Pakistan Media

Pak Urdu Media Digest – Aug 1

Ramadan is Holy month of fasting for Muslims but Syed Salahuddin, who heads the United Jihadi Council (UJC) calls it the month of Jihad, says Hizb Media. India must be concerned to worry since UJC is Kashmir valley centric. Mohsin Industries remains front page news with Islamabad directly and Beijing indirectly interested in its exploration contract in Gilgit- Baltistan and locals opposed to the venture. PPP senior Babar Awan says there will be good news for the people of Seraiki in a perfect giveaway to the leadership’s plans to the discomfort of PML-N, which considers the Punjab as its fiefdom. (This dispatch includes July 30 & 31)

UNITED STATES
1.Pakistan has placed restrictions on the movement of US diplomats. The US has threatened to retaliate and extend to the Pakistani officials in America restrictions placed on the consulate staff of Yemen, Iran and Palestine. A special envoy will be attending the US-Af-Pak tripartite talks scheduled for August. (Kawish, 30 July, Daily Pak)

2.Al Qalam Weekly in an editorial comment on US debt crisis says: America is going through its worst financial crisis because of its astronomical expenditure on the wars against Muslims. America’s allies must stop supporting the US-led war. Otherwise they too will face the same bleak future. (Al Qalam Weekly Edit, 29 July 14 August)

3. Ummat in an editorial comment on America’s financial crisis says: Arab and Islamic nations have made huge deposits in American banks and other western banks. They should pull out their money fast courageously since the American economy is failing and capitalism is a sinking ship. (Ummat Edit)

AFGHANISTAN
1.Member of the Afghan Parliament Huma Sultani has said that Taliban leaders are present in Afghanistan and they are their guests. She said that Mullah Omer is willing to give up militancy for the sake of the country and is willing to hold dialogue with the Government. “If the Karzai Government desires, it can hold talks Mullah Omer from her residence. (Daily Pak)

2. Jasarat’s editorial says: “It seems from statements made by the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen that it will be difficult for the American government to pay salaries to its troops in Afghanistan if the financial crisis is not resolved. (Jasarat Edit)

INDIA

1. Asked whether the UJC would announce ‘unilteral’cease-fire during Ramadan, UJC Chairman Syed Salahuddin said Ramadan is the month of jihad against the oppressors and therefore there is no question of ceasefire during Ramadan. He refuted reports that the US was in touch with the UJC leadership. (Hizb Media, 31st July)

2. Security agencies have recovered evidence that showed that Israel and India were sponsoring extremist activities in Pakistan and US agents have also been involved in the enterprise. These findings were discussed in the dialogue being conducted through the back channel between Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan has been discussing these findings. (Jinnah)

3. Dr Khwaja Ikram in his Baad-e-Shimal column says the recent Indo-Pak talks have deviated from the earlier line of thought as this time around the Foreign Ministers insisted on taking practical steps to build CBMs. (Baad-e-Shimal)

TERRORISM & EXTREMISM

1. Four militants arrested in Islamabad have said they belong to the Qari Zia-ur-Rahman group and revealed that they were planning to carry out attacks in Darra Khel, Swat and the Khyber Agency along with targeting prominent personalities. (Jasarat, Urdupoint)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. 20% of Pakistanis want to leave the country because the people of Pakistan have no faith in the institutions in Pakistan, Gallop Polls revealed, BBC says (Ausaf, 31 July)

2. PTI will hold dharnas in front of Parliament and awareness rallies across the country from Aug 14 to support the judiciary, says the party chief Imran Khan. He expressed confidence that PTI would make a clean sweep in Punjab during the coming elections and Nawaz Sharif would realize to whom Lahore belongs to. (Kawish, Khabrain, Jinnah)

3. Former Law Minister Babar Awan said that the next 24 hours will be crucial for the country. He added the people of Seraiki will have good news during the month of Ramadan. (Ibrat, Kawish, 30 July)

4. PML-N’s Sadiq Al Farooq, in his reaction to Babar Awan’s statement on Seraiki, said “If Punjab can be split on ethnic grounds so should be Sindh too.Awan is playing mischief and the media should take him to task. (Kawish)

4. Three PML-Q leaders have been made ministers and with this the cabinet’s strength has become 33.  (Ibrat, 31 July)

5. PML-Q’s Pervez Elahi has stated that Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz had themselves ordered an attack on the Supreme Court in 1997. (Daily Pak)

6. Writing in Jang, columnist Irfan Siddiqui has criticised PM Gilani for not cooperating with the Judiciary on important issues of public interest. ‘Judiciary has given the PPP government opportunity to redeem itself for instance in the NRO scam and corruption scandals but Parliament is taking undue advantage of its leniency. (Jang)

7. Justice (retired) Javed Iqbal is being considered for the chairmanship of National Accountability Bureau (NAB), official sources said. At present he is heading the Abbottabad Commission of inquiry. (Jasarat, Jinnah)

