US/AFGHANISTAN
1.Anti-aircraft guns have been deployed at the Chaman border to prevent any future incidents like the NATO attack on Mohammed Agency check posts. (Jasarat)

ARMY/DEFENCE
1.Sindh Irrigation Department has lodged a protest with the government against the Navy taking over land close to the Indus River near Sukkur-Lansdowne Bridge at Sukkur, under the pretext of building a park. It said this act of the Navy could jeopardise the structural stability of the embankment walls. In his letter to the Commissioner of Sukkur, the chief engineer of the Sukkur Barrage claimed that the Naval park proposal was earlier been rejected by the civic authorities as illegal. (Awami Awaz, 7 January)

2.JUI-F chief Fazl-ur-Rehman said that the establishment calls the shots in Pakistan. He said that it plays politics from behind the curtain and yet claims it is clean. He also said that earlier, court verdicts used to speak for the establishment and now the judges themselves talk on behalf of the establishment. Rehman opines that Zardari may not be forced out of power at gun point, but he could be ‘wooed’ to tender his resignation. (Ibrat, Khabrain)

EXTREMISM/ TERRORISM
Daily Pak commenting on the 15-point programme by 55 Ulemas” says basic defence training should be a must for all Muslim youth, and demands religious preaching to soldiers in order to kindle aspirations for jihad. (Daily Pak Edit)

POLITICAL SCENE- MUSHARRAF
1.Musharraf has 10 accounts British banks and that he has billions in these accounts despite claims of being clean. Another report says that Musharraf has 8 foreign accounts. He pays his employees Rs. 5 lakhs every month. Sources say that Musharraf has a lot of money to spend on his political campaign. Musharraf has invested Rs. 145 million in an online trading service in Dubai with AV7777 as his account number.  Musharraf and his wife have 8 joint accounts in the Dubai Union National Bank (numbers 4002000304, 400200315, 4003006700, 4003006711etc) with balances of over millions of rupees in each. When Musharraf’s spokesperson Fawad Ahmad Chaudhary was questioned about this, he said that Musharraf received Rs. 400-500 million on his retirement and that he earns a substantial amount like Bill Clinton from his lectures. (Ibrat, Jinnah)

2.In his column, Irfan Siddiqui says it is clear that Musharraf would seek protection and support from the Army.  The dejected PPP would point all its cannons towards GHQ to get political mileage. He says that the Army should express trust in the judiciary as it did in the Memogate case. But this could be a difficult test for COAS Gen Kayani. (Jang)

3.Jasarat editorial on Musharraf’s interview to an Israeli daily says: ‘In the interview, Musharraf said former Israeli PM Ariel Sharon was a hero. But Sharon was a killer of Palestinians just as Musharraf was the killer of Akbar Bugti and people in Lal Masjid. (Jasarat Edit)

4.Nawa-i-Waqt editorial is on Musharraf’s interview to an Israeli newspaper, wherein he said that Israel was also an ideological nation and that it had great influence on the United States. The daily says since Musharraf desires to return to Pakistani politics and wants to get relief from the cases against him, he is supporting Israel in order to get US support. The US needs an agent in Pakistan and no one could be better than Musharraf, who is willing to agree to all its demands.  To get approval from the international community, Musharraf has supported India and Israel, but until the Kashmir issue is resolved, there can be no friendship with India or Israel. By supporting Israel, India and USA, Musharraf has violated Pakistan’s national policy and as such he should be banned from taking part in Pakistani politics for life. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1.Contacts among political parties have heightened after the ruling party has given indications of general elections in June–July after the Senate elections.  Although there are no chances of Zardari meeting Nawaz Sharif in the next few days, PM Gilani may hold meetings with opposition leader Nissar Chaudhary. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

2.Nahid Khan, secretary of former PM Benazir Bhutto, has alleged that President Zardari had remained silent at the beginning of his term for one and a half years and lost evidence regarding Benazir’s assassination. She said that the entire world knew that Zardari benefited the most from Benazir’s assassination. She also said that many fingers had been raised against the government and Zardari and that they should come clean by approaching the court. (Urdu Point, 8 January, Jasarat)

