- Noted scientist Dr. Samar Mubarakmand is now approaching scrap dealers of Lahore and Karachi for compressors as the Chinese company has denied him a compressor for the Thar pilot project and the government has said that it will consider funding the project after the gas is produced. (Daily Pak, Jinnah, Nawa-i-Waqt)
- An Australian expert, Erica Victor, said Pakistan’s secret agency, ISI has closer links with the Chinese secret agency than to USA’s CIA. (Daily Pak)
- At the end of US-Pak strategic dialogue, US agreed to provide Pakistan with required resources and competence to fight terrorism. Both sides decided on joint efforts to eradicate smuggling of explosives and drugs. Visa issues were also ironed out. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
- ISI has told the CIA that any agreement on mutual cooperation henceforth would be in writing, reports The Scotsman. Until now, ISI did CIA bidding on oral requests without insisting on a written note. (Jasarat, Daily Pak, Nawa-i-Waqt)
- Information Minister Firdaus Ashiq Awan has said that there was never any pact or agreement for handing over control of the Shamsi air base to the U.S. (Khabrain, Jinnah)
- US Senator John McCain has been quoted as saying that there is a nexus between the ISI, the Taliban and the Haqqani network. Another Senator Graham said that America wants to maintain friendly ties with Pakistan but Islamabad will have to decide who it will befriend and whom it will go against. (Awami Awaz, 5 July)
- Daily Pak editorially warned the Pakistan leadership against antagonising the U.S. It counselled ‘making enemies with such a powerful nation will be like digging ones own grave”. (Daily Pak Edit)
- Retiring NATO chief, Gen. David Petraeus, has said that 68,000 Americans and 30,000-40,000 NATO forces would remain in Afghanistan after the draw down process was completed. The deployment of US- NATO forces on Afghan soil is to save USA from another 9/11 style attack and to protect Afghanistan from forces like the Taliban and Pakistan. (Baad-e-Shimal)
- Pakistan has stopped export of fertilizer to Afghanistan, saying that nitrite fertilizer can be used in making explosives. (Jasarat)
- FIA report on the NPF scandal that will be heard in the Supreme Court on July 26 says Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz, and PML leader Aqeel Ahmad were among the government functionaries, who received plots in corrupt deals. Musharraf was given one plot, Shaukat Aziz three, Aqeel, who was the director of housing, five plots and former IG Khalid Farooq got two plots. (Jinnah)
- PPP has asked its two candidates to withdraw from the fray in the AJK by-election scheduled for July 20th as a move to reconcile with the MQM. The PPP is expected to make formal announcement in the next 24 hours. PML-Q will be given representation in the cabinet and Zulfikar Mirza will return as the Sindh Interior Minister. (Ibrat)
- Certain important personalities connected with the media are secretly working to bring the MQM and the PML-N together. (Ummat)
- The JI Chief Syed Munawar Hassan said those who are talking about a ‘Grand Alliance’ should first seek an apology from the people for the mistakes they had committed in the past. (Jasarat)
- JI spokesperson has accused the MQM and the ANP of instigating linguistic riots in Karachi and said that the government should deal against these terrorists with an iron hand. (Jasarat)
- President Zardari has issued an order directing that people who have been sentenced to death should not be hanged till September 30th. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
- Writing in Jang, columnist Nazir Naji says ‘Zia-ul-Haque and Pervez Musharraf were largely responsible for spread of corruption in Pakistan. Democracy is the only way to keep corruption within acceptable limits but today Pakistan’s corrupt establishment has corrupted democracy as well’. (Jang)
- Several editorials have voiced concern that the Gilani government is once again getting into confrontation with the Supreme Court by suspending FIA officer Zafar Qureshi who was investigating the NICL scandal case. (Jasarat, Jang, Nawa-i-Waqt, Khabrain, Jinnah)
- Ibrat edit on Sindh political scene says the conditions set by MQM for return to the ruling alliance, like appointment of Mustafa Kamal as the new Sindh governor, are difficult to be accepted and will put the PPP through testing times. However, the PPP will leave no stone unturned in its bid for reconciliation with the MQM. (Ibrat Edit)
- TTP chief Hakeemullah Mehsood is losing his control over the group rapidly and is considering desert Fazal Saeed one of these days. (Ummat)
- JuD chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed in his meetings with party activists during his Karachi tour said that India and America were responsible for the deteriorating situation in Pakistan. ‘Both countries want Muslims to fight with each other in the name of sects and language. The JuD is uniting people under the umbrella of Pakistan and Islam’. (Jasarat)
