UNITED STATES
 1.American peace delegation visiting Pakistan to protest drone attacks, in a letter given to the US Embassy, has asked the US to stop drone attacks. As per the letter, since 2004, around 474 to 664 people have been killed in drone attacks including 176 children. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
 
INDIA
1. Pakistan Railways are in doldrums where as Indian railways have moved to the stage of bullet trains and is in negotiators with French, Japanese and German companies to purchase bullet trains. (Jasarat)

2. Ansar Barni Trust Chief Advisor, Ansar Barni will visit India on 12th October to secure the release of a 13 year old boy who is languishing in the Faridkot Jail in Punjab. He has sent requests to India’s Foreign and Home Ministers besides the Punjab CM to release this minor on humanitarian grounds; the  boy was arrested a year ago by   BSF for crossing the LoC. (Jang)

3. Reacting to Indian the FM SM Krishna’s statement that Kashmir was an integral part of India, JI-AJK Chief Abdul Rashid Turabi said that friendship with India could not be feasible unless the Kashmir issue was resolved for which Jinnah’s Kashmir policy should be revived. He said that Pakistan should immediately stop dialogue with India and drag it to court by unravelling its human rights violations. He said that the 1947 position of the Base Camp should be restored. (Daily Dharti, Baad-e-Shimal)

IMRAN MARCH
1. Hamid Mir writes that though Imran Khan has made many mistakes, he should be appreciated for his stand against drone attacks. The forthcoming Peace March to South Waziristan would be a big question mark for those who favour drone attacks as many Americans would also be attending the peace rally and will protest against their own country’s policy. Though the local political administration would try to put obstacles in the way of the so-called ‘Taliban Khan’ Imran Khan should be allowed to go ahead and provided the necessary security if South Waziristan is indeed a part of Pakistan,. Mir says that if Imran Khan manages to make to this a successful event, his mistakes would be forgotten but if he fails he would not be successful in the future. (Jang)

TERRORISM/EXTREMISM
1. Taliban has decided on a new strategy to mix poison in food items to target certain people. (Nawa-i-Waqt, Baad-e-Shimal)

2.Four terrorist groups are preparing for attacks in Punjab. CID Punjab has informed federal departments and law enforcement agencies that the Qari Shakil Group, Qari Yaseen Group (previously a member of LeJ), Rabbani Group and Al-Qaeda Group working under Badar Mansur could carry out terrorist acts in Punjab. Lahore, Faisalabad and Gujranwala are the main targets and VVIPs, three jails, government establishments and police commandos will be targeted. (Ummat)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. Talking to Jang in London, prominent Sindhi nationalist leader Mumtaz Bhutto said that and Pakistan has become a failed state with a war underway in Balochistan, Karachi bathing in blood, FATA and other areas in turmoil. He claimed that the conspiracy to kill Benazir Bhutto was hatched in the US and alleged that President Zardari was involved in killing his own wife. He further said that daily corruption in Pakistan government is to the tune of Rs.8 billion and if something isn’t done immediately, the nation would suffer irreversible damage. The former Chief of the Sindh National Front asserted that he merged his party with PML-N in the best interests of Pakistan and Nawaz Sharif had accepted all his conditions. Mumtaz Bhutto said that the Zardari government is exploiting the name Bhutto to get cheap benefits but they were the enemies of the Bhutto family. (Jang)

2 JuI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman said that they had reservations over elections under the Army’s presence as elections should be held under the supervision of judiciary. He said that 4 parties will contest elections from the MMA platform and that they could not wait anymore for JI. (Jasarat, Daily Dharti, Jang)

3.Editorials on dual nationality issue say that fresh confrontation is brewing over the demand that Assembly members should take a fresh oath that they don’t have dual nationality. Even in India people with dual nationality cannot join in public life though there is no such bar in Canada and Britain. Pakistan should see what is good for the nation before deciding anything. Editorials observe that acting on the instructions of the judiciary would be more beneficial for Pakistan in such matters. (Jang Edit, Jinnah Edit)

