KARACHI: The first mission of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development arrived in Karachi on Tuesday [Feb 14]. The mission will stay in Karachi for about two weeks. Mr Joseph Rucinski, leader, told Pressmen ... that the mission had come to study `the financial position of Pakistan, its financial and trade relations with other countries and its development programme`.

`The mission has not come here to discuss any loan or examine any specific projects, Mr Rucinski said. The ... loans are restricted to the member nations only, he added. He said that Pakistan had been recently invited to join the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank. `We hope that she will soon take her place among the present 48 other members to the mutual advantage of all.` Staff correspondent [Meanwhile,] after two and a half years Sialkot city will once again have electric current for 24 hours in the day beginning from the first week of March. A spokesman of the Electricity Department told the [news agency] here that it was hoped to have a second diesel oil generator functioning in the first week of March to increase the load now being carried by the diesel oil engine in use.