IRAN
1. Three- day military exercises by Pasdaran- e- Inquilab squad of Iran will begin along Pakistan border from today, Iranian media reports said. (Roznama Dunya)
2. India will invest of USD 20 billion in Iran for developing the Chabahar port. (Daily Intekhab)
3. Roznama Dunya editorially welcome the Pak-Iran gas pipeline project but said its completion is beset with one too many problems. It also noted that import of LNG from Qatar is a good idea and pointed out that the imported LNG will not be sufficient for Pakistan’s needs. (Editorial in Roznama Dunya)
UNITED STATES
1. The US’s special envoy, Richard Olson had an important meeting with Pak Army chief at GHQ in Rawalpindi. They discussed the overall regional security situation particularly the situation in Afghanistan. (Jang, Roznama Dunya, Urdu point)
2. Commenting on US special envoy for Af-Pak, Richard Olson’s statement that Pakistan was influencing Taliban to bring them to the negotiation table, Ausaf editorially took Washington to task for not doing anything to bring India to the negotiating table on Kashmir. It is because of the US policies that Pakistan has become a victim of terrorism. The US has not recognised Pakistan’s sacrifices. Instead it expects Pakistan to hold negotiations with Taliban to bring peace in Kabul. However on the Kashmir issue which is of paramount importance to Pakistan, the US has not done anything to bring India to the negotiating table. (Editorial in Ausaf)
INDIA
1. Commander Southern Command, Lt. Gen. Amir Riyaz said that India is using Afghanistan against Pakistan. He added that political and military leaderships of the country bare on one page on the question of dialogue with disgruntled Baloch leaders. (Roznama Dunya)
2. MQM’s former Deputy Head of Mission in Karachi, Sheheryar Khan Niyazi has revealed in an interview that MQM’s leadership in London made a formal written agreement with RAW. (Roznama Dunya)
3. An Indian agent, who was an accused in the Faisalabad attack case, was found dead in his cell at Kotlakhopat Jail in Lahore. (Khabrain)
4. Jang and Ausaf have rejected Indian allegation that Pakistan has violated the LoC saying: Pakistan’s political and military leaderships are facing many challenges on the home front and as such cannot afford to play mischief with a much larger power.
5. Indian aggressive acquisition of new weapons has forced Pakistan to join the arms race for its own defence. In the recent months both countries have agreed to restore dialogues for lasting peace. Trade contacts have also enhanced. After the arrest of RAW agent, however, Indian government has resorted to LoC violations to ward off media and opposition’s criticism at home. This is only an attempt to divert attention; India itself has begun violation of LoC but is blaming Pakistan. (Editorials in Jang and Ausaf)
6. Nawa-i-Waqt also has commented on LoC violations. It said there was unprovoked firing by Indian forces at the LoC and added: instead of bothering to increase ties with India, Pakistan should consider steps for its own safety and security. (Editorial in Nawa-i-Waqt)
7. Roznama Dunya has criticised ceasefire violations at LoC. It said Nawaz government has made its best efforts to establish good relations with India, but Indian establishment does not want both countries to live as good neighbours. India wants to establish its supremacy in the region. (Editorial in Roznama Dunya)
8. Jasarat also editorially commented on the ceasefire violations and held India as the aggressor. “After silence of a few months, India fired for five hours. The firing stopped when retaliated. India stands exposed globally after a RAW agent was arrested in Pakistan. Though, Pakistan has not exposed or done any propaganda against India the way it blames Pakistan for any minor incident on its soil. Now, India will try to blame Pakistan over LoC skirmishes to improve its image. Indian leaders. Now that India’s design of attack on Pathankot airbase to malign Pakistan has failed and RAW operative Kulbhushan Yadav was arrested in Balochistan, Indian leadership is upset. Therefore it is staging the new drama of firing at the LOC. (Editorial in Jasarat)
ARMY/SECURITY FORCES
1. At a function held in Karachi where defence minister, Khwaja Asif and Pak Air Force Chief, Chief Marshal Sohel Aman were special guests, JF-17 Thunder of Pak Air force were inducted in two- multi role squadron. (Jang, Roznama Dunya, Urdu point)
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. Islamic Ideology Council (IIC) has given permission for expansion of its Research Wing. The new charter for the research team is monitoring of legislations and decisions at national and international levels on matters related to Sharia. (Daily Pak)
2.‘Tahreek-e-Nizam-e-Mustafa’ (TNM), an alliance of religious parties and groups will hold a conference on May Day, May 1, to promote importance of Islamic identity of Pakistan, TNM chairman Liyaqat Baloch announced. Mr Baloch, who is also Secretary General of JI, said that struggle for setting up Islamic system in Pakistan should be speeded up since top leadership of the country is found involved in the Panama Papers. He further said that secularist were defaming and destroying Pakistan. TNM leaders accused that India and the United States were behind the propaganda that JuD was establishing parallel courts in Pakistan. (Jasarat)
3. Central leader of JuD, Mufti Abdul Rahman Abid, said that terrorist were controlled from across the border. Speaking at a training session for JuD activists in Karachi he said terrorist in Muslim countries were playing into the hands of the US and India. He added that there was difference between jihad and terrorism and condemned killing of innocent Muslims. (Ummat)
4, Al-Khidmat foundation is planning to install more water filtration plants in Karachi under its clean drinking water project. (Baad-e-Shimal)
5, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation has opened one more free-dispensary in Lahore. (Daily Pak)
6. CTD arrested 3 female terrorists from Sargodha, and seized suicide jackets and hand grenades from them; the terrorists belonged to TTP. (Jang)
POLITICAL SCENE –PANAMA PAPERS