4. Secretariats of National Assembly and Senate have rejected the instruction of the Election Commission on administering a second oath factoring in the dual nationality issue. Under Article 65, oaths can be taken only once and the instruction of the EC has no legal or constitutional basis, the secretariats pointed out. (Jasarat Edit)

ECONOMY-WATER- ENERGY
1.IRSA chairman, Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, in interview,   said that Pakistan is suffering for not having built dams. After one dam (Kalabagh) generated much heat, work on other dams been stalled. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

2. Jasarat has voiced concern over increasing incidents of bank robberies.  It says terrorist organizations are looting banks to finance their destructive activities. Edit criticized law enforcement agencies for not stopping bank robberies. (Jasarat Edit)

3. Editorial in Al Qalam Weekly takes the government for not taking concrete steps to minimise the havoc floods are causing. It also criticised that the government has failed in extending relief to the flood victims. (Al Qalam Weekly, 5-11 October)

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWAH (NWFP/FATA)
1.It is highly regrettable that till date those affected in the October, 2005 earthquake have not received compensation, though millions of dollars were donated by various countries.  Not even 50% of the rehabilitation projects have been completed; there are no schools, or colleges. District Jail and King Abdullah Hospital projects were announced but all these projects are still pending. (Daily Hazara News Edit)

SINDH
1.  Sindh continues to witness strikes, rallies and sit-ins across most parts on the third day of protests against the Local Government Ordinance bill. (Ibrat)

2. Sindh Bachao Committee has announced protests against the Local Government Ordinance across Sindh in a phased manner starting from October 8th.  Sit ins will be held  on October 10 in front of the Karachi Press Club and from October 12th, protest meetings and rallies will begin at a district-level. These announcements were made in a meeting presided over by Sindh Bachao Committee chief Jalal Mahmood Shah. This meeting was attended by Sindhi nationalist groups, writers, religious and civil society leaders. (Ibrat)

3. 5 people, including 3 MQM activists, were killed in target killing incidents across Karachi. (Kawish)

4.Developmental funds for PPP leaders and MPAs, who kept away from the Sindh Assembly session during the passing of the Local Government Ordinance bill, are being held back. These leaders said that they had not received anything yet officially, but such notices were expected in a couple of days. (Ibrat)

PUNJAB
1. IG Punjab police has set up a 3-member team to nab police personnel involved in crime. Punishment for those caught will be dismissal from service. Same punishment awaits those who have secured jobs through fake degrees and certificates. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

BALOCHISTAN
1. Water supply from Belar Dam to Gwadar by tankers has been stopped after some unknown elements warned tanker drivers of dire consequences, sources said. (Daily Intekhab)2. In a poll conducted by Channel-5, 65% of viewers approved removing the FC from Balochistan duty. (Khabrain)

2. JUP Senior Vice President Shah Owais Noorani has asked the government to limit the role of FC and Army in Balochistan. (Ummat)

3. Federal Minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan Affairs Manzoor Wattoo said that the government was ready to talk to Baloch leaders sincerely; he said that if these leaders were not ready to meet the government a delegation consisting of those whom they trust could be sent to them. (Jinnah)

4. Ummat commenting on COAS Gen. Kayani’s statement that the Army has no role in Balochistan politics says it is a fact that Army has done nothing wrong in Balochistan but has carried out many developmental works and has absorbed many cadets; so defaming the Army for political mileage is not right.   Balochistan’s problem is political and even the judiciary is taking lot of interest, with leaders like Akhtar Mengal and Talal Bugti expressing trust in the judiciary. Edit says that authorities should not simply reject the claims of nationalist parties regarding the missing persons. (Ummat Edit)

POK/ G-B NEWS
1. Civic conditions in Ghizer’s district headquarters, Gahkoch are worsening; the town lacks medical facilities and clean drinking water. People complained that government officers had got roads laid upto their homes but no roads have been constructed in densely populated areas.  (Baad-e-Shimal)

2. Gilgit-Baltistan government has decided to establish 4 language centres in cooperation with China in order to start teaching Chinese Language and to include Chinese in the school syllabus. (Ummat)