UNITED STATES
1. Commenting on WSJ report that American military aid to Pakistan will be with strings, Ausaf said in an editorial: America wants to make India a mini-power in the region even though India is a dangerous country where the rights of minorities are suppressed, human rights are violated and Hindu extremist groups have become a threat to minorities. The government, army and other responsible institutions must work to a concrete strategy and should not succumb to American blackmailing. (Ausaf Edit, 17 August)

2. America wants to send 87 secret agents into Pakistan and is creating pressure by stopping military aid in order to achieve this objective. Even though Pakistan has not objection to the US proposal it has placed conditions on their entry to satisfy legal sanctions. (Ummat)

3. Nawa-i-Waqt has an edit on US Secretary of State’s demand that Pakistan do more in the war against terror and Mr. Panett’s concern vis-a-vis Pakistan. It says: USA cannot succeed in the region without Pakistan’s help; hence Pakistan should take advantage of USA’s weak point and get all its terms and conditions fulfilled. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

4.Editorials in Khabrain and Jinnah have opined that Punjab government should not give land sought by the US to build its consulate in Lahore. This demand should be rejected like the operation against the Haqqani network. Both dailies said the proposed consulate would be used to monitor Pakistan’s nuclear assets. (Khabrain Edit, Jinnah Edit)

INDIA
1. Pakistan does not see India as threat to its security and has therefore shifted its army units deployed on the eastern border to the western border to confront the Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants. Pakistan has deployed its 709th division army at areas closer to Kabila in Afghanistan; 450 artillery guns and 142 tanks that have been shifted to the western border. (Ibrat, Jasarat)

2. Ummat editorial on floods in Sindh blames India saying it had released its floodwaters into Pakistani rivers.  India alone is not responsible for this havoc but Pakistan’s incapable administrators should also be held responsible for not working sincerely to avoid such problems. India is openly violating the Sindh Water Treaty and is waging a ‘water’ war.  India is making illegal dams on Pakistani rivers and our leadership is not even bothered about constructing legally approved dams. (Ummat editorial)

3.Nawa-i-Waqt’s editorial is on floods in Qasoor belt on account of floods in Ravi, Sutlej and Beas. “All through the year these rivers remain totally dry but during the monsoon, India releases extra water causing floods. If Pakistan was wise and built enough dams including the Kala Bagh dam, then it would have been in a position to store the excess water released by its enemy and could have benefitted”. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

4. Pakistan has taken a tough stand on the Kishenganga power project and has formally lodged a petition with the International Court at The Hague. Pakistan has hired the services of world famous advocates who are being paid at the rate of 500-750 dollars/hour. (Baad-e-Shimal, Jinnah, Ibrat, Urdu Point 17 August)

DEFENCE-ISI
1. Pakistan will launch a remote-controlled satellite system by 2014. SUPARCO (Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission) is planning to send an optical satellite into space by end of the year. (Baad-e-Shimal, Khabrain, Nawa-i-Waqt, Daily Pak, Daily Dharti)

2. Pakistan will test the “Babar” missile next month. The range of ‘Babar’ is 700 km.   (Khabrain)

3. Hamid Mir in his column writes that one more journalist Munir Ahmad Shakir was killed in Khazdar and the same old statements were re-iterated by the government. Saleem Shehzad, Moosa Khan Khel and Hayatullah Khan were some of the journalists who had intimated many about their possible killers and now after the death of Munir Shakir, another journalist from Swat, Fayyaz Zafar has said that he was getting threatening calls from an Army colonel for covering problems faced by people due to plenty of check posts in Swat. Mir states that Fayyaz Zafar was warned that he should stop covering such things or else the Taliban would accept the responsibility of his murder. Mir further writes these people were not by the Taliban but by some other people who were named but were not brought to justice as they were powerful and influential. Mir ends by stating that Fayyaz Zafar has also revealed the name of his murderer via email to many and that this time at least the media should not take it lightly. (Jang)

TERRORISM- EXTREMISM
1. JuD, Islamabad, has distributed food to 30,000 flood-affected families in Sindh. (Jinnah)

2. Jasarat editorial see in the release by court of a militant aligned with Baitullah Mehsud on account of insufficient evidence a manifestation of police practice of hoisting false cases. (Jasarat Edit)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. PPP leader Ameen Fahim called on JUI (F) leader Fazlur Rehman to invite him for an Iftar party. But observers say the meeting has political overtones and Ameen could have used the occasion to invite JUI (F) once again to join the government. (Kawish, 17 August)

2. In a TV interview, PPP member of the National Assembly, Nabeel Gabol rejected the government’s direction to surrender his licensed arms. ‘If I surrender my licensed weapons as directed by the government I might be killed as my security has already been withdrawn’. (Ibrat)

3. MQM’s Nissar Punhoor said that the compromise with the government was conditional, adding that any fresh obstacles could anger the MQM once again. He said there were ministries (including the interior ministry) already with MQM and it remained to be seen what the government does next. (Awami Awaz)

4. Several former MPs have not returned government vehicles and the concerned department has decided to take the help of the police to recover them. (Ausaf, 17 August)

5 Participating in a News-5 programme, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid has expressed the view that Nawaz Sharif would never go against the government. (Khabrain)

