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.

UNITED STATES
1. The situation in the region has changed with distance between the US and Pakistan increasing while India is getting closer to the US. The US has its own interest in region and India wants to enhance its influence in Afghanistan. The Afghani leadership is playing in the hand of both USA and India. Pakistan has given too many concessions to Afghanistan; now it is the time to settle issues with Kabul. (Roznama Dunya-Edit)
2. Munir Ahmed Baloch objects to Hillary Clinton’s jibe that she is not worried about the Pakistani nuclear programme going to the hands of the Taliban but their own nuclear weapons is going to Donald Trump. Baloch also objects to the US support to India’s membership to NSG and providing India with large number of weapons. Bloch warns that if US tries to make India a heavy weight nuclear power, other powers, feeling unsafe, will try to join the race and US alone will be responsible for the Third World War. (Roznama Dunya)
AFGHANISTAN
1.Sirajuddin Haqqani of Haqqani Network said that the Haqqani Network is not a separate group but a part of Afghan Taliban. The drone attacks would not suppress the morale of the Afghan Mujahideen. He claimed that a delegation was already formed for peace talks within the limits of Sharia. (Daily Pak, Nawa-i-Waqt)
2.Sirajuddin Haqqani stated that if they were against the negotiations and peace process in Afghanistan, they would have not set up a political delegation. He further said that the world community has imposed a puppet administration on Afghanistan which has no power to implement any decision. If the world community demands Taliban to join this puppet administration, Taliban rejects such demand. (Jasarat-Ummat)
3. Following Afghan diplomat’s telephonic talks with General Headquarters and also with Sartaj Aziz, Afghanistan and Pakistan have called for a ceasefire. After the ceasefire was declared, Pakistan has started rebuilding the gate on Torkham border on its side which was suspended because of tensions for the past three days. Tensions had cropped up only because of this gate. The Afghan firing has so far claimed the lives of two Pakistani soldiers, and left more than 20 persons injured. Yesterday morning, one Afghan guard died and five others were injured. Meanwhile, Pakistan Army has called for more army reinforcements at the border that were aimed at ensuring that the Torkham border gate is raised anyhow. Keeping in view Pakistan’s geopolitical and global status, there is a need to defeat any conspiracies in South Asia against Pakistan. It is equally important to establish peaceful and lasting ties with Iran and Afghanistan on a priority basis. It will help remove Pakistan’s isolation in the region and will also save lot of energy which is otherwise being wasted on trivial issues. (Awami Awaz Edit)
4.Afghanistan’s survival depends on peace with Pakistan and hence it should stop fooling around. Time has come that Pakistan’s civil and military leadership should reconsider the country’s role as front line ally of the US in the war on terror. (Daily Pak Edit, Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)
5.Afghanistan is urged to adopt a policy of shunning tension on the Torkham border. The killing of Mullah Mansoor in the US drone attack even when four nation peace process was initiated not only delayed the talks but also changed the attitude of Afghanistan towards Pakistan. Some analysts believe that the change of Afghanistan’s attitude towards Pakistan is a result of closeness between Afghanistan and India. Since the Indian PM Modi visited Afghanistan, Afghanistan has started talking the Indian language. (Khabrain Edit)
6.Jamaat-e-Islam Chief Siraj-ul-Haq said that Pakistan and Afghanistan should resolve their disputes through negotiations. Pakistan has always stood for the people of Afghanistan in times of crisis. Pakistan and Afghanistan should recognize their collective enemy is India. (Jasarat-Ummat)
7.Central Secretary of Jamiat Ulema–e-Islam, Shah Muhammad Owais Noorani Siddiqui commented that India is afraid of the CPEC and hence is attacking Pakistan from the Afghan border. If Pakistan suspends ties with Afghanistan for six months it will come to senses since it receives supply of all necessary goods from Pakistan’s borders. (Jasarat)
8.Salim Safi, Mazhar Abbas, Hasan Nisar and other analysts told a Geo News program that both Pakistan and Afghanistan are responsible for the failure of border management. Former Afghan president, Hamid Karzai has termed non-implementation of the agreement as Pakistan’s inefficiency. In the last three years Nawaz Sharif or the Interior Ministry did not do anything regarding the border management. (Jang)
