2.  In his column, Arif Bahar writes that intellectuals in Pakistan were disturbed by news of postponement of the Russian President’s Pakistan visit as they were under the impression that Putin’s visit would mark the beginning of Pakistan’s separation from the war on terror. Pakistan had acted against USSR at US behest and since then, ties between Pakistan and Russia had been frozen. US constantly went against Russian interests and it had similarly betrayed Pakistan. He writes that this betrayal had brought Pakistan and Russia closer. Bahar writes that Russia was interested in building road and railway route between the two countries through the Waghan Strip in Tajikistan; it also wished that Pakistan purchase electricity from Tajikistan, and gas from Iran. But Pakistan was being lazy in its response due to US pressure.  Pakistan wanted Russia to invest in its Steel Mills. Putin’s visit was postponed due to strategic issues. Bahar opines that Russia also wants to start from the beginning with a new government coming to power in Pakistan after the elections. (Jasarat)

AFGHANISTAN
1. After alleging cross border firing from Pakistan, the Afghan government has now posted thousands of troops at the Pak-Afghan border. The Governor of Nangarhar province has threatened counter-action if Pakistan does not stop cross border firing. (Nawa-i-Waqt, Baad-e-Shimal, Urdupoint, Ausaf)

2. Afghan government has agreed to issue multiple visas for 6 months to Pakistani traders. (Nawa-i-Waqt, Baad-e-Shimal)

3.  In NATO firing, 2 Pakistanis were killed in Helmand province, Afghanistan. (Ausaf)

UNITED STATES
1. Ausaf editorial says American and British delegates who had come to join PTI’s peach march to Waziristan, had condemned the drone strikes and said innocent people were getting killed in the drone hits, which were illegal as. These delegates will apologize to the families of deceased in Waziristan. Pakistanis had not expressed solidarity with the people of Waziristan in a similar manner. The daily congratulates Imran Khan for raising the issues of tribal people. (Ausaf Edit)

PAKISTAN-HINDUS
 
INDIA
1. The Chairman of Sunni Ittehad Council, Sahabzada Fazal Karim said that the US and Taliban’s joint agenda is to weaken Pakistan. US and India are supporting separatists in Balochistan, he said at a seminar. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

2. Speaking at the Punjab University,, Nawa-i-Waqt Group Managing Director and senior journalist Majid Nizami, said Pakistan would not become the Pakistan of Allama Iqbal and Fatima Jinnah until Kashmir was freed from Indian clutches. He added that advanced weapons should be used in order to free Kashmir from India as Pakistan will not be complete without Kashmir. (Khabrain)

3. AJK Muslim Conference Chief Sardar Atiq said that the international community has deemed the Kashmir issue a border conflict between two nations and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was responsible for this. He blamed President Zardari and his men for rolling back the Kashmir issue and said that starting trade with India was like stabbing Kashmiris in the back. He added that the war for the freedom of Kashmir would be fought everywhere. (Daily Dharti)

4. Speaking to a delegation of legal experts and lawyers from India visiting Pakistan, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftekhar Muhammad Chaudhary said that India and Pakistan existed because of the foresight of leaders of both countries who were also legal experts. He said that the Pakistan SC was playing an important role to raise basic human rights issues and to establish the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution. Indian and Pakistani lawyers have proposed that the two governments make a joint LoC for their armies and resolve the border issues permanently; they also advised that the countries reduce their defence expenditure and spend it on public welfare instead.   It was said that the US and western countries wanted India and Pakistan to continue fighting each other and hence, it was their responsibility to not rely on outside powers and resolve bilateral disputes on their own. (Urdupoint, Ausaf)

TERRORISM/EXTREMISM/ANTI-ISLAM FILM
1. A long march was started, under the auspices of Difa-e-Pakistan Council, in Peshawar against the anti-Islam film, the resumption of NATO supply and drones attacks. Students of different cities in KP, businessmen, civil society and people belonging to different sections of the society attended this march. A large number of JuD members as well as JUI-S, Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat and JI members attended the long march. It was led by DCP chairman Maulana Samiul Haq, Professor Hafiz Saeed, Syed Munawar Hassan, Maulana Ahmad Ludhianvi, and Gen. (Retd.) Hamid Gul. (Tehrik Hurmat-e-Rasool 1 October, Jinnah, Khabrain)

