Issue
No 11, Sept 30-Oct 06, 2002 | ISSN:1684-2075 | satribune.com
| Elections fail to create excitement, thrills
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Bugging Bugs: You too Chief: Track-IV: Just for a Lunch By LampPost
|
Special SAT Report
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ISLAMABAD:Less
than 10 days away, election campaign in Pakistan is a timid affair,
devoid of any excitement in the absence of leading popular candidates.
There is not one candidate who is contesting from all four or
even 2or 3 provinces. It doesnot sound to be a National Election
to elect a Federal Government. At best it is a slightly upgraded
version of the local bodies polls. At worst it is a rigged exercise
suited ideally to the army to retain real power, following election
of compliant and pre-approved candidates ready to accommodate
the khakis. Overall it will help dilute some army powers.
observers
is descending, most of them to enjoy the junket, as they also
know they can hardly make any difference on the ground. But even
these monitors from outer lands are being monitored, by our own
secret monitors. In one hotel observers detected bugs in their
rooms and were shocked. Naturally someone is looking after them,
though Interior Minister says he can't provide security. 
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has a big business community which has no scruples. These
robber barons have gobbled up billions upon billions in loans from
financial institutions which have turned bad. The tragedy is that
the Musharraf Government is content with only persecuting the politicians
because they represent a threat to the regime. Nothing has been
done to get the money back from these tycoons. SA Tribune has got
the lists of all 122 defaulting companies of just one financial
institution, NDFC, and the total adds up to over Rs 16 Billion (US$
275 million). Read the lists (We
apologise for the poor quality of the copies but this was what we
could get),
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Disturbing facts that need a probe
Dear Readers:
As
we proceeded to write the major lead story of this week, based on October
10 elections, a small item, buried under a positive, forwarding-looking
item based on a statement by Pak. Highway Authority Chairman, Maj. General
Farrukh Javed, that more Motorways will be built in Pakistan, caught
our eye. Owner of Construction Company, building M-3, the Rawalpindi-Peshawar
Motorway, was asked some pointed questions, and probably in his innocence,
answered them truthfully. He did not realize what implications his simple
words could have. The builder, Sheikh Yousaf, had given out to the Press
one of the best guarded secrets of the Musharraf regime. He had confirmed
our earlier stories about a close relative of the General involved in
the Motorway Project. We later learnt this relative was also a kitchen
cabinet member of the General. Not only the cat is now out of the bag,
the whole bag stinks of cat droppings. It will now be seen what is said
to defend this close relative and whether his involvement is seen as
“corruption” of any kind. We may just be about to get a
new definition of corruption, or good governance, in the process.
One of the many comments made about SA Tribune is that it focuses too
much on the Army and the Generals in Pakistan. This is true to a great
degree but the fact is that the focus cannot be anywhere else as the
Army and the Generals have taken the center stage and are now responsible
for everything, the good, the bad and even the ugly, like the Motorway
and Golf Course scandals.
We are also trying to diversify our coverage of the entire South Asian
Region and soon we will be reporting some good stories from other places
as well.
Take
Care
Shaheen Sehbai
Complete
Story of Harassment of Sehbai Family in Pakistan
View
Police FIRpg1
| pg 2
RSF
statement
Discuss
