IRAN
1. Iran is ready to allow Taliban offices in order to establish peace and stability in Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said. He said that Iran was not involved in militant activities in Afghanistan. Foreign Ministers of two countries signed agreements on cooperation in including science, technology, economy, cultural exchange and border security. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

RUSSIA
1. Dr. Abdul Majeed Chandiyo writes that the forthcoming COAS Kayani’s visit to Russia is the fallout of silent diplomacy. He states that India continues to be a source of worry for Pakistan from the security and defence points of view. He writes that the US has begun to favour India over Pakistan and has begun increasing pressure over Pakistan. The writer states that Russia and Pakistan’s proximity is the need of the hour. He states that Pakistan has lost several opportunities to strengthen ties with Russia; in fact, Liaqat Ali Khan’s visit to Moscow was stopped by Pakistan’s bureaucracy. While the pro-India lobby may be bigger in Russia, there is also a pro-Pakistan lobby. Only thing that can get between Russia and Pakistan is Pakistan’s plans to buy gas from Turkmenistan. (Kawish)

AFGHANISTAN/UNITED STATES
1. Afghan officials have alleged that 38 rockets were fired from Pakistan on Kunar. The rockets fell in the Dangam district but no causality is reported. (Urdupoint)  

2.  ‘Washington Post’ has claimed that the number of CIA contract agents and American spies had increased considerably across the world since 2001 and surprisingly even Robert Gates had no idea about the number of American agents in Pakistan. The American daily says the total number of people working for American secret missions is approximately 8.54 lakh; of them, 2.65 lakh are on contract like Raymond Davis. It should now be accepted that the US is behind all the unrest inside Pakistan. Sadly, Pakistan is not doing anything to stop all this. (Ummat Edit)

3. In his column, Talhe-As-Saif writes that Pakistan was burning as America had invaded Afghanistan. Although bloodshed continued in Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan, the killers of Muslims were also suffering and were actually losing the battle. He questions why the Pakistani media was silent over the massacre of Muslims in Syria and claims that after the news of atrocities on Syrians spread, jihadi-minded people were rushing to Syria from various parts of the world. He claims that jihadis from Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon had already reached Syria to fight along with the Syrian mujahideen. Talhe invites readers to join the jihad as jihad is better work than biased journalism. (Al Qalam Weekly, 31st August to 6th September)

INDIA
1. ANP leader, Senator Hajji Adeel said that Pakistan should import things from India rather than the US and UK as orders from India will reach sooner. Adeel said that all issues with India along with Kashmir should be resolved. (Urdupoint)

2. Senate was told yesterday that the issue of ‘missing war prisoners’ of the 1965 and 1971 wars had been raised with India numerous times, but India had denied the presence of any Pakistani war prisoners in any of its jail. Pakistan officials had raised the issue of 5 missing officers and 18 soldiers with Indian officials, but they have not confirmed the presence of these Pakistanis in Indian jails. (Urdupoint)

3.  Arif Bahar writes that President Zardari and Indian PM Manmohan Singh discussed in Tehran bilateral issues. Leaders of both countries have always talked on bilateral issues but no issue has been resolved till date. Bahar writes that some time back, he interviewed APHC chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and found that Geelani was more worried about the situation in Pakistan. Bahar writes that the passion of independence which was at its zenith in the 1990s had died down. (Ausaf)

4. During the debate on ‘Defense of Pakistan and our responsibilities’, chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council, Sahabzada Fazal Karim, said that the US and India are bent upon breaking up Pakistan. He added that those hurling allegations against Pakistan’s defence institutions, were in fact RAW and CIA’s paid agents.. (Nawa-i-Waqt, Daily Pak)

DEFENCE
1. General Headquarters (GHQ) of Pakistan Army has completed an investigation into the NLC scandal and has held a court martial. Based on the findings, the Army has reinstated 3 military officials who had been named in the scandal. (Jinnah, Khabrain)

2. Operation Rah-e-Raast (Operation Right-Path), Swat, Commander Major General Ghulam Qamar said that forces have arrested 104 terrorists including suicide bombers. He asserted that 260 extremists were killed and 17 cross border attacks were foiled. (Ummat)

TERRORISM/EXTREMISM
1. Trained terrorists from foreign countries entered Pakistan through airports of small cities and have spread across the country. These foreign terrorists are using local agents for carrying out their plans. Communal targeted killings are a conspiracy of CIA contractors; the US, India and European embassies are providing necessary equipment to these terrorists through consular baggage. (Ummat)

2. As per “Waqt News” special report, a conspiracy to infiltrate foreign terrorists into Pakistan has been exposed. The report talked about removing immigration data, shutting down CCTV cameras at the airport to hide terrorists’ identities, and issuing fake visas to foreign terrorists. Some FIA personnel were part of this conspiracy. By taking advantage of Pakistan agreeing to become a US ally, the US, India and Afghanistan spread their spy network across Pakistan. In an interview to Nawa-i-Waqt, former Pakistan Army chief Gen. (Retd.) Mirza Aslam Beg said that the Indian spy network was working in Afghanistan with support from USA, British and Israeli intelligence. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

3. JuD has organized its first training course for Hajj from today at Masjid ul Qudsiya, which will last until Sunday, September 9th. The second course will begin from September 14th and will last until September 16th. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

4. Sources have indicated that the Youm-e-Khatm-e-Nabuwat would be celebrated today across Pakistan. It would be celebrated to remember the 38 year old law that had termed Qadiyanis as a non-Muslim minority. (Ummat, Jang)  

