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, Sindh Express, Pk Voices.

HUMAN RIGHTS
1. A rally was taken out jointly by the human rights and civil society groups from Arts Council to Karachi Press Club demanding release of Salman Haider and others abducted from across the country. Protestors raised slogans against Interior Minister Nisar Chaudhary and the government. Noted dancer, Sheema Karmani, Wahid Baloch, who was recently released after remaining missing for long, and several leading lights of Karachi attended the rally. In her speech, Sheema Karmani, said: “No one can suppress us; we will not accept government’s policies of suppression and oppression”. People spoke against continuing operations in Balochistan and said these must stop. Activists of Religious groups attacked the rally and threw stones. They raised slogans against the leaders of the civil society. Speaking against stone pelting, Riaz Ahmad, a social activist said that ‘we are raising voice in support of missing people. Our agitation is being coloured with religion versus secularism, so that none can take any protests tomorrow on this issue. Even women activists are being tortured by the police’. Asad Iqbal of Pakistan Human Rights Committee said, ‘Our rally was planned and fixed five days ago, and then how come religious groups took decision on their rally overnight?’ He also said that it was earlier agreed that religious groups’ rally would be at Karachi Press Club and our rally would be at the Arts Council, then how come they (religious groups) came down to Arts Council?’ ‘Police could not even stop a handful of people when they were pelting stones on us.’ (Ibrat)

2. Civil society activists who were protesting under leadership of Sheema Kirmani in Karachi to demand recovery of missing bloggers reportedly ran away when activist of Tehreek-e-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah approached them staging a counter protest. . Religious activists demonstrated in front of Arts Council demanding that bloggers should be punished because they have committed blasphemy. (Ummat)

3. Human rights activist Asma Jehangir said it is an open secret that intelligence agencies abduct people in Pakistan. She said that there is no outsider behind these abductions in Pakistan. Be it Home Minister Nisar Chaudhary or be it PM, both are very helpless before the Establishment on the issue of abductions and protection of people’s rights. Speaking to BBC, she said that ‘both should resign now’. Politicians should refrain from doing any collaboration with the Establishment. Youth of today is well aware about their rights. Most of the time, a major reason for abductions by the Establishment is criticism against CPEC. It is noticed wherever there is any talk and criticism against CPEC, the Establishment people get very upset. It is claimed that Pakistan’s agencies are best in the world. If this indeed is so, why cannot they get the abducted people freed? Intelligence agencies should understand that people are not against development; they only want development and growth which benefits all. Benefits from CPEC must reach the people especially those who are going to be affected by the venture. People of Gilgit-Baltistan say that they are not against CPEC. They only want some alternate source of income as their orchids will be affected due to the CPEC. If PM Sharif and Home Minister cannot get abducted persons freed, what can the Supreme Court do? It is tough for the judge because he knows that if there is no implementation on his orders, it will affect the credibility of the very institution of judiciary. Government and those behind the curtain should understand very clearly that it is not possible to supress people in these days of social media. (Sindh Express, Ummat)

AFGHANISTAN/SAUDI ARABIA
1. The Secretary General of Rabita Alam Islami (Muslim World Coordination), Dr. Abdul Karim al Eisa is arriving in Pakistan today on a week-long visit. Pakistan Ulema Council thinks that his visit will strengthen Pak-Saudi relations. (Jang)

2. Chief of Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam (S) Maulana Sami-ul-Haq has expressed his willingness to facilitate negotiations between Afghan Taliban and the Afghan government. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani phoned Sami-ul Haq and praised him saying that he was patron not just for Taliban but for entire Afghan people. Therefore, all eyes look to him for peace. Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Omar Zakhilwal also met Sami-ul Haq at his residence and discussed the Afghan situation. Sami-ul Haq reportedly told Afghan President that Kabul should come out of US influence. He also conveyed the concern of people on Afghanistan’s ties with India. (Ummat, Khabrain, Jasarat)

INDIA
1. The Army chief Gen. Bajwa met with UAE Envoy and conveyed our distress over the killings of UAE diplomats in suicide attack in Afghanistan. Both India and Afghanistan have blamed Pakistan for this attack; this is a tactics aimed at spoiling Pakistan – UAE relations. So much so, Prime Minister Sharif shroud phoned the UAE leadership and made them aware of conspiracies against Pakistan. (Ausaf Edit)

