EDITORIALS

1. Digital Flood Dash Board is welcome. It will bring transparency in the relief work undertaken by the federal government amongst the flood affected people.  Simultaneously, the government should ensure proper health facilities. This is essential to avoid outbreak of epidemics. (Edits – Aeen, Qudrat)
2. Malaria will become a more serious threat in Sindh if the entire province is not sprayed with anti-malaria pesticides. Without this spray, malaria infection can claim several lives. Also of cattle which yield lifetime savings to farmers. Normally, government is not seen in action mode till emergency situation turns very serious, but if anti-mosquito sprays are not done on war-footing, it can take a huge toll. On the one hand, there are reports of people dying of starvation and on the other hand there are reports of malpractices and corruption in the distribution of relief. Officials handling relief work are reportedly either grabbing all the aid material or distributing to a chosen few. Now, a digital flood dashboard has been set up to ensure transparency in relief distribution. This is the time that government departments and government officials to prove their conscientiousness and patriotism. (Kawish, Pahenji Akhbar Edit, Sept.12)
3. The Sindh chief minister told a press conference in Karachi that the province needed not monetary help but tents and food stuff. He also put the tent requirement at 15 lakhs and said the government is able to collect only 2 lakh tents. The CM also promised that within two months water from flooded areas would be drained and rabi sowings will be completed in 75 percent of regular cropped area.  There will be a package for farmers too.    The CM-speak has rekindled hopes. But, the need of hour is not promises and assurances but action. Hopefully, we will see Sindh administration reaching out to people with tents, medicines, food stuff – basic things of life they have been deprived of till now. (Ibrat Edit)
4. Sindh people cannot wait for three months for draining out water. This must be done on an emergency basis in a month’s time. Arrangements must also made to send people back to their areas so that they can start life anew.  Any delay in draining out flood waters will only add to people’s woes. And authorities might find it difficult to control restive persons. (Sindh Express Edit)
5. A food crisis is looming over the country as a result of recent rains and floods. According to reports, 3 to 6 months are needed to drain flood water from Sindh. It means that nothing can be cultivated during this period. Whatever wheat was stored in the open warehouses was washed away in the flood.  Federal and provincial governments should join hands to come to grips with this grave problem. Special attention should be paid to farmers’ needs and to increase cropped area. (Edit-Dunya Daily)
6. Pakistan and Iran are good neighbors but the trade volume is much less than the potential. Both sides had agreed in 2016 to increase bilateral trade in five years to 5 billion dollars up from 30 million dollars. Last November, the target date was extended by two years on the occasion of the visit of the Pakistani ministerial trade delegation to Tehran.  According to reports, the Ambassador of Iran to Pakistan, Syed Mohammad Ali Hosseini, has reiterated the commitment of his country to achieve the trade goal of 5 billion dollars next year. This is a welcome development. There should be no further delay in expanding Pak-Iran ties, more so as some energy projects to be taken up in Pakistan are pending for the past 12 years. (Edit Jang)
7. The 74-death anniversary of Qaid-e-Azam was observed by Pakistanis across the world.  It was a day to reflect on his ideals and the reality in the country. Pakistani   leadership should take practical steps to realise the dreams of Qaid-e-Azam. (Jehan Pakistan Edit, 12^th September)
8. An angry mob stormed Machni police station after the local police officers allegedly abused and ill-treated a rickshaw-puller.  Such incidents are quite common in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Concerned quarters should ensure minor incidents do not escalate to fights and killings. Such matters should be settled amicably with patience and tolerance.  (Daily Pakistan Edit)
9. Democracy is incomplete without local governments. Democracy in our neighboring country is strong and the world appreciates it because it is based on the establishment of a system of local governments. Article 140-A of the Constitution of Pakistan mandates the provinces to devolve administrative, financial and political powers to the districts because citizens get a chance to participate fully in the local government system. However, it is the responsibility of the government of the day in Islamabad to immediately take notice of the poor construction of dams, bridges, roads and buildings and take action against those responsible. Form committees to assess the damage done so far. Today, as the UN Secretary General said after a visit to flood- hit areas, the world has a great responsibility to help Pakistan. Pakistan does not have the resources to deal with the disaster, which is also a result of climate change. But have we taken any precautions to avoid the devastating effects of these changes? The answer is negative because we only want temporary solutions to our problems. Our leadership lacks vision and long -term planning. This is what the people are really sad about today. (Edit, Daily Express)
10. Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervez Elahi has announced free solar power systems to small landlords and small farmers. This is a welcome relief. With this initiative, agricultural production will increase. Nature has blessed Pakistan with excellent agricultural land and canal system. Unfortunately, no government has paid attention to agriculture and no plan was made to conserve rapidly depleting water resources. While our neighboring country India not only saved itself from water scarcity by building big dams, rather, it also helped farmers in a big way with seeds, fertilizers and agricultural implements at cheap rates besides free electricity. Due to the lack of planning, Pakistan has to look to other countries to meet the grain shortage. Punjab government should provide free solar system to deserving farmers under solar power project in a transparent manner. This will give them real relief so that they can increase their production to meet grain shortage in the country. (Edit, Nawai Waqt)

