$60 million cut from F-16 account

[Awam ki Awaz]

http://www.dawn.com/2000/11/30/top4.htm

So we succumb yet again to the "lathiwalla". Why do we not take the USA to court and stand up for our rights for a change? BTW does anybody know what is the status on the Sabre scam at PIA? Did PIA finally take Sabre to court or did it back down even though it had a very very solid case against Sabre?
CE Musharraf where are you?

[hk]

Originally posted by Awam ki Awaz:

CE Musharraf where are you?

hmmmmmmmmm......u could e-mail him...
seriously..



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"I was just here. Where did I go?" (Fox Mulder)

[Wadi]

A case of Pakistan getting screwed by America Again. Shame on the policy makers of Pakistan who let things like this happen in the first place.

*sheesh*
Dissapointed to the MAX

[rvikz]

Deduction from F-16 money shocks CE


By Rauf Klasra

ISLAMABAD, Nov 30: Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf summoned the finance minister and top officials of the finance ministry, foreign affairs, agriculture and economic affairs ministries for an emergency meeting here on Friday to discuss the F-16 vs wheat fiasco, as disclosed by Dawn on Thursday.

The fact that Washington had deducted $60 million from the F-16 account was not disclosed to the chief executive in September and Gen Musharraf was reported to be furious on Thursday when he learnt about such a major development through the press.

Top finance ministry sources told Dawn on Thursday that Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz and Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar had been directed to bring all the relevant record of the F-16 settlement with the US government and brief the CE comprehensively.

Finance Secretary-General Moin Afzal, Agriculture Secretary Dr Zafar Altaf and the secretary of the economic affairs division, Nawaid Ahsan, have also been asked to attend the meeting.

Sources at the chief executive's secretariat said Gen Musharraf could not believe that the finance and foreign ministries had signed such a one-sided agreement with the USA without taking him into confidence.

One ministerial-level source, who was present at the meeting last March between Gen Musharraf and President Bill Clinton, recalled that Gen Musharraf had specifically requested the US president for the return of the F-16 money in cash and had been assured that the request would be considered.

But without the chief executive's knowledge, officials of the foreign ministry and the finance ministry signed the agreements with the US for the payment to be made in the shape of commodities. And none of the three ministries involved in the deal - foreign affairs, finance and economic affairs - cared to inform the CE's secretariat. Even the Pakistan embassy in Washington did not pass on the information to the CE.

The sources, however, said that before the singing of the agreement with the US early June the economic affairs division had sent a note, dated June 12, 2000, to the finance minister seeking his approval for the new arrangements.

According to the copy of this note available with Dawn, the finance minister was told that the US government on April 6, 2000, had offered 240,000 tons of wheat with C&F value of $54 million (wheat value $30 million and freight $24 million), 50,000 tons of soyabean and 50,000 tons of soyaoil valued at $42 million during US FY 2000.

In this offer, made under US PL-416 (b) programme, the cost of wheat was worked out on the basis of average procurement prices of the US government and a freight rate of $100 per ton, both of which exceeded the international prices by a wide margin.

The economic affairs division said the US government had requested Islamabad to finalize agreement on this PL-480(b) programme by Sept 30. This offer was part of the repayment to the government of Pakistan under the agreement signed by Pakistan and US on 18-12-1998 for the settlement of the F-16 repayment, the economic affairs division said.

The economic affairs division note pointed out that it was agreed in the agreement that the US government would provide Pakistan goods and benefit of $60 million in FY '99 and of $80 million in FY 2000, respectively, in addition to the cash payment of $324 million.

The economic affairs division had pointed out to the FM that both the US offers were discussed at a meeting on June 6, 2000, by the secretary-general of finance and attended by Dr James Stevenson and James Dever of the US department of agriculture and it was decided that due to its bumper wheat crop, Pakistan would import other commodities.

The sources said it was likely that some disciplinary action might be taken against officials who kept the chief executive in the dark.