2. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has severely criticized the violation of human rights in J&K and said that the Indian government has failed to take action against the Army and security forces involved in these crimes. (Baad-e-Shimal)

3. In his column, Talhe As-Saif writes that Jihad-e-Kashmir is battle against India and those who have witnessed it, have no doubts about it. Mujahideen have been writing volumes about sacrifices made by their brothers but people have been forgetting these sacrifices. Recalling the role of the role of Jaish-e-Muhammad in Kashmir jihad; he says that the organization had shot into prominence when it was run by Ghazi Baba. Talhe pledges to continue jihad in Kashmir and proclaims that the sacrifices of JeM Mujahideen would not go in vain. (Al Qalam Weekly, 20 January to 26 January)

GERMANY
1. German spies who had been arrested earlier, were on a mission of RAW and CIA, according to one report, which says that they had entered Pakistan through Afghanistan and were conspiring to spread linguistic riots in the region. They were reportedly involved in the bomb blast that had hit Muharram Chehlum procession. But another report said these people, who were arrested from Peshawar, are indeed BND officers and that they were here to establish contact with the Haqqani Network. (Ummat)

2. After investigations, Pakistan has released the 3 German spies who had been arrested earlier. (Ummat)

DEFENCE
1. Jinnah’s edit on resumption of drone attacks notes the military’s view that Pakistan has the capability to target US drones but they need permission to act. Pakistan should pressurize the US for respecting its sovereignty. (Jinnah Edit)

TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. JI’s Syed Munawar Hassan has alleged that Sindh is being handed over to militants in the name of reconciliation, and added that Musharraf’s policies are still being followed. He said that an army operation is no solution to militancy as people have gone missing following such operations. He said that the Army operation has continued in Balochistan for the four years of the present government. He quoted FC sources saying that India is interfering in Balochistan through its consulates in Afghanistan. He threatened that if the NATO supply route is re-opened, they will stage a sit-in at the National Assembly and block the NATO supply routes. (Kawish, Jasarat)

2. Ausaf editorial is on Dafa-e-Pakistan conference organized at Liyaqat Bagh and examines the six demands voiced at the meet, namely 1) revoke the decision to give India MFN status 2) dissolve the Kashmir Committee 3) permanent closure of NATO supply route 4) no air space for America and its allied forces, 5) end to support to Americans and 6) vacation of air bases held by the American forces. Leaders, who raised these demands, enjoy support from the Army and ISI but the issues they raised had been created by Musharraf.  The policies being criticized by these speakers were not made by COAS Gen. Kayani. The edit says that without permission from the Army, the leaders could not form policies. People think the Army approves of issues on which it maintains silence and so, they also maintain silence. The daily adds that the speakers at Dafa-e-Pakistan conference should also ask the COAS why India is being given MFN status and why the COAS is silent on the issue of a dead Kashmir Committee. (Ausaf Edit, 24 January)

3.JuD leaders like Maulana Yusuf Tabibi, Hafiz Kalimullah, Maulana Abu Akasha Mansoor, Maulana Yahya Bhatti, Qari Amjad, Bilal Hyder and Abdul Azim have spoken at various public gatherings in Karachi in order to mobilise people for the February 12th Dafa-e-Pakistan Conference. They said that Pakistan was created in the name of Islam and that the Islamic system was the goal of Pakistan. They said that they were ready to sacrifice everything for the defence of Islam and Pakistan. (Jasarat)

4. Sunni Ittehad Council has suspended the membership of four of its leaders on charges of taking funds from the American Consulate. Sources say that it has come to light from the American Consulate’s website that four Sunni Ittehad Council leaders had taken donations of USD 26,000 from the American Consulate; two of them are from Sunni Tehrik. (Ibrat)

5. Rawalpindi police have arrested two terrorists – Osman Liyaqat and Saqib Ali Shah. The police recovered 2 Kalashnikovs and 5 hand grenades from them. (Jinnah)

PAK SCENE- MEMOGATE
1. Though Prime Minister Gilani had met army chief Gen Kayani twice within ten days, the tension between government and the army has not been defused over the Memogate issue. The army leadership is still sticking to its stand on the issue. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

