INDIA

1. JuD Chief Hafiz Saeed said that he is ready to give all information needed to India directly but even the Pakistan government has not consulted him in this regard. He claimed that he had no idea who David Headley was and added that friendship with India was a definite loss for Pakistan. He vowed to keep unravelling India’s real face to the world. He said that India was running a fake propaganda against him just to hide its cruelty from the international community. He further said that they were going to organize many rallies under the name of Difa-e-Pakistan to counter anti Islamists and giving India the MFN status. (Ummat)

2. National Assembly’s Special Kashmir Committee convention has been called to discuss revoking the decision of giving India the MFN status. The 34-member Kashmir Committee reportedly wanted to repeal the decision though a final decision would be taken after a consensus from all members. Trade and Foreign Secretaries have also been called to the meeting. (Daily Dharti)

3. Speaking with the deputy ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan, Majnoon Gulab, former AJK PM Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhary said Kashmir issue has links with the Afghan issue as both are in the same region. He said joints efforts are needed to resolve both issues.  Chaudhary said that the solution to the Afghan dispute will be possible when the Kashmir dispute is resolved. (Ausaf, 27 Dec)

4. JuD Central Leader Saifullah Khalid said that India was the biggest hurdle in the peace process. (Ummat)

5. JuI (F) chief and chairman of the Parliament Kashmir Committee, Maulana Fazlur Rahman said that the Indian Army is a big hindrance in the way of establishing peace in the region. He said that the Indian Army is collecting weapons in Siachen, which is affecting the environment. He warned that if the glaciers melt then the water crisis will increase. He said that India was building defence roads with a loan from the World Bank in J&K which is a disputed territory. He appealed to the World Bank to take notice and not allow its funds to be used in J&K. (Baad-e-Shimal, Nawa-i-Waqt)

6. Nawa-i-Waqt editorial refers to Khurshid Qasuri’s statement that Pakistan was ready to make an agreement with India in 2008 that Pakistan would not be the first to use nuclear weapons. Edit states that this makes one wonder if the present government is a security risk for Pakistan. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

7. Jang editorial on India-Pak talks on nuclear CBMs says the talks are resumed after a gap of four years. The dialogue would be more fruitful if India adopts a positive attitude, and like Pakistan, takes serious steps to resolve important issues like Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creeks and gets out of the arms race. As usual Pakistan has low expectations from India. Nonetheless, going by past experiences Pakistan should be very careful in deciding issues with India and must always give priority to Pakistan’s interests. (Jang Edit)

UNITED STATES/AFGHANISTAN

1. Nawa-i-Waqt editorially rejected ISAF commander, Gen James Jones’ suggestion on CBMs which include exchange of information and maps. In the name of getting information and maps under CBMs, US will have access to maps of all important and sensitive areas and installations, and also details of military and defence installations including nuclear installations. Edit urges that Pakistan to get rid of America. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

2. Jinnah editorial alleges that U.S., and other non-Muslim atomic powers want to end Pakistan’s atomic programme. It expresses concern over statements of Planning Commission deputy chairman Nadim-ul Haq and former external minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi statements on Pakistan’s nuclear programme.  (Jinnah Edit)

DEFENCE/ARMY

1. Jasarat editorial is on the U-turn of PM Gilani on the removal of COAS Kayani and DG ISI Shuja Pasha. Prime Minister is no longer talking about his earlier statements and has in fact issued a clarification. Neither is the Army in a mood to take over nor is the situation favourable for a coup. In so far as people are concerned they simply laughed at PM’s idea. It is not clear for whom the PM’s clarification was needed.  Prime  Minister points out that the PPP leadership had persuaded the COAS to accept extension in his tenure; Kayani was given extension for three years since he was one of the guarantees’ of NRO and former PM Benazir Bhutto had included his name to avoid problems from the ISI. (Jasarat Edit)

TERRORISM & EXTREMISM

1. A pamphlet in Arabic and Urdu distributed by the chief of Al-Harkatul Aaliya-Kurdistan in Iraq, Al-Qaeda has threatened to attack Pakistan, America and Afghanistan to avenge the killing of its leader, Tehsin bin Ali Abdul Aziz in August, this year in South Waziristan. (Daily Pak)

2. 15 terrorists were killed and 6 hideouts were destroyed in aerial attacks on terrorists’ hideouts in Hangu. (Jinnah)

 POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS

1. Twice in his address at Garhi Khuda Bux, President Zardari praised PM Gilani and that is because twice in a day Gilani had spoken against military leadership. (Jasarat)

2. PML-N leadership has begun to woo annoyed party members and those who are aloof after the Javed Hashmi quit the party to join PTI. The leadership also decided to hold organisational elections to bring in fresh blood into various rungs of the party. The ballot schedule is December 28th in KP, January First in Sindh, January Four in Punjab and January Six in Balochistan. (Urdupoint)

3. Arif Nazami, senior journalist said earlier an impression was being given that Zardari was unwell and couldn’t speak, but his address at the Benazir death anniversary function has proved it wrong. He said the event took place in interior of Sindh where the infrastructure is poor and is no match t places like Karachi and Lahore. Yet, lakhs of people gathered there which shows that Benazir continues to be a big crowd puller. He said now that Zardari has faced situation with courage, nothing will happen to him, he is now out of danger. (Ibrat)

4. Federal minister, Syed Khurshid Shah has said some politicians’ names have come to fore in connection with Benazir’s assassination. (Awami Awaz, 27 December)

