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.

CHINA
1. South African investors have demanded 100 acres in Gwadar under the CPEC as China and Pakistan are planning to make 63 African countries as partners of the venture. The Pakistan South Africa Business Forum is working on the proposal. It is trying to establish a Pakistan Community Centre and Trade Centre in Johannesburg where only Pakistani items will be displayed. It would help in ending the monopoly of India and China as well. (Pk Voices)

2. Giving a big boost to Pakistan’s CPEC plans, Russia is said to have decided to link ‘Eurasian Economic Union’ (which includes Belarus and Kazakhstan) with CPEC. Pakistan has accepted Russia’s request to facilitate imports of Russian goods at Gwadar port. This news must have come as a big jolt to India. Indian analysts have termed this development as ‘disappointing’. (Ummat, Jang, Roznama Dunya)

3. CPEC will provide 2.3 million jobs in Pakistan. China wants unlimited investments in the project for which it could invite other countries as well. Russia, Afghanistan, India and Iran will also get a share in the project. (Pk Voices)

US/UK/RUSSIA
1. The US has reportedly indicated readiness to mediate between India and Pakistan on the water discord. This is indeed a big diplomatic victory for Pakistan against India’s water terrorism. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

2. British Home Office has once again banned Sipah-e-Sahaba (SS) alias Jamat-e-Ahle-Sunnat-wal-Jamaat, and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA). SS and its faction Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) are opposed to Shias and term as non-believers. Sikh separatist group Babbar Khalsa and the Indian Mujahideen (IM) working to establish Islamic identity in India too are in the list of banned outfits. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

3. Russia announced support to Hizb-e-Islami in Afghanistan and said that that it will not become a hurdle in removing the name of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar from UN banned list. (Ummat)

INDIA
1. JuD Chief Hafiz Saeed addressed a large Ulema convention held at Markaz Nishatabad, which was organized by JuD (Faisalabad). He said India’s conspiracy to split Balochistan has failed. Today people of Balochistan are waving green flag of Pakistan and raising pro-Pakistan slogans. Saeed said that India won’t be able to continue its forcible occupation of Kashmir. India’s withdrawal from Kashmir would mean breakdown of the dream of ‘Akhand Bharat’. There is a conspiracy to promote terrorism in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other Muslim countries. He announced that on 13th January a massive Kashmir conference would be held in Dhobi Ghat to express solidarity with Kashmiris. He urged ulema to take interest in worldly matters also beside mosques and madaris. (Roznama Dunya, Jasarat, Ausaf)

2. Amir-ul-Momineen, Maulana Muhammad Masood Azhar, is all over the India media since the New Year began. Indian government terms the Maulana as the mastermind of many attacks. The 31st of December 2016 has caused double bitterness for India as China vetoed Indian resolution on Masood Azhar in the UN Security Council. The veto was snub to Modi government. Seventeen years ago on this very day, 31 of December 1999, the Indian government had knelt down in front of mujahideen, and freed Azhar from its jail. The short point is that even if the UN passes any resolution, it will not affect Maulana Masood but it will revive wounds of India. Hence, if Delhi is serious it should pay attention to the demands of Maulana Masood. Otherwise humiliation will increase for India. (Al Qalam Weekly, 6-12 January 2017)

3. Nazir Naji writes: informal talks are being held between India and Pakistan on the water issue under external pressure. Such secret talks do not yield any positive outcome. The governments should come to some bold conclusion on their own. The Indus Water Treaty is one such bold agreement. (Roznama Dunya)

4. Addressing Kashmir Seminar on the second day, Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakariya said massacre of Kashmiris, settlement of outsiders particularly Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir are a flagrant violation of UN resolutions. He added more than 7000 Kashmiris have been blinded by pallet guns used by the Indian forces on peaceful demonstrators. (Daily Intekhab, Jasarat, Jang, Roznama Dunya)

5. Bilateral trade across LoC between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad continues through Chakothi-Ori Aman Bridge. (Roznama Dunya)

ARMY/SECURITY FORCES
1. Government has reportedly decided to replace the military courts with special courts. This will be a retrograde step. Special Courts will not be able to give free and fast judgments. (Roznama Dunya Edit)

2. Army chief General Bajwa said that Balochistan is heart of Pakistan and progress of Pakistan is intertwined with the progress of Balochistan. Speaking at seminar organized in Balochistan’s University of Engineering & Technology at Khuzdar, he said 20 thousands Baloch youths have joined the Army, 600 of them as officers. Baloch have also been given representation in Navy and Air force. He agreed that percentage of Balochis in the forces was low in the past and said that 25 thousand Baloch students were enrolled in Frontier Corps, Army schools and an engineering campus was being constructed in Quetta. (Ummat, Jasarat)

TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. Save Islam Rally in Islamabad organized by religious groups turned violent after clashes between the Police and the protestors. Police fired teargas on stone pelting protestors. Many persons were injured. (Daily Pak, Nawa-i-Waqt)

2. PM Sharif has claimed that the National Action Plan has been implemented properly and fully to come to grips with the problem of terrorism. Interior Minister Chaudhary Nisar Ali has contradicted the PM’s claims. Anyhow, the terrorist violence that continues to rock Pakistan is proof that NAP has not been implemented fully. Action against terrorists should continue. There is no question of resting till complete peace is established in the country. (Daily Pak Edit, Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

3. Four camps of terrorists have been destroyed in Dera Bugti and machine gun, rocket launcher, explosive and grenade launcher and several other weapons were seized. (Ummat, Roznama Dunya)

ECONOMY/POWER/WATER
1. Kala Bagh Dam is an important project, which has been talked about for long years. Yet the Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal said the dam would not be taken up as a part of the CPEC ventures. This is surprising to say the least. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

