CHITRAL INCURSION
1. Nawa-i-Waqt editorial on the recent militant raids on Chitral from across the Afghan border said: India is sending its trained terrorists to Pakistan via Afghanistan where it has set up 14 consulates. Now it has come to light that the Karzai government is a partner in this Indian and US conspiracy to break up Pakistan. (Edit)

2. Ummat editorial on militant raids on Chitral said anti-Islamic forces have plotted this attack in order to keep Pakistan and Afghanistan engaged with each other and weaken the Islamic world. (Ummat Edit)

3. Daily Pak on terrorist attacks in Chitral says: These militants moving under the name of the Pakistani Taliban are merely pawns, playing into the hands of enemy powers. They are simply paving the way for NATO and ISAF. Pakistan’s religious and political leaders should hold dialogues with these militants to make them realise their folly. (Daily Pak Edit)

2. PM Gilani has said foreign hand cannot be ruled out in Karachi and Balochistan. In a media interaction, he also said that Pakistan would soon bring up an accountability bill. When asked about corruption in India, he said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had been elected twice by India’s people who are the best judge. (Awami Awaz)

3. Razak Khatti writes in Ibrat on Anna Hazare campaign: Anna has become a big phenomenon and the absence of such a figure is being felt very strongly in Pakistan, notwithstanding the fact that ground realities are against any such person rising up. Since the world is fast becoming a small place, it is possible that forces like Anna Hazare can be born in Pakistan as well. He goes on to say that if leaders like Hussein, Mubarak and Gaddafi can meet  their Waterloos, then Pakistani leaders who have feet of clay, i.e. who have weak support bases, can be ‘demolished’ without much of a fight.(Ibrat, August 28)

2. 200 Eidgahs (Eid centres) have been declared sensitive in KP and the tribal areas with regard to terrorism. (Baad-e-Shimal)

3. CID police and law enforcement agencies have arrested three LeJ operatives from the Korangi area in Karachi and seized weapons from them. The arrested are Danish, Tariq and Zeeshan. (Daily Pak, Jinnah)

4. Sanaullah Khalid writes in Al Qalam Weekly about the Al Rahmat Trust and its contribution to Jihad. “The Trust invites people for Jihad through both financial and practical means. It caters to families of 1,600 martyrs. It provides financial aid to Mujahideen held in jails of Kafireen (non-believers) and makes efforts to get them released. So far they have played a role to release more than 1,400 prisoners. The Trust has targeted to construct 313 mosques. It has completed more than 70 mosques where Jihad is taught along with other Quranic teachings.. (Al Qalam Weekly, 26 August to 1 September)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. MQM Chief Altaf Hussein has been put under house arrest and has been warned by British authorities against leaving London following attempts by him to flee the city after investigators reportedly zeroed in on the culprits behind Dr. Imran Farooq’s murder.  The MQM has however denied these reports. (Daily Dharti, Ummat)

2. Sheikh Rashid, former Railway Minister and chief of the Awami Muslim League, commenting on Zulfiqar Mirza’s outbursts said he may not be alone and it is possible that many others share his perception. Such statements will have big political repercussions. (Ibrat)

3. Kamran Khan, a senior commentator, says there is something ‘fishy’ about what Zulfiqar Mirza has said. He asks why others in the PPP are keeping quiet. Several political Observers and political analyst alike say Zulfiqar Mirza’s controversial press conference is a ‘big bomb’ that can put both PPP and MQM in trouble.  (Awami Awaz)

4. JuI (F) chief, Maulana Fazlur Rahman, said that external interference is increasing due to the government’s policies. (Baad-e-Shimal, Daily Pak, Jinnah)

5. Former chief of the Peoples Peace Committee Azir Baloch said that MQM Chief Altaf Hussain has designs to split the country. Certain PPP members are working in cahoots with him and evidence of this has been presented to President Zardari. (Jasarat)

6. Editorials in Daily Pak and Nawa-i-Waqt, welcoming the court orders for freezing former president Musharraf’s property, said Musharraf should be brought back to face the charges against him. (Daily Pak Edit, Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

7. Arif Bahar writes in Jasarat:  the government has failed to tackle extortionists and target killers; after the end of Musharraf rule, everybody was of the view that intervention of the army in public affairs will end but many quarters have now called for the army to handle the situation in Karachi. (Jasarat)

L’AFFAIRE MIRZA
1. President Zardari has offered Zulfiqar Mirza an appointment as Pakistani Ambassador in a country of his choice. Zardari might even decide to shift Rehman Malik out of the Interior Ministry. These proposals will be discussed at a high profile meeting in the Sindh today. (Nawa-i-Waqt, Daily Pak)

2. Certain circles in Islamabad are alluding to the fact that Mirza has made his statements against the MQM on orders from the President in order to revive the sagging PPP’s image. According to these circles, the PPP and the army plan to launch a surgical strike on the MQM and want Interior Minister Rehman Malik out of the way when they do so. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

3. Hamid Mir writes in Awami Awaz: Sindh Minister Zulfiqar Mirza has levelled serious allegations against Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik. If Rehman Malik preferred to remain quiet on Mirza’s charges, people will conclude that all the charges against him are true. (Awami Awaz)

