Pakistan Media

Pak Urdu Media Digest- Sept 16

Saudi Arabia has turned to Pakistan for a nuclear weapon, says Nawa-i-Waqt. The move is aimed at countering Iran’s N-plans. Al Qalam Weekly reports that volunteers of the Al Rehmat Trust have fanned across Sindh to help the flood hit people. This Trust is a wing of jihadi champion, Jaish-e-Mohammad. The goodwill the flood relief service earns will further Jaish’s efforts at indoctrination.

UNITED STATES
1. Jang editorial is on latest ‘anti-Pak’ statements of some US officials especially Defence Secretary Leon Panetta. It  says that US has been constantly giving an impression that Pakistan had failed in its responsibilities in the war against terrorism and that it was not working as per American instructions. Edit says that Pakistani government should understand that the US would not step back from maiming its own friends in order to divert attention from its own defeat. It advises Islamabad not to do anything against the interests of Pakistanis and cautions that people will not accept lame excuses anymore like the one given at the time of US operation at Abbottabad. (Jang Edit)

2. Nawa -i-Waqt’s editorial is on the reported US intentions to keep its forces in Afghanistan beyond 2014. It says:  the US is likely to keep Pakistan in the dark and carry out a secret agreement with Karzai that allows American and NATO forces to stay in Afghanistan for another 20 years after 2014. Leon Panetta has threatened to carry out direct attacks on the Haqqani group in Pakistan. Islamabad must tell Washington that such attack if carried would be taken as declaration of war by the US against Pakistan. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

SAUDI ARABIA

1. American News agency UPI has claimed that Saudi Arabia wanted nuclear weapons from Pakistan to counter Iran’s aggression. It says that Saudi Arabia has provided funds towards Pakistan’s nuclear programme. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

AFGHANISTAN
1. Despite tight security, Taliban attacked allied forces’ session in Helmand province in which 15 American and 20 Afghan troops were killed; there have been bloody encounters in Khost, Paktika, Uruzgan and Kandahar in which 33 NATO and 32 Afghan forces have been killed and many had been injured. Taliban have also claimed of destroying 6 tanks, 10 allied trucks, and 5 army vehicles. (Al Qalam Weekly, 16 September to 22 September)

2. NATO is extremely disturbed by the news that Taliban have obtained missiles with which they are targeting NATO helicopters. The spokesperson of Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid has claimed that Taliban in more than half the districts have been provided with these missiles. (Al Qalam Weekly, 16 September to 22 September)

DEFENCE
1.  COAS Gen. Kayani received a Spanish honour for his services in the war on terror. During his visit to the Spanish Joint Staff HQs, Kayani met the Spanish Defence Minister, Secretary Gen. of Defence Policy, chief of Defence Staff and chief of Army Staff. (Jinnah, Daily Pak)

2. Military experts in Pakistan have rejected US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta’s demand to do more. Former ISI chief, Lt Gen (Retd) Khwaja Ziauddin said that Pakistan wouldn’t go   against its national interests just to please the US. Former Army chief Gen Aslam Beg said that the US Army has failed to protect NATO’s HQ, US embassies and Intelligence HQs in Afghanistan and is now blaming Pakistan for it. He said that 80% of Afghanistan is under Taliban control. Beg also said that Haqqani group or any other group is not operating from Pakistan. Former Corps Commander Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Zulfiqar Ali said that the US was blaming Pakistan for supporting the Haqqani Group without any proof.  Brahamdagh Bugti is carrying out aggression on Balochistan from Afghan soil and the so-called Pakistani Taliban is supporting him but the US doesn’t notice this. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

2. International defence equipment buyers have shown extraordinary interest in purchasing Pakistani defence equipment at an exhibition held in London by the Defence and Security Equipment International. (Jang)

TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. JuD has sent relief material worth Rs 25 lakh for flood-affected people. (Daily Pak)

2. Hundreds of volunteers of the Al Rehmat Trust have reached the flood affected areas of Sindh with necessary relief materials. (Al Qalam Weekly, 16 September to 22 September)

3. Ausaf editorial on terrorist attack on a Peshawar school bus says the anti-Pakistani forces have an agenda to destroy the country’s economy and keep students deprived of education and to create panic in young hearts. It advises the government to take stringent action against people who target innocent students. (Ausaf Edit, 15 September)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. PTI chief Imran Khan has criticised the federal government for seeking help of UN for the flood-affected people instead of first trying to control the situation itself. He alleged that both PPP and ANP were equally responsible for the deterioration in the Karachi situation. (Khabrain)

2. Law Minister Babar Awan said that action will also be taken against judges who violate the constitution. (Jasarat)

3. Senior ANP leader and railway minister, Hajji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour said that MQM leaders are considered to be more of militants than politicians. ‘MQM is responsible for the situation in Karachi. If any Pashtun is killed in Karachi, a case will be registered against Altaf Hussain’, he said and ruled out any foreign involvement in the deteriorating conditions in Karachi. (Awami Awaz)

4. JI will observe today as ‘Afiya Day’ to express solidarity with Afiya Siddiqui. Seminars and protests will be held all across Pakistan on an appeal made by JI chief Munawar Hussain. (Jasarat)

5.Responding to questions by some youth about forming a political party, nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadir Khan advised them to make a task-force and that he could suggest the name ‘technocrats’. (Khabrain)

