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.

AFGHANISTAN

1. Pakistan, China and Russia have taken the initiative for peace to Afghanistan. This is a welcome development. Afghanistan is under the influence of India. I is essential that the US and India should also be included in the peace process without which obtaining desired results would not be possible. Peace in Afghanistan guarantees peace in the entire region. If Kabul can understand that and come out of the influence of India, it will be better. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

2. A Chinese analyst says Russia, China and Pakistan have held trilateral talks on Afghanistan in view of possible threat of ISIS, and the failure of the four nation talks held under the auspices of the United States. The analyst affiliated with a Chinese Think Tank, said, unlike the US, which is a distant country, China, Russia and Pakistan are Afghan neighbours and have a strategic and regional interest. Hence they could be honest about establishing peace in Afghanistan.  However, Afghan President Ghani differs with the assessment and avers that without participation of Kabul, negotiations on Afghanistan cannot bring any positive result. He may be right but the fact of the matter is that there is no independent government in Kabul. The government of Ashraf Ghani is indeed slave of the US while the American parasite India has continued unwanted intervention in Afghanistan to exploit its natural resources. (Ummat Edit)

3. Russia, China and Pak have called for lifting the ban on Afghan Taliban to facilitate its participation in peace process. This is a welcome development. At American behest, the UN had put ban on Afghan Taliban. Peace and stability in Afghanistan require the support of China, Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. (Ausaf Edit)

4. Realistic indeed is the call of Pakistan, Russia and China that for bringing about peace in Afghanistan, the UN restriction imposed on some Taliban commanders should be lifted. Pakistan has been trying its best to establish peace in Afghanistan through talks between Afghan government and Taliban but the effort has failed due to some US actions and the Ghani government’s anti-Pak rhetoric especially after New Delhi and Afghan government became closer. (Jang Edit)

5. Afghan Taliban has announced the formation of electricity commission to provide electricity in areas under their control. Taliban have also started erection of electricity polls in Helmand, Kandahar and Zabil. They will fix transmission lines by January 2017. (Ummat)

6. Russian envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov has confessed that due to USSR’s war, extremism was born in Afghanistan. In the past, USSR’s war was projected as an attack on Islam. This was also a reason why Osama Bin Laden and other fighters had reached Afghanistan to take part in jihad. (Ummat)

INDIA

1. Indian PM Modi has announced plans for stopping Pak waters but the Pakistan government has not reacted so far. (Khabrain)

ARMY/SECURITY FORCES

1. JuI (F) has announced plans to table a bill in Parliament seeking that senior most General be made the Army Chief. (Urdupoint)

2. Former Army Chief, Raheel Sharif reached Saudi Arabia on a special aircraft sent by the Royal Family. He is likely to be made advisor to the Islamic Alliance Army floated by 39 nations. (Kawish, Daily Intekhab)

3. New ISI Chief Naveed Mukhtar called on President Mamnoon Hussain at President’s house and discussed national scenario, terror and security related matters. (Kawish, Roznama Dunya, Urdupoint, Jinnah)

4. Corps Commander of Peshawar, Lt Gen. Nazir Ahmed But visited various check posts during his two day visit to North Waziristan. He was given briefing on operational and security situation. (Roznama Dunya, Urdupoint)

5. Interior Ministry has referred 40 more terrorism cases from Punjab and KP to the military courts. (Jang, Roznama Dunya)

6. The time limit for military courts set up under National Action Plan is coming to end but provincial governments have not yet made any arrangements for alternate courts. (Roznama Dunya)

TERRORISM & EXTREMISM

1. Asad Shur writes: Home Ministry has told a National Assembly’s committee that it has prepared a draft for combining ‘Terror Act’ (which will lapse onJanuary 7, 2017), and ‘Tahfuz Pakistan Act’ (which expired last year) in order to make the Anti-terror Army Courts permanent. The draft provides for grounds for trying civilian cases in the military courts.  According to draft, an accused kept in custody of the law enforcers for 90 days. (Sindh Express, Khabrain, Daily Intekhab, Ausaf)

2. Secret Department has called for a report from NDADRA on fake ID cards to the foreigners. Action will be taken against the officials and the guarantors found guilty. (Daily Pak)