4. Nazir Naji writes in Awami Awaz: Whatever Zulfiqar Mirza had said was just an outburst of personal anger and there was nothing political about it. He wished to project himself as Sindh’s hero and has become ‘another Bal Thackeray’. (Awami Awaz)

5. Irfan Siddiqui writes in Awami Awaz: Zulfiqar Mirza’s statements have created ripples in political circles. There may be no more takers for reconciliation politics now; in the days to come thee may be a big reshuffle of government officials. (Awami Awaz)

6. Ibrat editorial says: Zulfiqar Mirza must be telling the truth as he has made damning revelations and sworn on holy books and. He appears to be right in his charges because federal minister Rehman Malik had often behaved in a manner that is more beneficial to allies of the government. The way operations in Karachi were being confined only to Baloch and Pashto-speaking areas, raises doubts about sincerity of the operations; the government should not only clarify Rehman Malik’s role but also expose those indulging in anti-national activities. Strict action should be taken against those who are part of conspiracies against the country. The Chief Justice and the Chief of Army should take note of the situation. (Ibrat Edit)

PUNJAB
1. Hindus are continuing to migrate to India due to growing lawlessness in Thal in particular and Sindh in general. (Awami Awaz, August 27)

2. CM of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif  told a  press conference that criminal negligence has delayed  Nandipur and Chicho Miyan projects and promised action against those who were responsible for sabotaging energy projects worth 900MW (450MW and 450MW respectively) in the province. (Urdupoint, 28 August)  

3. Police have said that the abduction of Shahbaz Taseer has no links with his father Salman Taseer’s assassination. (Ummat)

4. Daily Intekhab editorial says: the assassination of Salman Taseer, Shahbaz Bhatti and now the abduction of Shahbaz Taseer indicate that a big and influential terrorist network is present in Punjab; unfortunately no action has been taken against them. The close relations between police officials and terrorists are a matter of big concern to the civil society. (Daily Intekhab Edit)

SINDH
1.Zulfiqar Mirza has said that if he is assassinated, those who responsible for the killing of journalists Wali Khan Babar and Dr. Imran Farooq would be the perpetrators. (Khabrain)

2. Former Chief Secretary of Sindh, Roedad Khan has accused the PPP and Rehman Malik of using Zulfiqar Mirza. (Jinnah)

3. After the resignation of Sindh minister Zulfikar Mirza, security has been tightened across Pakistan. (Jasarat)

4. 12 Sindh ministers of the PPP have resigned over differences about the operations conducted by rangers in Lyari. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

5. Three more Hindu families have migrated to India and that the migrating families cited lawlessness and growing criminal activities in the province as compelling reasons. (Awami Awaz, August 27)

6. Sindh government has announced a reward of Rs. 10 lakh for those who help arrest extortionists and target killers. (Ibrat, August 27)

7. Sindh government has declared that there will be no Eid holidays for members of the police force and other law enforcement officials. They will be deployed to maintain the law and order situation during the Eid holiday in the province. (Kawish, August 27)

8. Ausaf Editorial says: the government can heal the wounds of the families of victims of the Karachi violence by sending a detailed report to the court about the steps it has taken to handle the situation and by explaining to the public what the government has done so far for poor people who were affected by the violence in Karachi. (Ausaf Edit, 28 August)

9. Awami Awaz editorial says: PPP has earned a bad name for the sake of its ‘reconciliation politics’. The most urgent needs of the hour are peace, good economy, eradication of poverty and end to unemployment. It is not clear why the government and its institutions like the Army and intelligence agencies are content with tolerating anti-national elements.  If PPP wants to retain its credibility amongst the people, it must hand over all documentary evidence regarding all the issues that Zulfiqar Mirza has raised to the Supreme Court; it must also decide the fate of Rehman Malik. (Awami Awaz Edit)

ECONOMY
1. Chairman of the Investment Board Saleem Marviwala said that handing over operational control to China of the Gwadar Port, in order to ensure that it is run effectively, is being seriously considered. He added that on the other hand, India has put a ban on Pakistani investors in India and in such a situation India cannot be given the status of a favoured country. (Jasarat)

POK NEWS
1. A fiscal crisis is brewing in AJK on account of the delay in releasing the budgeted amount.  There is a probability of postponing developmental tasks and restoration projects in the earthquake-hit regions. (Khabrain)

2. The JI G-B chief, Maulana Abdus-Sami, said that the G-B package has promoted corruption and nepotism. He said that the Karakoram Highway project is still pending. He also alleged that there were irregularities in the appointment of teachers in G-B. (Baad-e-Shimal)

3. Several cabinet ministers have expressed their dissatisfaction with the performance of G-B CM Mehdi Shah. In an interview on CM’s performance in the last two years, these ministers said, the CM has spoilt the PPP image in G-B. (Baad-e-Shimal)

4. Victims of last year’s flood in Ghazar have announced an agitation against the government after Eid as they are still awaiting the promised relief. (Baad-e-Shimal)

5. Municipal Corporation of Mirpur is violating the law by permitting building of commercial plazas in residential areas. (Khabrain)

6. Youth in the Karakoram Security force in Gilgit-Baltistan have decided to start a protest as they have not received their salary for the past two months. (Ausaf, 27 August)

7. Baad-e-Shimal has editorially criticised that the police are arresting innocent persons in Hunza in connection with the recent riots. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)