8. Khabrain has commended CJP Iftikhar Chaudhary and Justice Javed Iqbal for their measured statements that the government is simply taking time to implement court orders and said that they have thus not helped plans hatched to create a gulf between the judiciary and the government. (Khabrain Edit)  

WATER & ENERGY

1. Samad Mansoor writes in Ibrat that there is no clear policy on water in Pakistan. Despite Sindh’s repeated complaints that water is being stolen, issues like the Kalabagh are raised repeatedly instead of addressing these complaints. (Ibrat)

BALOCHISTAN

1.The younger brother of Balochistan CM and Chairman of the Muttahida Balochistan – Mahaz Siraj Raisani – said that he was attacked and his son Akmal Khan was assassinated because he was loyal to Pakistan. He added that he would continue to raise slogans for Pakistan. (Jasarat)

2. Editorial in Ibrat has voiced concern over the targeted killings of 11 people on Spani road in Quetta and on Saryab road. ‘The victims were from the Hazara community and the target killings were most probably a hate crime as Hazaras have been historically targeted for their leanings towards a particular sect. The situation in Balochistan is very bad and if even the CM’s nephew wasn’t safe and was killed in Mustang then there isn’t much hope for the common man. The target killings in Karachi and Quetta are not on the same page. While the Karachi killings affect the national economy, the ones in Balochistan do not affect the country as a whole but both the killings reflect poorly on the ability of the government to maintain law and order.(Ibrat Edit, 31 July)

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWAH (NWFP/FATA)
1. Khyber Pakhtunkhwah government has established a special cell that will monitor foreigners visiting KP and the tribal areas. The cell works under the foreign section of the Special Branch. (Urdupoint)

2. Muttahida terrorists have started threatening Pashtun traders around the Banaras Flyover in Aurangi Town by firing blindly and burning shops. Terrorists are trying to push out 5,000 Pakhtun traders from the town. The unrest in the town is now two months old and this has pushed Pashtun families to starvation. (Ummat)

PUNJAB
1. The Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has objected to the Federal Interior Minister Rahman Malik’s criticism of the Tableeghi Jamaat Centre (Raiwind) in the course of his IISS talk. Sunnat Wal Jamaat chief Mufti Abdul Wahid also criticised Malik’s remarks. (Baad-e-Shimal, Khabrain, Daily Pak, Jinnah)

2. Ausaf editorial says: Punjab CM’s move to start a yellow cab scheme will help provide opportunities for unemployed youths but the terms and conditions  should be amended in order to make the scheme available to the youths. (Ausaf Edit, 31 July)

SINDH
1. 300 people were killed in target killings in the month of July – the worst month in the history of target killing. (Jasarat)

2.The Sindh police chief, identifying the main problems of Karachi said one-third of the city does not receive proper electricity, gas and water as it is not properly planned. 30-35 protest rallies are taken out everyday in the city to protest against water shortage and power cuts; militant elements take advantage of their discontent. (Kawish, 30 July)  

POKNEWS
1. MQM has decided not to join the AJK cabinet which will be formed today though it has voted in favour of the PPP’s candidate for Speaker, Deputy Speaker, PM and President posts.
(Daily Pak)

2. GB social activist Zafar Abbas, speaking to Ausaf, said political parties should support ‘Mohsin Industries’ as it has played a role to reduce unemployment. He said that licenses of mining were given earlier also to outsiders but unlike them, Mohsin Industries is working for the benefit of GB. (Ausaf, 31 July)

3. Rich people in Das Kharam, an area adjacent to Astor in GB, are taking advantage of the Benazir income Support Scheme while the poor are suffering. (Ausaf, 31 July)

4. Newly elected AJK PM Abdul Majid said that a strategy to raise the Kashmir issue will be adopted after consultation with APHC leaders on both sides of the LoC and then the struggle will be carried out. (Ausaf, 31 July)

5. Former AJK PM, Raja Farooq Haider, has objected to Atiq Ahmed’s remarks that India and Pakistan can form a United India after the Kashmir dispute is resolved. He said that any expression of a united India is anti-Pakistan and can be construed as sedition and treason. (Ausaf, 31 July)

6. Schools in the Jagir Baseen area do not have teachers; the hospitals are without doctors and medicines, the area doesn’t have clean drinking water. There is only one utility store which is now gone. (Baad-e-Shimal)

7. Baad-e-Shimal Edit carried an edit on Gilgit-Baltistan scene. ‘Now Gilgit -Baltistan has got a proper political set up as it has been given the status of a province. It has good potential for economic growth; it has vast mineral reserves, good energy sources, tourist spots, and a favourable geographical location. The Government of Pakistan is trying to make Gilgit-Baltistan a good economic zone by building a railway line along the Karakoram Highway; it also has plans to lay a gas pipeline to G-B. Chinese government is interested in making various investments. … Mohsin industries have been given an exploration license for two sites only. Local companies should try their chance at the several other locations in order to promote healthy competition.  ….However, all these development projects are marred by continued sectarian clashes …A recent report has revealed there is a conspiracy to separate Gilgit-Baltistan from Pakistan’. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)

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