INDIA
1.Senator Sajid Mir said India is actually behind the aggression at the Torkham border under the guise of the Afghan Army. India and America would never accept a security gate at the border that would restrict the entry of their agents and terrorists into Pakistan. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
2.PTI central leader Sardar Kamil Omar said India is the biggest obstacle in the way of peace in the region; the aggression by Afghanistan forces is only because India is inducing them. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
3.Imtiaz Alam’s article “Modi’s game plan to isolate Pakistan” says that despite the fact that PM Modi is charged with several offences within his country, he very aptly exploited the US Congress’s concerns on terrorism and indirectly brought Pakistan into focus. India has succeeded in winning the hearts of Pakistan’s traditional friends even though Pakistan has been doing a lot for Afghanistan since four decades. Pakistan has been using the Afghan Taliban as defence assets but now Taliban is turning out to be a big unbearable burden for world community. Pakistan wants to reap profits from the phrase “good and bad Taliban”. This though has proved too costly for no one in the world is prepared to listen to Pakistan now. Despite the negativity surrounding Pakistan, it still holds the key to Afghanistan’s stability. Pakistan needs to keep in mind that Afghan Taliban can never be true and faithful to it and as its double standards are exposed it will only invite more wrath of the US and may lose the NATO support too. Now Afghanistan may allow India to engage in a low intensity cross border terrorism from the Afghan side of the border. After getting Saudi Arabia’s support Modi has succeeded in getting closer to Afghanistan and Iran. Pakistan is to blame itself as it has created problems for both these countries and has facilitated Iran, Afghanistan and India to come closer. Pakistan’s rigid and pro-fundamentalist policies have helped India isolate Pakistan globally. Despite fighting terror, Pakistan is getting isolated from its allies and it is so happening because of Pakistan’s double speak. Pakistan will have to accept the fact that it can be no match to India in the arms race. No matter what modern weaponry the US gives India, it will not dare use it against Pakistan and at the same time, for Pakistan, nothing else should be more important and dear than the very security of Pakistan itself. Pakistan will have to keep its support for the Kashmiris confined only up to a moral, political and principle-based level and it should not aim at creating instability in Kashmir. Pakistan will have to learn to live within its boundaries keeping in mind its larger domestic missions and must forget and give up what is beyond its reach. PM Nawaz Sharif is right in his attempts for pursuing regional peace and co-operation. If Pakistan wants to weaken Modi’s attempt to isolate Pakistan, then establishment too will have to support Nawaz Sharif and tell the Afghan Taliban to either go with Pakistan or leave. Unfortunately it looks like Pakistan seems to be playing into Modi’s hands. Hence, it is time that Pakistan, while pursuing peace, should also see that Modi is disarmed and also kept engaged. (Awami Awaz)
ARMY/SECURITY FORCES
1.Analyst Nazir Naji writes that though the Army has succeeded in clearing tribal areas of terrorists, these areas cannot be declared totally safe yet. Though army has done its part of job, cooperation is lacking from the government’s side on the work of resettlement of displaced families and implementing the 20 points of National Action Plan. (Roznama Dunya)
2.Milli Yakjehti Council Chief Abul Khair Zubair said that if war is imposed on Pakistan results would be disastrous for the entire world. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
3.Federal Minister General (Retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch said the two-year-long Operation Zarb-e-Azb in North Waziristan was ending fears of Tehrik-I-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) from the minds of the people of Pakistan. The TTP Chief Fazlullah is hiding in Afghanistan and soon will be killed. The issue of Fazlullah is raised with the US officials Pakistan has nothing to do with the Afghan Taliban Chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor or Haqqani Network. (Jasarat, Ausaf)
4.Punjab Minister for Law Rana Sanaullah has ticked off Pakistani Awami Tehreek Chief Tahir-ul-Qadri for demanding the intervention of Army chief to ensure justice for the victims of model town mishap. Involving the Chief of Army Staff in personal matters is a heinous act. (Khabrain)
