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.

CHINA
1. To facilitate the CPEC project, Pakistan and China have agreed to open a banking channel. (Roznama Dunya)
UNITED STATES
1. It is rather, indeed, very unfortunate that the US has termed Pakistan’s nuclear program as a threat to India. And as always, now also, Washington is demanding that Islamabad should do more in the war against terrorism. Instead of making such irrational accusations the US should remain neutral on India –Pakistan, push India to resolve the Kashmir issue as per the UN resolutions, and stop its hypocrisy on NSG membership issue. If the US remains stubborn and unyielding, then the day will not be far off when a new bloc comprising China, Russia, Pakistan and other such nations will be formed to humble the US. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)
2. The US has failed to end terrorism in Afghanistan even after battling against terrorists for 16-years. It is time that India, Afghanistan and the US play a positive role in ending the terrorism. (Khabrain Edit)
AFGHANISTAN
1. The US has resorted to backdoor efforts to restore dialogues between the Afghan government and the Taliban. (Roznama Dunya)
2. It is strange that Afghanistan has kicked up a row over construction of a gate at the Torkham border though Pakistan had apprised Kabul of its plans well in advance. On its part, the United Stated has ruled out any mediation and signalled that Pakistan and Afghanistan should resolve the issue mutually. The US statement is considered as a warning to Pakistan that if it doesn’t resolve its issues with Afghanistan as soon as possible Pakistan will have to face the damage in the future. Termination of the F-16 deal, support to India’s plans to become a regional bully, and above all Modi’s visits to Iran and Afghanistan are pointers to the direction of the wind. Pakistan cannot afford to ignore. (Khabrain Edit)
3. Reopening of Pakistan-Afghan border after six-days of tension is a welcome development indeed. Pakistan has a right to construct a gate at the border post in its national interest. Lakhs of Afghans come to Pakistan to earn their livelihood; if Pakistan stops their entry, Afghanistan will choke. Can Afghanistan dare to send its people to Iran and India, its two new brothers without valid documents? (Roznama Dunya Edit)
4. Hamid Mir writes on the love-hate relations between Pakistan-Afghanistan. All Afghans are not militants and Afghanistan is home to many Sufis saints who have spread the message of peace and love. Strong border management is beneficial to Afghanistan as well. After constructing a gate at Torkham border crossing, it will become difficult for Pakistan to defend itself wrongly. (Jang)
5. Peshawar police have rounded up 340 Afghans during the last three days in an operation against illegal Afghans in the city. (Jang, Roznama Dunya)
6. The Afghan government has side-lined the Deputy President General Abdul Rashid Dostum. This followed unwillingness of global charity institutions to fund projects in which Dostum is involved. (Ummat)
INDIA
1. Khalistan movement is getting a fresh momentum and the Sikh people who have continued their struggle believe that by 2020 they will force the Indian government for a referendum. The Hindutva agenda of the Indian PM Modi is providing energy to the separatist movements in the 26 Indian states. (Jasarat)
2. India is facing water scarcity despite it drying up the Pakistani rivers. (Daily Pak)
3. Arbab Nek Muhammad writes: Indian PM keeps moving around the world and making friends from France to Japan and China to Moscow. The larger agenda of Modi is to get India a membership of the Nuclear Supplier’s Group (NSG) and a permanent membership in the Security Council. George Bush’s Civil Nuclear Deal with India paved way for India selling nuclear material and now the Obama administration seems keen on getting India into the 48-member NSG. Modi is also keen to give more concessions to the Muslim countries. About a decade ago the Indian government decided that if any Indian settled in any part of world makes any investments in India they would get the benefit of double citizenship except those who have settled in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Now that India has given its citizenship to Adnan Sami and Salma Agha, Indians settled in Islamabad and Dhaka may want to be considered for dual citizenship. It is time that the establishment comes on the same page to find a way out of the Modi doctrine. (Kawish)
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. Sensitive agencies have warned that the Tehrik-e-Taliban Afghanistan can attack Punjab on the 17th day of Ramzan to avenge the killing of its Chief Mullah Mansoor. Taliban has formed a group to attack the US ally, which can launch an attack on “Youm-ul Badr”, on 17th Ramzan. Afghan Taliban is coaxing other groups as well to carry out attacks in Pakistan, the alert cautioned. (Daily Intekhab, Ibrat)
2 ISIS and other banned outfits have brainwashed three students of Karachi Universities and trained them in anti-national activities, a PhD scholar revealed during interrogation. He is also from the Karachi University. (Jang)
3. Al-Khidmat Foundation Women Wing has distributed ration to 1600 families in Lahore. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
4. Al-Khidmat Foundation has decided to take care of 10,000 orphan children this year across Pakistan. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
5. The Taliban has once again taken control of various army and police chowkies in Kunduz. Taliban also attacked patrolling convoys in Nangarhar and Kunar. In fidayeen attacks Taliban killed over 97 soldiers and injured dozens. Also destroyed were ten tanks and many vehicles. Taliban has looted the heavy weapons and the military apparatus after attacking the allied forces. Also in Kunduz the US forces have killed six people and whisked away 13 others by helicopter. The US drone attack has killed 11 people in Lugar. (Al Qalam Weekly, 17-23 June)
DPC-HAFEEZ SAEED THREATS
