2. Marked differences were seen between the Foreign Ministry and the Trade Minister over the issue of giving India the Most Favoured Nation status, sources said. Foreign Ministry had decided to give India the MFN status but the Trade Ministry objected; so nothing was finalized. (Jang)

3. EDIT on new provinces says the Indian Congress decided to divide India into different states on the linguistic basis. But Pakistan was formed on the basis of Islamic unity and there was no concept of linguist differences. It contends that further division of provinces on linguistic basis as suggested by MQM leadership would be disastrous. (Daily Pak Edit)

UNITED STATES
1. Saadi states that the American Consulate has established a cell comprising of three persons which will work against jihadi ideologies in Pakistan. The cell has been allotted initially USD 500 lakh and the money will be given to moderate Ulema and Islamic scholars who will raise a voice against Jihad. Saadi writes that such things will not affect jihad and states that in last 10 years USD 500 billion have been spent to sabotage jihad but jihad is progressing. He also invites Muslims to take up jihad and advises them to use their money in jihad.. (Al Qalam Weekly, 6-12 January)

2. Al Qalam Weekly’s editorial voices concern over the newly set up anti-jiahdi unit in American consulate and demands that the government and judiciary take notice of this unit as this will be a threat to the stability of Pakistan. It urges religious leadership to reject this American agenda. (Al Qalam Weekly Edit, 6-12 January)

3. Analyst Tahir Ashrafi avers that the Taliban and US negotiations cannot go ahead without the support of Saudi Arabia. He said when the Taliban office is opened in Qatar, then the Taliban and US negotiations will get a proper gear. He said Hamid Karzai’s future will be decided by Mullah Omar. (Jinnah)

DEFENCE
1. A discussion on the formation of a transitory set up in the last week of January has been carried out in crucial political circles of Islamabad, sources said. The sources said that the last week of January will therefore be important for changes in the Pakistan government. PPP leaders are understood to have decided to face the opposition criticisms on the judicial verdict and for that they will use legal methods to defend themselves as well as the power of the people. The report states that if this strategy works then senate elections will be held and the government will work till October. If the strategy fails, a situation will be created to achieve the sympathy of the people to face the upcoming election. Sources said that it was possible that the PML-N halted its big demonstrations against government due to this emerging scenario. (Khabrain)

2.Sources revealed that in a meeting between PM Gilani and the military leadership, the military leaderships made the PM aware of the ongoing situation and their doubts over the Memogate issue and the PM assured them of full cooperation. (Jinnah)

3. Photograph of PM Gilani with the COAS Gen. Kayani and the Chairman JCOSC Gen. Khalid Shamim was issued to the media on instruction from the PM to give an impression that there was no rift between the two pillars of the state. PM Gilani had only a 15 minute chat with COAS Kayani and news about an hour long talk between the two was misleading as in near future it’s unlikely that President Zardari, PM Gilani and COAS Kayani would gather at one table. (Ummat)

4. Nawa-i-Waqt edit on PM’s meeting with army chief states that conflicting stances between the government and Army in the Memo case should not affect national issues. It noted that both the government and the army have adopted a unified stand on blocking supplies to NATO and the government should not revive NATO’s supply under US pressure. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

5.  Hamid Mir in his column comments on an incident of police- army rivalry which took place on Dec 31 in the Secretariat Chowk, Islamabad. ASI Ali registered a complaint in his own police station that army officer had abducted him along with his Constables Nazir, Amjad and Ramzan from Secretariat Chowk. They were told that Army Chief would be passing shortly and hence they should move away from the area; they were dragged by their collars and were taken to Parade Avenue near the Parliament House before being released after a humiliating investigation. Mir writes that such incidents of rivalry between the Army and Police were not new but Army officials should understand that it is the responsibility of the city police to maintain law and order and  confrontation between law enforcement agencies would be disastrous for Pakistan. (Jang)

TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. Saadi writes that Pakistan’s politicians take the support of astrologers to know their future which is shameful. He says people should keep away from astrologers and those who claim to know about future as that is an anti-Islamic act (Al Qalam Weekly, 6-12 January)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. Legal Experts like Zafar Ali Shah, AK Dogar and others have said that after the Supreme Court’s final deadline on NRO, it would be difficult for the government to duck the issue. They said that PM Gilani would be held responsible for non-implementation of court orders and he could be removed. (Ummat)

2. Irfan Siddiqui in his column criticises PM Gilani, PML-Q, MQM and PML-N for exaggerating the issue of new provinces. He writes that everyone seems to highlight the issue as if it holds the solution to all the problems Pakistan. It was clear that every party and individual was working for vested interests without any concern or love for the nation. Siddiqui states that this government had a very good chance to do something good for the country since neither America, nor the Army or any political parry did anything concrete to pull it down. Unfortunately the Chief Executive of the nation failed miserably on all fronts. Siddiqui states that even though it is important that new provinces should be carved out and the government should complete its normal term, everything should be done in an orderly democratic manner. Siddiqui ends stating that no party should exploit the issue of new provinces for partisan ends and for scoring some brownie points. (Jang)

