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.

PAKISTAN-NSG
1. Ibrat on Pakistan’s NSG membership says: Pakistan has formally filed an application to be a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group. If the US can go for a civil nuclear deal with India, then Pakistan also has the right to go for such a deal; now that Pakistan has also applied formally for a membership, the US and its allies will have to support Pakistan. The most important thing to be kept in mind is that Pakistan has fool proof security for its nuclear weapons and there is also a national command and control system for it. Keeping all these things in mind, the world community should support Pakistan for the measures taken at every stage for the safety of its atomic program. (Ibrat Edit)
POST-MANSOOR KILLING
1.JUI-F leader and Chairman of Senate Standing Committee for Religious Affairs, Hafiz Hamdullah, has rejected US’ claim of killing Afghan Taliban Commander, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, in a drone attack. It is nothing but a drama, he thundered. According to him, Mullah Mansoor had been killed 10 months back. He alleged that the US had stopped the supply of F-16s to Pak on India’s request. He also said that due to Pakistan’s inadequate foreign policy there was a threat to its national security. (Khabrain, Roznama Dunya)
2. Since Mullah Akhtar Mansoor had appointed Sirajuddin Haqqani as his first Deputy Chief, it is expected that Sirajuddin Haqqani would be made the Afghan Taliban Supreme commander. Additionally, analysts claim that Sirajuddin Haqqani had the backing of Rahbari Shura and other top Afghan Taliban commanders. (Ummat)
3. Sources in Quetta say that the post-mortem on two bodies burnt in the vehicle, which was attacked by the US drone strike, has been completed. One of them was identified as Azam, who plied taxi between Taftan and Quetta. A passport recovered from the vehicle showed the other person as Wali Mohammad who entered Pakistan through Iran. This person went to Iran on 14th May 2016 and returned on 21st May as per records. The passport of Wali Mohammad also bore visa stamps of UAE and Saudi Arabia. (Daily Intekhab)
4. Former diplomat and an expert in Afghan matters, Rustam Shah Mohmand, has said that the drone attack on Pakistani soil was carried out with US President’s consent. Now the Taliban would lose confidence in Pakistan. He further expressed that Mullah Omar’s son, Mohammad Yaqoob, or one of his associates might be the new Chief of the Afghan Taliban. (Khabrain)
5.Guardian newspaper claimed that killing of Afghan Taliban Chief, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, could ignite Pakistan since Pakistan had made heavy investments in making Mansoor the chief of Taliban, post the demise of Mullah Omar; Pakistan also had a stance that negotiation would succeed in Afghanistan when a united Taliban would take part in the peace process. (Ummat)
6. Hamid Mir in his comment on Mullah Mansoor killing, says trust deficit is increasing between the US and Pakistan. The US has expanded its sphere of drone attacks from tribal areas and KP to Balochistan and it may be extend further up to Punjab. The killing Mullah Mansoor would have a negative impact on Pakistan’s effort to bring Afghan Taliban to the dialogue table. Mir further comments that Pakistan had some misperception that it had a key to bring Taliban to the talk table, however, instead of agreeing for dialogues Mullah Mansoor had tried to consolidate Taliban’s control in East and South Afghanistan, and had succeeded in that, while also establishing good relations with Iran. Turning to the release of former Pak PM’s son, Ali Haider Gilani, from Taliban clutches, Mir writes that US was perturbed by what it had learnt from Ali Haider Gilani. According to him, the growing Indo-US relations were going to create problems for Pakistan, but the political parties in Pakistan were busy pulling each other down. Mir informs that like Pakistan Sarzameen Party, even the PML (N) might split and a new party with a few members from the Sharif family might emerge. (Jang)
7. Shakar Solangi, in his article, states that the PPP, ANP, and Quami Watan Party, were in fact not with the opposition for the joint protests against the government on the Panama Papers issue. He writes that even Fazlur Rehman was out to rescue PML (N) and thus there was no threat to PML (N) right now. (Kawish – May 22)