5. JUI’s Fazlur Rehman said a change should not be thrust on the country under pressures; if at all any change has to come, it should come through political process. He said plans are afoot to bring all political parties together under a one-point agenda. He said PPP should take into consideration  ‘other conditions’ instead of just wanting to complete its five year term; If the ‘conditions so require, polls should be held before time. (Awami Awaz, 27 December)

6. Fearing the Imran Khan Tsunami, PML-N and PPP have had a secret understanding, says reliable sources. PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif is understood have sent a message to PM Gilani assuring that his party wouldn’t put any hurdles in the way of Senate elections. The trade-off he wanted was an immediate announcement of assembly elections. Both sides have realised that the establishment is behind Imran Khan and that if they continue to fight with each other Imran Khan would win the match. (Daily Intekhab, Jang)

7. A.Q. Khan, the nuclear scientist, and Hamid Gul, a former ISI chief, are reportedly joining PTI. (Kawish, 27 December)

8. JI-AJK Chief Abdul Rashid Turabi said that PPP was a part of the conspiracy in the division of Pakistan. He added that Islami Jamiat-e-Talba and Jamaat-e-Islami were working on the mission of prophets (Daily Dharti)    

9. Ausaf editorial comments that the 136th Birth Anniversary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah was not celebrated with vigour on 25th December (Ausaf Edit, 27 December)

SINDH

1. Altaf Mujahid in Nawa-i-Waqt says that both PML-N and PTI feel that they have failed to get any big names from Sindh, despite their successful rallies in Karachi. It seems that PPP will succeed in defeating its opponents with support from MQM, Functional League, ANP, ANPP and its own vote bank. PML-N and PTI are in touch with nationalist leaders to give a tough time to PPP; however these nationalist leaders want to contest the next election from the platform of Sindh Progressive Nationalist Alliance (SPNA). (Nawa-i-Waqt)

2. Maulana Muhammad Altaf, convener of Pakistan Rabita Council (Scotland) said that PTI’s successful rally in Karachi exposed MQM and if elections were transparent then MQM would be wiped out. Altaf said that if Karachi would be opened up for media the tyranny and violence of Karachi would get exposed and people would get peace. (Ausaf, 27 December)

3. Karachi Port Trust authorities and Pakistan Railways authorities disobeyed Zardari who had issued directives to regularise makeshift settlements. The concerned department have now sought assistance from the Sindh government. Earlier, Zardari had issued directives that all such structures should be regularised in metropolitan cities and after regularising, they should be given back on lease. (Awami Awaz, 27 December)

BALOCHISTAN

1. Daily Intekhab editorial is on Prime Minister Gilani’s claim that his government has done the more than any other government for Balochistan. It’s true that the President and Prime Minister had apologized to Balochistan for neglect of the province by previous governments and also introduced the Balochistan Package; through the 18th Constitutional Amendment, PPP leadership ended the common index, and increased the rights of provinces, but all these are like a dot on a white paper and Balochistan’s problem is much more grave. Edit recalls that Benazir Bhutto had adopted a strategy to address the Balochistan problem by dialogue process and not force. Balochistan is a political problem and cannot be settled with force. The daily advises the government to stop using force in Balochistan and act on its former leader’s ideology to commemorate her 4th death anniversary. (Daily Intekhab)

POK/ G-B NEWS

1. Reacting to GB Assembly resolution with regard to a merger with Pakistan, NLC President Shahid Arif said the GB Assembly is not eligible to pass any such resolution that would be against the Charter of the UN on Kashmir. He added that people of Kashmir including GB would only decide the fate of their state and not people sitting in New Delhi or Islamabad. He also said that the conspiracy to divide J&K through non-state parties would not be successful. (Daily Dharti)

2. JKLF former Chairman Muhammad Saghir Khan said that a heap of corpses would be seen on the roads if any one tried to make AJK a province. He added that if Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly members voted in favour of making it a province, they would be considered infidels and would face dire consequences.  (Daily Dharti)

3. Only 30,000 families have been selected for financial aid under Benazir Income Support Program from GB where as 28 lakh families have been selected from Sindh, 23 lakh from Punjab, 19 lakh from Balochistan and 11 lakh from KP. (Baad-e-Shimal)

4. Baad-e-Shimal editorial is on the security situation in Gilgit and surrounding areas. A high level meeting chaired by the interior secretary reviewed the security scenario. The meeting decided to arrest terrorists and active members of banned organizations. Another decision was intensive patrolling of the Karakoram highway. The daily blames the lackadaisical approach of the police and security personnel for the situation and urges that the government should take bold decisions including action officials who don’t discharge their duties properly. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)

5. Baad-e-Shimal’s another editorial looks at the falling standards in G-B government schools. It points out that while government schools have trained teachers and they are paid a salary of over Rs. 70,000, private schools appoint untrained teachers and pay them less. Yet their results are better than the government schools. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)

6. A social worker said due to government negligence, the only school in Darel is turned into a ghost house. (Baad-e-Shimal)

 7. Gilgit District Hospital looks deserted as all doctors have left for the winter. The hospital has no medicine either to the great distress of patients. (Ausaf, 27 December)

8. 2.5 lakh people of Ward-3 of Gilgit City are deprived of basic amenities and the local administration along with the provincial government has neglected the area. (Ausaf, 27 December)

9. Gilgit Baltistan Minister for Mining, Muhammad Naseer Khan, said that discussions are underway with experts from China to resolve the electricity crisis in Gilgit Baltistan. (Ausaf, 27 December)