CHIN/RUSSIA
1.A tripartite meeting between Pakistan, China and Russia was held in Beijing where they agreed on joint efforts for stability in the region including in Afghanistan. (Urdupoint, Roznama Duniya)
2.Egypt’s Presidential Spokesperson has rejected the rumours that President Morsi had a 45 minute meeting with Al-Qaeda Chief Ayman Al-Zawahiri in Islamabad. It was said that Zawahiri had requested Morsi to help him move out of Pakistan safely to Qatar or to western deserts. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
MYANMAR
1. Al Qalam Weekly’s editorial refers to the Myanmar situation and writes that today, Myanmar topped the list of countries where currently Kafirs were inflicting atrocities upon Muslims and Muslims were being punished because of their faith. Edit writes that Muslim countries have maintained a silence on the issue but recently, the OIC called a session on this situation under the leadership of Saudi Arabia’s King Shah Abdul Aziz. Edit writes that this OIC session held the government of Myanmar responsible for killings of Muslim and decided to raise the issue at the UN. Edit writes that Asif Ali Zardari attended the conference and also wrote a letter to the President of Myanmar to ask him to use his powers to stop atrocities against Muslims. Edit demands more practical measures to help these victims. (Al Qalam Weekly, 4 April to 11 April)
AFGHANISTAN/ INDIA
1.In his column, Munir Ahmed Baloch refers to Chuck Hagel’s statement against India about India using Afghanistan for interfering in Pakistan. He writes that the US has realised a little late that India’s Afghanistan will not be good for world peace. Baloch writes that the US administration in the early days of Obama’s government was favouring India in order to control China but later, the policy changed. He says that it seemed that the US is forced to cooperate with China for its economic needs. He adds that in place of Hillary Clinton and Robert Gates, the appointment of Chuck Hagel and John Kerry indicates US’s changed policy of preferring China over India. Baloch says that Afghanistan has become an Indian colony. (Roznama Duniya)
DEFENCE
1.Federal Defence Secretary, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Asif Yasin Malik in an interview said that Pakistan’s armed forces were ready at all times for the country’s defence. He said that Cantonment Act, 1924 will be abolished and a new cantonment act will be enacted. (Jang)
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1.Mullah Nazir Group commander Salahuddin Ayyubi distributed pamphlets and invited election candidates participating from NA-41 from South Waziristan for a meeting. This report says that the goal of this meeting may be improving the candidates’ position or taking kickbacks from them. Some sources believe that the purpose of this meeting is to review TTP’s threats to PPP, ANP or MQM. This Report says ANP’s Ayaz Wazir, PPP’s Amanulah, PTI’s Ajab Gul Wazir, PML-N’s Ghilb Khan Wazir, JUI-F’s Maulana Abdul Malik and JUI-S’s Maulana Zaroli are participating from NA-41. (Khabrain)
2. Spokesperson of Shohda Foundation Lal Masjid, Hafiz Ahtesham Ahmed clarified that there was no truth in reports that students of Jamia Faridiya and relatives of victims of Lal Masjid operation were planning to kill Musharraf. (Ummat, 4 April)
3. In Faisalabad division’s Sudhar area, a massive ‘Sirat-e-Imam-ul-Mujahid Conference’ was organized; for this, 4000 advertisements, 1000 flags and more than 500 banners were displayed across the city. The main participants in the conference were Qari Navid Masood Hashmi, Maulana Iliyas Qasimi, Ustad Abu Jindal Hassan, Maulana Yousuf Farooqi, and Maulana Ahsan-ul-Haq while Maulana Ashfaq and Qazi Hanif were special invitees. 6500 people attended this conference.
General of JeM Maulana Mufti Abdur Rauf Asghar delivered an impressive speech. He said that today’s youth was wasting their time on cell phone, and cable TV whereas their sisters were in the captivity of Kafirs, waiting for them. During his speech, Mufti Asghar became ecstatic, recalling memories of many of his associates who had obtained martyrdom. Mufti Asghar referred to martyrdom of 5 JeM members, who obtained martyrdom recently and said he wanted 500 fidayeen now, in place of these 5. At this, thousands of people stood up and raised slogans of ‘Labbayak Labbayak’ (Arabic, means we are present).