2. In his interview to a private television channel, PTI chief Imran Khan accused PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif of approaching the judiciary on the Memogate issue. He added that due to the Memogate Commission, the image of Pakistan’s military was being harmed. (Jinnah)

3. JUI-F’s Fazlur Rahman said that Mansoor Ijaz was trying to pit Pakistani institutions against each other. (Ibrat)

4. Asma Jehangir said that judges should not make political statements. She said that it was surprising that Mansoor Ijaz was being given date after date. She said that if the DG ISI were a genuine and sincere person, conditions would have been very different today. She said that the Army should have been made accountable long back. (Kawish)

5. In his column, Nazir Naji says Mansoor Ijaz had nothing substantial to say on the Memogate and that he is only greedy for fame. Sadly, Pakistan’s top leadership had fallen into his trap. Pakistan should stop giving importance to Ijaz now as he would continue to ditch Pakistan. (Jang)

PAK SCENE- MUSHARRAF
1. ISI chief Shujaa Pasha has had a secret meeting with Musharraf in Dubai and advised him not to come to Pakistan as the situation was not conducive for him.  It is not clear if the meeting was held at the instance of the government or whether Pasha met Musharraf in his personal capacity. (Awami Awaz, 24 January)

2. Sources have said that Musharraf has dropped the idea to return to Pakistan this month; he would announce his return date later, which could be before March 23rd. (Jang)

3. In his column, Arif Bahar writes that former President Musharraf’s return to Pakistan may be to further the plans of the West against Iran; in the past, Musharraf was useful to the West in Afghanistan.  Musharraf has a single-point agenda on his return to Pakistan and it is protecting Israel’s interests in the event of an American clash with Iran. The writer points out that Musharraf has already gone public with the plank that Pakistan accepts the existence of Israel.  He adds that over the last two decades, Israel has spread its influence in India. (Jasarat)

4. Nawa-i-Waqt editorial on the Senate resolution against Musharraf says that the entire nation was demanding action against Musharraf, but the PPP government was not serious in taking action against him, because of the NRO. Now the government should take steps to call Musharraf back and take action against him. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. A decision was taken in the PPP core committee meeting for the formation of a caretaker government after June. For this, the PPP leadership had contacted opposition parties. PPP is assuming that PTI has emerged as a third political power. (Jinnah, Khabrain)

2. As per a Gilani Research Foundation survey, 51% of people in Sindh and 58% of people in Balochistan voted in favour of a division of their provinces whereas 64% in Punjab and 86% in KP opposed the idea of division of their provinces. (Ummat)

3. In his article, Allah Bux Rathod says that apprehensions still prevail regarding inter-institutional confrontation; he uses the example of Election Commission now pointing fingers at SC decisions. According to the writer, political tensions started settling down the day PM Gilani appeared before the SC in the NRO case. Another reason for lessening of tension was the secret meeting between PML-N and PPP where both parties agreed to early general assembly elections, soon after the Senate polls. He says that this was the reason why Nawaz Sharif was no longer taking an interest in the Memogate issue, a fact admitted even by Mansoor Ijaz. Now, since Ijaz has refused to come to Pakistan and the SC has softened its stand, it seems that despite all parties wanting to defeat PPP in elections, they have failed in their designs. Rathod says that people’s resentment for the government remains; he claims that the public would remember the performance of the PPP-led government while casting its vote during elections. He says Sindhis are under impression that the MQM, a party that was pampered under Musharraf, was still enjoying special treatment under the PPP government. He says that if nothing were done to reverse this impression, it will be advantageous for MQM in Sindh. He says that the PPP had also failed miserably to address issues of poverty, unemployment, and lawlessness in Sindh. Rathod says that 3 crore new voters will vote in these elections for the first time. He says that this time, the EC may have to introduce another box on the ballot paper for those people who did not want to vote for any of the candidates. (Awami Awaz, 24 January)

4. Nawa-i-Waqt editorial is critical of the Election Commission defying the Supreme Court and notes that the poll body is not willing to prepare voters’ list within the given time limit. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

5. Daily Pak’s edit on Supreme Court -Election Commission row over fresh voters list urges the SC not to insist on a time schedule for fresh voters list saying that any haste will fail to give desired results. (Daily Pak Edit)