2. Senate Committee on Finance has admitted that Rupees 800 billion worth corruption takes place in government’s purchases. According to MD, Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) every year government purchases various items worth about Rupees 5500 billion and Rupees 800 billion of this amount is siphoned off towards corruption. MD-PPRA Khizar Hayat told the senate committee that it is not his job to stop corruption in government purchases. In reply to this, the committee Chairman said that means everyone will do whatever he wants to do with no check. (Sindh Express)

SINDH/BALOCHISTAN/KP/PUNJAB
1. Jamaat-e Islami chief Siraj-ul Haq said he supports the formation of south Punjab but it should not be based on ethnicity. On Modi’s threats of blocking water to Pakistan, he said that it is as good as announcing war against Pakistan. Pakistan should also reply in Modi’s language. Speaking at JeI in Multan, he said that contradictory statements are being made by the rulers. They make one statement in the National Assembly and another statement before the court. (Sindh Express)

2. Mansoor Ali, brother of Mustafa Azizabadi of MQM-London, has been arrested from Sakhi Hassan colony in Karachi. He is being interrogated at an undisclosed place. Police in plain clothes took him away, according to Wasay Jalil, another MQM-L leader. ‘Let us know as to for what crime, Mansoor has been taken away and arrested’, he said in a tweet. (Sindh Express)

3. The health, education and other social sectors are in a poor shape in Sindh. Development works are lagging behind. This has been the story for long. Other provinces, Punjab and KPK are better placed than Sindh. Balochistan does not stand anywhere in this respect. But that is not the issue. The fact is there is no comparison between Sindh and Punjab, even with KPK for that matter though the frontier province has been reeling under terror attacks. Sindh had many hopes from new CM, who is capable of making Sindh a better place. He can bring warring kabila chiefs to the table to make peace. He can play his role effectively to get Sindh its dues from the Federal government on royalty from gas and other natural resources. He can play his role in getting big boost to education and health sectors. Well he has promised all this and much more after taking over the reins of the province but the promise has remained a promise thus far. True any change will take time to materialise. But the CM will do well to make people feel that he is on the job. Culprits behind cases like Naila Rind’s and other heinous ones can be brought to book. If new Chief Minister does all this, people will remember him for ever. (Ibrat Edit)

3. Sultana Waqasi in her article writes: Despite the fact that many weapons are being seized in raids in Karachi, the city police says they do not know the whereabouts of criminals. In courts too, advocates and judges do not handle the cases well because they too fear for their lives. If any Sindhi nationalist activist is arrested, his tortured body is received after few days. Many Sindhis have been thus buried. The arrested Sindhi nationalist activists and leaders were not even produced before the courts. Miscreants and militants of Karachi get acquitted by courts. Then they contest elections, win the elections and become a part of Sindh government. The way things are happening, it looks in times to come there will be Chief Minister from among them (MQM) because other (PPP) leaders will once again speak big in favour of reconciliatory politics. Talk big as champions of democracy and thus keep sharing booty. (Awami Awaz)

4. Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri said his government will provide 25 to 30,000 jobs to Baloch youth on merit. Another 10000 youth will get employment in industries that will come up in Khuzdar. (Daily Intekhab)

POLITICAL SCENE
1. Not only peace but enlightened ones too seem to be held hostage by fundamentalists in the country. Though rulers off and on give good news of having crushed militancy, militants are so adamant that they keep striking even in the midst of government’s tall claims. When the rulers take pride in taking selfies with the militants, the militants can never be under any pressures. (Kawish Edit, Sindh Express Edit, Ausaf Edit)

2. The Panama case is before the Supreme Court. Yet, the PTI leader Imran Khan is firing at Nawaz Sharif on all cylinders. Enigmatically he says ‘earlier Qatar prince came to his (Nawaz’s) rescue, let us see who else appears to protect him now’. His colleague, Shah Mahmood Quereshi has said in Lahore, Quereshi said that PTI has given all the evidence to the Supreme Court and hopes to get justice from the judiciary. He also indicated that the PTI might hit the streets once again. The first was held at Rajanpore on Jan 7. We are told that there would be many more such rallies in times to come. PML (N) leaders say it is their duty to reply to charges being levelled against their leader, Nawaz Sharif. Well, Sharif is not just PML (N)’s PM but of the entire country. PML (N) leaders, in their press conference in Islamabad said that PML (N) will tell the nation why Imran keeps misleading the nation. Put simply there is going to go be no respite from Panama fireworks. (Awami Awaz Edit)

2. Aitzaz Ahsan, a leading lawyer, and PPP senior, said the Panama case has exposed Sharif family. Speaking in TV show, he said the Sharif family will have to prove the source of all their wealth, Imran is right when he says it is for NAB to look into the case. Bank statements in every business owned by Sharif should be made public. (Sindh Express)

3. Hamid Mir in his column, disagrees with the general perception that Javed Hashmi is joining PML (N). Mir does not agree with these speculations. Javed Hashmi has spoken of what he called judicial martial law. Mir says in Pakistan media is not so free or else he could have revealed some facts. Neither PM’s house nor the judiciary has commented or defended their institutions against Musharraf’s allegation that General Raheel Sharif got him relief through the government and judiciary. Mir hopes that one day judiciary will become so strong and free that judges will be able to give bold decisions. (Jang)

POK/G-B NEWS
1. PPPP central leader Farooq Chaichi has demanded equal share of AJK in CPEC. (Khabrain)

2. PM Sharif will visit Gilgit-Baltistan on 13th January to address the joint session of the assembly and Gilgit-Baltistan Council. He will discuss GB Budget, 3G services and other important issues. (Daily K2)

3. Gilgit-Baltistan Bar Council deciding to champion the issue of constitutional rights for the province is a welcome development. There is no denying that the lawyers can handle such issues effectively. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)