2.  Addressing the long march, DCP leaders said that Muslims were free to take up swords and spears against the people disrespecting the Prophet; the desecration of Prophet Mohammad was the biggest terrorism in the world. They said that if the US imposed a war on Muslims in the name of ‘war on terror’, even Muslims had the right to take action against people disrespecting the Prophet. (Tehrik Hurmat-e-Rasool, 1 October)

3. In his article, Abdul Malik Tahir writes that Jewish history showed that they have always committed blasphemy and tyranny; Tahir writes that 450 verses of Quran highlight the reasons behind the humiliation meted out by Jews to the Prophet’s companions. He writes that the anti-Islam film is a part of the traditional Jewish hatred against Muslims. He tries to prove, with the help of Islam’s history that murder of blasphemers was the best revenge. Tahir appreciates that killing of US Ambassador in Libya and Taliban’s attack in Afghanistan in reaction to the blasphemous film. He writes that JeM was also smashing the heads of miscreants. Tahir advises readers to protest through the medium of jihad and become mujahideen; he asks the readers to become permanent mujahideen and join jihad. Tahir claims that murdering in the name of Allah is the way through which lives and properties of Muslim, and the honour of Quran and Prophet can be protected. (Al Qalam Weekly, 28 September to 4 October)

4. Sindh Assembly has passed a resolution against the controversial anti-Islam film and has condemned those who uploaded the film on you tube. This resolution demands that the UN take notice of the blasphemous movie. (Jasarat)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1, PML-N has announced that it will table a resolution on the Balochistan issue in the National Assembly. Opposition leader Chaudhary Nissar said that this resolution will demand negotiations with the disgruntled Balochs and the formation of an all party political committee to resolve the issue. (Jasarat)

2. PTI Deputy President Najid Haroon said that some leaders wanted to ban PTI’s peach march towards Waziristan on the pretext of security concerns so that they could keep the veil on the atrocities committed by their ‘masters’. (Jasarat)

3. Former President Musharraf has rejected allegations that agencies and military committed atrocities on the Baloch people; he accused the Baloch separatists of spreading terrorism in Balochistan. (Jinnah)

4. PML-N leader Aslam Farooqui announced that he was joining PML-Q. He announced this after meeting Pervez Elahi. (Jinnah)

5. Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan and Jamiat Ahle Hadith Pakistan have agreed to revive MMA and held that if JI or any other party does not want to join MMA for whatever reason, their decision would not affect the revival of MMA. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

6. Former ISI chief Gen. (Retd) Hamid Gul has stated that the US is stationed in Afghanistan to target Pakistan. After 9/11, while attacking Afghanistan, the US’ real purpose was to attack Pakistan. He criticized Pakistan for agreeing to open supply routes for NATO saying that if Pakistan stops the supply route, then the US will be seriously affected. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

7. Sindh Minority Affairs Minister Dr Mohan Lal told the Sindh Assembly that 143 people of minority communities were abducted between March 2008 and 30 November 2011. Most of them have since been released. (Jasarat)

8. Hihgly deplorable is Bilawal Zardari’s criticism against the judiciary that it is maintaining a double standard. He should not forget that his party came to power as a result of the freedom of the judiciary. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

9. Addressing the Karachi Bar Association delegation, CJP has stressed the importance of justice for the survival of democracy and parliament. No doubt in the past few years, higher judiciary  has brought many government departments within the limit of the law and constitution, but the common man still faces disappointment at the lower level of the judicial system. Edit commends the Supreme Court for taking notice of missing persons in Balochistan and for asking the government to write a letter to the Swiss government in a money laundering case involving the president himself.  (Daily Pak Edit)

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWAH (NWFP/FATA)
Public and social circles have asked the Education Department to investigate the mushrooming of unregistered public schools in Mansehra. (Daily Hazara News)

SINDH
1. Sindh Bachao Committee Chief and President of Sindh United Party Syed Jalal Mahmood Shah said that the Local Government Ordinance will affect the foundations of provinces. Shah said that they will call an all parties meet to come up with a new strategy against the ordinance. (Jasarat)

2. Why PPP and MQM were in a hurry to pass the Local Government Ordinance Bill in the Sindh Assembly without a debate remains a mystery. Already the Sindh Bachao Committee has announced that it will protest against this bill. Evidently PPP triggered this issue, which divides Sindh and which may cause unrest, only to appease MQM. (Jasarat Edit)

