SOURCE: Ausaf, Ummat, Daily Pak, Nawa-i-Waqt, Urdu Point, Daily Jinnah, Awami Awaz, Daily Dharti, Jasarat, Kawish, Daily Intekhab, Daily Times, Jang, Ibrat, Khabrain, Roznama Dunya, Hizb Media, Al Qalam Weekly, Baad-e-Shimal, Bang-e-Sahar
CHINA
1. Pakistan has reaffirmed its support to Beijing on the South China Sea issue. (Jang)
2. Federal Minister for Port and Shipping, Mir Hasil Bizenjo said it has been decided to make Gwadar, a free port, which will strengthen Pakistan’s national economy. (Roznama Dunya)
INDIA
1. PM Sharif should talk to Narendra Modi and make him understand that friendship at the cost of the Kashmiri youth will not work. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)
2. JuD Chief Hafiz Saeed commented that it was expected that PM Sharif would leave his heart that was beating for India in London. The irresponsible policies of the leaders are the biggest obstacle in the logical end of the Kashmir dispute. (Daily Pak, Nawa-i-Waqt)
3. Muttahida Jihad Council has warned the international community that if the Kashmir dispute is not resolved as per the UN resolutions, they will have no option but to take up weapons once again. (Jasarat)
4. The Central leader of Jamiat-e-Ulema Pakistan. Owais Noorani Siddiqui, has asked Pakistan government to take practical steps against India’s aggression in Kashmir. He said the government and the Army should give a befitting response to India. He added those who want to bestow Most Favoured Nation status upon India should apologize to people of Pakistan and the martyrs of Kashmir. (Jasarat)
5. JuD Karachi Chief Dr Muzammil Iqbal Hashmi commented that India is reduced to a desperate state by the liberation movement of the Kashmiris. By inflicting torture, India cannot force the people of Kashmir to bow down. After the martyrdom of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Commander Burhan Wani, the Kashmir movement has taken a fresh turn. (Jasarat)
6. Various political party leaders commented that if the government and the people of Pakistan will stand in support with the Kashmiris and appeal to the global conscience then the Kashmir freedom movement can intensify. They also lamented that Pakistan’s existing Kashmir and foreign policy is a failure. (Roznama Dunya)
7. Hizb ul Mujahideen Chief Syed Salahuddin staged a protest in front of the UN Observer Mission in Islamabad against the killings of innocent youth in Kashmir. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
8. Religious leaders including Hafiz Saeed, Liaqat Baloch and others announced a nationwide protest on Friday to express solidarity with the Kashmiris and Harmain Sharifain. Similarly, on an appeal from the Jamaat-e-Islami Chief Siraj-ul-Haq, a protest day will be observed on Friday to protest against the killing of Burhan Wani and 30 other Kashmiris. (Roznama Dunya)
9. Munir Ahmed Baloch mocks Indian secularism, while condemning the incident of the Gau Raksha Dal members forcing two Muslim youths to eat cow dung and drink cow urine. Baloch is critical of so called liberal scholars in Pakistan who criticize the treatment to minorities in Pakistan but are mum on the Indian aggression on Muslims. (Roznama Dunya)
10. Zia Shahid has chastised the Pakistani government for not taking any step in that regard. He demanded resignation of Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman from the Chairmanship of the Kashmir Committee as he has no time to head the committee. (Khabrain)
11. Inadequate is the effort of the Kashmir Committee to highlight Indian aggression in Kashmir before international community. It is better to disband it and in place, special Kashmir desk should be established in the Pakistani embassies. (Ausaf Edit)
ARMY/SECURITY FORCES
1. Javed Hashmi holds the view that putting up banners supporting the Army is dangerous and next the next couple of months are critical for the government. (Urdupoint)
2. Pakistan Awami Tehreek leader Tahir-ul-Qadri blamed the government for playing a role behind the posters of the Pakistani Army Chief that call for an imposition of Martial law. (Khabrain)
3. Javed Shahzad writes that the ‘silent vibes’ between PM Nawaz Sharif and COAS Gen. Raheel Sharif has created turmoil in the political scenario. Since the PM has returned, no meeting has taken place between these two leaders. (Ausaf)