3.Some PML-N leaders, including Hajji Pervez Khan, Malik Shakil Aiwan, Maqbool Ahmad Khan and Ansoor Khan, have objections over Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rashid joining PML-N. Sources say that the Sharif brothers have given Rashid their consent. Sources say that Sheikh Rashid had predicted a huge revolution in February; it is said that his decision of joining PML-N would be announced after this. (Jinnah)

4.In his column, Hamid Mir talks about his interview with President Zardari on Geo TV. He opines that President Zardari did not speak the complete truth but only and tried to convey that if anyone tried to remove him undemocratically, he would give a proper reply. Mir writes that Zardari was trying to confront the judiciary on the NRO issue and wanted become a political martyr. (Jang)

5.JI chief Syed Munawar Hassan has rejected Musharraf’s proposal to review ties with Israel. He said that Musharraf made the proposal to appease America. Hassan also took Musharraf to task for his interview to the Israeli newspaper. (Jasarat, Daily Pak)

6.Jang editorial on PM Gilani’s address at the Lawyers Convention in Lahore says that all parties should work for Pakistan, instead of playing negative politics. Pakistani community will also have to play a sincere role in the next general elections and see to it that those working sincerely for Pakistan get a chance to take the nation to great heights. (Jang Edit)

7.Nawa-i-Waqt editorial is on PM’s statement that a change in government should only be through elections. Since all political and religious parties are in favour of fresh elections, the government should order early general election. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

8.Ausaf edit is on President Zardari’s interview to Hamid Mir on Geo TV; the daily says in the interview Zardari cleared his position on the Memogate issue and said that he would accept the decision of the parliamentary committee. It means Zardari will not accept the report of the judicial commission set up by the Supreme Court. (Ausaf Edit, 8 January)

9.MQM Chief Altaf Hussain has proposed the formation of a new province called ‘Qabailistan’ covering tribal areas and FATA. He said that there was a conspiracy to create clashes between the Baloch and Mohajirs in Karachi. He also said that Sindh’s division was unacceptable. (Jasarat)

10.Federal minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour said that once the Hazara and Saraiki provinces come up, MQM will move SC for dividing Sindh. He warned that if there was any attempt to remove President Zardari, it could lead to a huge upheaval in Sindh. He also said that the Memogate issue was created as a reaction to shunting the US out of Shamsi airbase and suspension of NATO supplies through Pakistan. (Awami Awaz)

11.JUI leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Hyderi said his party will take out a ‘million-march’ in Karachi on January 27 and it will be larger than Imran Khan’s rally (Awami Awaz)

12.Former NAB chief Saif-ur-Rehman has denied that he or his mother asked Zardari for an apology. He said that a huge injustice was being meted out through the NRO. Rehman said that Musharraf and Justice (Retd.) Malik Qayyum should also be pursued. He said that there were witnesses in all cases against Zardari and Benazir Bhutto and that he had found 36 bank accounts in Switzerland, 9 in France and 6 in UK in their name. He said arrangements were made to get these accounts blocked. He questioned the need for NRO if all these accounts were fake. (Ibrat)

2. Chief of Sindh United Party Jalal Mahmood Shah alleged that PPP and MQM were out to break up the country on instructions of foreign bosses. He said that his party would protect territorial integrity of Sindh and that they were in touch with other Sindhi nationalist groups. He also said that a meeting of the Sindh Bachao Committee would be convened soon. (Awami Awaz, 8 January)

3. In a joint statement, Amir Bhambroo of the Sindh National Party and others said that MQM’s demand for new provinces was an attack on Sindh and that MQM had always been working against Sindh’s survival. Aijaz Sameto of the Sindh National Movement said that the controversy of new provinces was a conspiracy against Sindh. (Awami Awaz)

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWAH (NWFP/FATA)
1. At a public gathering in Mehmand agency, JI leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad said military operation in FATA should be stopped. (Jinnah)