3. By passing the Local Government Ordinance Bill in the Sindh Assembly, PPP has made a mistake since barring MQM no other party was in favour of it. PPP would lose its ground in Sindh. (Ummat Edit)

4. Many have been advising the federal government to conduct the local government polls before the general elections as this would be a rehearsal for the actual task. It was not advisable because every province has a different local governance system and Sindh is now burning due to the new LG bill passed. In this situation, everything would be messed up. The federal government does not have the needed time to conduct proper local polls and there were many serious issues that need to be resolved. The government should first prepare for general elections and let the new government take care of the local Government Issue. Hopefully the fresh elections would bring positive change this time. (Jang Edit)

PUNJAB
1. Two unknown persons fired in front of the ‘Ausaf’ office in Lahore. Ausaf alleges that the firing was carried out at the behest of Midas Advertising Company. (Ausaf)

2, Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif met UK Minister for International Development Alan Duncan in London and finalized cooperation in different sectors. (Jinnah)

3. Punjab government will send 100 trucks of aid material to Balochistan flood affected people and 65 to Sindh, which will include sugar, milk powder, wheat flour, and rice. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

BALOCHISTAN
1. Former Pakistan Prime Minster, Mir Zafarullah Jamali said that instead of finding a solution to Balochistan’s issues, further disturbance is being instigated. He said that if Musharraf spoiled the situation in Balochistan, the present government has also not done anything to mend the situation.  He added that the situation is not going to improve through apologies and packages.  He said that parties are playing political games in Balochistan; Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, Munawar Hasan and Akhtar Mengal’s support and meetings are all political gimmicks. (Daily Pak)

2. Separatists in Balochistan have so far killed more than 4000 opponents. BLA and BRA have even targeted women. (Ummat)

3. Though Nawaz Sharif has expressed solidarity with Sardar Akhtar Mengal, he should remember that it was during his government that Mengal’s government was toppled. Sardar Akhtar Mengal also said that the six points given by him would not solve the problem of Balochistan but would facilitate moving further. Simply criticising the current government was not correct as this problem has been lingering since Balochistan was incorporated into Pakistan. A serious and sincere effort was necessary to get to the root of this issue for which everyone will have to work together. (Daily Intekhab Edit)

4. The situation in Balochistan at present is very grave. It is the richest province in minerals in Pakistan but has been grossly neglected by all the ruling parties, present and past. if Balochistan could be brought into the national mainstream minerals in Balochistan could change Pakistan’s fortune. (Daily Hazara News Edit)

5. Sardar Akhtar Mengal’s 6 points have since been supported by PML-N, JI and ANP.  Government efforts to improve the situation in Balochistan, included apology to the Baloch people. It is essential to find a solution for the problem instead of politicizing it. (Jinnah Edit)

6. Akhtar Mengal’s 6 point charter and the statements of Nawaz Sharif and Shujaat Hussain on Balochistan highlight the need for at least all PML-N factions to work together on the Balochistan issue since Pakistan cannot afford another bifurcation like 1971. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

POK/ G-B NEWS
1. Sources have said that JKLF Chief Yasin Malik’s wife Mishal has started a signature campaign and visited a mujahideen camp in Shakargarh to have meetings with delegates. (Daily Dharti)

2. Gilgit-Baltistan CM Mehdi Shah said that the federal government should end the ban on purchasing vehicles, saying that the ban has forced his government to hire vehicles at huge cost. (Ausaf)

3. Tenders for vehicles on internal security in Gilgit-Baltistan have been postponed due to mismanagement. (Ausaf)

4. Chief Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan, Sajjad Salim Hotiya of Grade 21, is likely to be assigned important responsibilities, as many Grade 22 federal secretaries are retiring this month. Capt. Ejaz, Shahidullah Beg and Fazil Asghar are being considered for the post Chief Secretary. (Baad-e-Shimal)

5. Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Speaker Wazir Beg has expressed disappointment at the Education Department’s performance. (Baad-e-Shimal)
6. Skardu Police Department defaulted an amount of Rs.35 lakh to a petrol pump and the Petrol pump owner has threatened to stop supply to the police department. (Baad-e-Shimal)

7. It is highly disturbing that PML-N members carried an attack on the Muzaffarabad Press Club and indulged in violence. Strict action should be taken against the culprits and PML-N leadership should take note of the incident. (Daily Dharti Edit)