Pakistan Media

Pak Urdu Media Digest – May 15

A Chinese company, China Port Handling, will take over the charge of Gwadar Port from May 22nd, , it is reported today. Analysts and commentators are puzzled by overtures from Nawaz Sharif to the PTI.

CHINA
1. Chinese company, China Port Handling will take over the charge of Gwadar Port from May 22nd. (Jang)

2.A Chinese think-tank, in its blue book, has commented that though India is formulating its war strategy against both Pakistan and China, it still considers Pakistan as the real threat. (Urdupoint)
 
3.Nawa-i-Waqt in an editorial says that the new Chinese Prime Minister is making his first foreign visit to Pakistan which shows the bonding between the two nations. China has always supported Pakistan on Kashmir. Since China is not having very good relations with India, the issue could figure in the discussions during the visit. It’s a good opportunity for President Zardari and the next Prime Minister to use their influence to convince their Chinese counterpart to put pressure on India to resolve our chronic problems while on a visit to India from Pakistan. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

INDIA
1.PML-N spokesperson clarifying a news paper report said Nawaz Sharif did not invite Indian premier Manmohan Singh for his swearing-in ceremony.  There is no tradition of inviting any foreign head of state to the oath-taking ceremony. (Jinnah, Jang, Roznama Duniya)

2. APHC chairman Mirwaiz Omer Farooq, talking to Jang on phone, said that he had met Nawaz Sharif in December 2012 when he had promised that the Kashmiri leadership would be given representation in Indo-Pak talks to resolve Kashmir issue. (Jang)

3.In the Second Part of his column on Mumbai attacks case, Munir Ahmed Baloch criticizes the talk on forming an investigation commission on Mumbai attacks. He argues that these votaries should have thought of setting up an investigation commission to uncover terrorism and separatist movements in Balochistan, Karachi and tribal Areas. (Roznama Duniya)

UNITED STATES/ AFGHANISTAN
1. USA and Saudi’s ambassadors met Nawaz Sharif at his residence to congratulate him on his victory. (Urdupoint)

DEFENCE/SECURITY
1. COAS Gen. Kayani telephoned PTI chief Imran Khan and enquired about his health. (Khabrain)

2. Son of former PM Gilani is still alive; Najam Sethi, caretaker chief minister of Punjab has said that high officials have been given the responsibility to recover him. (Khabrain)

3.Sheikh Rashid and Imran Khan were to be targeted with suicide attacks during a rally at Liyaqat Bagh rally, according to intelligence agencies but the plan was dropped   since Imran Khan had an accident before attending the rally. (Urdupoint)

