July 11, 2002	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 29, 1423

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FAISALABAD, July 10: The Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association has rejected privatization and denationalization of educational institutions.

Talking to newsmen here on Wednesday, PPLA central leaders Prof Abdul Khaliq, Ziaullah Randhawa and Prof Idrees Ahmad said anti-education policies of the government especially a plan to sell government-run institutions would not be tolerated. They threatened that the PPLA would launch a countrywide movement against such steps after taking into confidence its central leadership.

They claimed that there would be no space for the poor to enrol their children in schools and colleges because private entrepreneurs after purchasing these institutions would increase tuition fee manifold.

The association leaders demanded President Pervez Musharraf to take cognizance of the situation and direct the authorities concerned to withdraw the proposed policy of privatization and denationalization of educational institutions.

NAB’s DRIVE: The National Accountability Bureau has decided to launch a special campaign for the arrest of politicians, bureaucrats and other people involved in corruption cases to make a maximum recovery from them.

A source told Dawn here on Wednesday that the fresh move to arrest absconders was being launched to stop political leaders and businessmen involved in corruption cases from entering the political arena.

The source said secret agencies had also been directed by the highups to inform about the presence of NAB absconders in their respective areas so that they could be rounded up. The government was also contemplating to contact international agencies for the arrest of wanted persons staying in various countries.

The military regime had established NAB to arrest politicians, bureaucrats and other persons who had looted national exchequer. But despite efforts of about three years, some 168 “big corrupt personalities” are still at large. Of them, 86 are bureaucrats, 31 businessmen, 18 politicians and the remaining 33 officers of private and multinational companies.

The source further said the officials deputed for investigation and collection of evidence against the politicians nominated in corruption cases had also been asked to send maximum cases to NAB for action so that they could not contest the forthcoming polls.

The Federal Investigation Agency and the Anti-Corruption Establishment had also been directed to arrest wanted men especially politicians involved in corruption cases, the source said.