UNITED STATESFormer ISI chief, Gen (rtd) Hamid Gul said that Russia wants NATO and America to be ruined before they leave Afghanistan. He said that Russia wants them to face the fate in Afghanistan that it suffered. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

Awami Awaz’s editorial on the ISI Chief’s visit to the US says one of the major tasks for this visit is to woo and persuade the US against drone attacks in Pakistan. (Awami Awaz Edit)

INDIA
Addressing an Iftar dinner at Model Town, JuD chief Hafiz Saeed said that India allowing Pakistanis to invest in India is a conspiracy to destroy Pakistan’s economy. He added that by allowing Pakistani investors in India, India is paving the way to enter Pakistan and gain control. He added that by opening markets for business with India, Pakistan will not only endanger the national economy but will also harm the Kashmir freedom movement and national security. He criticized India for having taken control over Pakistan’s rivers and stated that inefficient Pakistani rulers are busy building friendship and trade relations with India. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

Several industrialists have expressed in a conversation with the Khabrain Mobile Forum that investing FDI in India will ruin Pakistan’s industries. (Khabrain)

Jinnah’s edit while welcoming Indian consent to Pakistan’s traders to trade in India said India did not allow any Indians to conduct trade within Pakistan. This way, profits go to India only. This way Pakistan was making its own enemy powerful. Edit tells the government that before conducting trade with India, India should be pressurized to resolve all controversial issues. (Jinnah Edit)

ANP’s Senior Vice President Senator Haji Adil has welcomed trade with India and stated that Punjab aims to get hold of the resources of small provinces. (Urdupoint)

Allah Bux Rathod writes in Awami Awaz that Indo-Pak trade ties are a guarantee for peace. A conducive atmosphere will have to be created if investors from both sides are to make investments even on an experimental basis. There are ample investment opportunities in Sindh itself and Sindhi Hindu investors and business people from neighbouring parts of India can invest in coal related projects. (Awami Awaz)

Jasarat and Ausaf in their editorials said both countries have paid attention to improved trade ties under pressure from the US. In the current scenario, there would be seemingly no positive response to this offer of investment in India as even today issues of liberal visa to Pakistani traders and opening of branches of banks in India were pending.  India will also benefit if it will genuinely understands the need of friendship with Pakistan. (Jasarat Edit, Ausaf Edit)

Jang says trade diplomacy would be quite useful in improving relations between the two nations. And said trade diplomacy should not become an obstacle to resolving outstanding issues. (Jang Edit)

Daily Pak says that before the 1965 war both countries had free trade relations, so now the latest Indian step should be considered as an addition to confidence building. (Daily Pak Edit)

Daily Hazara News in its edit says though Indian invitation for Pakistani investment is a positive gesture, it must be noted that the main cause of tension between the two countries is not economic. Any enhancement of economic ties and improving economic relations is not going to dissolve tension. Since the main issue between India and Pakistan is Kashmir, till Kashmiris are given the right of self determination, relations are not going to improve between the two countries. (Daily Hazara News Edit)

Nawa-i-Waqt’s editorial says confidence building measures that were started during Musharraf rule have been taken forward by the present government. Even if trade deals with India were profit making, they should still not be made till the Kashmir issue is resolved. Edit states that trade with India has only caused losses to Pakistan’s economy. It points out that trade and business community of Pakistan has held the Indian offer as a conspiracy against Pakistan. It also criticised the decision to export cotton to India and said if Pakistan was not suffering from an energy crisis, then this cotton could have been used in Pakistani industries. Observing that India   is supporting separatist movements in Balochistan, the daily said any trade or friendship with such an enemy is an insult. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

DEFENCE
 Recent fruit market Blasts in Lahore were an act of RAW. The blasts were of low intensity and the procedure was similar to the one tipped off at Lahore Railway Station for which Lashkar-e-Balochistan was responsible. The Hakimullah Mehsud Group was also given instructions to target Punjab and Karachi and Rs.2.5 crore was paid in advance along with vehicles for carrying out the bomb blast. (Ummat)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Even after 65 years, Pakistan has not been passed a law against the contempt of the national anthem. (Daily Pak)

The federal Minister for Productivity Chaudhary Anwar Ali Cheema warned the government that if load shedding is not resolved in seven days then his party’s continuance in the ruling a coalition would become difficult. (Jinnah)