8. Several dailies have taken the US to task for killing Taliban chief Akhtar Mansoor and asked Nawaz Government to ensure that the drone attack has no adverse impact on Pakistan. Nawa-i-Waqt says: “it is evident that peace in the region is not possible unless there is peace in Afghanistan and hence all the four nations working on peace should adopt a strict strategy to ensure the same. At the same time, the US should convince India to stop its aggression in Kashmir without which the unrest will not end”. Jasarat observes: “the US has been posing as if it is interested in establishing peace in Afghanistan but the chain of events have been contradict this claim. A few days ago Chief of Hizb-e-Islami, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has claimed that he will convince and bring the Afghan Taliban to the negotiation table and it is being expected that only something very serious will sabotage the possibility of peace in Afghanistan and now after reports of Mullah Akhtar’s death in US drone attacks, it has become clear that the US is interested in keeping its control on Afghanistan. Additionally, this is now a challenge for the Pakistani government as to how it will protest against drone attacks on Pakistani soil. (Khabrain Edit, Nawa-i-Waqt Edit, Jasarat Edit)
AFGHANISTAN
1. Pro-Indian Afghan parliamentarians and Indian lobby in Afghanistan are unhappy that the deal with Hizb-e-Islami does not insist on giving up weapons. (Ummat, May 22)
UNITED STATES
1. Dr. Abdul Majeed Chandiyo, in his article on the impact of Saudi-US feud, states that while Russia was challenging the US militarily in the region (i.e., in Syria), China was challenging the US on the economic front. He adds that China gave a lot of importance to Saudi oil, and that it was a good thing that Pakistan was playing a facilitating role in stabilising China-Saudi trade ties. (Kawish)
2. Recently the US put conditions for the release of Coalition Fund. These include freedom to Shakil Afridi and also to taking effective action against the Haqqani Network. Pakistan should opt for an honourable way out, even if it means doing away with this fund, as it will save Pakistan’s prestige and will help Pakistan get rid of these American demands of doing more all the time. Pakistan should send out a message to the world at large that Pakistan will not take any dictations from the world any longer. (Ibrat Edit – May 22)
INDIA
1. UJC Chief, Syed Salahuddin, said that Pakistan should change its policy to break Indian conspiracies in Kashmir. Talks and verbal warnings would not solve the issue. Targeted armed struggle is needed. “Making an iron wall at the LoC, settling pilgrims coming from west Pakistan in the valley, construction of composite colonies for Kashmiri Pandits, Sainik Colonies for retired Army personnel, disrupting the education career of Kashmiri students under the guise of internet, and ending the disputed status of J&K through Geo-Spatial Information Regulation Bill, are all conspiracies through which India is trying to suppress Kashmir freedom movement and turn the Muslim identity of the state from a majority into a minority”, he said adding that the Mujahideen would continue to fight for freedom till their last drop of blood even with bare hands. Syed Salahuddin urged Pakistan to support the Kashmiri cause with more than consular and moral support. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
2. Pakistan Sarzameen Party leader, Mustafa Kamal, has claimed that RAW agents had established control over Karachi, Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, and other cities. Addressing the first party workers’ convention, he said that they would have to release the cities from under RAW’s control. (Jang)
3. Interior Ministry’s joint investigation team has recorded the complete statement of Sarfraz Merchant, with regard to MQM Chief Altaf Hussein’s links with RAW and money laundering. (Daily Pak)
4. JuD chief Hafiz Saeed said that unless the Kashmir issue is resolved peace in the region is not possible. He added that the US and all other nations should first ask India to stop its terrorism in Kashmir. Saeed further mentioned that India would not succeed in suppressing the freedom movement of Kashmir. According to a report in Ausaf, he also said that waving of Pakistani flags in J&K could not be refrained under UN guidelines. Saeed also said that the demonstrations in Kashmir would stop immediately if the 8-lakh Indian troops stopped violence in Kashmir. (Daily Pak, Ausaf)