2. First Indian Army Chief claimed that JeM was involved in Uri attack. Now, NIA is blaming LeT for it; the Indian allegation of Pakistan’s involvement in Uri attack has only become doubtful. (Jang)
3. The network of 12 arrested RAW agents, who were arrested in Gilgit-Baltistan has spread as far as Kohistan and Chitral. CPEC is their first target. They are preparing for starting sectarian fire in Northern Areas and for targeting mega projects in Kohistan, Chitral and other areas. Another target is Ismaili Jamatkhana. All the terrorists are connected with Balawaristan National Front (BNF) which is controlled by its Chief living in Belgium. (Ummat)

4. 12 Indian spies working against CPEC have been detained from Gilgit-Bastian. Pakistan should lodge a protest against India. Pakistan should foil all the conspiracies against CPEC and raise Indian spies issue with the UNSC. As a good friend of Pakistan, China has rejected India’s reservations on CPEC and announced that it is standing by its stance on Kashmir issue. (Ausaf Edit)

5. Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Minister Fida Khan said that detention of RAW agents from Ghizer is a big success of the PML-N government. He added that the people of Ghizer are patriotic but some elements are defaming the area. Therefore, the time has come that all the RAW agents should be removed from the area. (Daily K2)

6. IG Gilgit-Baltistan has expanded the scope of investigation after the arrest of a RAW agent from Ghizer of Gilgit. He said two teams have been formed under different SSPs to bust the real network and facilitators. IG has revealed that the Indian intelligence has provided money and weapons to the arrested agents. (Ummat)

7. British newspaper Financial Times has claimed that in the event of India attacking Pakistan, Pakistan might use nuclear weapons for its own defence. (Jang)

INDIA- IWT
1. Pakistan government has decided to take up Indus Water Treaty (IWT) issue with the World Bank. Sources in the Water and Electricity Ministry said Pakistan’s executive director Nasir Mahmood Khosa at the World Bank has been entrusted with the task following a high level meeting chaired by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. The World Bank had recently asked to settle the matter between both the countries through talks. (Sindh Express)

2. Attorney General of Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali said a committee he was heading on Indus Water Treaty will submit its recommendations to the government within a few days. He added that Pakistan will not backtrack from its stance on Indus Water Treaty and India’s PM Modi plans to stop water of Pakistan would be foiled. (Jasarat)

3. Pak government is giving priority to water issues on account of India’s water aggression but has allowed huge tract of land to become barren civil society leaders asserted at a joint press conference in Lahore. They accused the Sharif government of ignoring the canal system of the country. Lawyers organisations’ representatives and Lahore High Court Bar leaders pointed out that though Pakistan has a major canal system in the world, it still depends on India for vegetable. They said Pakistan must use its power for freeing Pakistan’s rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab from India’s occupation. (Ausaf)

ARMY/SECURITY FORCES
1. Karachi’s business community and industrialists are not happy with the Sindh government. A 40- member delegation met Pak Army Chief and submitted their submit complains about law and order situation in then city. The Army Chief promised the needful. (Jang, Roznama Dunya)

TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. Religious parties will observe today as ‘Safety of the Dignity of Prophet-hood’ day and will stage protests against proposed amendment in the law. Qadiyani Sect scientist Dr. Abdul Salam’s name and reference should be removed from University’s Physics department as he is said to have conveyed important secrets to the US, Israel and India. (Daily Pak)

2. Asad Shur reports: Home Ministry has admitted that it is difficult to get 100 per cent information and details about funds being received by militants. In a written reply, the Ministry told the Senate that militants also receive funds from drug peddlers, who are active especially on Pak-Afghan borders. Extortion is yet another source. Some foreign intelligence agencies also fund these militants. Several cases about funding to these groups are underway, 498 cases have been lodged under Foreign Regulations Act. 230 cases are lodged for money laundering. Besides these, 116 cases for suspected movement and transfer of funds to and out of the country are also being investigated. During the last three and half years, there were 5321 terrorist strikes that killed 4613 persons and left 12188 injured. (Sindh Express, Khabrain)