- JI and JuI-F chiefs in a joint statement have asked people not to meet with gay groups at the American embassy in Islamabad. ‘After drone attacks this is yet one more big assault on Pakistan and Islam. Authorities must take note of the situation’. (Awami Awaz, 5 July)
- Ausaf edit says Pakistan has no grounds to term the Haqqani Network an enemy if it is not involved in acts of terrorism and it has remained loyal to Pakistan. The government and army must make it clear to America that Pakistan is not going to accept their demand. (Ausaf Edit, 5 July)
- In Nawa-i-Waqt, Sarwar Munir Rao gives a historical over view of how the Pakistan army has come to wield control over Balochistan and how it has used development as a way of usurping power in the troubled province. He says, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto as Prime Minister persuaded Akbar Bugti, the Balochistan governor to let the army supply government wheat supplies in the interior through helicopters. After the agreement was in place, the army went about building a number of permanent helipads, which gave the army access to the interior areas. The army then created a network of anti-Bugti elements to overthrow the Nawab from his seat of power’. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
- In Awami Awaz, Ali Hassan Chandiyo writes a highly emotional piece about the lack of law and order and target killings in Balochistan. “The army is in full control of the province and the civilian government is merely nominal in nature. The political parties fighting for the rights of people in Balochistan should tour the province and meet the relatives of activists who were killed for no reason”. (Awami Awaz, 5 July)
- The Sindh police IG has admitted that the law and order situation in Sindh is not satisfactory. He said recent transfers and reshuffle were carried out as police working was not up to mark. (Ibrat)
- Inmates in the Sukkur jail held prison officials hostage and some inmates might have been shot at the officials before their agitation was called off. (Ibrat)
- 490 people became victims of target killings in the past six month in Karachi (Intekhab)
- Jasarat’s editorial on security situation in Karachi says despite the recent reshuffle of police officials in a bid to tone up policing, the security situation remains deplorable with 13 people killed in the last 24 hours. (Jasarat Edit)
- U.S. aid to Pakistan might be in danger after the U.S readies its report on corruption in Pakistan. Meanwhile Transparency International Chairman Adil Gilani has accused the government of supporting corrupt politicians. He said corruption during Zardari regime has increased by 70% as compared to corruption during the Musharraf regime. (Jinnah)
- Economists have said Pakistani government should cut down more than 40% of its non-development expenditure. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
- Leaders of JKLF (UK and Europe) said in a joint statement that non-state political parties have contested elections in AJK and this has given a serious blow to the national liberation movement. They said that such steps will give validity to Indian steps in Kashmir. (Ausaf, 5 July)
- The Muslim Student Organization, the Manawar Social Welfare Organization and the PML-N organized a joint rally at Manawar (Gilgit-Baltistan). The speakers accused the government of acquiring 8,000 canals of land adjacent to Munawar; this acquisition was an injustice to the people. They demanded compensation for the people who had lost their land. (Ausaf, 5 July)
- The leader of the All Pakistan Muslim League (Gilgit-Baltistan) Muhammad Sharif said that he can present written proof about corruption indulged in by PWD officials working in the Dinwar Water Supply department. He asked the government to complete work and replace the rotten and damaged pipelines immediately. (Ausaf, 5 July)
- Gilgit-Baltistan people are upset that the federal government has decided to give a 3-year contract for the Attabad Spillway to the FWO though the organisation has proved to be highly incompetent. The locals wanted the contract to be given to some foreign company, preferably a Chinese company. Attabad IDPs have threatened to launch a civil disobedience movement otherwise. (Baad-e-Shimal)
- G-B chief minister Syed Mehdi Shah and local army chief Brig. Ejaz Najaf inaugurated a Cadet College and public school at Skardu. In recent months, Pakistan army has opened a number of cadet colleges and public schools in AJK in order to offer education facilities in G-B. (Baad-e-Shimal)
- A youth, Mohammed Fayaz, was killed by the police on June 28. The killing followed a complaint by the victim’s father that his entire family was receiving threats on account of the elections. This is yet another proof of violence being indulged in by the security forces in AJK. It also shows that people are being threatened and intimidated in connection with the elections (Baad-e-Shimal & others)