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 Duniya, Hizb Media, Al Qalam Weekly, Baad-e-Shimal, Bang-e-Sahar.
AFGHANISTAN
1. On the second day of its Ops Omari against Afghanistan government, the Afghan Taliban destroyed five tanks and three military vehicles in the Surobi area of Kabul district and killed eight troops. Taliban reportedly gained control of many chowkies and military installations. (Ummat)
2. Afghan Chief of Army Staff, while talking to Afghan media, has alleged that Taliban leaders are ensconced in safe locations in Pakistan. (Jang)
3. Under the leadership of Amir-ul Momineen Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansoor unity was increasing within the Afghan mujahedeen and that it was great news for the entire Muslim community, writes Saadi. He adds that after the demise of Mullah Omar, the ‘Emirate-e-Islami’ was in danger but Allah had shown mercy and ended the internal and external conspiracies. Saadi writes that since the beginning they (JeM) supported Mullah Mansoor and had stayed away from the opponents of Mullah Mansoor. (Al Qalam Weekly, 15 -21 April)
4. It had been revealed in the Senate Standing Committee for Defence that Afghan Intelligence and Indian secret agency RAW were trying to target CPEC. Desks had been formed at Kandahar, Mazar Sharif, and Jalalabad in NDS Headquarters for RAW cells which plan to sabotage the project. Afghan and Indian agencies were also busy in terrorist activities in Karachi, FATA, and other parts of the country. (Daily K2)
5. Roznama Dunya lauds government resolve not to allow Afghans to enter Pakistan without proper documents. This is a good step even though it may have caused some hardship to people at the border. If need be more stringent steps should be taken to stop Indian agents from entering Pakistan in civilian get up. (Roznama Dunya Edit)
INDIA
1. National Security Advisor, Lt. Gen. (Retd) Nasir Janjua, in an interview, said that he was in touch with his Indian counterpart on the issue of Kulbhushan Jadhav’s arrest. (Jang)
2. JI Chief Siraj-ul-Haq, while speaking in Dhirkot and Bagh (AJK), said a change in government in AJK is needed for the success of the Kashmir liberation movement. He asked people to elect JI leaders in the elections in AJK. Speaking on the occasion, JI AJK Chief Abdul Rashid Turrabi remarked that while the people of AJK made sacrifices in the cause of the liberation movement the benefits have been hijacked by the ruling class in AJK. (Jasarat)
ARMY/SECURIY FORCES
1. Daily Pak, and Nawa-i-Waqt have hailed editorially COAS Gen. Raheel Sharif’s determination to make Pakistan a lovely place for every one and safeguard it from all evils. He made it clear that India and RAW were against the CPEC and were sponsoring terrorism and anarchy to destabilise Pakistan, and hence it was the responsibility of every Pakistani to support the Army Chief in his mission for a better future. The government should also stop its soft attitude towards India and talk eye- to- eye. (Daily Pak Edit, Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)
2. Khabrain, while commending the Army chief’s resolve, voiced concern that when Ops Zarb-e-Azb was reaching a decisive phase, RAW had conspired against Pakistan. Despite India’s bid to torpedo the CPEC by any means, Pakistan should not give up the project. Instead, Pakistan should respond to the situation. (Khabrain Edit)
3. Jang and Roznama Dunya have endorsed the Army Chief’s call that it is time to end petty differences and work together for national progress. While praising the Army’s contribution to curbing terrorism, both dailies said international community should not only acknowledge Pakistan’s role against terrorism but also question India on its interference in neighbouring countries. (Jang Edit, Roznama Dunya Edit)
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. As per the Interior Ministry alert, there is a possibility of a terrorist attack in Multan and Faisalabad. A larger number of explosive materials and weapons have reportedly been transferred from DI Khan to Multan. (Khabrain)
POLITICAL SCENE –PANAMA PAPEERS
1. PPP has decided not to be part of Imran’s protests at Raiwind on the Panama Leaks issue. This was decided at a meeting held under Bilawal Bhutto to stock of the political situation. Reportedly, Bilawal was angry with senior leaders Khursheed Shah, Aitzaz Ahsan and Rehman Malik for establishing contact with the government. Another report said, Bilawal had personally contacted Zardari over phone and suggested that he should not have any contact with Nawaz Sharif in London. (Awami Awaz)
2. Javed Abroo, in Ibrat, writes: Zardari has stated that PPP is with the opposition parties on the Panama leaks issue. He should remember that if the PPP supported PML (N) now, then the PPP would also have to start counting its days; this is the reason why the PPP leaders have advised Zardari not to have any meeting with Nawaz Sharif in London. According to Abroo, the Panama leaks issue would remain in public focus for a long time. It is for the first time that dissent is rising from within the Sharif family. He further writes that if Nawaz Sharif has done any financial bungling, then there should be action as per the law but the government’s mandate should not be usurped and the government should not be toppled. It would weaken democracy since the foundations of democratic edifice are very weak in the country. Moreover Pakistan has just started limping back on track after prolonged spell of dictatorship. (Ibrat)
