2. Former ISI chief Gen. (Retd) Hamid Gul said that Gen. Kayani’s Russia visit was a positive step. He said that Russian cooperation in defence is the need of the hour so that in case the US gets upset with Pakistan, the country’s defence supplies don’t stop. He added that Russia will not stop its relations with India altogether, but will lend more balance in the relation between India and Pakistan. Russia did not want India to become a superpower in the region; however, it is surprising that instead of the political leadership, the military leadership was invited to Russia. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

3. Nawa-i-Waqt opines that the defence agreements reached during Gen Kayani’s visit to Moscow will have far reaching effect and will even help resolve the Kashmir issue. These defence agreements are a lesson to India and warning to the US against forcing Pakistan’s hand in the anti-terrorism war. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

AFGHANISTAN/ UNITED STATES
1. Interior Minister Rahman Malik said that a new visa policy had been adopted and that people like Raymond Davis will not be allowed to enter into Pakistan. He said that only those Americans will be given a visa whose entry is appropriate. (Jasarat, Urdupoint)

2. Nawa-i-Waqt is happy that the Interior Minister Malik Rahman has finally written a letter to the US government for Dr Afia’s release but says that writing only one letter will not be sufficient. Her release must be made unconditional. Pakistan musty enlist the help of other Islamic countries   in this respect. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

3. 38 American drone strikes were reported in 2012 which killed 291 people and left 34 injured. (Daily Dharti, Jang)

IMRAN MARCH
1 Opposition leader Chaudhary Nissar Ali Khan said Imran Khan’s Waziristan peace march is a drama and former ISI chief General Shujaa Pasha seemed to be orchestrating the whole show. (Ausaf, 7 October)

2. JUI-F leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmad said that the return of PTI’s peace march from Tank was a ‘match fixing’ with Jewish bookies. He said that the march was more against Maulana Fazlur Rahman than against drones. Ahmad claimed that by talking nonsense against JUI-F, Imran Khan proved this and that returning from Tank would cost Khan the next election. (Ummat)

3. In his column, Hamid Mir writes that though Imran Khan was stopped from entering South Waziristan, his peace march could not be termed unsuccessful.   Imran Khan made initial mistakes in the strategy adopted for the peace march – like instead of criticizing Maulana Fazlur Rahman, he should have invited all political parties to attend the peace march. Mir says that the issue of drone attacks got coverage on big TV channels for 2 days. Though the Taliban called Imran Khan liberal and secular, what he had done against drone attacks, no religious leader had done so far. (Jang)
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4. Jasarat editorial on PTI’s peace march writes that the peace march had raised the issue of drone strikes. A 30-member delegation comprising protesters from EU and the US were also a part of this march. Everyone was against drone attacks and even at the international level, a unanimous opinion was being formed against drone attacks. Since drone attacks were a part of the US-led war, political parties will have to unite in a campaign against the war on terror. (Jasarat Edit)

5. Ausaf edit said this march intended to express solidarity with tribals. Every Pakistani shared Imran Khan’s concerns and questions why Pakistan is not in a position to shoot down drones. Edit advises that every political party should raise voices against drone attacks on tribal areas. (Ausaf Edit, 7 October)

6. Daily Intekhab says that though some PML-N members tried to convey that the PTI peace march was a failure, the fact was that a huge number of people participated in the march when it reached Tank. This showed that everyone was passionate about stopping drone strikes. Edit says that the best thing about this march was the presence of a good number of Americans and other foreign delegates who attended the march on Imran Khan’s invitation. Edit says that this allowed Pakistan to express its concern over drone attacks more clearly. Edit says that though the government had the same stance with regards to drone attacks, this peace march by Imran Khan had definitely made a difference. Edit says that people should come forward to make this PTI effort a success. (Daily Intekhab Edit)

7. Ummat says PTI’s march against drones was turned back from Tank under the guise of security concerns. Initially, Imran Khan was quite popular amongst the youth, but later, he included traditional politicians in his party which upset many people and brought down his graph. Khan was trying to get his popularity back. No march could restore peace in Pakistan and as a result, other political parties called PTI’s peace march a stage show. JI took out a rally against blasphemy. Such rallies would not serve any purpose as consolidated steps were necessary to end all this. (Ummat Edit)

TERRORISM/EXTREMISM
1. Addressing JuD activists’ training session at the Al-Qudsia Chauburji, JuD chief professor Hafiz Saeed said compared the anti-Islam film to an act of terrorism and alleged that the US government was inciting a crusade. He said that continuous disrespect to Prophet Mohammad would be the defeat of infidels. He urged Muslim leaders to get the blasphemy law passed at the UNSC or to boycott the US. (Tehrik Hurmat-e- Rasool, Jinnah, Nawa-i-Waqt)

2. Protests demonstrations, marches, and rallies have been organized in Bhagtanwala, Sargodha, Gujranwala, Gujarat, Faisalabad, Muzaffarabad, and Qasur against the anti-Islam film. (Tehrik Hurmat-e- Rasool)

