3000 people have been killed in US drone attacks during last 5 years. (Daily Pak)
 
INDIA
J&K Community Saudi Arabia President Sardar Javed Khan said that the Kashmir Council and Ministry of Kashmir Affairs were the main obstacles in the development and progress of AJK. He alleged that resources in AJK were being used in Pakistan and thus the people of AJK were unable to benefit. (Daily Dharti)

Daily Dharti has demanded action against locals who misbehaved with tourists who visited various places in Poonch district during Eid. Edit says that if such unethical things continued, tourists would stop visiting these areas and many people would lose their income. (Daily Dharti Edit)

JuD leader Hafiz Saeed has accused India of using water as a weapon of war. He said that there is an Indian conspiracy to construct illegal dams over rivers in J&K and urged JuD activists to extend support to all flood affected people in the nation. (Jinnah)

JUI-F leader and Kashmir Committee Chairman, Fazlur Rehman has stated that India must respect democratic values and release Kashmiri leaders. He condemned India for being a huge democratic power that has captured J&K using force. He said that the Kashmir movement will take on an intense tone if India’s attitude is aggressive. (Jinnah)

Addressing a convention on the 65th Foundation Day of Neela Butt, Muslim Conference President and former AJK Premier Sardar Atiq Ahmad Khan said that resolving the Kashmir dispute was possible through talks but the policy adopted by President Zardari was not at all acceptable. He added that Kashmiris could not rely on incapable politicians who praise India while sitting in Pakistan. He vowed to continue the freedom struggle until Kashmir is completely liberated and said that relations with India should be made contingent up on the solution of the Kashmir issue. (Daily Dharti, Ausaf, 23 August)

Nawa-i-Waqt  editorially notes that APHC chairman, Mirwaiz Omer Farooq has expressed concern that Pakistan has pushed the Kashmir issue to a secondary position; since Pakistan is embroiled in its internal issues, its attention has shifted from Kashmir and that has given a free hand to India to adopt aggression towards Kashmiris. Edit writes that Kashmiris had announced accession to Pakistan but due to India’s obstinate attitude, the Kashmir issue has not been resolved till date. Edit writes that resolving the Kashmir issue is necessary for Pakistan’s progress and stability and till Kashmiris get their right, establishing peace in the region is difficult. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

Daily Pak in its editorial on floods and rains criticised that Pakistani criticizes India for building dams on rivers but no attention is paid to build its own dams. China has built over 84000 small and big dams to protect the country from floods and to help its agriculture during drought, whereas Pakistan saved only 13% of its river water, which underlines the need to build new dams to save Pakistan. Edit. (Daily Pak Edit)

Nawa-i-Waqt edit on flood havoc says the situation has worsened due to glaciers melting. India is taking advantage of the situation to cause more harm by releasing excess water into Pakistan.  For the 2010 floods Indian mischief was responsible more than any other factor. Edit says that realizing the situation the government machinery should have been more alert, but except giving a flood warning, the government took no other action. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

DEFENCE
Brig.(retd) Ali Khan, who has been sentenced to a 5 year rigorous jail term for his contacts with Hizb-ut Tahrir and his involvement in the attacks on GHQ has complained in a letter to Gen Kayani that he was given a “C” class in the jail, ignoring his education, rank and social status. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
Terrorists attacked Pakistan’s security forces near the Pak-Afghan border, which was tepulsed. (Daily Pak)

Daily Hazara News editorial says that with Eid celebrated on three different days Pakistan became a laughing stock. (Daily Hazara News Edit)

Daily Intekhab editorial has voiced concern over increasing trend of domestic violence in Pakistan. Incidents like throwing acid on women, cutting lips, tongue and ears, damaging eyes, and open killings on roads are quite alarming. All such acts are basically due to a sense of injustice and unemployment. It will be possible to check such crimes if the government gives relief to people and fulfils their basic needs. Otherwise combating external challenges would not be possible, the edit warns. (Daily Intekhab Edit)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
Talking to Ummat, the former Chief of Jamat-e-Islami Qazi Hussein Ahmad said that the federal government could announce elections unexpectedly but so far no one has contacted him about an interim Prime Minister’s name. He added that armed operations in North Waziristan would end favouritism to Pakistan inside Afghanistan. He stated that the government has practically accepted India’s supremacy as the policies of New Delhi are akin to that of Washington and it is only because of the public pressure that the Pakistani Government is not openly declaring it so. He alleged that India, Israel and America were supporting separatist movements in Balochistan and wanted to disintegrate Pakistan but the government was not so courageous to blame them openly. (Ummat)