3. Zahid Hussain writes: even though there was a lot of attention on the Panama leaks issue right now, it did not look likely that anything would happen to the PM or his family members; even the opposition does not seem fully capable of mobilising people to put pressure on Nawaz Sharif, who was already reeling under pressure. Pakistan has no independent investigating agencies. Everybody knows how non-autonomous are agencies like the FIA and NAB. (Awami Awaz)
4. Manzoor Mirani writes: Nawaz Sharif’s sudden need for treatment in London and his stopover in Moscow suggests that the Panama leaks case is becoming too complicated and serious; this view has gained traction from Nissar Chaudhary’s statement that there is no set deadline for the PM’s return until the doctors cleared it. It means either Nawaz is truly very ill or it could be like Zardari, Musharraf, and Altaf Hussain’s going abroad for medical consultations. There are more than one claimant from the family and the party to be caretaker PM during Nawaz’s long absence. The frontrunner is, of course, Chaudhary Nissar since he is the minister for the Interior. From the family, both Shahbaz and Mariam Nawaz are claimants. The air is thick with speculation about a change of guard. (Kawish)
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. JuD chief Hafiz Saeed has spoken of the need to make the new generation well aware of the ideology of Pakistan. (Daily Pak, Nawa-i-Waqt)
2. In the PM’s absence, Minister for Finance, Ishaq Dar, would take charge of government matters and he would be supported by PM’s Principal Secretary, Fawad Hasan, and PM’s daughter, Mariam Nawaz. (Khabrain)
3. Hamid Mir, in his column, writes that a meeting between Nawaz Sharif and Zardari in London appeared to be difficult since PTI and PPP are getting closer. PPP -PTI joint movement against PML (N) government should not result in any set back to democracy, but should be strengthen democracy. (Jang)
4. In light of the Panama leaks’, PM Nawaz Sharif has decided to stop attending functions and instead plunged into serious consultations as he sensed that the political scenario is not in his favour. It is difficult to understand why the politicians are so habituated to overlook history, as most changes in the political theatre are often a result of corruption in high places. (Daily Intekhab Edit)
PUNJAB
1. Khabrain calls for step-up in the ops against the Chhotu Gang in Rajanpore. (Khabrain Edit)
SINDH
1. Human Rights Commission has presented a report on the children’s deaths in Thar. 76% of the people in Thar do not have food stocks for even a day nor do they have any financial support to buy food. Children are in the grip of malnutrition. In addition, the conditions in the hospital are poor; there is a massive unavailability of doctors and nurses. The government’s plans for tackling severe water woes have also not been properly implemented. Not much can be expected from Sindh’s authorities when they are not at all prepared to accept that conditions in Thar are not good and people are faced with many hardships. The Sindh government has given importance only to the development of physical infrastructure, while human development has been ignored. It is time the government takes the commission’s findings seriously and take appropriate action. (Ibrat Edit, Kawish Edit)
2. Sindh is commemorating the Ninth death Anniversary of former Chief Minister, Syed Abdul Shah, and a PPP stalwart. One thing always said on the occasion is that the administration graph has been on the decline in Sindh after his tenure. If introspection is not done on how to revive the PPP to its glorious days, it will soon get lost in oblivion. (Awami Awaz Edit)
POK/ G-B NEWS
1. Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly Deputy Speaker, Jafarullah, said that tickets for the Gilgit-Baltistan Council elections would be declared on 16th April and all the three divisions would get their share. (Daily K2)
2. Through a newspaper advertisement, PPP Gilgit-Baltistan senior leader, Javed Hussein, has appealed the Army to come to rescue and rehabilitation of flood hit people of Gilgit-Baltistan especially of the Nagar District. He stated that the PML (N)’s provincial and federal governments had failed completely to live up to expectation of the people and address problems faced by them in this hour of distress. (Daily K2)
3. Gilgit-Baltistan CM Hafizur Rahman said that the incomplete projects in Darel, Tanger, and Nagar would be completed under the supervision of the Pakistan Army. He also mentioned that a consolidated plan for rehabilitation of the rain affected families would be readied within a week. (Baad-e-Shimal)
Daily K2 expressing concern over damage to the Karakoram Highway, welcomes the plan to make the Gilgit-Chitral Road an all-weather. It will help to reduce pressure on Karakoram Highway. (Daily K2 Edit)
4. Baad-e-Shimal thanks the 10 Corps Commander for assuring full cooperation to the rain affected families of Gilgit-Baltistan. It adds that Army’s intervention is necessary as the government machinery has failed to do anything for the affected people. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)