5. PPP leader, Rahman Malik, said that there is harmony between Shia-Sunni sects in Pakistan; however, some external powers are creating rift in order to create unrest in the country, he told a press conference, adding that India was certainly involved in the new game. (Jang, Daily K2, Nawa-i-Waqt, Ausaf)
6. Modi’s tour of Iran is in fact an effort to affect Pakistan’s interest and he would sign many deals with Iran including an accord on investment in Chahbahar port. (Jasarat, May 22)
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. JI Chief, Siraj-ul-Haq, said that the hanging of JI leaders in Bangladesh was more a result of insensitivity of the Pakistani leaders than the satanic play of India. Haq said that if government of Pakistan would have gone to the International Court of Justice with the 1974 agreement the hanging of JI leaders could have been averted. He added said that India wanted Sheikh Hasina’s government to continue in Bangladesh to stop Bangladesh from becoming and emerging as an Islamic country. (Jasarat, May 22)
2. Peshawar police have arrested 100 suspects including 6 Afghans. (Jang)
3. Sensitive agencies have warned Punjab government of a possible terrorist attack on Bahauddin Zakariya University and Nishtar medical college, saying 17 terrorists, belonging to TTP and Sajna group, had reportedly entered Punjab; 11 of them are said to be suicide attackers. (Ummat)
POLITICAL SCENE
1. Pir Pagaro, speaking in Hyderabad, said that Pakistan is an agro-based economy but it is the agriculture that is suffering the most now because a lot of things are being brought in from India; if this continued for long, Pakistani economy would suffer more. On Modi-Nawaz relations, he said that Nawaz is very keen to get close to Modi but Nawaz is conveniently forgetting that it is the same Modi who had got 4000-5000 Muslims killed to gain power in Gujarat, and that it was the same Modi who had used very strong language against Pakistan and its Army. Pagaro further said Modi knows it very well that he has become the PM for the first and the last time. People like Modi would do some misadventures with Pakistan and that could happen only with Nawaz’s help. Therefore it would be better if Nawaz keeps away from Modi. (Ibrat)
ECONOMY/WATER/POWER
1. Awami Awaz has an edit on water issue. It says: WAPDA Chief recently has cautioned about major water constraints in the times to come. Though several pacts have been signed on water from the 1935 Anderson Commission to the 1991 water treaty for water distribution to provinces, nothing has been done to implement these pacts and treaties. Water is still not being released down Kotri to save the Indus delta, which has led to about 22 lakh acres of land in Badeen and Thatta becoming barren land; yet WAPDA still wants to review Water treaty of 1991 for distribution of water to provinces. If there is no water in the Indus upon which dams can be raised, WAPDA and other departments concerned should drop such plans. (Awami Awaz Edit)
2. The government should take note of the state bank’s indications about price rise next year. People cannot withstand such a price rise any longer and thus the budget for the next year should be prepared accordingly. (Kawish Edit, Jang Edit)
BALOCHISTAN
1. Protest rallies were taken out and meetings were held, by the National Jirga and an All Parties’ Alliance, to protest the abduction of Asad Tareen, son of provincial minister Sardar Mustafa Khan Tareen. Protest rallies were addressed by leaders from JUI, Pashtoonkhwa Map, Awami National party, PPP, PML (N), PML (Q), tribal leaders, District Bar Association, Transporters’ Association and others. They observed that the intelligence organisations were conspiring against democratic forces and that instead of actually maintaining peace and order and acting as the eyes and ears of the nation, they were acting with ulterior motives. (Daily Intekhab)
POK/ G-B NEWS
1. Council election will be held today in AJK, where 10 candidates will compete for four seats. (Daily Dharti, Ausaf)
2. Al-Khidmat Foundation’s Gilgit-Baltistan Orphan Care Program has been taking care of 211 children’s education and their moral development for the past 3 years. (Daily K2)
3. All the political parties make big claims, about G-B’s constitutional rights and share in CPEC, before elections but do nothing once the elections are over and hence instead of creating false hopes government should take practical actions. (Daily K2 Edit)