Irfan Siddiqui in his column laments   that a dictator had put Pakistan at stake for his vested interest and today Pakistan was suffering. Distrust and uncertainty were the biggest disorders and no one had any idea that what would happen next. Siddiqui says that the entire Pakistani community was leading the life of a blind man. (Jang)

Abdul Majeed Mugeri in Ibrat writes that hidden hands are out to ensure that PPP is out of office before its term is complete and the war against the government is against the needs and understanding of the common man. The writer states that the conspiracy against PPP is with instigation from the powers in charge. (Ibrat)

ECONOMY-WATER- ENERGY
Khyber Pakhtunkhwah tops the list of power thieves according to a report. PESCO officials say that different departments from the province, as well as consumers owe the company Rs.120 billion. Now authorities have decided to set up special police stations along with PESCO officials to check power thefts. (Kawish)

Talking to Ummat Dr. Samar Mubarak Mand said the idea of producing electricity from Thar Coal Project was not deferred. He asserted that the money received from the Prime Minster would be utilized in developing infrastructure to facilitate the project as Rs. 90 crores more were expected. He claimed that the oil lobby was against the Thar Coal Project as they were working on a separate diesel production project with foreign investments. (Ummat)

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWAH (NWFP/FATA)
A Kohistan jirga has offered its services to end sectarian clashes in Gilgit-Baltistan. (Daily Hazara News)

SINDH
A MQM delegation called on Jiye Sindh Qaumi Mahaz leaders at Padidan Town rocked by clashes. They had called on JSQM leaders for the sake of peace. (Awami Awaz)

The Sindh CM stated that now scheming elements are out to revive the Kalabagh Dam but they too will fail. Speaking at Garhi Khuda Bux, after paying tribute to the tombs of martyrs, he asked party workers to get ready for the polls. He claimed people in Lyari have been won back to PPP. (Awami Awaz, 23 August)

Dr. Suresh Talreja, Chairman of the Pakistan Hindu Forum was robbed of Rs. 25 lakhs of cash and around 40 tolas of gold. (Ibrat)

Pakistan Sunni Tehreek Chief Muhammad Sarwat Ijaz Qadri said that Karachi was the economic heart of Pakistan and those trying to stop its beats by terrorism and lawlessness would only fail. He added that if killing of heirs of the founders of Pakistan was not stopped, PST would use its way to destroy such hooligans. (Jang)

POK NEWS
SSP Muzaffarabad was collecting details of Kashmiri migrants around the Neelum River and was questioning them over their return to Jammu & Kashmir.  Many migrants were of the opinion that Pakistan has pulled its support to the Kashmir freedom struggle though the SSP claimed he was collecting records as a routine. (Daily Dharti, Ummat)

PM of AJK Chaudhary Abdul Majid said that the Kashmir liberation movement was the one point agenda of PPP and claimed that the PPP government was striving at the federal level and in AJK for the independence of Kashmir. He claimed that the government was providing generous funds for the prosperity and development of AJK and billions of rupees have been sanctioned by President Zardari and PM Pervez Ashraf for AJK during his last meeting with both of them. (Ausaf, 23 August)

AJK PM Chaudhary Abdul Majid said that he met the representative of the affectees of Mangla dam and that all issues will be resolved. He states that work for an international airport at Mirpur would begin and an Islamic university, police training college, and a hospital with 500 beds would be constructed. (Ausaf, 23 August)

Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the government would promote tourism in AJK. He added that all measures would be taken to develop roads and reconstruct airports to facilitate the tourism industry. (Daily Dharti)

G-B NEWS
At a meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary, it was decided that bus service on the Karakorum Highway would be restored. (Baad-e-Shimal)

GB Finance Minister, Mohammad Ali Akhtar has said that the federal government has sanctioned Rs. 10 crore for foolproof security arrangements on the Karakorum Highway. (Baad-e-Shimal)

Baad-e-Shimal on the Babusar incident says now the Chief Minister instead of just issuing statements should take some practical steps against terrorists and ensure peace to public. Edit writes that the CM has said that the federal government has promised to run C130 thrice a week and has also allocated budget to build Shounter Pass tunnel, which will reduce travel time by 8 hours. He also said that an external conspiracy was involved in creating the current situation in GB. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)

Sources indicated that High Courts and lower courts would not be functioning till 3rd September as per a notification issued considering security concerns in Gilgit after the recent incidents of violence. (Jang)

Sources have said the GB government has decided to initiate a 72 MW power project to increase energy production. (Baad-e-Shimal)