5. Defence Analyst Gen. Retd. Rahat Latif Malik says four secret agencies namely the CIA, RAW, MOSSAD and MI-6 are interfering in Pakistan. Their resources are within Afghanistan and are supporting terrorism in Pakistan. Their direct concern is with the Pakistan’s foreign policy. This is not a 1965 or 1971 war but it is intelligence based, which means no one knows in which costume the rival is present. (Khabrain)
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. JuD hosted an Iftar party in honour of editors in Karachi. Speaking on the occasion, JuD Chief, Hafiz Saeed said that Pakistan has succeeded in making smart bombs that can be used in conventional war. If Indian forces make an attempt to cross the Pakistani border, none of its soldier will survive. Independent Pakistan alone will ensure the freedom of Kashmir and the defence of the Gulf countries. India and the US have initiated conspiracies at an international level against the CPEC. Pakistan has suffered because of its friendship with the US and India too will not be able to stand it. (Roznama Dunya)
POLITICAL SCENE
1. PTI Chairman Imran Khan has demanded that a Foreign Minister should be appointed immediately. In view of the escalating tensions on Pakistan-Afghan borders, need of a full-fledged Minister is imperative. (Daily Intekhab)
2.Pakistani Awami Tehreek’s (PAT) Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the country is being run by the Army. He bemoans that the country is being run without a Prime Minister. His agenda is to get justice to the families of the martyrs. Injustice will continue to prevail in a country as long as there is no rule of law. He asked of what use is this government when the army has to do every job? In related news the PTI has agreed to support the PAT’s peaceful protests regarding justice for families who had lost their kin in the Model Town firing (Awami Awaz)
3.Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief Sheikh Rashid has decided to join a protest on 17th June by Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chief Dr. Tahir-ul-Qadri. He remarked that while a person like Indian PM Modi is able to establish himself as a leader, Nawaz Sharif has failed despite being a three-term PM. (Pk Voices)
4.Mazhar Abbas, a journalist, says Dr. Asim Hussain seems very upset and angry with the Sindh government for not standing by him. “Asim informed me that an army officer had asked him to give a statement against Zardari and in return they (Army) would provide him with relief”, he revealed, adding that Dr. Hussain was interrogated for 17 consecutive days. (Awami Awaz)
5.Opposition leader in the National Assembly, Syed Khursheed Shah said that the government will have to give up its stubborn stand on the Terms of Reference for Panama papers probe panel. Imran Khan will have to drop the idea of protesting alone. Every party should join hands on the issues concerning the country’s future. Zardari will be back as and when it becomes conducive and possible. (Awami Awaz)
SINDH
1.Members of the Sindh Assembly have criticised the federal government for 16-18 hours of power cuts in the province. The Sindh Finance Minister, Murad Ali Shah told the House that PPP supremo Zardari had written to the federal government last month on the power cuts but there is still no reply. He also told the House that power cuts this year are more than the last year lasting up to 20-22 hours in some areas. (Ibrat)
POK/ G-B NEWS
1.Gilgit-Baltistan has decided to increase the retirement age of doctors in the government health care centres. They also would be given more salaries and facilities. CM Hafizur Rahman said that people would see positive change in the functioning of the hospitals from July. (Daily K2, Baad-e-Shimal)
2. The Gilgit-Baltistan Education Minister Ibrahim Sanai claims that he has taken big steps to improve the working of schools. But the fact is that the government will have to keep a check on corruption in the education department and also on ghost employees. Sanai should take more steps to ensure standards of education at all levels. (Daily K2 Edit)
3. The people of Gilgit-Baltistan want their region to become the fifth province of Pakistan and government should respect their demand. G-B people have been sacrificing their interests for Pakistan; they have given full support to the Pakistan Army whenever needed. For the past six decades the people of Gilgit-Baltistan were struggling to get constitutional status. The PML-N Government in Gilgit and Islamabad should fulfil the wish of the people without any delay. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)