RUSSIA
1. Nawa-i-Waqt editorial: Russia has changed its anti-Pak views as it realized that India gave more preference to the US. So far, Russia wasn’t supporting Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir in order to please India. Pakistan has a lot to offer Russia; close relations between the two countries would boost economic development. Pakistan needed Russia’s support in the energy sector. … India’s sympathy for Palestine is hypocritical, and in reality, India has always supported USA and Israel. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)
CHINA
1. A memorandum has been signed between the Sindh government and a Chinese company, ‘Global Mining’ to set up a 900 MW coal based power plant at a cost of USD 3 billion. The Chinese company will utilise five million tons of Thar coal annually from bloc-1 of the Coal Authority. The only condition in this memorandum is that the Chinese company reach Pakistan with all necessary machinery and start work within 6 months. This Chinese company is also likely to invest another USD 1.5 billion. Sources say that the power generated from this project would be connected to the national power grid station at Yamshero. (Jasarat, Awami Awaz)
UNITED STATES
1. The US President has refused to give time to meet PM Gilani. American officials have given a low priority to the PM’s visit and provided for a meeting with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defence. All this has to be blamed for the poor ground work of Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani. Hence PM cancelled his visit to New York and asked Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani to attend the UN meeting. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
2. Ausaf’s editorial is on American Ambassador Cameron Munter’s claim of evidence with the US about Pakistan’s government’s links with the Haqqani network. It says: the US never accepted Pakistan’s sacrifices and has been conspiring against Pakistan. Pakistan’s huge loss in terms of human lives, and set back to its economy have not stopped the US from suspecting Pakistan. The US is actually helping India in Afghanistan. India has already set up a dozen consulates in the Af-Pak border areas. These ‘consulates’ are in fact terrorist training camps that send terrorists into Balochistan and other tribal areas. If Pakistan has not supported the US and has not arrested top al Qaeda leadership, the US would have been defeated in Afghanistan. The government must get out of the so-called war on terror. (Ausaf Edit, 19 September)
INDIA
1. TWO members of the Iranian Parliament have said that India has backtracked from the IPI gas-pipeline project under American pressure, says Iranian news agency. (Jasarat)
2. The Indus Water Council-Pakistan’s chairman, Zahurul Hassan Daher, has alleged that the Indian and Israeli lobbies wanted to weaken Pakistan by stopping Pakistan’s share of Indus waters. Addressing the National Water Council meeting held at Zakariya University in Multan, he pointed out that three of Pakistan’s provinces were affected by ‘water attack’ in 2010. He alleged that the recent floods in Sindh were also an Indian conspiracy. When India’s dams and lakes get filled, it releases water downstream into Pakistan without any advance notice. Had Pakistan built its own dams to store water, this excess water would have proved to be a boon unlike now when Indian action has been threatening standing crops and habitations in Pakistan. Daher claimed that India had built over five dozen illegal dams on the Chenab, Jhelum and Indus and that 190 more dams were under way. He added that five foreign agencies including RAW, CIA and, Mossad were working on suppressing voices in Pakistan against Indian dams. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
3. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman said that India would have to become serious about resolution of the Kashmir issue. Until Kashmir is resolved, the relations between India and Pakistan will not improve. (Baad-e-Shimal)
4. Since PM Gilani has cancelled his visit to the US, there are no chances of meeting between him and the Indian PM on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session. There is however a possibility of a meeting of the foreign ministers of both countries. (Ibrat)
5. Nawa-i-Waqt editorial: Diplomatic circles in Islamabad were wondering whether Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani would bring up the Kashmir issue in the UN General Assembly. Rabbani has no option but to raise this issue, though in ultimate analysis it would amount to nothing. With the Kashmir issue allowed to be unresolved, India is in control of all rivers flowing into Pakistan and as a result, Pakistan is facing a famine. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)
DEFENCE- ISI
1. Intelligence agencies have recommended action against officials of four jails that have allowed banned organizations to continue their operations from inside their jails (Jasarat report, Sept 19)
2. Khabrain’s edit is on COAS Gen. Kayani’s meeting with Admiral Mike Mullen. The edit says: Kayani did the right thing by rejecting the US call for action against the Haqqani Network. Despite Pakistan’s sacrifices, the US keeps asking it to do more. … The US economy is in shambles, and hence, it is not in a position to extend support to other nations. Pakistan should establish relations with the US on an equal basis. (Khabrain Edit)
3. Daily Intekhab’s editorial is on a meeting between COAS Kayani and American Army chief Michael Mullen. During the meeting Kayani made it clear that Pakistan would carry out an operation inside Pakistan only in its own interests and that Pakistan would not accept any dictation. Though the US has announced a pull-out from Afghanistan, it still wants to keep tabs on the region. So it is fencing China with the help of India. India should not make the mistake of going against China as Pakistan would not support this conspiracy. It seems that the relations between US and Pakistani armies would not improve so easily. (Daily Intekhab Edit)
