SOURCE: Ausaf, Ummat, Daily Pak, Nawa-i-Waqt, Urdu Point, Daily Jinnah, Awami Awaz, Daily Dharti, Jasarat, Kawish, Daily Intekhab, Daily Times, Jang, Ibrat, Khabrain, Roznama Dunya, Hizb Media, Al Qalam Weekly, Baad-e-Shimal, Bang-e-Sahar, Sindh Express, Pk Voices.

RUSSIA/IRAN/US
1. Top Russian secret agency officials have recently visited Pakistan and discussed issues related to strategic ties and Afghanistan. (Ummat)
2. On the 36th anniversary of Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, the Afghan Taliban said that if the US wants to save itself from the defeat like former USSR it should immediately get out of Afghanistan. In a statement, the Afghan Taliban also people of Afghanistan will continue jihad against the invasion. (Ummat)
3. Free trade talks between Pak-Iran which were to be held from December 28, have been postponed. (Jang)
AFGHANISTAN
1. Pakistan, China and Russia have formed a separate group on the Afghan issue and this was a new front against the US in the region. The group will pay heed to the stances of Afghan Taliban. The US has tried to keep Pakistan out of this group and even tried to stop its very formation but Pakistan rejected the US’ pressure. In addition, Russia has also rejected to the US call not to keep contacts with Afghan Taliban. Group will also discuss how to stop the inroads of ISIS in the region. (Ummat)
2. Secretary level talks between Pakistan, China and Russia will be held in Moscow today (Tuesday). Issues of mutual interest, establishment of peace in Afghanistan and global and regional matters will be considered in the meeting. The Pakistan delegation is led by Foreign Secretary Ejaz Chaudhary. China and Russia will be represented by their foreign secretaries. Diplomatic sources say establishment of permanent peace in Afghanistan and China-Pakistan Economic Highway are the important points on the agenda. China has consistently said that any third party will be included in the CPEC project only after the agreement of Pakistan. Relations between Russia and Pakistan have improved and both have agreed to work on the gas pipeline project among other projects. If peace prevails in Afghanistan, Russia too can access the Middle Eastern countries through the CPEC and Gwadar Port. (Jinnah)
INDIA
1. Chikungunya virus came to Pakistan from India due to bad health check-up system say Pakistan’s Health Experts. Though India had issued a red alert in October this year Pakistan Health Department did not take the issue seriously. Experts criticized that due to bad health policies of PM Modi colonies of mosquitoes bearing the Chikungunya virus have developed in New Delhi. (Daily Pak, Nawa-i-Waqt)
2.India has decided to revoke the Indus Water Treaty and a task force will be formed under Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to analyse the situation. It was said that India was even considering changing the direction of Beas & Ravi Rivers. (Daily K2, Daily Pak, Nawa-i-Waqt, Jasarat)
3. President of the World Bank Jim Yong Kim called on the federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar and discussed about Dar’s letter over Indus Water Treaty. Jim has reportedly assured him that all the efforts will be made to resolve IWT dispute with India. Finance Minister had written a letter to the Chairman of the World Bank reminding him of the bank’s obligations under IWT. The World Bank had rejected Pakistan’s suggestion for the appointment of a neutral observer. It also rejected Indian request for a neutral expert. World Bank had taken the stand that any hasty and wrong decisions may lead to the cancellation of the Treaty itself and that it would be better if both countries play their roles properly. (Jasarat, Jinnah)
4. An eminent Chinese Scholar said that India should go soft on the Kashmir, LoC and Tibet. India could get share in the CPEC. (Daily K2, Nawa-i-Waqt)
5. JuD Chief Hafiz Saeed said that Prime Minister Modi was trying to strengthen Indian occupation of Kashmir at the behest of the US and Israel. Giving domicile certificates to non-Kashmiris was part of this conspiracy. (Jasarat, Nawa-i-Waqt)
ARMY/SECURITY FORCES
1. Pakistan Naval Chief, Admiral Zakaullah Khan met the federal Finance Minister on Monday and discussed the Navy’s budget requirements. FM assured him that the Sharif government would help the Navy in all possible ways to make national defense insurmountable. (Jang)
2. Defence Minister Khawja Asif has reacted to an unattested statement by former Israel Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon that Israel will attack Pakistan if it send its army to in Syria to support Daesh or some other purpose. Asif remarked that Israel should not forget that Pakistan is also an atomic state. The statement by Moshe was seven months old and reacting to it now was insane. Such irresponsible statement makes Pakistan a subject of mockery. There will be questions on the credibility of its atomic program. PM Sharif should initiate action against Defence Minister Khawja Asif or it would be construed that his is an irresponsible government. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. Home Ministry has released its assessment report on the implementation of National Action Plan. It has admitted that NAP has failed in checking militants effectively as also financial co-operation among banned militant organisations. The report has been released after approval from the Home Minister. It admits that banned organisations and militant groups are still functioning after changing their names. Action against religious or fundamentalist groups is very slow. Work on FATA reforms and reconciliation exercise in Baluchistan is sluggish too There were 671 terror incidents during 2016. Target killings came down by 69 per cent and militant activities have come down by 80 per cent in Karachi. 16000 weapons of different kinds were recovered. (Sindh Express, Nawa-i-Waqt, Daily Intekhab)
SINDH/BALOCHISTAN/KP/PUNJAB
1. General Bajwa has made his third visit to Balochistan after becoming the Army Chief. This shows that he is completely aware of the problems faced by Baloch people. Pakistan government should make a comprehensive roadmap for removing deprivation of the Baloch people. Baloch patriots are giving a fitting response to the Indian threat by taking out rallies in support of Pakistan from different cities of Balochistan. As the positive results of operation Zarb-e-Azb have started coming, people who are creating obstacles in the development of Baluchistan should be dealt with iron hands. (Khabrain Edit)
