IRAN PIPELINE
1.Nawa-i-Waqt editorially opposed India’s admission to the Iran-Pakistan pipeline claiming that Delhi had left the IPI gas pipeline project to sabotage it. Shockingly, Iran’s spiritual leader Ayatollah Khamenei has also embraced Pakistan’s enemy. Hence, it was necessary that the next government clarify its reservation with Iran that though there would be some benefits in stretching the gas pipeline to India via Pakistan, it has more dangers and especially for Pakistan, as the incidents of terrorism would increase. Edit says that it would be feasible only if India’s inclusion in the project was made conditional with the resolution of Kashmir issue because this gas would be of great benefit at no cost for the Indian industry.  Edit says that the Pakistani leadership should try to find alternatives to India’s involvement in the IP gas project. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

INDIA
 1. India was continuing its water terrorism and had stopped 15000 cusecs of River Chenab’s waters due to which thousands of acres of agricultural lands will be destroyed. Currently, Chenab was getting 30000 cusecs of water on a daily basis but for the past couple of days, it has been reduced to 16600 cusecs only as India had stopped water flow for its own agriculture and storage. The federal government has formally intimated this to the Indian government. Pakistan Water Movement (PWM) Convener Hafiz Saifullah said that India wanted to complete the construction of its dams as soon as possible and barren Pakistan. According to Khabrain, water levels in rivers Indus and Jhelum are increasing. According to the Punjab irrigation department, India was now storing water in small dams being constructed by India in J&K; this, in turn, was causing acute water scarcity in Pakistan. (Nawa-i-Waqt, Khabrain, Kawish)

2.Jasarat and Roznama Duniya editorially commenting on PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif interview to an Indian TV Channel criticised his remark that investigations will be carried out against generals involved in the Kargil war and that India will be informed of it; both dailies were also critical of his offer to let India have access to the Gwadar Port.  The edits say India always avoided having ties with Pakistan on equal terms. Policy adopted by Musharraf and Zardari has had negative effects. It was distressing the PML-N chief didn’t express Pakistan’s stance boldly on Indian TV. Sharif’s stance was equal to admitting Indian accusations. (Jasarat Edit, Roznama Duniya Edit)

UNITED STATES
1. Daily Pak and Jang say one important task that the next government will have to carry out on priority basis is review the foreign policy and relations with America. Both dailies also says the foreign policy should be formed after consulting other important departments and should not be figured out single-handedly. In their edits the two dailies also say political parties were creating a lot of hue and cry with regard to drone attacks and relations with America, but facts will be understood only after elections.. (Daily Pak Edit, Jang Edit)

DEFENCE
1. COAS Gen. Ashfaq Kayani visited Quetta to review the security plan during elections. He said that if required, the military will take action to make elections fair and transparent. (Khabrain, Daily Intekhab)

2. Ibrat editorially took notice of  Nawaz Sharif’s interview with Indian TV channel where he said that if he is elected PM this time, he will bring about changes in the government-Army relationship. Edit says that with elections being only a few days away, this interview should be read as Nawaz Sharif’s clear policy. (Ibrat Edit)

3.  Supreme Court has said that neither the judiciary nor the Army could interfere in the affairs of the state. The remark came during the hearing of Musharraf’s case; it was said that the Constitution had a specified procedure for the Army’s intervention in state affairs, and it could not be violated. Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja remarked that safeguarding the Constitution, law and rule of democracy was the aim of the Constitution and that the judiciary will ensure and safeguard it. (Daily Intekhab)

TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. Munir Orakzai was on TTP’s hit-list and was the main target of the recent blast in Kurram Agency. He was accused of being behind the arrest of Al Qaeda affiliated people; TTP has warned that those who have recently changed parties but were earlier a part of the government alliance will be targeted. In the final phase of the election campaign, terrorism may increase. JUI-F candidate Maulvi Ainuddin said that JUI-F had no conflict with TTP, nor did they have any differences with TTP; hence, Ainuddin didn’t think the attack on the JUI-F rally was carried out by TTP. Munir Orakzai had spent Rs. 10 crore to protect himself from TTP attacks but this attack had confirmed that the TTP will not spare its opponents even if they changed parties. (Ummat)