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. On a tip off, the Counter Terrorist Department has arrested three terrorists, Idris, Ghulam Dastagir and Tahir Yusuf, who belong to a banned organization and seized maps of sensitive buildings and explosives and an electric circuit from them. (Roznama Dunya)
POLITICAL SCENE
1. The Pakistani government and the opposition should strive for consensus since the nation is facing many problems. The most serious issue is, of course, terrorism. Some powers are creating problems for Pakistan by creating a distinction between good and bad terrorists. This issue has given rise to the border management dispute with Afghanistan. Furthermore, the fresh freedom movement in Jammu and Kashmir can get more serious and may threaten Pakistan and India’s relations further. The PM’s instruction to the Finance Minister to contact the government and the opposition members to settle the ToR issue is commendable. (Jang Edit)
2. The Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Parliamentary Committee’s investigations into the Panama Papers case continues to be a vexed issue, with the PM having once again asked Ishaq Dhar to take the opposition into confidence. The PM keeps saying that his reconciliatory politics will continue keeping in mind the larger interests of country like growth and economic development. On the one hand, the government emissaries say accountability only of the Sharif family will not be acceptable and that the government will not succumb to such demands. On the other hand, two major parties, PPP and PTI, say they want the Parliamentary Committee’s ToR confined only to the Panama Leaks. They have also announced plans to step up contacts other parties for joint action. The opposition parties have been in touch with one another since long, but it has come to no avail so far. There may be forces within the ruling and opposition parties who are in favour of reconciliation or want some new deal. If it is indeed so, then it will be a big betrayal of the people and of the democratic system in the country. The opposition leader, Khursheed Shah’s comment that the PM should come forward for self-accountability and break the deadlock is a welcome development, therefore, as it will put aside any charges of accountability investigations prejudiced against the PM. (Ibrat Edit)
SINDH
1. The Sindh government needs to take measures to ensure that there is no repeat of 2010-flood like conditions. This is essential as heavy monsoon rains are forecast and the disaster management is not in a state of preparedness as yet. The administration should wake up to face floods threats before the onset of monsoon but this does not happen in Sindh and authorities wake up to only when there is a rise in waters in the Indus. By then it is generally too late. (Awami Awaz Edit)
BALOCHISTAN
1. Prime Minister’s Special Advisor for National Security Council, Lt. General Nasir Janjua, commented that the anti-national activities in Balochistan are almost over. However, they need to remain alert. Though Pakistan has paid a heavy price supporting the Afghan refugees, the Afghan leadership’s anti-Pakistan attitude and statements are condemnable. Track two diplomacy with India is continuing but India needs to stop considering Pakistan as a weak and insignificant country. (Jang)
2. The Balochistan National Party convened a meeting under its Chief, Akhtar Mengal, wherein it warned that if the Army takes over, it will expose the country to more threats. The exploitation of Balochs must stop in name of so-called growth and economic progress of the country. The resolutions passed on the occasion not only demanded that Gwadar port be handed over to Balochs, but also the provinces’ demand for a right over their resources should be also accepted. In order to check that Balochs are not reduced to a minority in Balochistan, that those who migrate to work in Balochistan’s Gwadar port, their names should not be included in the voters’ list. They workers should not be issued residential certificates, passports or any identity cards. Local Balochs should be given jobs in the CPEC and Gwadar fishermen should be given alternate jobs. The provincial rights on the foreign gas pipelines passing through their areas should be accepted. Tax exemptions should be made for the Balochs for 30 years keeping in view the backwardness of the province. (Kawish)
POK/G-B NEWS
1. The PML-N has won the Tanger District seat defeating Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam candidate in the by-election. (Daily K2)