2. Sindh CM Murad Ali Shah said his government will not tolerate any meddling from any quarters in its affairs. Speaking to the media, he added that Zardari’s return from abroad will be welcomed by those who want to see democracy thrive in the country. (Sindh Express)
POLITICAL SCENE
1. Munir Ahmed Baloch has strongly criticized PM’s Special Advisor, Mehmood Khan Achakzai for demanding a separate province of Afghania for Afghan refugees. He said both Achakzai’s forefathers and Bacha Khan were anti-Pakistan but they became enemies to each other after Achakzai family snatched Pakhtoons’ (Afghan refugee) votes from Bacha Khan family. These Afghan refugees enjoy good positions in many sensitive departments today. (Roznama Dunya)
2. Qamar Zaman Kaira, senior PPP leader said that when Musharraf was going abroad, it was Home Minister Nisar Chaudhry who said that as and when the Courts want, Musharraf will come back. However that has not happened. Nisar Chaudhry has a major role in allowing Musharraf to go out. PPP activists will follow whatever Zardari directs in his address on the occasion of Benazir’s anniversary. (Awami Awaz)
3. Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif has termed the former President Musharraf an ungrateful person. Those who supported Musharraf for going out of the country are being chased by him. He also admitted about presence of former senator Saif-ur Rehman in Pakistan with Qatar prince. (Khabrain)
4.Former Pakistan PM, Benazir Bhutto’s Protocol officer, Mohammad Aslam, has revealed in a TV talk that the former Interior Minister, General Nasirullah Babar had arranged telephonic talk between Benazir Bhutto and Taliban leader, Baitullah Mehsud who told her that they do not target ladies and that they do not have any plan to kill her. Aslam said that if Rehman Malik and Babar Awan are involved in Benazir murder conspiracy why have they not been questioned yet? (Jang)
5. PPP is preparing grand alliance against the government. PML-Q leader Shujaat Hussain is supporting the plan. It is opposition’s right to criticize the government, but its target should be policies and acts and not any individual. (Jang Edit)
6. Ibrahim Kumbhar in his article ‘Changing political scenario and the PPP’ writes: there is a flurry of activities following change in Rawalpindi and these activities have started impacting the political forces too. Zardari thinks PPP is still a big political force that can regain its clout but it looks difficult now. It is no more a secret that PPP has changed its principles and people do not seem to be connected with PPP any longer as it is evident from the 2013 polls results which confined PPP only to Sindh while it was ousted from other provinces. Bilawal also does not seem to be aware where he has to take his party now. The fact of matter is that PPP will have to start afresh but the party leadership perhaps is not thinking on these lines. The party leadership just keeps doing as much as it is required to remain in power and it has nothing on its agenda as to how to remain connected with people and what to do for the betterment of democracy. (Kawish)
7. The ninth death anniversary of Benazir Bhutto is being observed in Sindh today. On this occasion, one can say that the PPP today is not what it used to be in the times of Zulfikar and Benazir Bhutto. Yes, one or the other obstacle is raised against PPP even today. It also needs to be kept in mind that from day one of democracy, the country has faced threats and obstacles in one form or the other. 70 years after the formation and notwithstanding several sacrifices no one can say with certainty about the future of democracy in Pakistan. From Mujibur Rehman to Liaquat, and from Zulfikar to Benazir, political leaders are killed in Pakistan and yet there is no justice done to their cases and these faces behind these assassinations remain a big mystery till today. The 70 years period is quite sufficient to get wise and mature. Hence, real power wielders in the country (that is establishment) should become wise and mature and they will have to review decisions and acts that breed differences amongst provinces and federal government. (Awami Awaz Edit)
8. It has been repeatedly pointed out that corruption is as big a threat as militancy. People have their opinions as to how much prevailing laws and operations have succeeded in checking militancy. People differ with the government’s tall claims in the fight against militancy. Notwithstanding these differences between peoples’ views and government’s claims, one thing is indisputable that something is happening against militancy, but what is being done to check corruption in the country? The government of the day and the law keeping machinery will have to find a way out to fight this ‘cancer’ which will also help the people to regain trust in the government machinery. If this is not done, the growing concern over deepening of corruption will one day crush the entire system. (Sindh Express Edit)
POK/G-B NEWS
1. Speaking at a programme in Gilgit to mark the International Aids Day, speakers have cautioned that AIDs could spread in G-B due to Chinese workers engaged in CPEC. China has the greatest number of AIDs affected persons and the government should improve the Health Check system at the borders. (Baad-e-Shimal)
2. Gilgit -Baltistan Education Minister Ibrahim Sanai has made the absurd claim that there is corruption in GB. Neither Jinnah nor any other Prime Minister of the country has made any such baseless and insane remarks. The Government could not fool people by making non-sense comments and should work towards accepting the facts. (Daily K2 Edit)
3. Gilgit Baltistan’s Education Minister Ibrahim Sanai deserves a pat for stating that the Government would not tolerate corruption, disharmony and that it will name those involved in sabotaging the CPEC through Balochistan. CPEC was a game changer for Pakistan including GB and Baluchistan. Hence it was the responsibility of everyone that it should be completed without any problems. This will benefit everyone. Gilgit Baltistan Government is doing a wonderful job for peace and harmony and should be supported from every side because Gilgit-Baltistan is the gateway for CPEC. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)