UNITED STATES
1. Jasarat editorial says now the US has to shift its valuable weapons and apparatus through Pakistan and hence, it has released funds to Pakistan under the Coalition Support Fund. Otherwise, since the beginning of the war, the US has accused Pakistan of backing Taliban while claiming that Pakistan was a frontline ally. In the backdrop of impending exit from Afghanistan, the US is interested in elections in Pakistan, its results and the new government which will be formed. Edit writes that the US wants that the government formed in Pakistan should be able to take decisions which will serve American interests and hence, as the date of elections drew closer, terrorism, blasts and target killings were increasing in Pakistan. (Jasarat Edit)
INDIA
1. According to sources security for Pakistani prisoners in India’s Tihar Jail has been increased. (Bang-e-Sahar, Daily Pak)
2. The initial report about attack on Sarabjeet Singh has been submitted to the provincial government; in this report, negligence in security has been cited as a major reason behind the attack. This report states that the attack on Sarabjeet Singh by a sharp-edged weapon has raised many questions. (Jasarat)
3. Sarabjeet Singh’s sister, Dilbir Kaur, has alleged that Pakistan government was involved in the attack on her brother. Talking to ‘Jang’, she said that it did not seem possible that any common prisoner would be able to attack a high-profile prisoner so easily, unless some other power was involved. She said that she did not want to name the department, but wanted to know under whose instance jail officials got Sarabjeet attacked. (Jang)
4. Chief of Sufi Shrine in Ajmer, Syed Zainul Aabideen said that the attack on Indian spy Sarabjeet Singh in Pakistan was un-Islamic. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)
5. A writer with the pseudonym Vengus writes that the establishment claims about staying away from the elections is a whitewash. The writer states that things could turn critical as evidenced by a road in Islamabad being named Ajmal Qasab road and Sarabjeet Singh being attacked in prison. The writer states that the establishment is intent on deferring the polls. (Ibrat)
6. JI (J&K) External Affairs Chief Maulana Ghulam Nabi has advised India to adopt a political strategy for resolving the Kashmir issue. He urged the UN to take notice of the LoC dispute between India and China and alleged that India has been forcefully occupying Laddakh and other parts of the J&K state. (Baad-e-Shimal)
DEFENCE/SECURITY
1.The caretaker government has decided to seriously consider Taliban’s offer for dialogues in order to save the forthcoming elections from terrorist attacks. The caretaker PM has consulted the Army chief and also, Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, Asfandyar Wali Khan and Altaf Hussain and they have supported this decision. The Army chief has said that the Army will respect whatever decision the caretaker government will take regarding talks with Taliban. (Roznama Duniya)
2. Federal government has sought a report from top officials of civilian secret agencies on why they have not been able to get information in advance about incidents of terrorism taking place for the last 4 weeks and why they have not been able to track down factors behind these incidents. The federal government has also questioned them on why action had not been taken against organizations with terrorist inclinations. Officials have been told that they must gather information about extremists and active organizations which were termed as defunct so that provinces could be instructed for appropriate action. According to another report, Interior Ministry personnel, on condition of anonymity, informed BBC that a meeting had been called in the Interior Ministry today where the Intelligence Bureau’s divisional level officers, as well as ISI officers will be present. (Ummat, Jang, Roznama Duniya)
3. Intelligence agencies have received a threat against PPP candidate from Thatta, Owais Muzzafar. (Kawish, 27 April)
4. Additional Chief Secretary of Interior Ministry (Sindh) Muhammad Wasim has said that ECP has now decided to let each candidate to keep 5 security guards. The candidates will have to submit complete data about their 5 security guards to the Deputy Commissioner or SP concerned. (Jasarat)
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. TTP, while accepting responsibility for blasts in Kohat, Peshawar and Karachi, said that it will not target PML-N, JUI-F, JI and PTI. According to another report, TTP has announced joining Afghan Taliban to attack in their Spring Operation. (Jang, Roznama Duniya, Khabrain)
PAK SCENE -MUSHARRAF
1. Former CM AJK Sardar Atiq has praised Musharraf saying he is a brave leader and that Muslim conference is standing with Pak forces. He said Musharraf gave importance to Kashmir issue during his regime. He said Musharraf raised Kashmir issue on Indian soil where as other Pak leaders did not talk of Kashmir even in Pakistan. (Daily Dharti)
2. Israr Imam writes that the case of Raymond Davis maybe repeated once again with Musharraf with the government allowing him to leave the country. (Awami Awaz)
3.Nawa-i-Waqt says that as Pervez Musharraf has accepted that he had given permission to America for carrying out drone attacks inside Pakistan due to which areas like FATA and Waziristan had become hell, now the Government should talk directly to the US to end such agreements or any understanding and stop drone attacks completely. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. JI Chief Syed Munawar Hassan has demanded that in order to end concerns about postponement of elections, the caretaker PM should call up an APC in which the heads of law enforcement agencies as well as the Army should participate. He alleged that India and America may be trying to sabotage elections using activists of parties facing terrorist threats during their rallies. He claimed that if the government investigated this, names of terrorists could come out within minutes; he said that it was the responsibility of the caretaker government and security institutions to control these terrorist incidents to foil their attempt to postpone elections. He said that the Baloch leadership had taken the courageous decision to take part in elections which had failed the nefarious intentions of anti-national forces. Hassan said that now it was the government’s responsibility to provide full security to them. (Jasarat, Ausaf)