1. After Ramzan, the Difa-e-Pakistan Council, (DPC) will organise massive protests across the country to give a ‘befitting reply’ to the US and India and ‘the world to see it’. This was announced by DPC central leaders at a rally. Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Liaquat Baloch, Fazlur Rahman Khalil, Abdullah Gul, Hafiz Abdul Rehman Makki and speakers said that the US is running away after facing defeat at the hands of the Taliban in Afghanistan. They accused India of providing its airbases and ports to the US to attack Pakistan. And warned India that Pakistan youth are ready for Ghazwa-e-Hindi (battle against India).The DPC central leaders urged people to stand shoulder- to -shoulder with the Pakistan Army to defend the nation. Turning to Kashmir issue, the leaders said no power can crush the Kashmir freedom movement. Kashmiris were with Pakistan yesterday and they are with Pakistan today. DPC leaders have termed the flare up at Torkham border post as a joint a US-India conspiracy, and said US drones are present at Indian bases, but politicians are least concerned. The DPC leaders saw in the Panama Leaks case an effort to malign Pakistan. (Jasarat, Roznama Duniya)
2. Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC) said that the conspiracies to upset China-Pakistan relations will never be successful. The Pakistan government should not accept any pressure on handing over Dr. Shakeel Afridi to the US in the Osama Bin Laden case. India is spending crores to sabotage the CPEC project. The US is trying to use the Indian soil to destroy Pakistan’s nuclear facilities, the DPC thundered. (Daily Pak, Nawa-i-Waqt)
3. Ahl-e-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) held a rally against the alleged US, Indian and Iranian interferences in Pakistan. If the US attacks, Pakistanis will fight like the companions of Prophet Muhammad who had fought against the enemies of Islam. ASWJ leaders said Afghanistan was getting trapped in the conspiracies of India and Iran. (Jasarat)
POLITICAL SCENE
1. More than 80 National Assembly members of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party are fretting and fuming against the Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. This is a sequel to what they see as anti-farmer budget presented by the minister. In fact, over forty of them staged a walk out when Dar got up to wrap up the budget debate last week. Though they were wooed and brought back to the House, their resentment continues since the budget has not offered anything to farmers while showering several reliefs to the industrialists. Treat farmers on par with industrialists, these angry PML-N members are thundering. Well, this development exposes the chinks in the government’s armoury, more so when it claims to have provided good governance. Next year is election year. And if the ruling party continues to behave as it does now, its plight at the ballot box is not difficult to imagine. (Ibrat Edit)
2. 30 Ahl-e-Sunnat parties in a joint declaration said that they will stage a protest and demonstrations in every city if ‘unfair punishment’ to Sahibzada Hamid Saeed Kazmi is not rescinded. (Khabrain)
3. Ibrahim Kumbhar in his article ‘What kind of democracy will dharnas give birth to’ writes: people like Tahir-ul-Qadri are a big threat to the government and democracy. It is unfortunate that established political parties like the PPP and PTI are giving support to the Qadri protests. The PPP popularity will only diminish if it engages in unconstitutional means to protest. Qadri may be right that there is no governance in the country and the democratic institutions have become weak but the question is; what is agenda of those who are planning to hold the dharnas? When unconstitutional forces are pinning their hopes on agitations for change, what expectations can be made with regards to democracy in the country? Even if any change befalls the country in the aftermath of the dharnas, there is no hope that any such change would mean a betterment of a common man’s life. (Kawish)
ECONOMY/WATER
1. Pakistan government has begun preparations to allow off-shore companies in the country. A legal framework is being devised in consultation with Law Ministry, Security and Exchange Commission, State Bank and FBR. The investors’ names would be kept secret as the purpose of the new regime is to bring back home Pakistani money stashed in off-shore companies. Apart from the investments in Pakistan, off-shore companies will be allowed to invest in the CPEC economic zone. And the government will be relieved from the Panama Leaks imbroglio. (Daily Intekhab)
2. The Neelum-Jhelum Project will be operational in July 2017, CEO Lt. Gen. Retd. Muhammad Zubair said. The project will generate 969 MW of electricity. (Khabrain)
BALOCHISTAN
In an exchange of fire, security forces killed eight members of a banned outfit at Mashke. Forces destroyed one camp and seized heavy cache of weapons. The armed men had attacked to target persons who had surrendered last week. (Jang)
SINDH
1. Lyari gangster, Aziz Baloch, has made major revelations concerning the senior PPP leaders including former President Asif Ali Zardari, according to the joint investigation team’s yet-to-be signed report. It says that some of PPP leaders used to help Aziz Baloch at Zardari’s instance. (Awami Awaz)
2. Arbab Nek Muhammad in his article ‘Why is Sindh so indifferent to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor’, asks why the Sindh province is lagging behind to get the most out of the CPEC for Sindh. JUI-F’s Fazal- ur-Rehman held meetings with the PM and also visited China to address the Muslim population. Even the Baloch leadership is conducting meetings in Quetta regarding the CPEC. But there is no such effort by the Sindh leadership. True the federal government is trying to limit the benefits of the CPEC in so far the Sindh province is concerned but why Sindh leaders, who are in the Opposition, have not cornered the Centre. (Kawish)
POK/ G-B NEWS
1. The AJK Chief Election Commissioner took notice of the use of the government resources by the federal ministers during election campaign. He has banned the use of government vehicles and helicopters by the federal ministers in AJK during election campaigning. (Khabrain)
2. The Gilgit-Baltistan Education, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ibrahim Sanai said that those provoking sectarianism are national enemies. Linking any personal issue to any sect, area or language is not in the interest of the province. (Daily K2)
3. Gilgit-Baltistan Parliamentary Secretary Muhammad Shafiq has said that Ghanche will be turned into a tourism hub in the next four years. (Daily K2)
4. Gilgit –Baltistan is gripped by wheat crisis. The government should do something quickly to address wheat shortages in the larger interests of the people of this region. (Daily K2 Edit)