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.
CHINA
1. Pakistan’s foreign affairs advisor and China’s foreign minister decided to continue cooperation in all sectors including defence. Both leaders discussed regional and international affairs, the Afghan, Kashmir and South Asian affairs. (Urdupoint)
UNITED STATES
1. The US government agency NASA has held India responsible for the dense fog in Pakistan. As per a report, due to burning of grass and crops by the Indian farmers a dense fog is generated over India and Pakistan. (Khabrain, Ausaf)
INDIA
1. Indian embassy’s spy network has been exposed by the inputs received from the arrested in-service Indian spy Kulbhushan Yadav. There is no doubt that India desires to create chaos in Pakistan and make it unstable by sparking rift between different sections of the society. Arrest of Kulbhushan Yadav is a significant expose but nobody understands why the government kept his confession secret and didn’t present it in front of the world community. (Jasarat Edit)
2. The RAW network was busted. There is no need to have any soft corner for India and its people in Pakistan and they should be under strict vigilance 24 hours. (Daily K2 Edit, Daily Pak Edit)
3. Post detention of Kulbhushan Yadav many revelations has come into public domain. India is supporting some Baloch leaders and funding the sabotage of the CPEC project. Despite having evidence of Indian hand, the Government of Pakistan has failed to raise the issue of Indian interventions at international level. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif did not even appoint a full-time Foreign Minister. Pakistan’s military, and agencies dealing with national security and law enforcement are aware the threats to national security and doing their job well. The question is: why the government is not doing its job properly? (Ausaf Edit)
4. Former Pakistan Foreign Secretary Riyaz Hussein Khokhar has blamed India for trying to divert the attention from Kashmir and isolate Pakistan on an international level. (Khabrain)
5. Amir Hamza (Central leader of JuD) in his column stated that thirteen hundred years ago when Islam came to the subcontinent there were no Muslims, Christian and Sikhs. There were only Buddhists and Hindus. Now Hindu are a minority in the SAARC nations. This is a bitter truth which the Indian extremist Hindus have to gulp down when they attend the SAARC conference. This is one of the reasons why they try to disrupt SAARC. Hindu leaders have unleashed different drives to purify those who have left Hinduism and there is a campaign called ‘Hindutva’ for the same purpose. Now, since the leaders of this campaign are in power in India they are using torture as the method to convert Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and other minorities into Hinduism. Hamza stated that state terrorism, riots and atrocities on the minorities in India are part of this campaign. Hamza claims that many Dalits are converting to Islam. They are standing against the tyranny of the upper castes Hindus. Hinduism will be a minority in India soon. (Roznama Dunya)
DEFENCE/ ARMY/SECURITY FORCES
1. Defence Minister Khawja Asif said that there is no need of any request to speak against India. India is Pakistan’s eternal enemy and it is in his blood to talk against such an enemy. (Daily K2)
ECONOMY/POWER/WATER
1. Who is responsible for train collision in Karachi? The last one-two years have witnessed several railway accidents. Only recently, in the month of September, Peshawar-Karachi Awami Express rammed into a goods train at Multan resulting in death of four persons and injuries to 90. At Bolan in Balochistan in November last year a train accident claimed 19 lives; Jaffar Express also met with an accident on account of brake failure which had resulted about half of the train getting derailed; in July last year, 19 people died when four bogies of a special train carrying army men had fallen into a river following bridge collapse at Gujranwala, Punjab. Till date no one knows as to what measures have been taken to improve railway safety and what action has been taken against those found guilty for the accidents. (Sindh Express Edit)
2. Increasing road and train accidents in the country are a matter of concern. Administration only makes statements but and does not take any tangible steps to stop the mishaps. The government must act fast and take immediate measures to frame the traffic rules. Action against the guilty should be taken to deter any repetition of any such road/train tragedies. (Ibrat)
SINDH/BALOCHISTAN/KP/PUNJAB
1. Leaders of Awami National Party have said Pashtuns have been kept under terror for 69 years and their resources have been usurped in the name of federation. Pashtuns are being marginalised by refusing to develop Western route of Gwadar-Kashgar Economic Highway. (Daily Intekhab)
2. The apex committee meeting held under the Sindh CM yesterday decided to control street crime and also crackdowns on narcotic pedalling in Karachi. The Sindh CM expressed that street crime is nursery for bigger crime and hence it should be nipped in the bud. Unless there is a quick follow up on such decisions, things will remain unchanged. (Awami Awaz Edit)
3. The apex committee has decided to get 4000 police officials trained by military and put 93 madrasas having connections with militants under strict watch. Sindh CM, who chaired the meeting held yesterday, claimed that operations against target killers, extortionists, militants, have given very good results. He said drug mafia gives fund to militants to strengthen their network. On the recommendations of others in apex committee meeting, the CM has given his consent for operations against the drug mafia. There were 15000 refugees staying illegally in AJK and the government there had deported them and hence it was decided in meeting that the federal government will be asked to give permission to file FIR against refugees staying illegally in Sindh. (Sindh Express)
POLITICAL SCENE
1. MLN leader Zafar Ali Shah has said that Khawaja Asif group does not want Nawaz Sharif’s resignation but the PM might resign from his post temporarily. Even after he resigns, Nawaz Sharif will remain in power. If the PM resigns then Nisar Ali Khan is the best choice to succeed him. (Khabrain, Ausaf)
2. Imran Khan claims that the government has now started tampering with documents in the Panama leaks case. The NAB and FIA have filed fake documents. He also questioned Attorney General representing the PM and his children in the Panama case. He will raise objections regarding the Attorney General appearing on behalf of one family. Though Panama issue has been seven months old, Nawaz Sharif still wants more time to put his case before the SC. Nawaz Sharif is trying to be evasive and wants to dilly-dally over the matter. (Sindh Express)
3. Sohail Sangi’s article titled ‘neither Imran nor Nawaz have won recent duel in Islamabad’ says the way Imran is celebrating, it gives the impression as if he is given an assurance that the court decision is to his liking. Imran Khan has not so far been able to convince anyone as to why he rolled back his bandh call. Even the media feels disappointed with Imran. Regardless of Imran’s failures he did succeed in heating up political temperature as evident from the fact that other major political parties including the PPP looked hyperactive during the days in the run up to the bandh call. (Kawish)
4. Mahmood Sham’s article titled ‘all eyes are fixed on the Supreme Court now’ says it seems that Imran has lost once again but conditions are heading towards more crises. People are hoping that SC verdict will give deterrent punishment to the corrupt so that no ruler in times to come can dare to loot the exchequer. The 20 crore people are also hoping that the court will give verdict that brings all the looted money back into country’s coffers. (Ibrat)
5. PM Sharif has pledged to accept every decision of the Supreme Court with regard to the Panama Leaks corruption scandal. PTI Chief Imran Khan should also vow to accept the SC rulings and stop creating problems for democracy. (Daily Pak Edit, Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)
POK/G-B NEWS
1. Auditor General has asked the PAC to submit reports on corruption and corrupt officials in each and every government department and even identifying corrupt audit officials in Gilgit-Baltistan. (Baad-e-Shimal)