NEWS

11. In a TV interview, the Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that the appointment of the Army Chief is the legal and constitutional right of the government of the day. And this right will be exercised.  Imran Khan is a fascist. He crossed the red line of law and constitution many times.   On the one hand, Imran Khan is attacking the establishment and on the other hand, he is trying to open doors for talks with the establishment. The appointment of Army Chief should not be made controversial. All political leaders especially Imran Khan should refrain from such attempts. Pulling the army into political controversy is an attack on its integrity. (Dunya Daily)
12. Information advisor to Punjab government, Umar Sarfaraz Cheema, has said that the hypocrisy of Zardari and Shahbaz has become apparent once again. The imported government can go to any extent in its hostility against Imran Khan, even if it is harmful to the public. The PDM clan is so shameless that it became insensitive to the problems of the flood-affected people. When Imran Khan started a fund-raising program for the flood-affected people, state machinery was used to stop live telecast of the program. It was state terrorism. (Dunya Daily)
13. Senior Vice President of PTI, Fawad Chaudhary has said the ban on telecasting of Imran’s telethon on funds for the flood victims will be challenged in the Islamabad High Court. Addressing a press conference he said the government has banned the four channels that had broadcast the telethon. It was a shameful act. The telethon was not done for any political purpose but to help the flood-affected people. The government should have co-operated with Imran Khan. But the imported government is determined to push away Imran Khan from politics. (Dunya Daily)
14. PTI leader Iftikhar Durrani has said that a conspiracy is hatching to topple the Punjab government. Our workers and leaders are receiving phone calls to leave the party. Imran Khan is informed of these attempts. Those who leave the party will be disqualified. (Intekhab Daily)
15. Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that the country can’t move ahead as long as NAB exists. Speaking with media outside the NAB court he said NAB cases had paralyzed the lives of the people. Some people are waiting for 10 to 12 years for the conclusion of their cases. The country can’t run where injustice prevails. For 4 years Imran Niazi and Javed Iqbal harassed us. Now they should be held accountable for their acts and they should also disclose their assets. (Ausaf Daily)
16. The people of Gwadar and Turbat have to travel miles away to Karachi for paperwork as the Balochistan government has shifted once again the head office of Gwadar Industrial Development Authority from Gwadar to Karachi. Allotment and transfer of 3 thousand acres of Gwadar land will now be done in Karachi. The government of Balochistan has also handed over the powers of allotment of 1000 acres of land in Turbat to GIDA. There is a possibility of large-scale irregularities. Sources have expressed the apprehension that it is impossible to maintain transparency in the allotment due to the shifting of the head office to Karachi. Due to irregularities in GIDA, in 2017, NAB raided GIDA office in Gwadar and banned all allotment and transfer, and now as GIDA head office is shifted to Karachi, the transfer of land has been resumed. Sources said that due to the shifting of the GIDA head office from Gwadar to Karachi, the business community including the local industrialists of Balochistan will face serious losses. (Jasarat)
17. Jamaat-e-Islami (Karachi) Deputy Amir Osama Razi has said that thanks be to Allah Almighty that they have associated with the Islamic Movement in this era which is established to fulfill the mission of the Prophet. The axis of the struggle of Jamaat-e-Islami is the effort to establish Islam and the objective of the religion. (Jasarat)
18. Auditor General of Pakistan during the three-year special audit of the Tehreek-e-Insaf government’s flagship 10-billion-tree tsunami project has detected irregularities of more than Rs 3 billion. (Jang)
19. CTD carried out a joint operation following secret information about the presence of terrorists in Bannu and Lakki Marwat border limits. In the operation, four terrorists were killed and recovered automatic weapons. The terrorists had attacked police and were involved in other terrorist activities. (Jang)
20. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has asked the federal government to immediately pay the dues of Rs 227 billion towards hydropower profit arrears, federal excise duty, and levy on oil. The assembly unanimously demanded the direct transfer of federal excise duty to the province   and supply of gas at the rate of four dollars per million BTU. (Jang)
21. Nasrullah Baloch, Chairman of Voice for Baloch Missing Persons, stated that at the organizational level, he provided the cases of enforced disappearance of Dr. Karim Bakhsh and Lala Faheem Baloch to the Provincial Government and appealed to the Balochistan Government to play a positive role in their recovery. (Urdu Point)
22. Sindh Police arrested dozens of Afghans living illegally while conducting operations near Al-Asif Square. They had entered the country illegally by crossing the border. (Daily Express, Daily Jinnah, Ummat)
23. Under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), 27 projects worth 19 billion dollars have been completed so far, according to a report released by China Three Gorges South Asia Investment Limited (CSAIL. Another, 27 projects with an investment of 7.7 billion dollars are under construction and are planned to be completed by 2025. About 36 more projects with an investment of 27.5 billion dollars are in the pipeline to be completed by 2030. So far, 11 projects worth 12 billion dollars have been completed in the energy sector. (Nawai Waqt, Daily Express, Ummat, Daily Jinnah)
24. The increase in the price of government wheat supplied to flour mills in Punjab and Sindh made flour expensive, which will further burden people reeling under spiraling inflation. A meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi yesterday, has been decided to increase the price of government wheat sold to flour mills by 535 rupees per 100kg. According to the sources, the food department will issue a notification to implement the new prices from 20th September. (Daily Express)
25. The 18th case of polio has been confirmed in a 3-month-old child from North Waziristan. The federal health minister appealed that all Pakistanis should open their doors for workers during the polio campaign, considering the elimination of the virus as a national duty. (Ummat, Daily Express, Nawai Waqt, Daily Jinnah)

