AFGHNAISTAN
1. Afghan President Karzai has said that Rabbani’s assassination clearly shows that the Taliban are not free to take their decisions. Hence if ISI is involved with the Haqqani Network, talks should be held with Pakistan. (Daily Intekhab)
2. Khabrain editorial on the changing Afghan scene says: Indian and Israeli policymakers are actively pursuing a plan that seeks to ‘eliminate’ Pakistan from Afghanistan. If the plan works then India and Israel will have to face extreme loses and stable peace cannot be maintained in Afghanistan. Pakistan’s internal and external policymakers must review this conspiracy and respond accordingly since mistakes by Pakistan’s political leadership would push the country to the verge of ‘self-destruction’ (Khabrain Edit)
3. Pakistan Parliament (National Assembly) standing committee for Trade with Afghanistan has expressed concern on clearance to NATO containers to Afghanistan. It asked FBR officers to provide a complete record of the containers entering Pakistan at its next meeting. FBR informed the committee that 900 containers out of 28000 containers on Afghan transit trade and 19000 containers on NATO and ISAF had gone missing. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
UNITED STATES
1. Pakistan government has curtailed the movement of foreign consul generals and diplomats. A statement from the Foreign Office said that the government has relaxed restrictions on the movements of foreign diplomats since the order was first given on August 17th, but is now rolling back the decision. (Ibrat)
2. Ausaf in its editorial comment on ‘disintegrating’ relations of Pakistan with America says that if the military and political leadership remains firm, then America won’t dare to attack Pakistan’s soil. The edit is happy that China has vowed to stand by Pakistan. (Ausaf Edit, 29 September)
3. Daily Pak editorial is on the White House ‘rejection’ of Mike Mullen’s allegations against Pakistan. It says: The US has realized that cooperation with Pakistan is much needed at this juncture and that Mullen is responsible for spoiling relations with Pakistan. (Daily Pak Edit)
4. Jasarat editorial says: It is time to join the ‘Go America Go’ movement started by JI. (Jasarat Edit)
5. Nawa-i-Waqt’s editorial urges that Pakistan’s political and military leaders not to be fooled by America’s excuses. It writes that the US had planned to use Pakistan against the Haqqani Network, but the united efforts of Pakistan’s politicians, Army and the people foiled this conspiracy. Edit says that China and Iran supported Pakistan at this trying time. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)
6. Daily Intekhab talks about reducing tension between Pakistan and America and says that unless Pakistanis are included in state affairs, the security of the country would not be ensured. If Pakistan is to be made a real sovereign nation, people need to be given real powers like in China. (Daily Intekhab Edit)
INDIA
1. Nawa-i-Waqt calls for action against the two officers responsible for losing Pakistan’s case against India’s Kishenganga Dam at the International Court of Arbitration. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
2. Pakistan will take on rent out 50 railway engines from India at Rs 1.3 crores per engine per day. Experts have advised the government to reject the Indian tender, saying that the daily income for the entire Railways was lesser than the contract value. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
3. Financial experts and political and religious leaders have said that increasing the volume of trade with India without settling the Kashmir and water issues with India, is a lost bargain. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
4. Nawa-i-Waqt editorial criticizing the decision to increase the volume of trade with India, writes that the American agenda working under the influence of the Indian lobby was responsible for the sabotage of Pakistan’s firms stance on the Kashmir issue. Edit says that any trade with India, without first resolving the Kashmir issue, would be poisonous for Pakistan. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)
DEFENCE
1. Corps Commander Quetta and Commander, Southern Command, Lt. Gen Javed Zia; Chairman Pakistan Ordinance Factory, Lt. Gen. Shujaat Zamir Dar and Commander Army Strategic Force, Lt. Gen. Jamil Haider will retire next month. Surgeon General Medical GHQ Lt. Gen. Rahman Burni will retire on November 5th. Lt. Gen. Tariq Kamal is also said to be among those retiring soon. Their successors will be named along with 20 more new army appointments in the coming days. These have also mentioned. (Nawa-i-Waqt, Awami Awaz, Kawish)
2. IG Sindh Wajid Ali Durrani is likely to be appointed as the new IB chief by the federal government. (Baad-e-Shimal)
3. FIA Additional Director Zafar Qureshi, who is investigating the NICL scandal, will retire today. (Nawa-i-Waqt, Daily Pak)
4. Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar said that the world should not forget that Pakistan was a nuclear power and had the right to defend itself. (Urdupoint)
TERRORISM-EXTREMISM
1. Former secretary of Security in FATA, Brigadier (Retd) Mahmood Shah has revealed that on the information provided by various institutions, a madrassa run by Jalaluddin Haqqani near Miranshah was raided many times but nothing objectionable was found. (Jasarat)
2. Al Khidmat Trust has distributed items worth Rs. 5 crore and 2000 tents in flood affected areas in Interior Sindh. (Jasarat)
3. Students of the Government Progressive Girls Schools, Lahore, made an educational trip to the House of Tehrik-e-Pakistan Workers. While addressing at Pakistan Agahi (Awareness) Program, school’s senior teacher said that Pakistan’s ideology is running in people’s veins and that is what has baffled Pakistan’s enemy. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