Jinnah’s editorial has endorsed CJP Iftekhar Chaudhry’s remarks that no one is superior to the constitution and supports the remarks. (Jinnah Edit)

Nawa-i-Waqt has criticised Punjab Governor’s resolve to form South Punjab province. It pointed out that when the name of NWFP was changed, it instigated the Hazara Province movement and intensified the movement for the restoration for Bahawalpur province.  If South Punjab is formed, then it will initiate a demand for the division of Sindh and Balochistan also. The purpose of South Punjab is to serve  political interests. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

Irfan Siddiqui in Jang states that unless Pakistanis starts respecting the constitution and judiciary, it cannot be considered a civilized community in the 21st century. (Jang)

ECONOMY-WATER- ENERGY
Citing water shortage in dams, IRSA has cut down 10,000 cusec from Sindh’s share of water effective from today. Meanwhile, the water issue between Balochistan and Sindh has also gotten worse. IRSA and the PM have now asked Sindh to give water to Balochistan. Sources say there is a reduction in Punjab’s share of water to the extent of 10,000 cusec. (Ibrat)

Following the setting up of a probe commission by IRSA to look into Sindh’s complaints of Punjab stealing Sindh’s water, Punjab has started levelling charges against Sindh. Punjab says Sindh is tampering with statistics and Sindh is drawing more water than what its records indicate. (Awami Awaz)

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWAH (NWFP/FATA)
ANP will take a decision in its general council meeting in the last week of August on making election alliance with PML-N.   ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan has given the responsibility to central leaders of the party to make an alliance with PML-N or any other party in reaction to reservations expressed by party members with the federal government.  President Zardari told ANP chief said that ANP’s reservations on load shedding in KP will be addressed. (Jasarat, Nawa-i-Waqt, Daily Pak)

Fearing a Taliban attack, the security at the District jail in Mansehra has been put on high alert and a search operation has been initiated. Suspicious armed persons were seen during night and it was feared that Taliban in the guise of police could attack the jail. (Daily Hazara News)

Daily Hazara News  has editorially cautioned that extreme water shortage in Abbottabad might lead to public agitation.  (Daily Hazara News Edit)

SINDH
Jiye Sindh Muttahida Mahaz held rallies Sukkur, Hyderabad and other parts of Sindh demanding the release of nationalist activists. (Awami Awaz)

BALOCHISTAN
Syed Amanullah Shazi writes in Jasarat writes that the federal and provincial governments did not pay attention to drinking water in Gwadar till Gwadar Port with Chinese support was completed. Rainfall was very low in Gwadar and drought is a constant threat. Hundreds of people have left the area due to unavailability of drinking water He advises that a water pipeline should be built up till Gwadar from Mirani Dam to resolve the water scarcity permanently. (Jasarat)  

In an interview to BBC-Urdu service, Federal Cabinet member from Balochistan, and PPP leader Mir Changez Khan Jamali said that PPP has been following Musharraf’s policy in Balochistan for the last 4 years. He agreed that security agencies are involved in kidnapping and murder of political workers in Balochistan. He said that there is a Bangladesh-like situation in Balochistan and in certain areas there is a ban on reciting the national anthem or hoisting the national flag. The Frontier Corps Colonel is more powerful than Balochistan CM. He said that the Army and judiciary cannot resolve the Balochistan issue; it is a political issue and only the parliament can resolve the issue. (Nawa-i-Waqt, Awami Awaz)

Veteran Baloch leader, Sardar Ataullah Mengal said agencies, security forces and the establishment are behind the deterioration of conditions in Balochistan. (Ibrat)

Daily Intekhab and, Ummat have editorially noted that many Senators from Balochistan are worried that if the situation did not improve, an incident similar to the fall of Dhaka could be possible in Balochistan. If external hands were involved in spreading anarchy, Pakistan should start dialogue with such nations; the US is aware that it could easily control China, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan sitting in Balochistan. The editorials say that unless the issues of missing persons and tortured dead bodies were not resolved, peace could not be restored and it would not be possible to start a political dialogue in Balochistan. (Daily Intekhab Edit, Ummat Edit)  

POK/ G-B NEWS