COLUMNS

26. Nothing is happening in a systematic way and a sort of anarchy has now set in across Sindh. People have started beating each other for handful meals. Prices of items of day-to-day use have zoomed up. Lack of meals/nutrition has seen the onset of diseases. Medical help is not forthcoming as medical centers too are inundated in flood waters. Life is no longer easy even for those who have headed to Karachi in search of a better life. Several children are seen moving around with open wounds. The Himalayan challenge before authorities is: when will these affected people go back to their homes? Sindh is totally out of shape today. The only losers are poor people while for authorities it is time to make hay while the sun shines. “What should be done to restore normalcy in life” is a big question. Neither the affected people nor rulers know what lies ahead for us all. (Pahenji Akhbar, Aijaz Mungi, Sept.12)
27. About 25-27 years ago, there used to be debates and seminars   as to “what should we do”. Now this debate has become talk of town with more than one crore Sindhis homeless in the current wave of floods. They are hungry souls as well moving around in torn clothes with children in tow.  Conditions in most relief camps are worse than conditions in stables for animals. Right now, pall of gloom upon Sindhis is unprecedented. “What to do” has become a very important question, much more important than ever before in the Sindh history. Another strange phenomenon being witnessed around is:  While flood affected people are struggling with life, we have a set of politicians trying to draw political mileage. There are rumors that the Sindh chief minister would be changed. This rumor has triggered a lot of reactions and the public mood seems to be against the CM. But, should we change Sindh CM now?  Should we blame only the CM and exempt others from any accountability? But, changing Sindh CM will mean giving safe passage for all in the Sindh government and also to the PPP. But we should not allow any such safe passage to crafty rulers who might be wanting to calm down people with change of chief minister without making Sindh authorities accountable for the devastation in heavy rains and floods this time. Whatever Sindh CM has been doing, all that must be on orders from higher-ups in PPP. There is enough evidence too in this connection. Sindh chief minister is only face mask for those, who claim to be political masterminds. This is reference to Zardari. Fact of the matter is: all corrupt elements are together and hence they all are accountable for Sindh’s current state of affairs. They must meet with political accountability. To sum up, let us have no mercy on liars and corrupt elements in politics. (Sindh Express, Aijaz Mungi)

28. Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has played an important role in promoting cricket in Afghanistan. The career of many Afghan players started from the Pak pitch; their family still lives in Pakistan. Former Pakistani cricketer Kabir Khan had coached the Afghan squad that had qualified for three World Cups; then Inzamam-ul-Haq’s training led Afghanistans to win the first ODI series against Zimbabwe. A bilateral cricket series was also scheduled between the two countries in which one match was to be played in Lahore and one in Kabul. That was in May 2017. But the Kabul blast completely changed the atmosphere. The unity, friendship, and brotherhood were affected as one hundred and fifty people were killed and two hundred were injured. Afghan intelligence blamed it on Pakistan and Pakistan on India. Since then, Pakistan-Afghan cricket relations are in cold. In the 2019 World Cup, a similar atmosphere was seen between the Pak-Afghan cricket teams as was seen in Sharjah a few days ago. Against this backdrop, we should not forget that the youths of the Afghan cricket team were born and nurtured in an environment in which America and India have been engaged in spreading false propaganda against Pakistan in Afghanistan and inflaming the fire of hatred against Pakistan. (Baba Alif, Jasarat)
29. The devastation and destruction this time is many times more than the terrible 2005 earthquake and the 2010 floods.  More than 33 million people have been affected. And the value of economic loss is put at around 10 billion dollars. Instead of admitting their incompetence, the government is looking for excuses to save itself so that they can find some justification for their criminal negligence and incompetence.  As always, the Pakistan Army played its stellar role in helping the flood victims. But sadly, one politician refused to hold the olive branch offered by the government and continued with his rallies and processions. It is also worth noting that he was expected to show sportsmanship. Various welfare institutions and organizations played their full role on this occasion according to their own standards, but the sad thing is that some unscrupulous wholesalers made items more expensive instead of making them cheaper. (Shakeel Farooqi, Daily Express) ###