SINDH
1. Sindhi students were attacked by Pashto students at Islamabad University. Sindhi students are already not forthcoming to take up higher education and attacks like this one will discourage them even more. It is the responsibility of the Federal government to mete out deterring punishment to the guilty so that such attacks do not recur. Hopefully lawmakers from Sindh will raise their voice and ensure protection for Sindhi students. (Ibrat Edit)

2. Sindh is deprived of potable water. Who is responsible for it? Promises were made to the people of Sindh about employment, good health and better education, none of them has been fulfilled. Now even clean and potable drinking water is also not available. The irony of fact is that rulers are not bothered about common man’s life. For them, people are just means to reach corridors of power and once used for the purpose, the people are forgotten. PPP’s Sindh government is warned that if this remains the trend for long, the times to come will be bleak for PPP in Sindh. In order to escape such a scenario, the Sindh government must ensure that every village and city gets potable drinking water. The judicial commission set up by the Supreme Court to take stock of infrastructural facilities, drainage network for release and disposal of polluted waters and drinking water facilities in Sindh’s urban areas visited Sukkur, Jacobabad and Hyderabad during last two days. The Commission also visited sites where drinking water was stored, and saw the drainage disposal site. The department set up for protection of ecology itself is in a very poor shape. People would have hardly known about this department until it was in the news recently following raids on few sugar mills. This department is a big burden on tax payers. Industrial pollutants are polluting waters at Nooriabad and Kotri. Pollutants from Karachi’s industry are released into sea through Malir and Lyari rivers. Health and sanitation related scenario in Sindh is in a very bad shape. All this is a matter of governance and as long as it does not improve, Sindh will continue to appear as a big heap of garbage. Every water course and canal will be nothing more than a big gutter. (Kawish Edit, Sindh Express Edit)

3. At yesterday’s Sindh cabinet meeting, the CM accused the federal government of playing politics on issues concerning law and order and other key issues in Sindh. He lamented about the lack of consensus between the provincial and the federal governments over issues like sharing of natural resources. This is not good, and over time will impact the country as a whole. Sind Chief Minister has announced setting up some committees on issues like price control, profiteering and civic matters. One committee will take stock of the Arms Act and it will also guide Sindh police chief on controlling street crime. Instead of dealing with Sindh’s key issues on ad-hoc basis, the government should draw long term plans for at least 10-20 years. (Awami Awaz Edit)

BALOCHISTAN/KP/PUNJAB
1. Columnist Habibullah writes: JuD has created a good rapport with the nationalist Baloch leaders. This has become possible because of the public welfare works JuD has carried out on a large scale in Balochistan. JuD Chief Hafiz Saeed’s press conference received much cooperation from nationalist Baloch leaders. Jamhoori Watan Party Chief Shahzain Bugti has declared his full support to JuD. India is not at all happy over Baloch nationalist leaders singing to the tunes of Hafiz Saeed and their expression of love for Pakistan and the Pak Army. India had tried a lot to defame Hafiz Saeed. Yet today he is a hero for the Baloch community. Pakistan’s government should also follow the JuD example to counter Indian terrorism at every level and to win the confidence of Balochistan. (Daily K2)

POLITICAL SCENE
1. MQM leader Farooq Sattar called on to the Finance Minister Ishaq Dhār. He told him that MQM should be taken into confidence on the issue of appointment of Sindh governor. Whatever names are being considered for the post should be discussed with MQM also. Ignoring MQM on this issue will be unconstitutional. (Kawish)

2. Ten religious parties of Pakistan have decided that if the President doesn’t take any action on written requisition sent by them against Qadiyani’s by the end of this month, they will launch protest demonstrations. (Jang)

3. It is revealed that there is a dispute between Federal and Provincial governments on the issue of security of CPEC. The Provincial governments made the Federal government aware that they will not accept any reduction in NFC award. (Khabrain)

POK/G-B NEWS
1. Shutter down strike was observed and markets remained closed in Skardu to protest against nerve breaking load shedding. Protestors threatened to lock down the WAPDA house if electricity is not restored in the next three days. (Daily K2, Baad-e-Shimal)

2. Gilgit-Baltistan CM Hafiz-ur Rahman said his government should be given free hand to start small power projects to reduce load shedding. (Daily K2, Baad-e-Shimal)