No sham democracy again: Musharraf
DAWN: Chief executive General Pervez Musharraf said democracy had failed IN the country because of illiteracy and poverty, reiterating his resolve to slam doors on ``sham democracy.'' ``Democracy failed in Pakistan because there is illiteracy and poverty. Because they (the people) are poor, their votes can be bought, and politics in Pakistan is a game of very rich people.'' ``Our people were never emancipated from the yoke of despotism. I shall not allow the people to be taken back to the era of sham democracy but to a true one. We have hit rock bottom. We have no choice but to rise and rise we will,'' BBC TV quoted Musharraf as saying. He said the feudal bosses and tribal leaders somehow got elected and then become most insincere.

``They are not honest, they lack sincerity, they lack dedication, and I will say they are even unpatriotic because they do not serve the nation,'' the chief executivesaid. Musharraf said he could not give any time-frame for a return to democracy unless he achieved certain objectives laid down for the nation.

Corruption endangers WB aid
THE NATION: Pakistan faces the threat of losing US $927 million worth of World Bank loans due to corruption and inefficiency at the state level. According to documents obtained by Fortuna, the World Bank has given the Government of Pakistan December 31 deadline to put its house in order or it may lose financing for problem projects. However, sources at the Ministry of Finance told Fortuna that the WB, IMF and Asian Development Bank have agreed to put off this deadline for a period to be agreed with the administration in Islamabad. The WB considers one out of every six of its projects in Pakistan to be progressing in a manner justifying the label of `Project at Risk'. The Bank has put this label on four out of the 24 projects in its current Pakistan portfolio. These four `Projects at Risk' include the massive Ghazi Barothahydropower project and account for 40 per cent of the net commitment or US $927 million in monetary terms. The reasons that put these projects at risk range from failure of the government to resolve its dispute with the Independent Power Producers to exercise of undue influence by local political leaders and petty thefts by government officials involved in the implementation process.