3. Sources have indicated that President Zardari wanted to conduct senate elections in the month of February to maintain his party’s majority in the House. (Ummat)

4. Former Pakistan PM Zafarullah Jamali was admitted to a Karachi hospital. (Kawish, 4 January)

5. Qurban Baloch reports that the Federal cabinet has given a green signal to a proposal that declaring assets will henceforth be compulsory for all bureaucrats, judiciary and army. A decision has also been taken to suspend gas supply to cement, fertilizer and thermal power units in Punjab in month of January. PML(Q)’s member Donya Aziz, had given a proposal asking that like parliamentarians every government employee must also declare assets. This proposal stated that anybody drawing salary from the exchequer would be bound to declare assets. Government spokesman made  it  clear that the decision on declaration of assets is not targeted any one individual or institution or is it a  move with an intentions to target any institution. (Kawish)

6. Daily Intekhab edit on Nawaz Sharif’s call to establish military courts in Karachi says recently Sharif denounced military involvement in Balochistan but he failed to hide his Punjabism for Karachi. If  statements of the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Chaudhary Nissar and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif are analyzed it would be clear that Nawaz Sharif’s statement for military courts in Karachi was not a spontaneous reaction but under a planned strategy for the PML-N to revert back to its traditional politics. (Daily Intekhab Edit)

7. Jasarat edit is on murder of Raza Askari, leader of Pasban-e-Aza in Karachi, and an eight hour sit-in demonstration in front of governor’s house to pressurize the police to file FIR against leader of Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaat Maulana Aurangzeb and SSP CID Chaudhary Aslam.  Ahle Sunnah wal Jamaat has also said that it will organize a sit-in on 6th Jan to protest against the FIR. The daily adds that murder due to enmity between Shia and Sunni was not new in Karachi but sit-in and pressurizing police for FIR is dangerous. (Jasarat Edit)

8. Nawa-i-Waqt editorially cautions against opening Pandora’s Box of new provinces. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

9. Various eunuch groups have decided to contest the next general elections to fight for their rights. Eunuch Representative Almas Bobi and Bindya Rana said that people should give them a chance to serve the nation. (Ummat)

ECONOMY-WATER- ENERGY
1. Gas shortage has reached 2 billion metric feet daily. According to Ministry of Petroleum, production of gas is at 4.2 billion metric feet daily whereas the demand is 6 billion metric feet. (Jasarat)

2. Federal government is borrowing Rs. 676 billion from banks to pay off debts. (Kawish)

3. Customs Intelligence Officers have seized 10,000 litres of Iranian diesel from Hub River. (Ummat)

4. Ausaf edit said due irregular supply of gas and shortage people working in mills and gas stations were losing jobs. (Ausaf Edit, 4 January)   

5. Nawa-i-Waqt edit refers to a media report stating that as per a new Government plan, load shedding will be limited to Punjab since Punjab produces the least amount of gas. It is wrong to target the province ruled by opposition party’s province. Edit wonders why the government should depend on gas produced in the country, when it could import from Iran. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

SINDH
1. Sindh Awami Ittehad’s meeting in Karachi concluded without any decisions on who to tie-up with for polls. (Kawish)

POK NEWS
1. Lord Qurban Hussain had said that post 9/11 and 7/7 international values have been changed abruptly due to which the Kashmir issue had taken a back seat and if Kashmiris did not get on one platform, it was possible that the Kashmir would suffer irreversible damage. (Jang)

2. Muslim Conference has decided to revoke its strategic ties with PPP-AJK and it has decided to make the Kashmir issue an election issue instead of seat adjustment in the cabinet and bureaucracy. (Daily Dharti)

3. The PPP-AJK Central Leader has said that the administration has failed to manage the Sheikh Zaid Hospital in Rawalakot and it should be handed over to Dubai for management. (Daily Dharti)

G-B NEWS
1. Due to the negligence of Gilgit Municipality, the city has become filled with garbage and drainage system has been blocked. (Ausaf, 4 January)

2. Muhammad Asghar Khan, Secretary Organizer, PML-N and other PML-N leaders have said that the PPP-led government has failed in G-B and therefore fresh elections should be conducted. They said that no mega project has been started in the last two years and projects started in the Musharraf era have also been not completed. They alleged that corruption and nepotism were rampant in government institutions. (Ausaf, 4 January)

3. Javid Iqbal, Gilgit City PML-N president said that the collection of taxes was impossible until GB was made constitutionally a province. He said that in GB there are no big factories and taxes only affect the poor. (Ausaf, 4 January)

4. DSP (Investigation) Mohammad Ibrahim Jan was killed in a shootout when he was returning home after work in the evening. (Baad-e-Shimal)

5. So far the Center for Protection of Wildlife in Naltar has not been set up. During Musharraf’s time a cub caught from Naltar was given away to the US and in exchange the US was supposed to have restored the Center, but so far no steps have been taken. (Baad-e-Shimal)

6. Baad-e-Shimal  edit criticises that while general public in Skardu gets power only 4 hours daily, top level politicians and government officers in the city enjoy electricity for 24 hours. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)