6. Baad-e-Shimal’s editorial comment reads: Even though ministers announce that action will be taken against corrupt officers, such announcements are never implemented. At a meeting presided over by the Minister for Electricity, it was decided that no contractor would be paid if he did not complete the project on time and that action would be taken against employees working in more than one government department.  But there are many contractors who have collected huge amounts of money by cooperating with PWD officials and have fled without completing their job; no action has been taken against them since officers are only concerned about their own commission. (Baad-e-Shimal-Edit)

Nawa-i-Waqt editorially commented on the US report that clubs Pakistan with seven other countries which do not allowing religious freedom.  The edit said: ‘A quarter of Pakistan’s flag is white and that represents minorities. Pakistan has never shown any bias against minorities’. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

Daily Pak editorial is on the dismissal of   Major Ayub on charges of theft of copper from a railway wagon. It notes that some railway employees were also arrested in the case. It demands that the Railways should disclose the names of the guilty Railways employees and the action if any taken against them. (Daily Pak Edit)
Water

ECONOMY

1. 20 per cent of cotton and sugar cane crops and vegetables have been lost in the current wave of rains and floods, says Director for Farmers Association of Pakistan, Ibadur Rahman. (Daily Pak)

2. Federal government has decided to say goodbye to IMF, sources said. The government has decided not to take any more loans in the future. It is also planning to reject balance instalments of the loans already sanctioned. . (Ummat)

BALOCHISTAN
1. Daily Intekhab   editorially commended the efforts of Balochistan CM Aslam Raisani’s to attract FDI – foreign direct investment to the province. ‘The chief minister has assured a visiting British delegation that their interests would be protected.  His government would provide full security to investors. The current situation would not be allowed to affect development projects. It is necessary that the federal government supports the beefing up of security in the province. (Daily Intekhab Edit)

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWAH (NWFP/FATA)

1. Baba Hyder Zaman, who has been campaigning for the new province of Hazara, said KP CM should visit Abbottabad after getting a resolution on Hazara passed in the state assembly. Otherwise, he will face people’ wrath during the visit to Abbottabad. (Kawish)

PUNJAB

1. PPP leadership has decided to appoint Qasim Zia as the opposition leader in the Punjab assembly. He replaces Raja Riyaz, who, the party high command feels has failed to grill the Sharif government on the floor of the assembly. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

SINDH
1. JI Karachi Chief Muhammad Hussain Mehnati met the Chief Provincial Election Commissioner and complained that MQM has manipulated the voters’ lists. (Jasarat)

2. A Hindu doctor Vashdev, who was kidnapped from Gulshan Hadid on August 1st, is back at home. A heavy ransom amount is reported to have been paid for his freedom though both he and his family are tight-lipped on this matter. (Awami Awaz)

3. Daily Pak editorial has criticised the federal government for giving additional powers deployed in Karachi for only for 90 days. It points out that Karachi could be brought under control only because of Rangers. (Daily Pak Edit)

4. Ibrat edit is on the unrest across Sindh after Jiye Sindh Quami Mahaz’s chief Bashir Qureshi was arrested. It says that when almost everybody was carrying unlicensed weapons in Karachi, why only Bashir Qureshi was targeted. It says that the authorities were well aware of threats to Qureshi’s life. It would be better not to target Bashir Qureshi for such an offense, especially when conditions in Karachi were so sensitive. (Ibrat Edit)

POK NEWS
1. G-B Chief Minister has given the power to shoot at to the Rangers in order to improve law and order situation. Speaking in the assembly, he said in order to restore government writ, stringent action will have to be taken without caring for caste or creed. Terrorists, he said, will be shot dead if they try to escape after arrest. (Baad-e-Shimal)

2. Addressing a function organized by JI, Major (Retd.) Hussain Shah, President of Muttahida Quami Party, said that to establish peace in Gilgit-Baltistan, the government will have to establish its writ. Shah, who is a member of the Grand Peace Jirga, alleged that members of all political parties carried weapons and displayed them openly. (Ausaf, 15 September)

3. Ahsan Ali President of High Court Bar Association (Gilgit-Baltistan) said that G-B government has failed to establish peace and that corruption has become rampant.  He said that due to poor leadership, terrorism has raised its head in the Hunza district as well. (Ausaf, 15 September)

4. Population of AJK has crossed 1.25 crore. (Daily Dharti)

 5. Due to scarcity of wheat in Upper Astore (Gilgit-Baltistan), there are fears of a famine. (Ausaf 15 Sept)

6. By-elections to the AJK assembly will be held on October 7th and 23rd. (Ausaf, 15 September)

7. Many PML-N activists from Triqabad ward no. 7 and 8 have joined the Muslim Conference. (Khabrain)

8. AJK President Sardar Yaqoob called on Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen. Khalid Shamim Wynne and Corps Commander, Rawalpindi Lieutenant Gen. Khalid Nawaz Janjua., Yaqoob said that Pakistani forces had always come forward in hard times for AJK’s people. He appreciated the Army’s role in times of natural calamities in AJK and also said that the people of AJK will always stand by the Army during testing times. (Ausaf, 15 September)

9. AJK police have claimed to kill more than 500 Pakistani mujahideen in the past 12 years. (Daily Dharti)

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