INDIA
1. Nawa-i-Waqt said editorially that India is Pakistan’s eternal enemy and the government’s decision to assign MFN status to and promote trade with India is a foolish step. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

DEFENCE
1. COAS Gen. Kayani has remained absent from a felicitation programme hosted by President Zardari in honour of the Chinese State Councillor. Kayani was also absent from a meeting presided over by PM Gilani a day earlier. (Ibrat, 25 December)

2. PML-Q’s Chaudhary brothers called on COAS Gen. Kayani in Rawalpindi and discussed matters related to the stability of democracy and the political system. (Kawish, 25 December)

3. Ausaf editorially commented on COAS Gen. Kayani’s statement that the Army had no intentions of declaring martial law and that the Army supported democracy. It says that despite a Memogate, for the first time in Pakistan’s history, the Army has not declared martial law; it has chosen to show faith in judiciary. Also for the first time, the COAS and DG ISI had submitted their statements in SC but the President has not done so. (Ausaf Edit, 25 December)

TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. Speaking at Lahore JI rally, JI chief Syed Munawar Hassan said that Islamic revolution was will not come through politicians who are forever shifting their loyalties. More than a lakh people attended the rally. (Jasarat)

2. Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftekhar Muhammad Chaudhary has expressed his dissatisfaction that over the 1000 cases are pending in the anti-terror special courts in Sindh. During a briefing, the Prosecutor General Sindh said that the province has 12 special anti-terror courts in Sindh and that 1241 cases are pending with them. (Ausaf, 25 December)

3. In his column, Talhe-Assaif says: When the Markaz-e-Osman-o-Ali, Bahawalpur conceptualized the congregation of people affiliated with JeM and the Al Rahmat Trust, it was decided that the total number of participants should not go beyond 2000, but by the noon of the first session itself, 3000 people had joined and the numbers kept increasing till the second day. (Al Qalam Weekly, 23 December to 29 December)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1.Government wants to push the Memogate issue under the carpet by getting it investigated through NA’s National Security Committee, sources said. This desire is because of the fact that most of the committee’s members would retire by next March and once they retire the investigation would have to be suspended. (Jasarat, Jinnah, Ibrat)

2. JUI-F central leader Hafiz Hussain Ahmad has accused the PPP government of creating favourable situation for imposition of martial law and to get people’s sympathy. He claimed that PM Gilani had been disappointed when COAS Gen. Kayani refused to impose martial law. Ahmad demanded fresh elections and Gilani’s resignation. (Jinnah)

3. PML-N chairman Raja Zafar ul Haq said that talk of martial law indicates that the government is scared. He accused the PM of issuing visas to 1400 Black Water personnel. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

4. JUI-F chairman Maulana Fazlur Rahman said that the restoration of MMA would need more time. He rejected the idea of an alliance with PTI. He also said that he did not want to become a mediator between the Army and the civilian government. (Daily Pak, Ibrat)

5. Federal Minister Khurshid Shah said that only Zia and Musharraf loyalists were joining PTI and that too for power. (Ibrat)

6. PML-N’s Nissar Chaudhary claimed that an intelligence agency was pushing leaders to join PTI. (Awami Awaz, 25 December)

7. PTI chief Imran Khan has asked Javed Hashmi, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Khurshid Kasuri and Jehangir Tareen, who have joined his party, to woo disheartened PML-Q and PPP members, especially from areas where PPP-PML-Q have formed an alliance. (Nawa-i-Waqt)  

8. PTI chief Imran Khan has invited PPP leader Chaudhary Aitzaz Ahsan to join PTI. (Jasarat)

9. PPP’s Aitzaz Ahsan has said that he has no plans to quit PPP but he also said that he liked PTI as he sees it as the third force. (Kawish, 25 December)

10. PPP leader in Sindh Nabil Gobol may also join PTI. (Awami Awaz, 25 December)

11. PML-Q prominent leader Marvi Memon will announce her decision to join PML-N. (Jinnah)

12. PML-N activists took out a rally against Javed Hashmi’s joining PTI. (Jinnah)

13. In his article, Dastgir Bhati says that Imran Khan may be getting support from the establishment from behind the curtain, but sitting MNAs rushing to join his party was natural as people are fed up of corrupt practices that political parties have been unable to uproot. This mad rush to join PTI shows that people are tired of the old parties. (Kawish, 25 December)

14. Jasarat editorial on differences between the Army and the government over the Memogate issue says in the current situation, when US-Pak relations had also deteriorated, the NA’s National Security Committee was working towards a decision to review ties with the US. If this committee is given free hand to assess the situation, all other institutions will agree to end cooperation with the US. (Jasarat Edit)

15. Editorials in Daily Intekhab and Jang on PML-N senior Javed Hashmi joining PTI say Hashmi had always complained that he had not been given his proper due despite taking care of the party during Nawaz Sharif’s exile.  His joining PTI is being considered as establishment’s work. Edit says that the people were tired of the feudal system in politics and that a change in the political culture was necessary. (Daily Intekhab Edit, Jang Edit)

16. Jinnah’s editorial comments on PM Gilani’s statement that PPP worked with the Army on every matter. It says that on specific issues like NRO, Memogate scandal, Pak Steel Mills, Railways, PIA, and drones attacks, the government’s reactions are different from the people’s mandate. (Jinnah Edit)

