SOURCE: Ausaf, Ummat, Daily Pak, Nawa-i-Waqt, Urdu Point, Daily Jinnah, Awami Awaz, Daily Dharti, Jasarat, Kawish, Daily Intekhab, Daily Times, Jang, Ibrat, Khabrain, Roznama Dunya, Hizb Media, Al Qalam Weekly, Baad-e-Shimal, Bang-e-Sahar.

BANGLADESH
1.An All Party Conference held in Muzaffarabad has asked the Federal government to launch a diplomatic offensive against Bangladesh over the execution of JI leaders. (Daily Dharti)
2.JuD Chief Hafiz Saeed said maintaining silence on the executions of lovers of Pakistan in Bangladesh was not right and the government should raise the issue at all international forums. (Daily Pak)
3.JI Chief Siraj-ul-Haq said that if Pakistan would not raise voice against the hanging of JI leaders in Bangladesh at the international level then Bangladesh government would also demand the extradition of 163 Pakistan troops to make them stand trial in Dhaka. Haq said that PM Sheikh Hasina was afraid of JI’s popularity and was not in a position to fight JI politically and hence was targeting through judicial tribune. (Jasarat, Ausaf)
4.JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has condemned the execution of Motiur Rehman and termed Bangladesh government’s action as inhuman. (Ausaf)
5.Edits in Khabrain, Daily K2 and Jasarat strongly urge the Sharif government to take up the Bangladesh hangings issue in the OIC. The edits commend Turkey for recalling its envoy from Dhaka, and say that Pakistan should also take such strong steps to stop the Bangladesh government in its tracks. Jasarat voiced concern over the silence maintained by the Pakistani government, the Army and other political parties. (Khabrain Edit, Daily K2 Edit, Jasarat Edit)
6.Munir Ahmed Baloch laments the hanging of Motiur Rahman Nizami and criticises Nawaz Sharif for not protesting against the injustice, and also JI’s law maker Tariqullah, for not raising his voice in protest. Instead Pakistanis were receiving awards from Modi and Sheikh Hasina. What a contrast with India where writers, scholars, and retired military officers have returned awards and medals protesting against intolerance under Modi government. (Roznama Dunya)
7.Arif Bahar writes that JI leader Motiur Rahman Nizami was hanged in Bangladesh to punish him for his loyalty to and love for Pakistan at the time of Dhaka’s fall in 1971. In united Pakistan, Nizami was the chief of Islami Jamiat-e-Tulba and in Bangladesh Nizami had been the JI Chief. Currently Bangladesh is a centre for proxy war; India wants to have supremacy on Bangladesh for liberating it from Pakistan, and this is why Indian PM Modi, in the presence of PM Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, had reiterated that India had played a role in the formation of Bangladesh. (Jasarat)
AFGHANISTAN
1.Afghan Taliban killed 32 soldiers and gained control over 11 chowkies in Baghlan, Herat, and Ghor areas. (Ummat)
INDIA
1.OIC special envoy for J&K, Abdullah Alam, said that OIC has decided to send a fact finding mission to Kashmir. OIC has prepared a six-point mechanism for the self-determination rights of Kashmiris. He also said that linking the Kashmir freedom movement with terrorism was not correct. (Daily Dharti, Nawa-i-Waqt)
2.Dr. Asim Hussein allegedly made investments in India and was constructing a Global Medical Center in Bangalore. It has been reported two people named Sunil Shetty and Sudesh Shetty were his facilitators in India. NAB has filed a reference for Rs.462bn mega corruption scandal against Dr. Asim apart from his investments in India. (Pk Voices)
ARMY
1.Rana Mubashir has claimed that PM Sharif, during his meeting with COAS Gen. Raheel Sharif, requested him to extend his service tenure but it was firmly declined. The COAS would not accept the service extension even if the tenure was increased to 4 years through Parliament and would not accept any sort of pressure in this regard. (Pk Voices)
POLITICAL SCENE
1.Madad Ali Sindhi, writes that Supreme Court Chief Justice has rightly observed that Pakistan no longer had the tradition of speaking truth. (Awami Awaz)