ECONOMY/POWER/WATER

1. Water scarcity is imminent this year due to poor monsoon rains. It is said that existing water levels in the reservoirs might last only for two months. This will have an adverse effect on the agrarian economy of the country, more so as the underground waters are also nearing depletion. Experts have painted a grim scenario. If there is no rainfall by February 2017 the water levels in the dams can reach dead levels. IRSA has warned of hardships to Punjab agriculturists in March sowing period because of declining water levels. Authorities say much water goes waste into the sea and cannot be stored because there are no dams or water storage facilities. Worldwide environmental changes lead to drought at some places and flooding in some other places. In both scenarios, it is food production that gets affected the most. Pakistan has been facing water shortage. Recently, Pakistan faced heavy flooding too. Both these conditions lead to food crisis. The government has no concrete plans to meet such critical situation. IRSA and other such bodies simply keep insisting on construction of new and more dams. Even for this, they just keep Punjab’s interests in mind. As long as there is no water problem in Punjab, the government hardly talks on this issue. Sindh has been facing water crisis over the years. Whenever Sindh has taken up this issue, bodies like IRSA have silenced Sindh saying that Sindh is being given its share of waters. This time too, IRSA and other such bodies are focussed on Punjab. This will mean life-long water crisis for Sindh. Instead of thinking of building new dams, water distribution should be set right amongst the provinces. Finding new pretexts for building dams is incomprehensible. Keeping in view environmental related threats, people in the country will have to be more nature-friendly. More attention to afforestation is needed. (Sindh Express Edit, Awami Awaz Edit)

2. Drought and reduced water level in reservoirs is negatively affecting the wheat crops. Weather Bureau has forecast scanty rain fall during next months. IRSA, the organization that manages water distribution, has warned further reduction in the water levels and very little availability of water for irrigation purposes. It also stated that due to atmospheric changes it is not possible to forecast how long the situation will continue like this. (Jinnah)

3. A 20-month delay in completing Tarbela dam’s fourth expansion project is caused by bad management. As a result the project will now be completed in December 2019 instead of March 2018. The cost overrun is estimated at Rs 67 billion. (Ausaf)

4. Storage at Tarbela and Mangla Dam has come down to just 1.3 million acre feet water, Chairman IRSA, Irshad Khan, said. There is a danger that by February 2017 the important water reserves will dry up. He said that the only way to avoid recurring water crisis is construction of more dams. (Nawa-i-Waqt, Roznama Dunya)

SINDH

1. Sindh High Court has asked the Sindh Police Chief to continue despite the government orders to go on levee. People of Sindh did not approve of Sindh government’s decision of forcing A. D Khawaja to go on leave. If PPP had heeded to peoples’ views and reconciled with other political parties, it would not have taken such a step. PPP is advised to listen to people and also patch up with them. So that, the people of Sindh start coming closer to the party. This can pave way for social betterment in Sindh. (Ibrat Edit)

2. Following Sindh High Court’s orders to retain A D Khwaja as Sindh Police Chief (till further orders), Sindh government has appointed Abdul Majeed Dasti as Additional IG Research and Development. (Kawish)

3. Following Sindh High Court’s orders to retain A D Khwaja as Sindh Police Chief (till further orders), Sindh government has appointed Abdul Majeed Dasti as Additional IG Research and Development. (Kawish)

4. Women Action Forum and Human Rights Commission have protested planned changes in Sindh law for protection of minorities. They asked the authorities to not succumb to the pressure of Maulvis and fundamentalists. . (Sindh Express)

BALOCHISTAN

1. A reservoir of gas and oil was discovered in Balochistan’s Jandaran area which is larger than that of the Sui gas reservoir. (Ummat)

2. Baloch political parties are talking of mounting a joint campaign against census. Former Chief Minister and leader of National Party Dr. Abdul Malik Baloch, Balochistan National Party (Awami) Chief Mir Israrullah Khan Zehri, have urged Baloch and Pakhtoon communities to plan a common strategy. (Daily Intekhab)

3. About 70 mutilated bodies were recovered from various parts of Balochistan during 2016. According to official data, more than 1000 mutilated bodies were recovered in the past six years. These figures are disputed by Nasrullah Baloch, Chairman of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons. He puts the number at over 1200. He adds these are bodies of missing persons taken away by security forces forcibly, and not of encounter killings as government claims. Spokesperson for Balochistan government Anwar-ul Haq Kakar termed these allegations as baseless.  (Daily Intekhab)

4. Canada adjourned hearing Baloch movement leader Karima Mehrab’s application for political asylum to the New Year. Her application was to be heard in October 2016. According to Karima, she had taken membership of Baloch student’s organisation in 2006 when she was in Degree College and in 2014, following kidnapping of Zahid Baloch, head of Baloch students’ organisation, she took over the leadership. The spokesman for Pakistan Mission in Canada, Nadeem Kayani told media that Karima’s allegations are false. (Awami Awaz)

KP/PUNJAB

1. Punjab’s Higher Education Department has said schools are facing threat from terrorists till 31^stDecember. (Urdupoint, Ausaf)
2. Senior PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira, who heads the Punjab unit of the party, said some provinces are worried that they are discriminated under CPEC. He added CPEC is being made pro-one particular province while others are being neglected. (Awami Awaz)
3. Opposition leader in Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmudur Rashid said PPP can only play the role of a friendly opposition. Reconciliation between PPP and PML (N) is to take on PTI. (Khabrain)