17. Jang editorially said that the PM should work for creating harmony between institutions. (Jang Edit)

18. Nawa-i-Waqt in an editorial that marked Qaid-i-Azam’s 136th birth anniversary, said: Nazarya-e-Pakistan Trust passed a resolution expressing concern over certain politicians maligning Jinnah’s character for their political purpose. Some TV channels and print media were talking against Jinnah and this resolution demanded that government black list such people. The resolution also mentioned that the Punjab Textbook Board has curtailed  12th point from the 14 points given by Jinnah in the social science book for standard VIII. It demanded that the 12th point should be included in its entire form in text books. Edit writes that politicians who were favouring  India, had Indian interests at heart, and had not accepted formation of Pakistan, continued to criticize Jinnah and Pakistan ideology. Edit says that some politicians, under Western influence, criticized Pakistan’s ideology and Jinnah, providing support to anti-Pakistan agenda. Edit includes Imran Khan in this list. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

19. Nawa-i-Waqt in an editorial says Firdaus Ashiq Awan is the third Information Minister to tender her resignation and though it has been reported that the PM had rejected her resignation, it is not clear whether she had changed her mind. Awan had told PM Gilani that she was not willing to work without any real powers; even Sherry Rehman had resigned since the government had been insisting on undue restrictions on the media. Edit says that there are reports that Firdaus Awan will be joining PTI. (Nawa-i-Waqt-Edit)

ECONOMY-WATER- ENERGY
1. In his article, GN Mughal says that there are strong rumours that the current government was on its way out. The NFC allocation for Balochistan was another factor that has gone against the government, making Balochistan a victim of the establishment’s hatred. Mughal says that for the first time in the country’s history, NFC allocation has been decided not only on the basis of the province’s population but also on its contribution to the national economy. This has led to the establishment being upset over small provinces taking bold decisions on the matter of NFC award. This was the reason why the establishment seems bent on calming down Balochistan and Sindh. Mughal fears that if the establishment’s plans are followed, Sindh will remain in name only; it will undergo a drastic change. (Awami Awaz, 25 December)

2. Electricity generation has reduced to 8500 MW and that has resulted in a shortfall of 4000 MW of electricity pushing daily load shedding in urban areas to10 hours and in rural areas to 14 hours. (Baad-e-Shimal)

SINDH
1. PPP will demonstrate its strength on December 27th and that all district PPP presidents had been given targets to bring 10000 people each to Larkana. The day has been declared a public holiday across Sindh. (Jasarat)

2. Jiye Sindh Quami Mahaz’s Bashir Qureshi said that his party will start an agitation against the new Zulfikarabad city on Dec. 28th; he claimed that this project was like ‘another Israel’ and will prove to be detrimental to several parts of Sindh. Qureshi said that PPP had handed over parts of Sindh – Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur- to one ethnic group. (Awami Awaz, 25 December)

3. Jasarat editorial says Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain has said that CNG stations in Sindh will be closed for a month due to the gas crisis; the decision will paralyze the daily routine of the people. It’s a move to push people towards costly petrol. (Jasarat Edit)

BALOCHISTAN
1. In an interview to a German publishing house, Baloch nationalist leader Ataullah Mengal said that the ISI and security agencies were the root cause of all problems in Balochistan. He said that now the Balochs had reached a situation that they could not get their rights living within Pakistan’s geographical borders and that they had decided to separate from Pakistan. He said that if Army interference continues, Pakistan will certainly get divided. Mengal said that the treatment that the Army had meted out towards East Bengalis was the same that was being given to the Balochs now. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

2. Balochistan Nationalist Liberation Army has claimed the responsibility for killing two security officials and three locals in Quetta. The BNL Army has also warned the people to stop supporting security forces. (Daily Intekhab)

POK NEWS
1. PTI chief organizer in AJK Musaddaq Khan said that PTI leadership had decided to raise the Kashmir issue on the international platform and to play a role to resolve the Kashmir dispute. Khan said that he will travel to UK on December 30th where he will meet Pakistanis and expat Kashmiris, heads of human rights organizations and other important personalities. Khan said that he will stress on a concrete, acceptable and justifiable solution of the Kashmir issue and claimed that the resolution of the Kashmir dispute was part of PTI’s agenda. (Ausaf, 25 December)

2. Liberation League (J&K) has announced that it will start ‘Qaid-e-Azam Zindabad Movement’ with the intention to revive Jinnah’s Kashmir policy. In this regard, the birth anniversary of Jinnah will be celebrated across AJK on instructions from Justice Majid Malik. Activists from the Liberation League of Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Kotli, Bhimer, Rawalkot, Hatyal, Neelum, Abbaspur and Dhirkot have been instructed to organize seminars. (Ausaf, 25 December)

2. Protesters campaigning for compensation to the Mangla Dam affected people have given a January 9th as deadline to the government to act. (Ausaf, 25 December)

3. Many government officers of grade 22 have not got promotions as had been recommended by the Selection Board; some of these officers have got transferred and the resultant vacancies were filled by transferring grade 21 officers. (Baad-e-Shimal, Nawa-i-Waqt)

G-B NEWS
1. Baad-e-Shimal editorial says unemployment problem in GB is becoming acute. It says that though the government has announced 4500 jobs under a new package and has implemented the scheme, mere government jobs are not sufficient. What GB needs is promotion of economic that generate jobs. (Baad-e-Shimal Edit)

2. Baad-e-Shimal is concerned that Attabad people who were affected by floods two years ago are still living in tents. (Baad-e-Shimal-Edit)

3. After Ashkuman, Yasin and Phandar, people of Punial came out on streets to protest against load-shedding. (Baad-e-Shimal)

Some areas of Skardu faced continuous load-shedding for 43 hours. (Baad-e-Shimal)