2. Several edits appeared on Opposition strategies to take on PM in the Panama Leaks issue. The Opp parties yesterday held one more meeting to assess the replies given by the ruling party on the questions put up by the opposition to the PM on the Panama leaks issue. This question-answer spree seems to have relegated the common man’s day-to-day issues to the side-lines. Reminds the government to remain in touch with the Supreme Court with regard to setting up a commission on the Panama leaks investigations; it is necessary that the government should itself keep striving and take all the necessary measures to bring out the truth in the matter. Advises the opposition to undertake steps that are in the interest of the common man and democracy; and refrain from any such thing that can cause even the slightest harm to democracy. Ibrat Editorial states that the PM has twice addressed the nation on the Panama leaks issue, wherein he said that he is not at all evasive on this issue. If the PM has claimed to be innocent, then he should not hesitate to take the opposition into confidence; it will help remove any misgivings in peoples’ minds and the government clear its image. Kawish Editorial states that the PM’s decision to not reply to the opposition’s questions gives the impression that there is something fishy in the matter. Jang Edit urges the issue to be settled soon with grit and wisdom. (Awami Awaz Edit, Ibrat Edit, Kawish Edit, Jang Edit)
3.Jang editorially agreed with the Supreme Court directive to the Election Commission that poll expenses be reduced in order to enable even the poor man to run election campaign and thus establish true democracy in the country. Daily Pak, Nawa-i-Waqt also felt that the apex court’s direction for poll reforms is definitely welcome as it will ensure that clean and good representatives reach Parliament but there is not much hope that things would change soon. Anyhow law breakers will find ways to have their way in this country. (Jang Edit, Daily Pak Edit, Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)
4. Sohail Sanghi writes that the PPP had done a great job by wrapping up the Panama case from Imran’s street dharnas and brought it to the parliament instead. He adds that the PPP did not seem to be in a position to draw crowds even if it wanted to take the matter to the streets and nor did it seem to be in the mood for dharnas. According to Sanghi, this had come to Nawaz Sharif’s rescue, and now that the matter had been brought to parliament, it would now be in the hands of PPP and PML (N). He further writes that even though some of the terms of reference prepared by the opposition were tough, they also seemed to be going in the PM’s favour. He states that the more TOR are made controversial, the more respite the government would get as that would only mean delayed enquiries. Sohail writes that the only short cut solution was to come out on the roads as that was the only way to tighten the noose around the government, and also around PPP and others (establishment too). (Kawish)
ECONOMY
1.Jang seconded Prime Minister’s offer to allow Pakistan’s ports to be used by Tajikistan, as part of PM’s economic vision. The provision of 1000 MW of electricity under CASA1000 will help Pakistan overcome its electricity crisis especially during summer. Offering Pakistan’s ports to Tajikistan will enhance the bilateral trade between the two countries and will restore the old route for trade with Central Asia and this will augment the importance of Gwadar port. (Jang Edit)
POK / G-B
1.AJK Supreme Court has begun issuing rulings in Urdu. (Jang)
2.President of the Muslim Conference, Sardar Attique Ahmad Khan, has said that all the political parties are united in demanding the Election Commission to undertake 10-15 day revision of electoral rolls in order to correct the voters’ lists. (Daily Dharti)
3. PM Sharif would visit Gilgit on 19th May for the oath-taking ceremony of the newly appointed Gilgit-Baltistan Council members. (Daily K2)
4. DG NAB Zahir Shah has said that 26 corruption references had been received from Gilgit-Baltistan. Cases have been filed in six cases and ten are under investigation. He added that no one involved in corruption would be spared. (Daily K2, Baad-e-Shimal)
5. Former PTI convener, Hashmatullah Khan, has said that the Federal government and the provincial government had neglected the boundary dispute between Thor and Harban, which had acquired serious proportions now. The people of Thor and Harban were on the verge of a war. It was the duty of the government to bring forward the Boundary Commission report to finalise the borders of Thor and Harban, because if not done then this fight would turn into a fight between two provinces and that would further aggravate the regional disputes. (Daily K2)
6. Daily K2 edit says, Gilgit-Baltistan Government has rightly condemned PPP for mocking the fourth schedule under the National Action Plan. It is important that the National Action Plan should not be disputable instead everyone should support the government in getting things in order against all odds. (Daily K2 Edit)
7. Daily K2 in another edit expresses concern that substandard and hazardous items are on sale in Gilgit-Baltistan. (Daily K2 Edit)