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.

KASHMIR SITUATION
1. Analyst Zia Shahid has criticized the Kashmir Committee Chairman Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman for not reacting to the death of Burhan Wani at the hands of Indian forces. He asked the PM appoint another leader as a Chairman of the Kashmir Committee. (Khabrain)
2. Senior analyst Najam Sethi, in his comment on latest Kashmir violence, says, Kashmiris do not want to become a part of Pakistan, after getting freedom from India. If this happens, it will become very difficult to handle Pakistan’s internal security issues. (Jang)
3. Political commentator Javed Abroo, writes: When any strike and protests were held in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan used to be blamed. But this time around the protests are local in nature and followed the killing of Burhan Wani and his two aides. The Indian Supreme Court’s verdict that the Army should not resort to excessive use of force strengthens Kashmiris’ case. If the UN and the Security Council had implemented the resolutions on the Kashmir issue and if the US and Russia too had insisted on the implementation of those resolutions, the Kashmir issue could have got resolved long ago. The US is pro-India and also plays a questionable role in this matter. However, all the peace loving countries in world demand that India stops its atrocities on Kashmiris because the use of force cannot suppress them for long. (Ibrat)
4. The international community is adopting double standards when it comes to Kashmir, where 21 people have been killed in the latest flare up. The Pakistan foreign office has failed to articulate the issue effectively; this is the reason why it has been ticked off publicly by PPP leader Bilawal Bhutto and PTI Chief Imran Khan. The international community should question India about the purpose of deploying five lakh soldiers in Kashmir. India cannot present evidence of its charges against Pakistan which are anyhow. Pakistan on the other hand has presented evidence to the US about India’s intervention but Washington did not take any action. This shows that the US is one with India in this crime. (Khabrain Edit)
5. The response of the Americans, international powers and human rights organisations to latest bloodshed in Kashmiris inadequate to say the least. Pakistan should bring a resolution in the UN Security Council against India. Pressure should be brought on India to make it act on the UN resolution on Kashmir issue. Pakistan should send out a tough message by way of expressing solidarity with the Kashmiri people. (Ausaf Edit)
6. Difa-e-Pakistan Council leaders have claimed that Indian forces are using dangerous weapons in Kashmir but the UN and the Security Council are keeping quiet on the matter. (Roznama Dunya)
7. The attention of the international community should be drawn to the aggression displayed by the Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir. (Jang Edit)
ARMY/SECURITY FORCES
1. The Chief of Pakistan Naval Staff, Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah visited the forward posts in Creeks that border India and met the Marine officers deployed there. He was briefed about further strengthening security in the area. (Jang / Roznama Dunya)
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. Munir Ahmed Baloch has taken to task a religious leader for complaining while on live TV that ISPR did not allow his song to be aired on TV channel because he is a refugee. The leader, whose name was not mentioned reportedly made the criticism of ISPR, in Karachi. (Roznama Dunya)
2. Seven groups belonging to RAW and NDS are active in South Punjab and there is a possibility of targeting the CPEC. Terrorist elements exist in Bhakkar and have the support of banned organization TTP. (Khabrain)
POLITICAL SCENE
1. PM Nawaz Sharif released a message in a TV program to the PML (N) leaders that the US is supporting them and that the military leadership has no intention of imposing a Martial Law. He said the opposition should be allowed to do what they want. (Khabrain)
2. The PTI has started considering three routes for its protest marches. These are Peshawar-Pindi, Sukkur-Multan and Pindi-Lahore. (Kawish)
3. Senator Abdul Qayyum Soomro says if the Panama Leaks had not taken place people would not have seen the real faces of the Sharif family and would have continued to treat them as clean and innocent. The Terms of Reference for the investigation in these leaks have become contentious and remain unresolved because the government wants to give clean chit to the Sharif family. His crime is that he has not declared his foreign assets. Nawaz Sharif, should emulate the example of UK PM who went to Parliament and spoke about his parents’ offshore companies. Now that the PM is back in the country, and his health has improved, he should come to grips with the TORs. Otherwise it is not going to be a smooth sailing for government. In fact the Sharif government would not be able to save itself from the growing ‘political heat’ that is expected only to rise in the coming days. (Awami Awaz)
4. Awami Awaz and Ibrat have editorially commented on the Sindh- KP government’s critique of Islamabad saying that the federal government should take a note of their growing resentment against it. In the recent joint statements both Chief Ministers complained that the federal government has taken away their share of electricity and that their provinces were not given their due share of NFC (National Fund Corpus) funds. It is because of such neglect that the provinces are being compelled to lodge protests against the federal government. The Sharif government only takes care of and promotes one province and the rest are neglected. The Sindh province, despite contributing so much to the exchequer is being ignored the most. The history of Pakistan is witness to the fact that all small provinces namely Sindh, Balochistan and KP are being meted out a step motherly treatment. The only way to remove small provinces’ resentment is to listen to them and take decisions in consultation with them. The federal government will have to stop its policy of favouring just one province and must work to strengthen the entire country. (Awami Awaz Edit, Ibrat Edit)
ECONOMY-WATER
1. With water level rising in the Indus River alarmingly at Latifabad, the embankment have been eroded by 60 feet. Though a huge amount has been spent on strengthening embankments, breaches took place at two places. Villagers say there are in a state of panic fearing more erosion. Though the Irrigation Department has placed big boulders, they may not withstand if water keeps rising. (Kawish)
POK/G-B NEWS
1. Petrol shortage has once again hit Gilgit-Baltistan; victims are tourists. (Baad-e-Shimal)