NEWS

1. After the National Assembly, the bill for the protection of the honorable Caliphs, Companions of the Prophet, Mothers, and Family Members of the Prophet (Ahle al-Bayt) was unanimously approved in the Senate. Those who commit blasphemy will be punished with imprisonment for life, and heavy fine will also be imposed. Amendments have been made in the Penal Code of Pakistan. The leader of Jamaat-e-Islami in the National Assembly, Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, was the motivator of this bill, while in the Senate, members of the PML-N and Jamaat-e-Islami, Hafiz Abdul Kareem and Mushtaq Ahmad Khan were amongst the prime movers of the legislation. (Jasarat, Nawaiwaqt)

• Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir visited Peshawar. Corps Commander, Peshawar welcomed him. General Munir laid wreaths at the martyrs’ memorial at Fort Bala Hisar Headquarters of Frontier Corps, and recited Fatiha. ISPR statement said that General Asim Munir met the tribal elders of the newly merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and dignitaries from other sectors. Army Chief also specially participated in the historic Grand Jirga, and stated the Pakistani army is an army of martyrs whose slogan is Faith, piety, and jihad, in the way of Allah. Pakistan is the second state after Madina to be built on the Kalifa, faith in Islam. The army chief added that no power in the world can do any harm to Pakistan. If negotiations are held, they will be between Pakistan and the Interim Government (of Afghanistan) only, not with any group. Afghan refugees have to live in Pakistan according to the laws of Pakistan. Addressing the Afghan government, the Army Chief said that if kindness can be reciprocated by something it is kindness. Pakistan has reservations about sanctuaries for banned organizations and their operations from Afghan soil. Pakistan will leave no stone unturned to destroy the network of terrorists.   Army chief added “I and my brave army will fight till the last drop of blood in the war against terrorism. Terrorists have no other option but to surrender to the state, we are doing Jihad in the way of Allah and victory will be ours”. The aim and motto of the Pakistan Army is to obtain ‘Shahadat’ or become ‘Ghazi’. The Army Chief has said that Pakistan Army will never leave tribals alone. After the approval of the government, a secretariat will be established to solve the problems of integration of tribal areas. We will ensure their participation in the economic development and welfare projects worth 81 billion rupees in the newly merged districts. In collaboration with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, 43 police projects will be completed in the newly merged districts at a cost of seven billion rupees and all assistance will be provided for the early completion of 54 under-construction projects. On this occasion, the tribal councilors said that the tribal people were with the army and will remain together (Jasarat, Ummat, Nawaiwaqt, Daily Aeen, Daily Khabrain, Daily Kashmir Express, Roznama Intekhab, Daily Dharti)

• The supreme leader of the Taliban, Haibatullah Akhundzada, has made it clear that if the Taliban attacks abroad, it will not be a jihad but a war. According to a foreign news agency, Defense Minister Muhammad Yaqoob Mujahid said in a speech to members of the Afghan security forces broadcast on state television that fighting outside Afghanistan is not a religiously sanctioned jihad, but a war, and Haibatullah Akhundzada has stopped it. (Jasarat)

• In another suicide attack in North Waziristan, a passers-by cattle herder and his wife were hit, and many cattle were also killed in Tehsil Ghulam. The bomb disposal squad was engaged in routine checking in Siddi Khan Area when the suicide bomber blew up his car. However, the security personnel were safe in the attack as the blast took place at some distance. (Jang, Jasarat)

•  As a result of a bomb blast near a vehicle in the Balgutar area of Panjgur, Balochistan, 7 persons including the Chairman of the Union Council were killed. Panjgur Deputy Commissioner Amjad Soomro said miscreants planted a remote explosive device to target a vehicle carrying Balgutar UC chairman Ishtiaq Yaqoob and others who were returning from a wedding ceremony. He said that as soon as the vehicle reached Chakra Bazar in the Balgutar area, the device exploded.  Six of the dead belonged to Balgutar and one belonged to Panjgur Prom.  (Aeen Daily, Nawaiwaqt, Tribune, Urdu Point, Daily Pakistan, Jinnah)

• Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that Chinese companies have invested more than 30 billion dollars in CPEC, which has entered the second phase. He said that the Army Chief has played an important role in advancing the CPEC. Under the leadership of the Chinese president, his companies made the best investment in Pakistan, and the investments by the Chinese companies have created employment opportunities. He said, “I assure you that the best environment will be provided for the investment of Chinese companies.” (Himalya Today Daily)