2. Allama Aurangzeb Farooqui, candidate of Muttahida Dini Mahaz (MDM) from NA 128, said that the fate of a nation can only be changed through the ideal system of Khilafat. He said that changes will not come through slogans but by changing the ruling system. He claimed that MDM was contesting elections to establish the Khilafat system. (Ummat)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif has not completely rejected the possibility of an alliance with PPP. (Jang)

2. Sources say that Imran Khan will launch an election campaign in Lahore from a bullet-proof van. (Khabrain)

3. JI has clarified that it has nothing to do with the fake ballot papers recovered from Chakdara. It was said that legal action should be taken against those government institutions which had linked these fake ballot papers to JI. Provincial Deputy Gen. Secretary of JI Noorul Haq said that the drama was enacted to defame the Election Commission. (Jasarat)

4.  JI Secretary Gen. and NA-126 candidate Liyaqat Baloch has said that the federal and provincial governments have put the lives of 75% of the people below poverty line in the last five years. (Jasarat)

5. Former senior minister Chaudhary Mohammad has announced joining PML-N along with hundreds of his associates. (Daily Dharti)

6. In his article, Shakeel Malik talks about the leadership crisis in PPP. He says that Zardari cannot take part in political activities post his assurance to Lahore High Court to this effect. He says that Bilawal was not campaigning while senior PPP leaders like Makhdoom Amin Fahim, former PM Gilani and Raja Pervez Ashraf were out of the elections due to court cases being heard against them. Malik says that with only a few days left for the elections, no major PPP leader has appeared in any election meetings or campaigns. He claims that senior PPP leaders have lost their contact with grassroots workers and that this could lead to disappointing consequences in elections. (Kawish)

6.In his column, Irfan Siddiqui writes that PML-N seems poised to form the next government as it has very strong grip in Punjab with 150 NA seats only in Punjab out of the total 272.  PTI Chief Imran Khan has been using childish language against his enemies and his ideology of not making any alliances will throw him out of the race as winning the required minimum 136 seats is no joke. Siddiqui says that he personally knew some cronies of Imran Khan who have left him after being dejected by his tone and attitude.  PPP and PML-Q forming the next government was possible only if PTI is able to break into the PML-N vote bank. (Jang)

ECONOMY-WATER- ENERGY
1. WAPDA Chairman Raghib Shah said that 7100 MW Bunji Power Project’s engineering designs have been completed and very soon, the construction work would be begin; Bunji Dam is the biggest Pin-electricity project in Pakistan. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

2. Following a snag in the Tarbela power plant, 900 MW of hydel power generation has now come to standstill. There could be more power cuts for longer durations in the country. The federal Ministry for Power and Electricity has confirmed this snag and also the closure of the power plant. (Kawish)

SINDH
1. MQM Chief Altaf Hussain said that people should be aware of conspiracies and claimed that Sindhi speaking people in Sindh, Punjabi speaking people in Punjab and Urdu speaking people in Karachi were being used to carry out bomb blasts. Hussain claimed that a conspiracy had been hatched to stop elections through terrorism and states that terrorism was being continued by LeJ and Sipah-e-Sahaba in the name of religion. He said that in the presence of the current Election Commission, unbiased, free and fair election could not be expected. (Roznama Duniya)

2. Majlis-e-Wahdat-ul-Muslimeen (MWM) has changed its election campaign strategy after threats issued by MQM. Women activists of MWM were carrying out door-to-door campaign. MWM was using the Imambarah and Majalis for election campaign and this shift of strategy had disturbed MQM.  MWM has threats from MQM but if the Army is deployed at polling stations, MQM will not be in a position to carry out its tyranny. (Ummat)

3. The 10-party alliance formed in Sindh against PPP has demanded that the Army be deployed across Sindh during elections. They have also demanded investigations into the fake bomb attacks in Karachi. These leaders said that these attacks were aimed at triggering panic amongst people. Leaders of this alliance claimed that MQM had been given a free hand once again in Karachi, judging from the recent violence against election candidates of ANP, and JI. (Ibrat)

