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. China has invited Iran to join the CPEC Project. (Daily K2, Baad-e-Shimal)
2. Happily China has brushed aside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi charge that Pakistan is promoting terrorism. This shows that Pakistan and China’s friendship is higher than the peaks of the Himalayas. Post the killing of Burhan Wani, Kashmir’s freedom movement has intensified but the international community is not taking notice of it. Few days ago the US promised to review evidence presented by Pakistan about the Indian aggression in Jammu & Kashmir but no initiative has been taken to fulfil the promise. Instead, the US is accusing Pakistan allowing use of its soil for terrorism. Pakistan itself has been a victim of terrorism and has been suffering from the malaise. The US advice is needed not for Pakistan but for India and Afghanistan. Pakistan should appoint a Foreign Minister to effectively counter India’s propaganda. Simultaneously, Pakistan should enhance relationships with Russia as in coming days the region will become centre of power games. (Khabrain Edit)
INDIA
1. After the money laundering case against Altaf Husain was scrapped, the Indian secret agency RAW has hatched a plan of allowing chaos in Karachi and has sent criminals from India and South Africa to the city, MQM-London party sources said. (Khabrain)
2. Former Prime Minister of Azad Jammu Kashmir and the President of Muslim Conference Sardar Attique Ahmad Khan said India is afraid of Hafiz Saeed. He met the JuD Chief, and discussed about Kashmir situation, India’s atrocities and other issues. Yahiya Mujahid and Hafiz Khalid Walid were also present. Later Khan said he salutes Saeed. India is afraid of him. (Jasarat)
3. Munir Ahmad Baloch writes: Indian Army is burning crops and tall grass in 186 villages near the border in Punjab. The Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh had meeting with Chief Ministers of four states of Gujarat, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan. Soon after movement of five battalions of Punjab Armed police was observed. Armed police was deployed one kilometre behind BSF, as second line of defines. 25 companies of these five battalions have been deployed in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur and Fazalika districts. Besides these 1200 cadets of Punjab armed police’s training camps have also been utilized. Punjab Police’s Law and Order Director General Hardeep Singh Dhawal, BSF, Army and the Air Force’s top official had a session in Ferozepur where some decision were taken to counter any unseen threats. The decision was also taken to provide drones to Punjab police so that they can monitor the border areas. (Roznama Dunya)
PAK- POST BRICS
1. Indian PM Modi has failed to influence the BRICS nations against Pakistan by calling Pakistan a mothership of terrorism. China and Russia ignore his call. Pakistan should take this as an opportunity to reveal to the international community India’s grave human rights violations in Kashmir by stepping up its diplomatic efforts. (Daily Pak Edit, Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)
2. India failed to name Pakistan as a terror state in BRICS declaration. Modi mission shows how desperate our neighbour is in its campaign to defame Pakistan. India accused Pakistan as a centre of terrorism but Modi didn’t say how much India is funding to spread terrorism inside Pakistan nor how the Indian agency RAW patronages a political party of Karachi to spread terrorism in Pakistan. The arrest of the RAW agent Kulbhushan Yadav from Balochistan is concrete evidence of Indian hand. Name of Yadav should have been raised at the UN General Assembly as that was a good opportunity to expose India’s terrorism. (Roznama Dunya Edit)
3. The Indian Prime Minister Modi tried but failed in enticing China and Russia against Pakistan. India has objections on the current Pakistan-Russia joint military exercises and therefore India has singed major defence pacts with Russia. This has been done in order to arrest Russia’s tilt towards Pakistan. It is heartening that China has opposed India’s inclusion in NSG. India is supporting terrorism inside Pakistan and is engaged in state terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir. Hence the international community should declare India as a terrorist state. The world would face the third world war if India does not stop its aggressions. (Ausaf Edit)
ARMY/SECURITY FORCES
1. Senior journalist, Junaid Saleem says the Army Chief is mentally prepared for retirement now. In fact the army chief was reconciled to retirement about a month and half ago. This is clear from the conversation the COAS had with a jawan in Lahore. The COAS asked one jawan how was everything. To this the jawan replied that he was is retiring. There upon the COAS added: he too would retire a month and half later and we will do something together. One senior Army man approached the COAS and offered him a cigarette. Again the COAS remarked that he would take his cigarette and smoke after retiring. The COAS does not seem to be happy with the government’s performance and there are clear indications to this effect from the COAS. The COAS also commented in a Lahore meeting that some elements upholding western countries’ interests are trying to create rift between the people of Pakistan and the Army. The COAS said that as long as he is around, he will not allow that to happen. (Sindh Express)
2. Zia Shahid has said that COAS Raheel Sharif meeting with PM is very significant in the context of the Dawn ‘leak’ story that pitted the Army against the civilian leaders. If action is taken under the Army Act then ministers and other senior figures will be arrested. (Khabrain)
3. Awami Muslim League Chief Sheikh Rashid has suggested that the Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan should tender his resignation within 10 days or else Nawaz Sharif will have to sack him in the Dawn leak story case. He expects some crucial decisions in the upcoming 10 days. “Nawaz Sharif and military cannot walk together”. (Khabrain)