4. Al Qalam Weekly’s editorial says: Al Rehmat Trust is working passionately to provide relief to flood victims and in order to collect charity it has opened up 27 centres in Karachi where people are donating enthusiastically. …..Turning to deteriorating ties with the USA, it is essential for Islamabad get rid of American stings since Washington’s record shows that it is a danger to its friends and enemies alike. (Al Qalam Weekly Edit, 30 September-6 October)
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. Senior politicians like Mumtaz Ali Bhutto, Aijazul Haq and Talal Bugti said that the All Party Conference (APC) was only to fool people and that it would not serve any real purpose. (Ummat)
2. Columnist, Aijaz Mungi writes that it was unlikely that any concrete result would emerge out of the APC. (Awami Awaz)
3. Columnist Zarar Pirzada writes that at the all party meet several political leaders were seen extending their visiting cards to COAS Kayani to try and fix a meeting with him. (Awami Awaz)
4. Jang editorial on APC says: Decisions taken at the APC would become clear only later, but considering the current situation, it was important that all political and religious parties came together to address the crisis. US has realized that the allegations made by Mike Mullen were improper and hence, it has started finding ways to placate Pakistan. The Army leadership also reacted in time and although no ‘manifesto’ was issued after the special Corps Commanders meeting, the Army is prepared to address the situation. (Jang Edit)
5. Ibrat editorial criticises that various government institutions and department including the railways, the airline and the education department are in a mess. This has led to large scale migration from the country. The authorities must take steps to ‘fix’ the situation. (Ibrat Edit)
6. Sindh CM and governor attended China Day celebrations organized by the Chinese Consul General in Karachi. The Sindh CM said that the Pakistan-China friendship would always be memorable. (Ibrat)
7. The chairperson of the Benazir Income Support program, Farzana Raja, will be visiting Turkey from October 3-6, at the head of a 5-member delegation to raise funds for poverty eradication programme. (Baad-e-Shimal)
ECONOMY
1.According to State Bank of Pakistan statistical report, Pakistan’s foreign exchange deposit had reached to USD 17.3794 billion on 24th September. The report further indicates that USD 13.7378 billion would remain with the central bank while USD 3.6416 billion would be in other banks. (Khabrain)
2. Ummat editorially examining the state of affairs in Pakistan Railways and Pakistan’s national carrier, PIA, holds rampant corruption responsible for the mess in which the two are in today. (Ummat)
3. Awami Awaz editorial is on ‘corruption in flood aid disbursement’. It points out: Rs. 8 billion of the PM’s fund for flood affected is lying idle in a State Bank account. Another Rs. 20 crore had been deposited in the PM’s fund, but had yet to be distributed. People from other provinces are yet to rally in the aid of flood affectees in Sindh. (Awami Awaz Edit)
KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWAH (NWFP/FATA)
1. 10 militants have been killed in Upper Orakzai; one security personnel was also killed and 5 were wounded. (Jasarat)
POK NEWS
2. PML-N AJK leader Raja Naseer Ahmad, who is also a MNA, said that India would buy off voters in case of a self-determination referendum in Kashmir. He criticized that the PPP AJK government is completely kow-towing to the federal government. (Daily Dharti)
3. Shia Ulema Council organized the ‘Dafa-e-Watan’ rally to oppose US aggression. The speakers said that Pakistan will prove to be America’s graveyard. (Baad-e-Shimal)
4. Recruitment and Passing-out ceremony of the Northern Light Infantry Regiment was held at the NLI Regimental Centre, Bunji. Maj. Gen. Khalid Mehmood, the DG Infantry was the chief guest. (Baad-e-Shimal)
5. Baad-e-Shimal has welcomed the announcement by former Force Commander that every high school graduate from Lamak Jan (Lamak Jan and his group had fought at Kargil Hill 12 years ago) martyrs’ village would be recruited and that there would be a 100% increment in the monthly freedom fighters’ pension. (Baad-e-Shimal-Edit)
6. Daily Dharti editorial is on AJK assembly speaker Sardar Ghulam Sadiq’s statement that the people of AJK don’t have any faith in government departments…. It writes: “No doubt the government departments are not serious in discharging their duties and that corruption is rampant….. As a result it has become difficult for authorities to address people’s problems….If the government is really sincere about resolving people’s grievances, then it should revamp the departments and make them adopt fair policies and practices. (Daily Dharti Edit)
G-B NEWS
1. Tahir Shugari, a PML-N leader from Gilgit-Baltistan, said that the government shouldn’t make the mistake of imposing taxes on the people of Gilgit Baltistan at a time people of the region are suffering from poverty, unemployment and inflation. The government is trying to impose taxes to collect money to meet its extravagant expenses. (Ausaf, 29 September)
2. Mobile services provided by private companies in Gilgit Baltistan are not good and people are facing difficulties as a result. (Ausaf, 29 September)
3. G-B Governor Pir Karam Ali Shah, who is also President of G-B Hilal-e-Ahmer, and Asif Hussain, chairman Hilal-e-Ahmer G-B, visited the national HQ of Hilal-e-Ahmer. Shah said that Hilal-e-Ahmer G-B was very active and had provided great help during the Attabad tragedy. He said that district offices will also be set up in Diamir and Ghizer. (Baad-e-Shimal)
4. Executive committee of DJ Teachers Association, Gilgit Baltistan, has announced that its leaders would go on a fast from 20th October to take to highlight the problems faced by the teaching community. (Ausaf, 29 September)
5. Fear has spread in Gilgit city after a man was shot dead in daylight near Jutial. (Ausaf, 29 Sept)