6. Jang and Ummat editorials commented on SC’s clarification that the Election Commission was free to conduct bye-elections as provided under the law. All voter lists should be corrected before ordering elections as a proper system would allow free and fair elections. Both dailies said confrontation between the government and the judiciary was not limited to the NRO and Memogate cases alone and that the stakeholders were making all efforts to insult the judiciary. (Jang Edit, Ummat Edit)

7. Jasarat editorial says since the CEC is also a retired judge, it would have to be seen whether his refusal to do the SC bidding comes under the purview of contempt of court. The SC has rightly asked the EC not to conduct elections till the voters’ list is rectified and there is nothing on which the EC could term this demand as unconstitutional, the daily adds. (Jasarat Edit)

ECONOMY-WATER- ENERGY
1. FBR has issued a notification for the appointment and transfer of 18 customs officers. Rashid Habib Khan of grade 18 has been appointed as Additional Collector, Peshawar; Private Secretary Malik Munir Hussain has been promoted to grade 18 and Asma Bashir has been given the charge of the post of Assistant Director of Clearance Audit. Orders have also been issued for appointment of 15 superintendents. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

2. PM Gilani has appointed Mehmood Alam as an acting FBR chairman. (Jinnah)

3. Under instructions from the Director of Anti Corruption department, Lahore region, 9 excise personnel including 4 inspectors were arrested by the ATC in the ongoing crackdown against the department. (Daily Pak)

SINDH
1. Approximately 3, 27,578 Sindh government employees are actually ghost employees, whereas 1264 employees were working on 2 jobs simultaneously. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

2. Speaking at a function in Hyderabad, federal minister Senator Maula Bux Chandiyo said that if necessary, early elections would be held. Referring to MQM’s bill for new provinces, he said that it was within MQM’s rights to table the bill but it could not pave the way for more provinces in Sindh as Sindh has its own identity. (Ibrat)

3. In his article, GN Mughal says that there is acute resentment against MQM and PPP in Sindh for not allowing the resolution in Sindh assembly past Saturday and then again on Monday. This resolution was against the amendment bill filed by MQM in the NA for more provinces. The writer says though MQM claims that it wants more provinces, it is just a ploy and its real target is Sindh as it wants to split Sindh into more provinces. Mughal says that Sindhis feel that due to MQM’s pressure on PPP, the resolution against MQM’s bill was not allowed to be tabled in the Sindh assembly. He says that at present, PPP badly needs MQM’s support. Mughal reminds PPP that MQM was not reliable as was evident from the fact that while ANP’s Asfandyar Wali Khan and PML-Q’s Shujaat Chaudhary accompanied PM Gilani to the SC recently in connection with the NRO case, no one from the MQM was seen there. He says that it would not be in PPP’s interest to give in to MQM’s pressure as it was a very opportunistic party and could desert PPP during difficult times. If PPP does not support the resolution against the MQM bill, then Sindhis would have to think of some mass-level protest. (Awami Awaz, 24 January)

BALOCHISTAN
1. Daily Intekhab edit on stoppage of gas supply to Quetta and neighbourhood, says only 1% of Balochistan has access to the gas supply and by cutting even that, the government has expressed its intense hatred for the province. It says that Balochistan is in a very bad shape and the provincial government is paying no attention to the problems. It is very careless in its attitude. (Daily Intekhab Edit)

POK NEWS
1. KRDF (Kashmir Relief and Development Fund) has genuinely served people through development projects in underdeveloped areas of AJK. (Ausaf, 24 January)

2. An ‘Ausaf’ survey claims that corruption is rampant in the name of new power houses and repairs to power houses. (Ausaf, 24 January)

G-B NEWS
1. Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to a provide loan to G-B government for the Shaghar-Thang and Thank power projects. ADB has asked the G-B government to submit a report on the Shaghar-Thang and Thank Chilas power projects within a month. (Baad-e-Shimal)
2. While speaking to ‘Ausaf’, people of Naikoni in Gilgit-Baltistan said that they were being deprived of healthcare facilities. (Ausaf, 24 January)