4.  PML-F has demanded that within the next 48 hours, Karachi should be handed over to the Army; it was said that if this wasn’t done, the role of caretaker government will become suspicious. PML-F leader Sardar Abdul Rahim said that all steps of the Election Commission have been fake and that a controversial election outcome will cause a constitutional crisis. It was said that the caretaker government had failed to conduct free and fair elections. (Ummat)

5. Out of 15506 polling stations, 697 polling stations in Karachi were sensitive; law enforcement agencies will keep special alert at these stations. Due to rigging by some political parties, there are fears of armed conflict and terrorism. (Ummat)

6. On instructions from Hashim Raza Zaidi, administrator of Karachi Municipality, an emergency has been imposed on medical and health services department in view of elections. Leave of staff of all hospitals under KMC have been cancelled. (Roznama Duniya)

PUNJAB
1.Programme Director of ‘Award Tanzim’ Peter Shahzad said that minority votes were significant in elections. Shahzad said that out of 272 NA seats, 98 seats, and around 147 seats of the Punjab Assembly were such where minority votes are between 10000 and 30000; these could play a significant role in wining of any candidate. (Roznama Duniya)

2. Punjab Excise and Taxation Department directed a crackdown on evaders of property tax. The Secretary of Excise Department has said that the target of recovery of Rs. 19 billion will have to be fulfilled at any cost. (Roznama Duniya)

BALOCHISTAN
1. Balochistan National Party chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal said that BNP has been striving to restore peace in Balochistan and expressed the conviction that soon peace shall prevail. He said that his party entered the electoral process due to the precarious law and order situation in the province. (Daily Intekhab)

POK NEWS
1. In his column, Arif Bahar refers to news reports of rape of a University student by 4 AJK ministers and a bureaucrat. He writes that this report has disturbed people in AJK. Bahar writes that it has generated anger and protests have continued in media, social networking websites and even in the village of the victim where the Police didn’t allow media persons to meet the girl. Bahar writes that this issue will badly affect the AJK government. (Jasarat)

G-B NEWS
1.There has been a huge scarcity of water in Baltistan and the crops standing on thousands of acres of land would be destroyed if not taken care of. (Bang-e-Sahar)

2. Tanzim Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (Gilgit-Baltistan and Kohistan) Chief Maulana Qazi Nissar Ahmad has given a call for protest today against the Gilgit-Baltistan Package. Considering the strike call, Dy. Commissioner Gilgit-Baltistan has declared a holiday for the day to all educational institutions and banned motorcycle riding and entry into Gilgit City to ensure law and order. Qazi Nissar said that he did not give any shutter- down or wheel-jam strike call but the group would record its peaceful agitation at Jama Masjid, Kalma Chowk, and Public Chowk in Gilgit. He said that the steps taken by the Dy. Commissioner had nothing to do with their strike. (Bang-e-Sahar, Baad-e-Shimal)

3.  Balwaristan senior leader Safdar Ali said that Gilgit-Baltistan was a part of Kashmir and those talking in favour of the Gilgit-Baltistan Package have no knowledge of its history. He added that he would prove Gilgit-Baltistan’s link to Kashmir, or else be prepared to be hanged. (Bang-e-Sahar)

4. Bang-e-Sahar editorial says that PML-N (Gilgit-Baltistan) has once again announced to start a movement against the PPP government in Gilgit-Baltistan. Edit says that it was true that people were facing real problems due to the dismal performance of the Mehdi Shah government and only PML-N could drag the government out but unfortunately, PML-N has not been very effective as an opposition. Edit writes that PML-N had announced such movements against the Mehdi Shah government in the past as well but it fizzled out due to inconsistency of PML-N (Gilgit-Baltistan) Chief Hafiz-ur-Rahman. Edit says that it was good that Rahman had again thought of starting a movement to give relief to dejected people, but this time it should work out. (Bang-e-Sahar Edit)

5. Baad-e-Shimal Editorial criticised the Gilgit-Baltistan government plan to make Diamir a model city for health care. Pointing out that the government run hospitals have no surgeons or gynaecologist, the daily said the government should ensure proper health facilities to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)