The Mufti said that enemies of jihad should see this gathering, as it would open their eyes; he claimed that jihad will never end. Mufti said that the mujahideen will continue jihad with the same vigour and pride and jihad will cause humiliation to enemies. Mufti said that Musharraf had claimed that he will wipe off mujahideen, but now Musharraf himself was facing shoes in the courts. Mufti said that they will continue jihad and states that Muslims should keep in the mind that Allah was the biggest power and jihad was the name of Allah’s power. He claimed that nobody could counter this power. (Al Qalam Weekly, 4 April to 11 April)
4.In his column, Prof. Naim Hamza writes that Islam was a religion of peace and states that the Muslims were not behind attacks on Christian minorities in Lahore. Hamza repeatedly stresses that Muslims had nothing to do with terrorism and jihad was a separate component of Islam for which the conditions have been defined by Ulema. Hamza claims that even jihad has no relation to terrorism. (Al Qalam Weekly, 4 April to 11 April)
5.As per Human Rights Commission Pakistan’s report, during 2012, 4500 persons were killed in terrorism and other incidents in Pakistan. (Jang)
6 During an operation, Sindh Rangers arrested 14 suspects including 5 belonging to banned groups. They also seized 52 weapons. (Jang)
7 Sunni Ittehad Council Chief Fazl-e-Karim said that President Zardari should put in efforts for the release of Dr. Aafiya Siddiqui. He added that Punjab’s interim government should revoke the approval given for celebrating the Basant Festival. (Bang-e-Sahar)
8. Though authorities have tried to reduce tensions between Muslims and Christians in Gujranwala’s Frances Colony, sources claim that tensions may increase again due to some reasons. This report claims that Christians have kept a large quantity of weapons hidden at a secret location in Frances Colony. This report states that some time, back a police chowki was set up in this colony but Christians want to get it removed; Muslims demanding that there should be a permanent police chowki here. (Ummat, 4 April)
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. In Jinnah, Usama Khamis Minhas praises Sharif for undertaking various developmental projects and Zardari for projects such as the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, the Benazir Income Support Scheme and the Gwadar Port. US and India are both against Pakistan’s progress and are joined in a conspiracy to keep Pakistan poor, divided and needy. He claims that this can be seen through the books written by authors from this country. He points to PM Raja Ashraf’s treatment on his visit to India as the worst example of a violation of protocol. (Jinnah)
2.In his column, Irfan Siddiqui says PTV is a mouthpiece of the government and not an independent state institution. (Jang)
SINDH
1.Zarar Pirzada writes about why Jiye Sindh Muttahida Mahaz has been banned. He states that while it is praiseworthy to ban terror groups, if the government is using this act to suppress political ideology, then it is deplorable. (Awami Awaz)
2.Rangers were carrying out search operations in various parts of Karachi. 500 Rangers had taken part in the operation. (Ummat)
3.Jasarat editorial on bomb blast near the Rangers office in Karachi says that TTP spokesperson took the responsibility of the blast. Edit says that it was surprising that despite records of such phone calls, security agencies were not able to arrest such people. It alleges that not arresting of such criminals seems to be an effort to hide those behind destructive activities. (Jasarat Edit)
4. Jang editorially commenting on clash between Muslims and Christians in Gujranwala, and the gruesome incident of Badami Bagh calls for sectarian and intra religious harmony. (Jang Edit)
BALOCHISTAN
1.District Election Commission office in Kharan, Balochistan, was attacked with hand grenades, in which one personnel was injured. This report states that in another incident of terrorism, 3 rockets were fired in Awaran district from unknown location; nobody was hurt in this attack. (Jasarat)
POK/ G-B NEWS
1.Gilgit-Baltistan Speaker Wazir Beg said that the construction of the Karakoram Highway has strengthened the ties between China and Pakistan for which Chinese activists and Pakistan Army troops have given sacrifices. He added that now flights from Kashgar to Gilgit and the railway line from Khunjerab to Havelian would further bring these two friends closer. (Bang-e-Sahar, Baad-e-Shimal)
2.Rs.1.82 billion for Skardu and Rs.1.24 billion for Ghanche have been allotted for carrying out developmental projects. Commissioner Gilgit-Baltistan had a meeting with authorities to ensure that all the schemes were completed by June this year. (Baad-e-Shimal)
3.EDITs says that the Mehdi Shah Government has released its three year performance report and has claimed to have done a lot for public welfare. The opposite was the truth, which was visible to everyone. Edit writes that the government should stop fooling people and try something genuine in the remaining two years else it would not have any chance to come to power for next term. (Bang-e-Sahar Edit, Baad-e-Shimal Edit)