5. Jang welcomed the counter terrorism bill passed in the NA. Today, terrorists are equipped with the latest technology and that is why, the government should also equip itself and concerned departments better. Even the judiciary and executive should be given fool proof security.  POTA and TADA laws in India were criticized because of the extra powers given to officials, which sometimes lend a bias to cases. But Pakistani officials did everything even without such powers; hence a balance has to be maintained so that the innocent would not be victimized. (Jang Edit)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. Interior Minister Rahman Malik asked the Sharif brothers to get rid of Chaudhary Nissar saying that the leader of the Opposition doesn’t want them to continue in politics.  (Urdupoint)

2. PPP wanted a retired judge or general to be the caretaker PM whereas PML-N was thinking about a candidate from a smaller province. PML-N was considering names of Justice (Retd.) Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Sardar Akhtar Mengal whereas PPP was thinking on General (Retd.) Ahsan. (Urdupoint)

3. PML-N Deputy Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said that the government did not have the intention of conducting the elections before 2014 and that the local body election issue was part of this conspiracy. He said that the Balochistan situation may worsen because of a delay in elections. (Jinnah)

4. PPP was delaying the elections as President Zardari could be nominated from an existing NA itself.  ( by Khushnood Ali Khan,  editor, Ali Khan Jinnah)

5. Addressing a convention in Naushera, JI chief Syed Munawar Hassan said that authorities would have to go over their dead bodies in order to start an operation in North Waziristan. He added that to pacify the anger of the Baloch community, the killers of Nawab Akbar Bugti should be brought justice. Hassan claimed that propaganda regarding local body elections was a baby of MQM and a trick by the government to delay general elections. (Daily Intekhab, Ummat, Ausaf)

6. Musharraf will return to Pakistan after the caretaker government is set up, official sources confirmed. Sources said the issue has been sorted out when some government and military officers met him in Dubai. (Daily Pak)

7. MQM is enhancing its contacts with PML-N and is opposing PPP on certain issues. Yet, it is not ready to quit the ruling coalition.. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

8. Strangely even MQM and PML-Q have not pressed for the formation of Hazara province. It was because of Hazara Tehrik, other movements for new provinces came to life and if the Hazara province is not formed, alongside the ruling party, even leaders of the Hazara Tehrik, including Sardar Yusuf and Baba Hider Zaman will have to bear the blame. (Daily Hazara News Edit)

ECONOMY/WATER/ENERGY
1. Chairman of the Sunni Ittehad Council, Sahabzada Fazal Karim, said due to government’s wrong policies, investors were leaving Pakistan; he claimed that during the past 5 years, USD 100 billion had been transferred out of Pakistan. (Daily Pak)

2.  Lahore High Court has asked the federal government to show cause for remaining silent over the construction of a dam by India on the Indus River. (Ummat, Ausaf)
 
SINDH
1. Former Army Chief Gen. (Retd.) Mirza Aslam Beg said that local government elections in Karachi would be conducted as per MQM’s constituencies. He claimed that to end PML-N’s influence in Sindh interiors, the provincial government was also in favour of local government elections. He said that general elections would be held on a stipulated time and PML-N would be forming the government. (Ummat)

2. Sindh has received Rs. 26 billion less than its budgetary allocation in the first two months of the financial year. (Kawish)

3. Sindh government has not yet returned Rs. 6 billion it has withdrawn from a fund set up to help those distressed in the province; The money was borrowed three months ago and was to have been returned in July. (Kawish)

4. APNC, a representative body of newspapers has threatened not to publish any of the Sindh government’s announcements of tenders from September 15 to protest against the Sindh government’s ignorance of the demands of Sindh’s newspapers. Outstanding government advertisement money to Sindh papers is a staggering Rs. 500 million. (Ibrat)

BALOCHISTAN
1. Balochistan National Party (Awami) leader Senator Kulsum Parvin has alleged that the establishment was responsible for the deteriorating situation in Balochistan and said there is no   foreign hand. (Jinnah)

2. Police officers are reluctant to go to Balochistan and have managed to stop their transfers and promotions. The list of such officers has been sent to the federal government. (Daily Pak)

3. CJP Iftekhar Chaudhary has said Balochistan is sitting atop a volcano and that the situation would be dangerous if external forces infiltrate. When we were strong, India and Israel were not in position to harm Pakistan in spite of their efforts. Earlier, nobody dared to send their trained militants into Balochistan but now violence had gripped Balochistan. (Ausaf Edit)

4. Talking to a delegation of the SCBA, Chief Secretary of Balochistan Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad said that there were no NO-GO Areas in the province and that the administration was taking steps to ensure that the SC’s instructions were being followed. He claimed that there was no Army operation going on in Balochistan. (Daily Intekhab)

POK/ G-B NEWS
1. JKLF supreme head Amanullah Khan said that singing peace songs while putting the most sensitive matter on a back-burner was criminal negligence. He asserted that if the Kashmir problem was not resolved, millions will have to continue live under the threat of a nuclear war. He added that 4 generations of Pakistan had sacrificed their lives. (Daily Dharti)

2. On 10th September, JKLF will hold a convention in Rawalakot which would be a milestone in ending the 1974 act and against the division of Gilgit-Baltistan. (Ausaf)

3. Talking to Baad-e-Shimal, PML-Q Secretary General and provincial minister, Bashir Ahmed Khan denied his party was demanding Governor’s rule in Gilgit-Baltistan. 9Baad-e-Shimal)

4. G-B assembly passed a resolution demanding that Gilgit-Baltistan be declared a tax-free zone.. (Baad-e-Shimal, Ausaf)

5. G-B assembly passed a resolution to make the Karakorum Highway safe for passengers, increasing C130 and ATR flights and making air fare reasonable. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)