 
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. Mohsin Yunus writes that for the past three years, he had observed that Pakistani TV channels were organizing programmes on whether Pakistanis wanted to make Pakistan an Islamic state or secular state. Such programmes invite an Islamist to face questions and attacks of secularists. The anchor as well as the secularists hold Islam and Zia’s regime responsible for all ills of Pakistan. He writes that such channels intend to keep away Pakistan’s young generation from Islam whereas the same media channels do not do anything on Kashmir Day. Yunus says that the media keeps updating people about Indian actors and films. He writes that secular poets like Habib Jalib and Faiz Ahmad Faiz, who have been imposed on Pakistan, are Communists and they have rejected the two nation theory. (Al Qalam Weekly, 10 May to 16 May)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
 1. JI Chief Syed Munawar Hassan has demanded re-election wherever voting was over 100%. At more than a dozen polling stations voting went upto 300 percent. And this fact alone should open the EC’s eyes. Hassan also alleged that in Bajaur, Mohmand and Khyber Agency, the Army collected ballot boxes without counting. (Jasarat)
2. PML-N sources have informed that Nawaz Sharif wants the new cabinet to be small. (Jang)
3. Nawaz Sharif meeting Imran Khan at the hospital has shocked Fazl ur Rahman. (Jang)
4. A high level official of the defence police has claimed that PTI’s protest against Nawaz Sharif’s visit to Imran Khan could have ended within 5 minutes but for the presence of media personnel. (Daily Pak)
5. Senior PPP leader Mumtaz Aalam Gilani, holding Zardari responsible for the electoral rout, asked him to keep off party affairs. He said under Zardari, opportunists have seized the party. (Jasarat)
6. 4. PPP is considering to nominate Amin Fahim , Syed Khurshid Shah or Faryal Talpur as leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly. (Jang)
7. PTI chairman Imran Khan has decided not to vacate his NA seat of Rawalpindi  (Jinnah)
8. ANP is facing a split after the electoral rout Dr. Khan’s group has demanded Asfandyar Wali Khan’s resignation. Begum Nasim has become a rallying point for senior party loyalists and workers. Nasim said that in order to win municipal elections, the present party leaders must go. (Ummat)
9.. Political analyst Irfan Siddiqui says although politically, PPP has a majority of seats to be the opposition party, Nawaz Sharif considers Imran Khan as his real opposition. For Nawaz Sharif, PPP is almost dead. (Jang)
10. Jasarat editorial says PML-N will easily form government at the centre while PTI is in a position to form government in KP through an alliance with other parties. It says PTI will certainly do better in the next elections.  About Balochistan, the daily expects the situation to become clear within a few days and avers that an alliance of Pakhtunkhwa Mili Awami Party, PML-N and NA may form the next government in Balochistan. (Jasarat Edit)
11. Jasarat edit says all parties are alleging that rigging had taken place. Even MQM has claimed that rigging had taken place against it. The media exposed the rigging and people witnessed it. It says that the Army and Rangers were not near the polling stations. According to election monitoring organizations also rigging and irregularities had taken place at various places including Lahore, Nawabshah, and Sargodha.  (Jasarat Edit)
12. Jang editorial says Nawaz Sharif’s victory has encouraged investors and if peace is established, transfer funds outside the country will halt. And if issues with India are settled, it will boost both countries’ economy. (Jang Edit)
13.  The caretaker government has transferred the issue of verification of degrees from the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to the National Health Services.  The HEC chairman has written a letter to PM Khosa saying that the decision was an attack on the autonomy of  the HEC and  a violation of Supreme Court’s directions. (Jasarat, Urdupoint)
14.  Director General Immigration and Passports, Zulfiqar Ahmed Cheema said that 20,000 passports will be issued everyday by working on a war footing to complete the backlog. (Jang)

ECONOMY-WATER- ENERGY
1. Idris Rajput wonders whether Nawaz Sharif can bring an end to the water woes between Sindh and Punjab. He notes Nawaz’s election promises that he will ensure that the 1991 agreement on water sharing amongst the provinces will be upheld. (Kawish)

2. WAPDA chairman has said that AJK should get royalty on Mangla Dam at par with KP getting royalty on the Tarbela Dam. (Roznama Duniya)
 
PUNJAB
1. There is probability of appointing PML-N’s aged leader Rana Mohammad Iqbal as Punjab’s Governor. (Khabrain)

SINDH
1. Sources in PPP said nomination of Zardari’s foster brother Owais Muzaffar as Sindh CM will cause an internal upheaval in the party. (Jang)

2. MQM has termed PTI a threat in Karachi. The London-based leadership has questioned MQM (Karachi) party committee over the high turnout for PTI in areas under MQM’s influence in Karachi. MQM’s intelligence has submitted a report to the London leadership, according to which, if MQM had not given its team the task to rig elections, MQM may have lost 14 NA seats and 13 provincial constituencies. The London leadership has instructed its terrorists to end PTI’s influence in Karachi;  MQM’s sectors, units and intelligence committees were collecting the data of PTI activists and members. MQM was worried about anti-MQM protests in Karachi and the data is also being collected of people who took part in such protests. (Ummat)

3. An MQM activist was killed in Nawabshah on the polling day; since then, tension has gripped the area. At the time of counting of votes, armed men opened fire; this resulted in the killing of MQM Councillor Ghulam Rasool. In retaliation, armed people fired at various places, resulting in the killing of 4 people. Police and Rangers have failed to establish peace; life is paralyzed in Nawabshah. (Jasarat)

4. PML-F has accepted PML-N’s proposal of playing the role of opposition in Sindh and joining the federal cabinet with PML-N. (Jinnah)

5. Jiye Sindh Muttahida Mahaz has asked Sindhis not to fight against each other but to work together. (Awami Awaz)

6. Imdad Ali Soomro says pro-nationalist parties in Sindh who had joined hands with PML-N were defeated.  After Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, PPP had brought the country together, but this cohesiveness was not seen in the 2013 election. (Kawish)

7. Ibrat editorial says Sindh watchers are surprised at the electoral show by PPP since the party was expected to lose because of its five-years of misrule in the province. The edit adds that some senior PPP leaders are not happy with the party’s invitation to MQM to form an alliance in Sindh. (Ibrat)
 