3.  4 members of a peace lashkar were gunned down by militants in the Khyber Agency; 7 militants were killed in retaliation fire by security forces. (Ausaf, 7 October)

4. Unknown miscreants fired upon NATO containers in Mastung in which 2 people were injured and the container got burnt. (Ausaf, 7 October)

5. Ahl-e-Sunnat O Al Jamaat leader Maulana Allahdusya said that the Chief Justice of Pakistan should take suo moto action on continuous target killings of Ahl-e-Sunnat leaders. He said that despite the killings of thousands of cadres, they were talking of peace. (Jasarat)

6. Jaish-e-Islami group spokesperson Ghazi Haq Nawaz claimed the responsibility of murder of Muhammad Yaseen. It was said that he was a Shia and used to distribute books from Iran that insulted the wives and companions of the Prophet. It was added that the deceased used to preach his own faith and mislead the youth. (Daily Intekhab)

7. ‘Sajid Danger’, an MQM terrorist, admitted that he had target killed 35 people in Karachi. He claimed that the London leadership had formed a team of target killers and that they got instructions from one Qamar Ghalib. Sajid Danger confessed to molesting 15 girls and admitted that he would pick up girls without any fear as the high command never took notice of his acts despite various complaints. He also claimed to have tried to kill Mohajir Quami Movement Chief Aafaq Ahmad. (Ummat)

8. Security is on high-alert in Islamabad in view of a threat of terrorist attacks. The Police have arrested 60 suspects from various areas. Additional force has been deployed at all entry and exit points in the Red Zone. (Nawa-i-Waqt, Baad-e-Shimal, Ibrat)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1.  JI chief Syed Munawar Hassan said that if JUI-F wanted to join JI, it will have to agree in writing not to ally with PPP or any other secular party after winning elections. Hassan said that JI has prepared extensively for the next elections and will see victory. He said that military operations had created a divide between the public and Army; he demanded that no further operations be carried out to please Americans. The JI chief warned General Kayani against a military operation in North Waziristan. (Jasarat, Nawa-i-Waqt)

2.  JUI-F chief Fazlur Rahman said that they neither needed JI, nor would they invite JI to join MMA. (Jasarat, Urdupoint)

3. ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan said that President Zardari gave back Pakhtoons their identity after 250 years, something no one has been able to do so far. He added that ANP would never leave PPP as President Zardari had done many favours for the Pakhtun province. Khan said that the statements made by Railways Minister Ghulam Bilour were his personal opinion and just like the US, even Pakistanis had a right to freedom of speech. He said that Karachi had been divided into Sindhi, Mohajir and Pakhtoon areas. (Daily Intekhab, Jang)

4.  PML-Zia chief Aijazul Haq has offered Jamhuri Watan Party chief Talal Bugti alliance for contesting elections from Punjab. (Jinnah)

5. Chief Election Commissioner Fakhruddin G. Ibrahim said that only Parliament has the right to extend the government’s term. He added that the EC could even call the Army and the judiciary for peaceful free and fair elections. He said that the EC was ready to conduct elections but the decision had to come from the Parliament. Ibrahim said that the EC had no role to play in the interim government setup and that the government and the opposition will do this jointly. (Daily Intekhab)

6. Jinnah editor Khushnood Ali Khan has forecast that two incidents of great national significance will take place this month. (Jinnah)

7.Nawa-i-Waqt has commended CJP Iftekhar Chaudhry’s efforts to make justice available to the common man. The government should implement recommendations by the National Judicial Policymaking Committee. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

8. Daily Pak has agreed with CJP Iftekhar Chaudhry that rule of law and justice provided stability to the society. There are a few elements in the society who considered themselves above law. Edit writes that the supremacy of law and justice meant the supremacy of institutions that provide law and justice; it did not mean the supremacy of any court or lawyers. Edit urges that the public should be made aware of their legal rights. (Daily Pak Edit)

ECONOMY/ENERGY/WATER
Social Policy and Development Centre has claimed that over the last 6 years, poverty had increased by 7% and had now reached 37%. Every year, 30 lakh people were joining the ranks of poor in Pakistan and over the past 6 years, 1.8 crore people had become poor. Load shedding, floods, lack of education and medical facilities are the factors behind poverty. (Jasarat, Daily Dharti)

PUNJAB
1. 162 retired police officers and other personnel have not returned official weapons worth crores. Punjab IG has secured Rs 4 crores from the Punjab government to purchase new weapons. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

SINDH
1. Hashim Raza Zaidi, Secretary in the Rehabilitation Department, who is also believed to be very close to a constituent of Sindh’ ruling alliance, has been made the new Karachi commissioner. (Kawish)

2. No meetings have taken place between the Sindh government’s specially formed committee to woo back alliance partners and the angry allies indicating that tensions still exist. (Kawish)