5. Nawa-i-Waqt editorially commented on Talal Bugti’s warning to Punjab that it better play the role of the ‘Elder Brother’ or else it will be reduced to the status of Sikhs’ younger brother. Edit reminds him that Punjab has always been a well-wisher of Balochistan. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

6. Iran Siddiqui in his column criticizes President Zardari for conferring Medals of Honour like Hilal-e-Pakistan, Nishan-e-Imtiyaz and Sitara-e-Imtiyaz on the likes of Rehman Malik, and Fehmida Mirza who were close to the President and belonged to PPP.  This is an insult and devaluation of such honours. Now the people who actually deserve such honours would not feel proud to receive them. (Jang)

7. Nazi Naji in his column says those trying to cash in on a political mistake made by President Zardari and his supporters do not have the sense that they are making a more serious mistake. He says that Zardari has no need to prove himself as a Sindhi to anybody as he belongs to a respectable family historically and has done nothing purposely against interests of Sindhis. Naji says that Sindhi nationalist parties in Sindh are quite riotous and do not want any outsider to flourish in Sindh. He further says that these parties should understand that neither any Mohajir nor any Baloch could claim to represent the whole of Sindh and this could only be possible for PPP due to its Sindh Card which it plays in favour of all of Pakistan. He states that if this card goes to someone else, it would be harmful not only to Pakistan but also Sindh. (Jang)

8. Jang edit says the monster of corruption is roaming all over Pakistan and the government should try to control it on a priority basis.  Anna Hazare alone has shaken the Indian government and made it difficult for Dr. Manmohan Singh Government to deal with him. (Jang Edit)

BALOCHISTAN
1. Jamil Bugti, son of Akbar Bugti, has decided to move the Balochistan High Court. The advocate representing him said that forces had resorted to unprovoked ‘gherao’ around the houses of Jamil Bugti and Humayun Marri and that these practices gave the impression that the authorities are not keen to bring to book all those behind Akbar Bugti’s killing. (Awami Awaz)

2. Aziz Baloch, PPP leader said that MQM is killing PPP activists at Lyari. Speaking to TV channels, he said that scheming elements are disturbing the peace at Lyari. (Awami Awaz)

3. Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court Qazi Muhammad Faizaini asked if thieves could be brought back (extradited) from Dubai why couldn’t Pervez Musharraf be brought back to country.  He declared that if appropriate progress is not seen in the case the court may initiate a contempt of court case against the Attorney General and observed that the AG should better resign if he could not assist the court in delivery of justice. (Jasarat)

4. Daily Intekhab welcomed the federal government’s decision to allow the Balochistan provincial government to have talks with unhappy Baloch leaders from all political parties. Balochistan problem, though complex, is a political issue that can only be resolved by dialogue and not force. Now the Balochistan Governor and CM both have a big responsibility on their shoulders and they should ensure the permanent resolution of the conflict. (Daily Intekhab Edit)

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWAH ( NWFP/FATA )

PUNJAB
1. Punjab police IG says the explanations given by police officials for attending the American consulate’s Iftar dinner without permission are not satisfactory. He said that he has therefore recommended that the Punjab provincial government write to the federal government for action against them since these come under the purview of the federal government. (Kawish, 17 August)

2. Professor Dr. Riaz Mughal has challenged the appointment of MUST Vice-chancellor in high court. Dr. Mughal is of the view that the incumbent chancellor does not possess a PhD, and hence his appointment is not valid. (Khabrain)

SINDH
1. Sindh Information Minister, Sharjeel Memon, said that nationalist leaders keep quiet under dictatorship, but agitate during democratic times. He questioned the source of funds for their agitations. (Ibrat, 17 August)

2. Anti-Sindh sentiments have come to the fore once again in Hyderabad. Writings in red ink have appeared in the city demanding that Sindh be spilt into two parts for administrative reasons and also demanded ‘shahari sooba, Sindh’ (Urban province, Sindh).These writings are in Urdu and the writer’s name is  given as ‘oppressed’. Reacting to the posters Sindh nationalist groups, Awami Tehreek and Jiye Sindh Quami Mahaz said these posters were just a ploy to trigger ethnic disturbances. (Ibrat)

3. Jiye Sind Muttahida Mahaz has condemned conspiracies to trigger ethnic disturbances in Sindh. The group has announced protests across Sindh against such plans on August 20th.Shafi Barfat, chief of the group said that attempts were being made to  pit Sindhis and Urdu-speaking people against each other. He said vested elements will not be allowed to  promote any civil war in Sindh.(Awami Awaz)

4. There were protests in parts of Sindh against the killing of Sindh a Tarqui Pasand activist. Protestors demanded that the killers be brought to book. (Awami Awaz)

5. Latif Palejo of Awami Tehreek said that PPP has handed Karachi over to militants in its craze to stay in power. (Awami Awaz)

6. Bashir Qureshi, chief of Jiye Sindh Quami Mahaz, said that Sindhis are being targeted at Gulshan Hadid, Dabeji and other parts of Karachi. (Awami Awaz)

ECONOMY
1.Government is considering a 25% custom duty on all products. The proposal has come from Ministry of Trade. (Jasarat)

POK NEWS
1.Teachers of SAP schools (Schools run under Social Action Program) in GB have announced the closure of their schools after Eid, if their demands are not met. Their demands include regularisation of the services of teachers working for the last 17 years, and the immediate filling of 20 vacancies in the education department. (Baad-e-Shimal)