BALOCHISTAN
1. Talking to a private TV Channel, Balochistan National Party Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal said that elections in Balochistan were unfair and biased.  Results of NA 260, PA 4 and PA 5 were altered and BNP was being stopped from reaching Parliament. He added that the entire world has seen the practical expressions of free and fair elections in Karachi where some activists were registering bogus votes and there was no one to stop them. Mengal warned that if mistakes were repeated as in the past, nationalist parties would be forced to take some aggressive steps. (Daily Intekhab)

2. Baloch National Movement Central Spokesperson said that elections were not the problem of Balochis and the Baloch community has nothing do with these elections. He said that the election was an agenda of the enemies. (Daily Intekhab)

3. National Party Vice President Akram Baloch said that there would be a positive change in Balochistan with the victories of the National Party. (Daily Intekhab)

4. Daily Intekhab in an editorial says BNP (Mengal) has rejected the election results in Balochistan and Sardar Akhtar Mengal alleged that elections were conducted to elect favorites and criticized withholding the results of some PA constituencies.  Those who have won elections with a few hundred votes could not be called the representatives of the masses. Rigging has revealed unfairness and the role of the establishment in the 2013 election. Edit claims that voting percentages were quite misleading. At least a clear majority of those who boycotted the elections were in Baloch populated areas. Edit says that Nawaz Sharif who would be the next PM had the courage to show flexibility for Taliban but did not say anything similar for Balochistan. Edit says that it was necessary that the Government should understand the apathy towards Balochistan and try to address their problems. As far as Akhtar Mengal’s objections were concerned, he should have considered all the issues before elections as the establishment’s role in Balochistan was obvious and hence he should accept the results. Edit says that the most important thing for anyone was to obtain the confidence of the people. (Daily Intekhab Edit)
 
POK/ G-B NEWS
1. Kashmiri leaders have expressed satisfaction over PML-N winning elections and congratulated Nawaz Sharif. They said that Pakistanis had delivered a historic decision and they expected the new government will raise the issue of Kashmir with India. APHC-G Chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani said that Pakistan should increase pressure on India to resolve the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN resolutions. AHPC Chairman Mirwaiz Omer Farooq expected that the Kashmir dispute will be resolved during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure. PDP President Mehbooba Mufti welcomed PM Manmohan Singh’s resolve to further the peace process with the new government in Pakistan. She urged the leadership of both countries to find new ways to improve ties. (Ummat)

2.Bang-e-Sahar laments the brutal murder of nationalist Kashmiri leader Arif Shahid in Rawalpindi. He was the Chairman of the All Parties National Alliance of 14 Kashmiri and GB parties. Edit says that he was a ray of hope for liberal forces in AJK. (Bang-e-Sahar Edit)

3. Daily Dharti editorial has condemned the assassination of National Liberation Conference AJK central President Arif Shahid in Rawalpindi. It voiced concern over the killing of 4 Kashmiris in the past few months. The daily said since 60% of Rawalpindi’s economy is controlled by Kashmiris, the Punjab government should pay attention to the killing of Kashmiri people. (Daily Dharti Edit)

4. CM Mehdi Shah has instructed action against contractors who had not been carrying out works even after their payments were made in full. (Bang-e-Sahar)

5.Sources said that with PML-N forming a government at the federal level, Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Peer Karam Ali Shah has been asked to resign. Maj. (Retd.) Tahir Iqbal’s name was proposed for the Federal Ministry of Gilgit-Baltistan and Kashmir Affairs. (Bang-e-Sahar, Baad-e-Shimal)

6. PPP Chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has decided to change the provincial party presidents after the humiliating defeat in the general elections. CM Mehdi Shah too was planning to quit as party’s president. He is consulting Mian Manzoor Wattoo. (Bang-e-Sahar)

7. Sources said that hundreds of PPP Activists in Gilgit-Baltistan have decided to join PML-N after its great win in the general elections. (Bang-e-Sahar)

8. Gilgit-Baltistan Education Minister Ali Madad Sher accepted mistakes in the past and vowed to stop patronage in school appointments. (Bang-e-Sahar)

9. Baad-e-Shimal editorial asks the Gilgit-Baltistan administration to pay attention to improve roads in Skardu which are in a pathetic condition. (Baad-e-Shimal)

10. In another edit, Baad-e-Shimal ticks off state owned PIA for neglecting Gilgit-Baltistan flights. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)

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