3. PPP has convened a meeting in Hyderabad on October 15th to discuss issues arising out of new local government ordinance. It has warned nationalist groups to stop demonstrating in front of MPAs and MNAs of PPP as mischievous elements could take advantage of these demonstrations and things could go wrong. PPP has said that it was aware of plans to trigger a civil war in Sindh and that PPP’s patience should not be mistaken for its weakness. (Ibrat)

4. MQM has taken out a peace walk in Karachi which saw a large turnout. On the occasion, MQM’s Farooq Sattar said that stability in Karachi was stability in Pakistan. He said that they will not bow down before a handful of militants. (Ibrat)

5. Between January 2012 and October 2012, approximately 1213 appointments had been made in the Karachi Police; on the recommendations from the coalition partners, the Sindh government called these newly appointed people back from Karachi and reinstated them at their earlier postings. (Ibrat)

6. Zarar Pirzada writes about why the US is interested in the local government system in Sindh. He writes that Benazir Bhutto, before coming to power for the second time, had drawn up plans for the district Nazim system in her election manifesto. Pirzada says that it can be safely claimed that it was Benazir and not Musharraf who was the real architect of the district Nazim system; it is another matter that the system could not be implemented for fear of backlash. He says that when Musharraf toppled the Nawaz Sharif government in 1999, he promised to bring in the local government system to people by introducing the district-level system in local bodies. Pirzada writes that it is becoming clearer now that it was the US that was interested in this system. He claims that America’s major interest in this system was largely due to the fact that the US wanted to make Karachi a free port and this system was a part of the roadmap to separate Karachi from the rest of Sindh. According to Pirzada, he was shocked when one US diplomat called on the Karachi District Nazim, thus endorsing the speculations about American interests in this system. He says that the US and its personnel had stepped up efforts to bring in this system through MQM and PPP. Pirzada draws attention towards the recent meeting between a US diplomat and PML-F’s Sheikh Imtiaz where the American diplomat sought to know Sindhis’ stand on the new local government system. (Awami Awaz, 6 October)

BALOCHISTAN
1. Jinnah in its edit calls for amnesty to the disgruntled Baloch leaders and negotiations with them. It opines that foreign interference in Balochistan can be ended if the area is developed. (Jinnah Edit)

2. Ausaf editorially endorsed PML-N’s demand for an ‘All Parties’ Commission’ to assess and find a solution to the Balochistan issue. Unless the Baloch leadership was brought back into the mainstream, a solution to Balochistan was not possible. (Ausaf Edit, 7 October)

POK/ G-B NEWS
1. Daily Hazara News laments that the government has failed the victims of 2005 earth quake though the world poured in Rs 400 billion for relief and rehabilitation.  Countries like Saudi Arabia and Turkey carried out many development and restoration projects, but the aid received in cash was not utilized; instead, it was spent on building houses and buying cars. (Daily Hazara News Edit)

2. Gilgit-Baltistan CM has sanctioned a special allowance of 20% to over 1000 civil secretariat employees. (Baad-e-Shimal)

3. Chief of Ansarul Uma Maulana Fazlur Rahman Khalil, in a statement, said that the purpose of instigating sectarian violence in Northern Areas was to stop Chinese development projects in the area. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

4. Former Gilgit-Baltistan Education Advisor and PML-N (G-B) President Hafizur Rahman has demanded action against federal Minister Arbab Alamgir who had stalled Jaglot-Skardu road project. He asked Gilgit-Baltistan CM to resume work on the road project again. (Baad-e-Shimal)

5.  Central jail (Gilgit) and sub-jail (Jotian) are like torture cells as the jail inmates don’t have any food or medical facilities. (Baad-e-Shimal)

6.  Hidayatullah Akhtar writes he is disappointed with Pakistan PM’s visit to Gilgit-Baltistan. He writes that people had many expectations that Gilgit-Baltistan would be announced as the 5th province of Pakistan, but no such announcement was made. Akhtar writes that the people of this area are very simple and even though Gilgit-Baltistan was not a part of Pakistan, they still considered themselves as Pakistanis and were willing to sacrifice for Pakistan. (Baad-e-Shimal)

7.  Baad-e-Shimal editorial comments that the hospitals in Gilgit-Baltistan are in a sorry state. Initially, doctors and paramedics had no facilities to attend to patients. Now the situation is such that doctors are unwilling to work in hospitals here. Though salaries and other perks have been made attractive, the hospitals still lack facilities such as equipment and medicines. There are no lady doctors and gynaecologists in government run hospitals. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)

8. Baad-e-Shimal has demanded more flights between Gilgit and Islamabad. At present, there is only one flight as the runway at Gilgit airport is undergoing repairs for the past one month. The government has promised to make Gilgit and Skardu airports all weather friendly but no step has been taken in that direction so far. (Baad-e-Shimal-Edit)