2. Gen. (Retd.) Aslam Beg has warned that there would bloodshed everywhere in Pakistan if elections were postponed. He added that America and India were trying to turn Pakistan into a secular state. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
3. PPP’s Bilawal Bhutto said that extremist parties should be deprived of democratic rights. He said that loss of precious lives before elections in condemnable. Bhutto said that elections should be held, whatever be the conditions. (Jinnah)
4. PPP President Zardari said that conspiracies were being hatched to keep his party away from elections. In a telephonic talk with Asfandyar Wali, he exchanged views on terrorism and future course of action. (Jinnah)
5. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman condemned raids on party Secretary General Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and his brother’s house and on religious office building. Rahman demanded action against officers who carried out these raids. (Jang, Roznama Duniya)
Speaking at Multan, MQM leader Raza Haroon said that the situation had deteriorated in 3 provinces and to protect the lives of people, postponement of elections was necessary. (Jasarat, Urdupoint, Roznama Duniya, Jinnah)
6. PPP leader Raja Shahid Zafar joined PML-N. (Ausaf)
7. Lawyers will strike today against killings, violence and abductions, across the country. The protest is against members of legal fraternity being killed, abducted and threatened. They demanded that the Chief Justice take suo-moto action against this. (Jinnah)
8. In his column, Hamid Mir criticised that the ECP took notice of Imran Khan’s criticism of other against political leaders in his speeches, but failed to notice attacks on election rallies. When the Army chief had assured help to the ECP, why were the forces and Rangers not called to stop terrorist attacks in 3 provinces. Mir writes that Imran Khan freely held election rallies and campaigned in Punjab but cancelled his election rally in Karachi; Bilawal Zardari opted to address election rally from Dubai. Mir questions that if these leaders cannot enter Karachi or Khuzdar, then how can they talk of changing Pakistan? (Jang)
9. Shohda Lal Masjid Foundation has expressed concern over information of sending Musharraf to a foreign country. They said if Musharraf’s name is removed from ECL, the concerned department will be held responsible. (Ausaf)
10. Jang expresses concern over some elements trying to sabotage election process in Pakistan. All religious schools of thought had played a role in preparing the democratic Constitution of Pakistan and had agreed to it; then why were some religious parties objecting to it today? (Jang Edit)
11. Roznama Duniya also voices concern over the increasing terrorist attacks in Pakistan; though it is happy that various leaders are determined to defy terrorists’ attempts, it is worried that elections held in an atmosphere of attacks will not have any credibility. Hence, its call to all political parties to adopt some strategy that will facilitate peaceful elections. (Roznama Duniya Edit)
ECONOMY-WATER- ENERGY
1.Transparency International says private power projects initiated during Benazir Bhutto’s regime resulted in a loss of Rs. 2 billion (Daily Dharti)
2. Massive irregularities have been exposed in the Benazir Income Support Programme; Rs. 1.64 billion have been wasted on print and electronic media whereas over the last 2 years, Rs. 1.46 crore has been given to favoured advertising agencies. BISP’s fake bills of Rs. 37 crore have also been stopped by the Auditor General of Pakistan. (Jasarat)
KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWAH (NWFP/FATA)
1. Former KP government quietly removed Quranic verses about jihad, essays on jihad, Islam and Nazarya-e-Pakistan from high school syllabus and printed books. The supply of new syllabus has started under the caretaker government. This way the job that ANP was not able to complete during its tenure has been given to the caretaker government as per a plan. After coming to power, ANP increased its ties with the US and started making KP a secular province. Nowit has removed verses of jihad and essays on Pakistan’s ideology from the syllabus of ninth and tenth standards books. (Al Qalam Weekly, 28 April to 2 May)
SINDH
1. A strike by Jiye Sindh Muttahida Mahaz shut down many parts of Sindh. The strike was organized against the alleged killing of two activists by government agencies. (Awami Awaz)
2. Sindh IG Shahid Nadim Baloch instructed the Police to provide security to candidates, election offices of political parties, corner meetings and rallies by using all resources and manpower. Baloch said that cooperation between Rangers, intelligence agencies and other law enforcement bodies should be made possible; he instructed the Police to make patrolling effective and demanded that analyses of criminals and operations against terrorists should be ensured. Baloch instructed that deployment of Police commandos should be made in all sensitive areas, places and affected areas of crimes and terrorism. (Jasarat)
3. Contracts worth Rs. 2. 5 billion of Sindh Health Department have been given to favourite and dummy companies. (Ummat)
4. Jang has criticised that the Karachi Port Trust and Port Qasim Authority have sold 1600 acres of Karachi’s coastal land worth trillions just for Rs.1.5 crore to DHA. (Jang Edit)
5. Banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has distributed pamphlets in Karachi warning the general public not to attend electoral activities of MQM, PPP and ANP. The pamphlets, printed in Urdu, bear names of Mullah Omar, Baitullah Mehsood and Hakimullah Mehsood. These pamphlets have named Asif Ali Zardari, Altaf Hussain and Asfandyar Wali, who, the pamphlets say, are leaders who are strengthening hands of anti-Islamic forces. (Daily Intekhab)
6. Vice President of PML-N (Sindh) Pirzada Abdullah Shah said that bloodshed which intends to postpone elections was evidence of the inability of the caretaker government. He said that security institutions were also a part of the dirty ambitions of terrorists. This report states that PML-N leaders state that increasing terrorism and target killings prior to elections was part of a conspiracy and claim that participation in elections was becoming a cause of concern for poor people in view of terrorism. (Jasarat)
7. Larkana police has started a crackdown on Jiye Sindh Muttahida Mahaz activists in connection with blasts at gas pipelines on April 24 at Talbani village near Larkana. (Awami Awaz)
8. Central Chief Organizer of Hazara Qaumi Ittehad Pakistan, Munir Abbasi and others have condemned blasts in corner meetings and election offices of political parties; they claimed that such incidents were cheap methods to postpone elections and demanded that until 11 May, Karachi should be handed over to the Army to protect lives. (Jasarat)
9. MQM’s repeated calls for mourning on blasts have reduced people’s interest in MQM and it had turned into a joke for them. This report states that businesses were open despite MQM’s recent call. The traders’ community claims that in the future, it will be difficult for MQM to shut down the city. (Ummat)
10. President of Tanzim-e-Asataza Karachi (Organization of Teachers Karachi division) Prof Syed Mazhar Hussain said in a session that the syllabus will not be allowed to become a part of the foreign agenda. He said that efforts of teachers could make Pakistan into a true Islamic and welfare state. Prof. Hussain expressed concern over the removal of Nazarya-e-Pakistan and Islamic essays from syllabus and demanded that the government prepare a syllabus which will infuse knowledge of Islam and history of Pakistan amongst the youth. (Jasarat)
PUNJAB
1. Amjad Memon says PML-N may suffer losses in the election in Punjab due to the fact that Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat is contesting separately without an alliance with PML-N. He adds that in the aftermath of the elections, it is likely that there may be no clear victor and many people who are contesting against each other may become friends in order to obtain a majority. He states that the important question is who the establishment would like to see in power. (Awami Awaz)
2. Islamabad’s Tablighi Jamaat’s annual congregation will end today. It says that the number of participants have crossed 2 lakh. (Urdupoint)
BALOCHISTAN
1. Police and sensitive agencies foiled terrorist attacks by defusing 3 bombs tied to an electricity pole in Quetta. These bombs carried 7 kilogrammes of explosive material. (Jang, Roznama Duniya)
2. Balochistan Interior Secretary Akbar Husain Durrani said the Army will be deployed in all 30 districts of the province during elections. Sensitive polling stations will have additional Police Levies and FC cover; in all, 70,000 personnel will be on duty. (Jang, Urdupoint, Jinnah)
3. Shah Zain Bugti was entering Dera Bugti after 8 years along with his grandmother who is the widow of Akbar Bugti, but security forces did not allow them to enter. Bugti appealed to the Chief Justice to take a note of this. (Roznama Duniya)
4. 18000 teachers of Balochistan have refused to do election duties though the ECP has talked of strong action including a three-year jail term. Teachers have said they will serve in 18 districts where there was peace and rule of law, but not in the 11 districts where there was threat of terrorism. Defunct organizations had earlier distributed pamphlets warning people that if teachers carried out election duties, they will be responsible for consequences. The government is thinking of deploying officials and staff from other departments on poll duty. (Ummat)
5. Ummat and Jang have editorially expressed sympathy to teachers who have decided to boycott poll duty because of militant threats and urged the Balochistan caretaker government and the federal government to provide security to election staff and voters. (Jang Edit)
POK/ G-B NEWS
1. Nationalist parties JKLF and SLF have staged a demonstration against Karachi Treaty and Act 74 in Muzaffarabad. (Daily Dharti)
2. AJK High Court senior judge Justice Munir Ahmad will take oath as the Chief Election Commissioner AJK. (Daily Dharti)
3. A notification was issued for appointing Chaudhary Abdul Rehman Nasim Gojrani as the advisor to the AJK President. (Daily Dharti)
4. PASCO has asked for Rs.14 billion from the Gilgit-Baltistan Government towards the outstanding wheat bills for the past five years. Federal department has even demanded Rs.1 million mark-up on a daily basis. The GB Government will also have to pay Rs.3 billion to the Trading Corporation of Pakistan and Rs.1.5 billion to the Punjab Food Department adding up to a total debt of Rs.19 billion. (Bang-e-Sahar)
5. Bang-e-Sahar editorial takes to task CM Mehdi Shah and his cabinet for boycotting the assembly session called to discuss corruption in government. The daily however welcomes the decision to set up a judicial commission to investigate the charges of corruption. (Bang-e-Sahar Edit)
6. Baad-e-Shimal has editorially voiced concern over increasing suicides by youth in Gilgit-Baltistan. It says the government and NGOs must start counselling to check such tendencies. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)