4. Columnist Nazir Naji writes: the security system has become weak and this is clear from the attack on Karachi SSP. Sadly, the government doesn’t appear to be stirred into action to prevent the slide down. Though there have been numerous terrorist attacks, nothing is being done to improve the security system. A joint report prepared by American and Indian experts focuses attention on increasing terrorism in Pakistan and its effects on the region and across the world. The report also examines the dangers if Pakistan’s nukes fall into the hands of militants due to poor security. There is no doubt that the US wants to capture or destroy Pakistani nuclear facilities and is trying ways to defeat Pakistan. (Jang)
5. A high-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Rahman Malik has directed all the provinces to keep a strict watch on persons in ‘Schedule Four’ under the Anti-Terrorism Act. (Jasarat)
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. Violence in KP and tribal areas during the past two months have been carried out on the orders of activists of banned groups currently languishing in jails, sources which prefer to remain anonymous said. (Ibrat)
2. Al-Khidmat Foundation has established 5 aid camps in Rawalpindi for the flood-affected people of Sindh. (Jinnah)
3. The suicide attack in Karachi could be a new conspiracy to spread unrest in the country as the US has been asking Pakistan to take action against Taliban in Waziristan. To destabilise Pakistan the US is supporting and popping up these terrorist groups. It is responsible for the Karachi unrest. Pakistan authorities should not sit quiet any longer. (Ummat Edit, Jang Edit)
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif held a secret meeting with PML-Q Chief Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain and PML-Q Gen. Secy. Mushahid Hussain on his return from Mecca, sources said. Their talks appear to be focused on forming a Muslim League alliance. But the PML-Q Information Secy. Kamil Ali Aga has denied any such meeting. (Daily Intekhab, Jinnah)
2. Speaking in Karachi, Nawaz Sharif said that mid-term polls are necessary in view of the prevailing conditions. He said terrorists should not be released in the name of reconciliation policy. Sharif demanded that the ISI report on the Karachi be submitted in the National Assembly. He also said that whatever has been said by former Sindh Minister Zulfikar Mirza on MQM and target killers needed to be looked into. (Ibrat, Awami Awaz)
3. Former Sindh minister, Zulfikar Mirza has demanded that the UK government extern Altaf Hussain. He also demanded that MQM be banned in UK. He made these demands as protests were organised in the UK against MQM by Friends of Lyari, MQM (Haqeequi) and Balochistan Political Forum. (Awami Awaz)
4. JI Chief Syed Munawar Hassan has alleged that the delay in verification of voters’ lists was just an excuse to make way for bogus voting. He claimed that a terrorist organization had hijacked the process of preparation of voters’ list. (Jasarat)
5. Senators have demanded that the national wealth of USD 97 billion, presently in the Swiss Bank, should be brought back to help flood victims. They also demanded construction of the Kalabagh Dam. (Jasarat)
6. JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that sensitive agencies were patronizing sectarian organizations. He also said that PPP did not have the constitutional power to make a new province and that the Saraiki province could be PM Gilani’s personal agenda. He said that the ending of religious Madaris was an international agenda. (Jasarat, Jinnah, Daily Pak)
PUNJAB
1. A person suspected of conspiring to kill Punjab CM has been arrested from DG Khan. (Nawa-i-Waqt, Jinnah)
2. Courts in Lahore have issued warrants against 150 policemen for not implementing judicial orders. (Jasarat)
SINDH
1. Sindh’s Interior Minister, Manzoor Wassan has announced an ex-gratia of Rs.20 lakh for the families of the six policemen who were killed in the Karachi suicide attack. He also announced regular salaries to each of these families until the retirement dates of the deceased officials. (Ibrat)
2. Speaking at a seminar organized by Pakistan Water and Power Action Committee, water experts and farmers in Sindh said that wrong policies of the government were responsible for floods in Sindh. They also said that Indus waters were being polluted. (Awami Awaz)
POK NEWS
1. J&K government had provided former AJK PM Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhary with PM’s protocol and security. (Ausaf, 19 September)
2. Interior Ministry has decided to extend FIA’s sphere to AJK and G-B. In the first phase, FIA offices will be set up in Muzaffarabad and Gilgit. FIA has decided to recruit 700 staff locally which will also help in addressing the unemployment problem. (Baad-e-Shimal, Jinnah)
3. AJK PM Abdul Majid has invited PML-N AJK to join the government in working together for liberating Kashmiris from Indian dominance and to increase prosperity in what he termed as the ‘base camp’ or AJK. Majid also said that PPP’s present government was focused on getting the Kashmiris the right to self determination. He assured that his government will take care of refugees. (Ausaf, 19 September, Baad-e-Shimal)
GILGIT-BALTISTAN NEWS
1. Talking to Baad-e-Shimal, the Assembly speaker, Wazir Beg said that the Aman committee wanted to destroy Hunza peace. He said that conspirators involved in the Hunza incidents were using the Aman Committee to avoid arrests. (Baad-e-Shimal)
2. While speaking with Ausaf, Mir Iskandar, in charge of MQM ward-1 (Gilgit-Baltistan), said that if the Tajikistan road is constructed through Chitral, it will jeopardize peace in the area and terrorism will increase. He said that the Tajikistan road should be constructed through Ashkuman. (Ausaf 19 Sept)
3. Rama festival has been organised for the first time at Astore. It would promote tourism. (Baad-e-Shimal)
