2. Indian government has asked all companies manufacturing defence goods not to use China-made instruments, in retaliation to China not paying heed to India’s concern over its involvement in development activities in AJK. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

GILANI VISITS IRAN
1.  Jinnah editorial on PM Gilani’s visit to Iran says: Pak-Iran agreement for intensification of work on gas and electricity projects is a welcome development. If work on these two projects is completed on an emergency basis, the energy crises can be controlled to a certain extent. The Thar Coal project also can give a relief from energy crises. The government must sign a treaty with Russia on gas and electricity production. (Jinnah Edit)

2. Nawa-i-Waqt editorial on the outcome of Gilani’s visit to Tehran says like Pakistan, Iran is also facing internal and external threats; it is also facing a threat of attacks by Israel at US behest. Muslims must be united and a beginning should be made with the formation of an Islamic bloc consisting of Iran, Pakistan, Turkey and Afghanistan. Even Asian and Arab countries could join the bloc for mutual benefit. (Nawa-i-Waqt Edit)

DEFENCE
1. Joint Chief of Staff Committee met on Tuesday at the Joint Staff HQ.  Chairman of Committee, Gen. Khalid Shamim Wayen chaired the meeting. Communal and regional situation, the challenges faced by Pakistan and the armed forces and situation at the border were discussed. Chiefs of Army, Air Force and Navy, DG ISI, secretaries of Defence and Defence Production and other high-level military officials attended the meeting.  The law and order situation in Karachi and steps to tackle it were also discussed. Internal security is normally not a part of the Joint Chief of Staff Committee meetings. (Nawa-i-Waqt, Jinnah, Urdupoint)

TERRORISM-EXTREMISM
1.  Interior Minister Rahman Malik said that a few al-Qaeda leaders are still present in Pakistan. (Daily Intekhab)

2. 18,352 Madrassas are registered in Pakistan. (Jinnah)

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
1. During a National Assembly discussion, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman surprised everyone by defending Pakistan’s ideology. (Nawa-i-Waqt)

2. ‘Friends of Lyari’ Lord Nazir Ahmad and others in the British Parliament have started a movement against MQM and its chief Altaf Hussein. In its first phase, the British government has been asked to provide information regarding theft of NATO containers, bloodshed in Karachi, and murder of Imran Farooq.  Lord Nazir Ahmad is planning a protest rally against MQM in front of its London Secretariat. (Ummat)

3. Lahore High Court has ruled that NAB DG Punjab Rana Zahid Mehmood’s appointment is illegal since he has been appointed in absence of the NAB chairman, by the deputy chairman. (Urdupoint)

4. In his column, Nazir Naji refers to PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif’s call for a single point national agenda to save the country from turmoil, and says earlier attempts to bring all leaders on one common development platform failed owing to interplay of vested interests. Observing that conditions in the country were never so bad as today, he says Pakistan is neither an Islamic state nor a united country. The government is gradually losing its ability to take decisions; terrorist organizations like Taliban and Northern Alliance of Afghanistan and India and the US dictating the course of events in Pakistan. (Jang)

ECONOMY & ENERGY
1. Planning Commission reports that inflation has increased by 70% in the past four years. (Jang)

2. The short fall in energy supply today in Pakistan is 3873 MW. (Urdupoint)

SINDH
1. Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that 590 people had been arrested in Karachi during the   clean-up op by Rangers. 68 of the arrested are target killers. He said that he is ready to give an in-camera briefing to the NA on the Karachi situation. (Khabrain, Nawa-i-Waqt)

2. ANP has condemned the killing of Pathans in Karachi. (Awami Awaz)

POK NEWS
1. Pakistan government has stopped AJK PM Chaudhary Abdul Majeed from visiting the US and has asked him to concentrate on the Muzaffarabad bye-elections. (Daily Dharti)

2. GB assembly adopted a resolution asking Islamabad to build a road to Tajikistan via Ghizer. (Baad-e-Shimal)