POLITICAL SCENE 

1. Senior analyst, Najam Sethi opines that civil-military relations will stabilize in the year 2017. Speaking in a Geo TV program, he also opined that political stability would improve. In his view, Karachi operation against terrorism will be intensified. Nawaz Sharif has realised that if PPP is pushed into corner it will make alliance with PTI. Therefore he asked Fazl to pacify Zardari. Najam’s assessment is that Sharif will accept PPP’s demand for a regular external minister and Parliamentary Committee on National Security. Regarding implementation of National Action Plan, he said that without a green signal from the Army, no fundamental change is possible. (Jang)

2. Asif Jelani writes it will be for the first time in Pak political history that a son-father duo will be entering Parliament. It remains to be seen between the two who will don the mantle of Opposition leader in the House. (Kawish)

3. Asif Zardari’s announcement that he would contest for Parliament is step that would strengthen democracy in the country. He should give a free hand to his son, Bilawal to shape the PPP as a force. (Jang Edit)

4. No breakthrough can be observed in Pak politics from the return of Zardari. He has announced his decision to come to mainstream politics by contesting for the National Assembly. Much was expected from Zardari statement but I came as a disappointment to the PPP Parliamentary Party leaders who were waiting to hear some big ticket anti-government campaign. It is possible that the Zardari made last minute changes in his plans after JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur Rehman and met him at the behest of Prime Minister Sharif. (Khabrain Edit)

5. Hamid Mir says Asif Zardari’s decision to bring Bilawal to National Assembly is a good move but his own returning to NA is not right. Hence it is expected that Zardari will carry on real politics from outside Parliament and his son Bilawal will show his mettle in the parliament. Their coming to parliament will have two fall –outs. One the Sindh Chief Minister will be able to pay more attention to his province. Two Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan will be forced to attend Parliament. Bilawal’s road map could lead to extreme confrontation between the Centre and Sindh.  Many Pakistani youths are being used in Iraq and Syria’s civil war and they could spread sectarian violence on their return to Pakistan. (Jang)

6. Benazir Bhutto’s Protocol Officer, Ch. Mohd. Aslam has accused PPP leaders Rehman Malik and Babar Awan with involvement in the conspiracy of killing the former PM. He asked why these two leaders have not been questioned so far by the investigator. He quoted a former Interior Minister General (retired). Nasirullah Babar as saying that Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud had a telephonic conversation with Benazir Bhutto. He denied of having any connection with the assassination. (Ausaf)

7. Imran Khan stated that his party is ready for alliance with the PPP to forge a common front in the Panama case but it is too early to speak of a poll pact between the two. (Kawish)
8. PTI central secretary Naeem-ul Haq said the leadership has decided to expel for dissident lawmakers of the party. (Khabrain)

9. Awami League Chief S K Rashid met PTI Chairman Imran Khan at his residence and discussed about PPP President Asif Zardari’s return, Panama Papers and other issues. Both leaders agreed to intensify their people contact campaign to expose PM Sharif. (Urdupoint)
10.  Former PM and senior PPP leader, Raja Pervez Ashraf said that talks are in progress with other parties for long march against the government. PPP will welcome if Imran joins PPP’s protests. (Sindh Express)

11. Bilawal Bhutto will not get party symbol (Arrow) for contesting bye poll. Either he will have to leave PPP or he will have to contest on some other symbol. According to the records with the Election Commission, Bilawal Bhutto is Chief of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and this party has no election symbol whereas Asif Ali Zardari heads the Pakistan Peoples’ Party Parliamentarians (PPPP). Arrow is election symbol of PPPP. So, Bilawal has two options. One he leaves PPP and joins PPPP to get the arrow symbol; two he continues with PPP but opts for another symbol. (Sindh Express)

POK/G-B NEWS

1. The Gilgit-Baltistan Government should pay attention to scarcity of drinking water in Astore district. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)

2. PPP President Asif Ali Zardari said PPP had given the provincial setup to Gilgit-Baltistan and in the next phase it would take steps for getting the status of a complete province of Pakistan. PPP has decided to present an alternate bill on GB’s constitutional status in the Senate. At present GB has the status of an observer. (Baad-e-Shimal)

3. WAPDA Chairman, Muzammil Hussain, said Diamer Bash Dams construction will start from March 2017. Due to wrong planning, Neelam Jhelum hydro power project cost has increased from 84 billion to 450 billion. However one unit of Neelam Jhelum will be commissioned from February 2017. (Jasarat)

4. Four projects viz. 80MW Phindar Power Project, 100MW Chilmas Das Power Project, Economic Zone and Diamer Bhasha Dam have been included in the CPEC, G-B CM Hafiz-ur Rahman said. He added that CPEC would provide ample of employment and end the problem of energy and unemployment in the province. (Daily K2, Baad-e-Shimal)