: Muhammad Ismail Bhatty, Javed Akhtar, Khalid Ali Wrestling: Ch. Muhammad Asghar, Papoo Pehlwan Taekwondo: Muhammad Hanif Boxing: Muhammad Zubair Shahid (coach), Reinaldo Alvarez Ulacia (coach), Zaighum Maseel, Nauman Karim, Abid Ali, Mehrullah, Imran, Mazhar Hussain, Asghar Ali Shah, Kashif Mumtaz, Ahmed Ali Khan, Shaukat Ali, Mirza Muzaffar Iqbal Hockey: Col (Retd) Zafar Ali Khan, Tahir Zaman (coach), Asif Bajwa (coach), Dr. Waqar Saleem Mirza, Muhammad Qasim, Ahmed Alam, Sohail Abbas, Tariq Imran, Zeeshan Ashraf, Muhammad Nadeem, Ghazanfar Ali, Muhammad Saqlain, Waseem Ahmad, Dilawar Hussain, Mudassar Ali Khan, Muhammad Sarwar, Kashif Jawaad, Rehan Butt, Muhammad Shabbir, Khalid Saleem. Football (Sponsored by Pakistan Football Federation): JuzefHerel, Muhammad Sadiq Sheikh, Hidyatullah, Jafar Khan, Asadullah Tarique, Muhammad Shahzad, Amir Shehzad, Ashfaq Ahmed, Haroon Yousuf, Tanvir Ahmed, Naseer Ahmed, Adeel Ahmed, Atiqur Rehman, Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Gohar Zaman, Muhammad Essa, Mehmood, Muhammad Asif Ayub, Nomi Martin, Arif Mehmood, Zaheer Abbas Volleyball (sponsored by SAF Games secretariat): Allama Ghulam Hasan (manager), Fedir Lashchonov (coach), Ihsanullah, Muhammad Tufail, Bakht Risal, Sajid Nawaz, Kashif Manzoor, Zafar Iqbal, Irfan Nawaz, Muhammad Elahi, Muhammad Jamil, Ashfaq Hussain. Sponsored by Pakistan Olympic Assocation: Shooting: Munir Hussain, Nadia Saeed, Sheikh Amin Karamat Masud, Khurrum Inam, Mahmood Sultan, Usman Sadiq Swimming: Zafar Mahmood, Zulfiqar Ali, Muhammad Khan, Fatima Lakhani, Sana Wahid, Mahira Karim, Mehrunnisa Khan Wushu: Iftikhar Ahmed, Usman Ahmed Table tennis: Shujaat Ali Baig, Farjad Saif, Shabnam Bilal Gymnastics: Muhammad Akbar Shah (manager), Tanveer Ahmed Cycling: Sheikh Nisar Ahmed, Haroon Rashid Judo: Muhammad Jahangir, Muhammad Zeeshan Butt Karate: Munir Ahmad Dar, Babar Iqbal Wrestling: Muhammad Ali Athletics: Ahmad Saeed Anjum, Allah Ditta, Abdul Rashid, Sumaira Zahoor Rowing: Allah Rakha, Muhammad Nazir, Aslam Hayat, Qazi Muhammad Amjad Sailing: Xerxes B Avari, Kamil Aziz Khan, Noor Muhammad Contingent officials (sponsored by PSB and SAF Games secretariat): Brig Arif Rasool (Deputy cehf de mission), Khalid Javed (secretary), Lt. Col. Muhammad Yahya (administration officer), Jawaid Akhtar (treasurer), Lt. Col Dr. Khalid Hussain (Doctor), Maj Yahya Ghaznavi (media coordinator). ------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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