DEFENCE-KAMARA BASE ATTACK
1.Addressing a huge congregation in Company Bagh, Okara, JuD Chief Hafiz Saeed said the Kamra airbase attack was an Indo-American conspiracy for which the Taliban were blamed unnecessarily. He added that the US was trying all measures to contact Mullah Omar; he claimed that Omar had rejected all requests for talks with the US. Saeed said that Pakistanis will not allow the American Army into Balochistan; nor would they allow construction of US Army bases in Gilgit-Baltistan. He vowed that NATO supply lines wouldn’t be allowed to reopen. He also vowed to bring all religious parties as well as the public on one platform for the Difa-e-Pakistan. (Daily Intekhab, 20 August)

TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1.In their columns, Irfan Siddiqui and Hamid Mir lament the disputes on moon sighting and say that Pakistan is the only country where Eid was celebrated on 3 different days i.e. on 18th in North Waziristan, on 19th in KP and on 20th in the rest of Pakistan. Siddiqui and Mir say that issues like terrorism drone strikes, and missing persons took away the lustre of this wonderful season. (Jang, 20 August)

2.In his article, Maulana Mansur Ahmed writes that Muslims should celebrate Eid but they should also remember that hundreds of Muslims had been killed in Burma and that international institutions were silent on these killings. Ahmed writes that even today, the dignity of Muslim mothers, sisters and daughters was unprotected. (Al Qalam Weekly, 17August – 23 August)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. Former President Musharraf said that he will return to Pakistan once election dates are announced and a caretaker government is set up. He said that politicians should follow the SC’s verdict and write letters to Swiss authorities. He added that he had no knowledge about Osama bin Laden’s presence in Pakistan and said that blaming institutions should be avoided. (Urdupoint, 20 August)

2. In his article, Abdulwahab Munshi talks about rising nationalism and comments that Jinnah was worried about the nationalism propounded by Liyaqat Ali Khan in favour of Mohajirs; he was also worried about the Punjabi movement. Munshi says GM Syed had foreseen that the country could break up after the fourth martial law. He alleges that Yahya Khan broke up the country and then, Musharraf tried to do the same. He says that Sindhis have now realized that their future lies with nationalist parties as the country’s political fulcrum seems to revolve around nationalism including upcoming elections. Munshi uses the examples of PPP’s attempt to carve out a new province in South Punjab; PML-N’s passing a resolution in the Punjab Assembly along similar lines, and PPP giving new names to NWFP and Northern Areas to give an ethnic identity to people. Munshi says Nawaz Sharif exploring the possibility of an alliance with Sindhi nationalist party shows that nationalism is gaining momentum in the country. He alleges that in order to win Punjabi votes, PPP is doing all that it should not do, such as planning to build four dams on River Indus. Munshi says that these dams will store more water than Kalabagh; which means that Sindh will be forced to give up some of its share of water to Rawalpindi, Balochistan and KP. Munshi says that for the first time Sindhis have decided to vote for their nationalist parties in the next polls. He claims that the next elections will be the turning point of Pakistani politics. He warns that if Sindhi nationalists are not elected to the assemblies, only projects like Zulfikarabad will become a reality and Sindhis will become a minority; Munshi says this has already started in form of Sindhi Hindu exodus to India. Munshi says Sindhis had decided to reject candidates that favoured a province for Sindhi Mohajirs. (Awami Awaz, 20 August)

ECONOMY-WATER- ENERGY
1. Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry has once again revived its demand for construction of the Kalabagh Dam. The Chamber said that those opposing the dam were enemies of Pakistan and wanted to play with the country’s future. The office bearers said if this dam is not constructed, Pakistan will continue to have poverty and starvation. The President of Chamber Irfan Qaiser Sheikh said that not constructing the Kalabagh Dam was costing the country an annual loss of Rs. 132 billion. (Kawish, 19 August)

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWAH (NWFP/FATA)
1. Daily Pak editorial has condemned the US drone attacks in North Waziristan during the Eid celebrations. (Daily Pak Edit, 20 August)

SINDH -HINDUS
1. President of  Hindu Panchayat and minority MNA Kishanchand Parwani said that the committee set up by President Zardari to look into the condition of Hindus in Pakistan is an eyewash as only PPP members had been taken as members. He said that big seminars on the Hindus’ plight will be held across the country – on September 2nd in Umerkot, on September 9th in Mirpur Khas, on September 16th at Sanghar. Such seminars will also be held in Karachi and other major cities. (Ibrat, 18 August)

BALOCHISTAN
1. Baloch National Movement (Shaheed Ghulam Muhammad) spokesperson has announced full support to a shutter-down strike call given by BRP on the 26 August to observe the death anniversary of Nawab Akbar Bugti. (Daily Intekhab, 20 August)

2.  Various Baloch organizations have welcomed the Baloch Community National Conference on 16th September at the Karachi Press Club which is being organized by the BNP. (Daily Intekhab, 20 August)   

POK/G-B NEWS
1. Pakistan National Party Chief and former Senator Dr. Abdul Hai Baloch said that the Baloch community stood beside the oppressed Kashmiri community and would extend all possible support for the complete freedom of Kashmir. (Daily Intekhab, 20 August)