1. The Sharif family will need some help from the Saudis to pull Nawaz out of the current crisis created by Panama Papers. Sharif is leaving tomorrow for medical treatment in the UK; he is also scheduled to meet PPP leaders there. The Panama Papers could be damaging to PM Sharif. Had he not been involved, he would have set up a commission of inquiry soon after the scam broke out. It is surprising that other political parties, especially the PTI, have not yet taken an aggressive stance against the PML (N) on the issue. The PTI is busy with intra-party polls, and these organisational elections have pushed the party into turbulent times. Moreover Imran Khan’s grip on the party has slackened significantly. The intra-polls could lead to fragmentation of the PTI. And any protest against the Sharif family, also could lead to the disintegration of the PTI. (Kawish)
2. Rasheed Soomro writes in Ibrat: Panama leaks may not have much of an effect on Pakistani politics. Pressure is unlikely to be mounted on Prime Minister to resign. Everyone has expected that an inquiry commission would be set up but nothing of the sort has taken place. The opposition parties have also not made a big demand for Nawaz’s scalp either. (Ibrat)
3. PTI chief Imran Khan has demanded a judicial commission headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan to probe the Panama papers. He also wants the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to go. Well, why should do the inquiry be limited to Nawaz Sharif. Imran should ask for a probe against all leaders named in the Panama Papers. (Editorial in Daily Pak)
4. The PML (N) should institute transparent inquiry into the Panama Papers. Though protests are people’s birth right in a democracy, people should not do anything that affects the national economy. (Editorial in Kawish)
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. PM Nawaz Sharif had cancelled his two –day visit to Turkey due to preoccupation with “other business”, euphuism for the fall-out of Panama Papers. (Jasarat)
2. Munir Ahmed Baloch has come down heavily on Bilawal Zardari Bhutto in Láffaire Musharraf. The Bhutto scion has criticised the government for allowing former dictator Musharraf to leave the country saying that he was responsible for his mother’s murder. Baloch asked PPP what steps it had taken to nab Benazir killers during its rein of eight years. Bilawal’s uncle was also murdered during PPP rule but the culprits remained scot-free. (Roznama Dunya)
3. In view of what happened at Mumtaz Qadri’s 40th day ritual, trader community has opposed PTI chief, Imran Khan’s plans for an anti-government rally in Islamabad. (Jang)
4. The Sharif family held an important meeting at Raiwind to discuss current situation in the wake of Panama Papers leaks. After the meeting, Nawaz’s son, Husain Nawaz left for Dubai with á message from his father. He will also meet important personalities in London and Saudi Arabia. (Urdu point, Khabrain, Ausaf)
5. PM Sharif would meet PPP chief Asif Ali Zardari in London. Sharif is going to the British capital for a medical check-up. (Daily Pak)
6. Chief of Watan Party, Barrister Zaferullah has filed petition in the Supreme Court for referendum on construction of Kalabagh dam. (Roznama Dunya)
PUNJAB
1. A red alert has been sounded in Punjab that terrorists could target police personnel and general public. (Roznama Dunya, Khabrain)
SINDH
1. At a joint meeting of Rangers, Police and the sensitive department, it was decided to take the targeted operation in Karachi to its logical end. It was agreed to set up mechanism for information sharing. The Ops will be based on the leads available from the confessions of arrested terrorists. (Jang)
2. There is a feeling in Sindh that the PPP is not utilising the funds earmarked for development works. There is no information available on where the money had been spent or if it had been spent at all. The PPP is living under a mistaken belief that no matter what they did or failed to deliver, the people of Sindh would continue to support them. It is time for the party of Bhuttos to make course correction because the people were beginning to realise that the PPP was not doing its job. Unless it puts its act together the PPP would have a tough time. (Editorial in Ibrat)
BALOCHISTAN
1. COAS Gen Rahil Sharif, former CM of Balochistan Abdul Malik Baloch and other top political personalities have arrived in Gwadar to participate in a seminar on CPEC- Gwadar port. (Daily Intekhab)
2. Innocent Baloch landlords and shepherds were killed in areas adjacent to Johan Mountain in operations, according to the central spokesperson of Baloch Salvation Front. He lamented that the electronic media was not showing bloodshed in Balochistan. He asked the media, particularly electronic media to visit the place and report the ground realities. (Daily Intekhab)
3. Central spokesperson of Baloch Republican Party, Sher Muhammad Bugti, said that two days ago a death squad entered a house at Punjgur and killed seven persons including woman and children. It was an act of terrorism, he said in a press release. As many as 47 innocent people have been killed in last two days at Punjgur, Mustang and Killat but neither HRCP nor any other human rights institution investigated these gruesome acts, he lamented. (Daily Intekhab)
POK/ G-B NEWS
1. Religious parties are taking active participation in the Gilgit-Baltistan Council elections. (Daily K2)
2. Food crisis has deepened in Diamer and people are facing acute shortage of edibles. (Daily K2)
3. PM Sharif has promised to release Rs.3billion from PM Package for developmental works in Gilgit-Baltistan, according to chief minister Hafiz-ur –Rahman. (Baad-e-Shimal)
4. Both Jang and Khabrain ran editorials expressing serious concern over continued earthquakes in the Northern Areas. The two dailies have asked the government to take precautionary measures. (Edits in Jang Edit &Khabrain)
5. Daily K2 welcomed the talk about tapping the huge hydro-electric potential of Gilgit-Baltistan. The plan to make G-B a power generation hub is ok but what the county needs is not mere words but action that converts the idea into a reality to end long hours of load shedding in Pakistan. (Editorial in Daily K2)
6. Baad-e-Shimal is concerned over the slow pace of relief work in the rain and landslide hit areas of Gilgit-Baltistan. Federal and provincial governments and all others concerned should take expeditious steps to provide a helping hand to the affected families without any delay, the editorial said. (Editorial in Baad-e-Shimal)