2. Hazara chief Baba Haider Zaman has warned the government of a civil disobedience movement if PM Gilani created any obstacles in the way of creating the Hazara province. (Jinnah, Khabrain)

BALOCHISTAN
1.Talal Bugti, chief of Jamhuri Watan Party, has announced a cash prize of Rs. 1 billion and a commercial plot worth Rs.10 crores for Musharraf’s head. He said 36 religious scholars have already declared Musharraf ‘fit to be eliminated’. He accused Musharraf of killing Akbar Bugti. He also termed Musharraf’s statements about Balochs being anti-development as nonsense. (Ibrat)

2.Khabrain editorial has welcomed Nawaz Sharif’s call for an all-party conference (APC) to resolve the problems of Balochistan. It said nationalist parties should be invited to this conference. It pointed out that the earlier APC on Baloch issue held by PM Gilani failed to click as nationalist parties did not attend the meet. The edit praises PPP’s decision to attend the APC if convened by Nawaz Sharif convened it. (Khabrain Edit)

3.Ausaf editorially welcomed Talal Bugti’s statement that he had confidence that PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif could resolve the Baloch people’s problems. It said Baloch people have no confidence in the government anymore. The Army should seize the opportunity for resolution of the problems of the (Ausaf Edit, 8 January)

4.Amir Yasin Shah, a member of a banned group from Balochistan, has been killed and his aide arrested from the Gulshan Jamal area in Karachi. Karachi police also claim to have recovered hand grenades, pistols and two motor cycles from them. (Awami Awaz, 8 January)

POK NEWS
JUI-N Amir Maulana Asmatullah said that they supported jihad in Kashmir, Palestine and Iraq and condemned armed conflict in Pakistan. (Daily Intekhab)

G-B NEWS
1. CM Gilgit-Baltistan Syed Mehdi Shah has postponed his Thailand visit on account of the worsening law and order situation. His government has been forced to take tough decisions and issued instructions to shoot-at-sight at terrorists. Peace committees have been restored and ministers, who are currently away in Islamabad, have been summoned back. CM Shah will soon call a special session of the cabinet and that the law enforcement agencies will be given a free hand to deal with terrorists. (Ausaf, 8 January)

2. Terrorism has increased in Gilgit City; one more person has been killed. (Ausaf, 8 January)

3. DIG Ali Sher said that youth aged between 15 to 25 years were involved in terrorism in G-B. He said that if the Ulema announce in mosques that sectarian killings were against religion, 95% terrorism in G-B will end. (Baad-e-Shimal)

4. Talking to ‘Baad-e-Shimal, MNA Nawaz Khan Naji expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in Gilgit and said that the government had failed to establish peace. He said that terrorist appeared to be more powerful than the government and that the people would have to fend for their own security. (Baad-e-Shimal)

5. On a call from Ulema and religious parties, the shutter-down strike and demonstrations continued in Gilgit. People blocked the Karakorum Highway to protest against the murder of Abdul Wakil. The Ulema said that the government had given a free hand to terrorists. (Baad-e-Shimal)

6. Baad-e-Shimal editorial has expressed concern over deteriorating law and order situation in G-B pointing out that sectarian violence on Saturday had claimed two lives. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)

7. Gilgit social worker Muhammad Azhar said that target killings continued in Gilgit City and poor people are being butchered. Gilgit’s peace had been shattered due to the government’s inability to deal with terrorist menace. And the resultant chaos has been affecting trade. (Ausaf, 8 January)

8. Names of Justice (Retd) Chauhan, Justice Sardar Raza and Justice Deedar Hussain Shah have been forwarded to the Governor Secretariat by G-B Supreme Appellate Court for the new Chief Justice. According to informed sources, either Justice Chauhan or Justice Deedar Shah is most likely to be appointed Chief Justice. (Baad-e-Shimal)

9. National Disaster Management Agency has decided to widen the Attabad Lake’s spillway to 30 meters. The Shishkat Bridge will be built by next year to link the valley to other parts of the country. (Baad-e-Shimal)