ECONOMY/WATER/POWER
1. Fourth nuclear power plant is a welcome addition to the energy grid in order to help Pakistan end its energy crisis. (Ausaf Edit)
POLITICAL SCENE
1. Ten days before the Islamabad protests on 2nd November, the government will arrest PTI leaders. And five days before the protest day, Imran Khan and key PTI leaders will be arrested in the PTV attack case. (Khabrain)
2. The PPP has put forth four demands as its price for support to the federal government. If these demands, which were not spelt out publicly, are not met, the party will hit the road with protests after December 27. The government already finds cornered as Imran Khan and his party are flexing their muscles with their plan to blockade Islamabad on November 2. As of now the Sharif government has not responded to PPP and instead is gearing up to take head on the Imran threat. This is not a good strategy though. PPP wants to strengthen itself in Punjab like it has done in the Sindh. The government of the day, instead of complicating the Panama and CPEC issues should address them; the political situation will keep worsening. There is no full-fledged Foreign Minister for a long now; this does not reflect well on the country’s image. It is time the Nawaz government takes positive steps so that the political conditions do not deteriorate beyond control and the country’s enemies are fought back with unity. (Ibrat Edit, Ausaf Edit)
3. Imran Khan has put off his Islamabad bandh programme to 2nd November but the way he did it shows the country is heading for grim times. On its part the government is beefing up security in the capital and has sought additional police force from Punjab, AJK police. All these things just point out to the fact that both sides are determined to have their way. PTI wants total bandh and the government wants to derail the plan. Though the world at large has resolved Panama scandal related issues it is still a burning political issue in Pakistan. The government instead of coming to grips with the issue wasted a lot of time on the terms of reference for a probe and other related petty matters. The end result is threat to peace and law and order in Islamabad. Both the government and the opposition should keep national interests in mind along with country’s image abroad. (Sindh Express Edit)
4. PPP rally in Karachi in commemoration of the attack on the attack on Benazir Bhutto’s convoy on October 18, 2007 was an impressive show and by holding the event on Sunday the party saved the commuters of traffic woes. The turnout gives the impression that PPP is very popular also in Karachi, which is a known MQM stronghold. What people want is not slogans and meetings but development without any discrimination. (Awami Awaz Edit)
BALOCHISTAN/SINDH
1. Frontier Corps and sensitive agencies carried out intensive searches at Chhatar and Faliji areas of Nasirabad on a tip off. During the search, some suspects opened fire. And two of them were killed in the exchange of fire, according to FC spokesperson. In Kaltarkha area of Quetta, unknown persons shot dead a policeman, who was in the deployment to guard a Judge and former SHO Shahid Raisani. Police and Frontier Corps recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition and five kilos of highly combustible material from a rivulet in Kathin area. (Daily Intekhab)
2. Farooq Sattar says MQM Pakistan has no connection with MQM London. Yet they are denied political and social space. More and more party men are being eliminated in extra-judicial killings. Party activist, Abdul Naved was abducted a year and half ago. He was one of the 131 missing activists of the MQM Pakistan. His body is lying in Edhi hospital since 15 days. (Awami Awaz)
3. Qamar Zaman Kaira, Nissar Khoro, Maula Bux Chandiyo and PPP have lashed at MQM- Pakistan’s leaders including Farooq Sattar. Addressing a press conference at Karachi Press Club the PPP leaders rejected the criticism of MQM-Pakistan on their Oct 16th rally. “They have perhaps not digested success of our huge rally. Probably they are afraid that the rally signalled the rise of Bilawal. (Sindh Express)
4. Yami Chandiyo writes: emotional outbursts, songs and dancing in rallies like the one PPP held in Karachi on October 16 will not translate into any concrete good for common man. The problem with PPP is that for every issue, for every problem of people, the PPP leadership just takes to emotional speeches. All the budgeted amounts go down the drain without any concrete good reaching the people. While slain activists are remembered in rallies, there is no progress in the probe into the October 18, 2007 attack on Benazir’s convoy. What Sindh needs are not rallies but better and effective governance. Bilawal turns his guns on Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif but conditions in Sindh would get a lot better if Bilawal demands answers from his father and the Sindh government on the state of affairs in Sindh. (Kawish)
POK/G-B NEWS
1. Quite a while ago Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced that an overhead bridge and railway phatak would be built in Sinhala region. The promise remains unfulfilled though PML-N is in power not only in Azad Jammu Kashmir but also in Punjab and at the Federal level. Time PM is reminded of his promise. (Daily Dharti Edit)
2. Former Chief Minister of Gilgit Baltistan, Sayed Mehdi Shah has said that they have no connection with Kashmir. Gilgit Baltistan should be made a separate constitutional province. He accused the Chief Minister of trying to avoid the real issues. He also discounted allegations of corruption in the construction and decoration of Shah Villas, his residence constructed during his regime. He clarified that his house was constructed out of his valid income. He challenged the Chief Minister and his colleagues to act and prove their allegations. (K-2)