• Election Commission has decided to remove Imran Khan from the post of the Chairman of PTI after he was convicted in the Toshakhana case. A meeting of the poll body with Chief Election Commissioner in chair, took stock of the arrest and subsequent detention of Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case. It was decided that after being convicted, Imran Khan can no longer hold the office of the party Chief. Therefore, the Election Commission is now legally issuing an order to dismiss Imran Khan from the chairmanship of PTI. Political finance wing of the Election Commission will issue a notification soon in this regard.  The poll body was briefed on the results of the digital census. The meeting discussed whether there will be new constituencies after the census. The Election Commission is considering constitutional and legal options. How much will the new census delay the general elections is still unclear. (Himalya Today Daily)

• The Cabinet Committee on Privatization approved the inclusion of national carrier, PIA in the privatization list. Meeting under the chairmanship of Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, the Cabinet Committee   also approved the appointment of a financial advisor for the privatization of the Roosevelt Hotel. (Qudrat Daily)

• A meeting schedule has been prepared for former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is held in the Attock jail after conviction in the Toshakhana case. The Jail authorities said Imran Khan will be allowed to talk on the telephone for 20 minutes 4 times a week, but they have not yet been provided the 6 telephone numbers on which the former prime minister can talk. The PTI supremo has been given B category in jail and food is being provided to him according to the jail menu. Officials say that Imran Khan is currently wearing his personal clothes, and the government will decide whether he will wear prison clothes. The jail administration further said that if Imran Khan is allergic to jail clothes, he will be allowed to wear his personal clothes. (Qudrat Daily)

1. Minister of Railways and Aviation Khawaja Saad Rafiq termed the Hazara Express accident as a sign of a lack of resources. He added that probe into the mishap is in progress. We will know the reasons for the accident once the probe is over.  Participating in a function at the Lahore College for Women University, he said that the main reason for the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) crisis is lack of decisions on merit. It has to be changed.   (Qudrat Daily)

1. A preliminary report of the Hazara Express accident has been indicted the civil and mechanical departments while noting that sabotage could not be ruled out. The preliminary joint certificate report has been submitted to the Lahore Railway Headquarters. According to railway sources, the cause of the accident was stated to be broken track and lack of fish plates. On their part, Railway Civil Department and Mechanical Department have refused to accept responsibility for the accident. The report states that the wheels of the train engine were found to be damaged, and that at the accident site, there were no fish plates to connect the tracks. The railway authorities say that the joint certificate report is not final. It is only a preliminary finding; final report will be issued by the federal railway inspector after he completes his investigation.  (Qudrat Daily)

1. Mian Usman Rasheed from Narowal along with his group announced to join the newly formed Istehkam e Pakistan Party (IPP). Prominent local political figure Chaudhry Sajjad also announced to join the new party. IPP senior Jahangir Tareen welcomed to his party-fold. He stated that IPP manifesto was prepared keeping in mind the concerns of the common man. (Qudrat Daily)

1. Rangers officer Lance Naik Dilshad was martyred as a result of firing outside the outpost in Lyari Bihar Colony. According to the spokesperson of Sindh Rangers, during the snap-checking outside the Bihar Colony Al-Falah outpost, the suspected motorcyclists were signalled to stop but the accused opened fire, which killed Lance Naik Dilshad. (Qudrat Daily)

1. Mohammad Aslam Bhutani, an independent member of the National Assembly elected from Lasbela, Gwadar Hub, said that reducing the population of Balochistan by 75 lakhs in the census is not a correct act. There is a concern among the people about it. It is not a good sign for the Chief Minister to accept the process of cutting the population of the province. Speaking in a private news channel’s talk show yesterday, he also said, if the process of the census is taken to court, then we will all have to forget the election at the appointed time, which cannot be a good omen for the country and the political parties.  Responding to the host’s question, Bhutani said the mention of his name being included in the caretaker prime minister’s list is baseless, and I do not agree with it 500%. The news that is circulating in this regard has no reality”. He went on to say: “I am not in the race of caretaker prime minister, nor has anyone consulted me. However, on the occasion of the meeting with the Prime Minister, during the consultation, I was asked the name of the caretaker Prime Minister, so I gave one name”. (Qudrat Daily)
2. The ruling coalition has agreed on a name for the caretaker prime minister with just a day to go before the dissolution of the current National Assembly, but the nominee’s identity has been kept secret at present to avoid any controversy. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif is expected to meet opposition leader Raja Riaz in the National Assembly today or tomorrow to finalize the name for the caretaker prime minister. Even after the dissolution of the assembly, the prime minister and the opposition leader can consult on this matter for 3 days. In case of no consensus, the matter will be sent to the Election Commission of Pakistan.  Sources claim that a final decision has been taken about the caretaker prime minister, however, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah had claimed during a conversation on a TV channel that no name has been finalized yet. He claimed that a politician, who does not belong to any political party, can also be made caretaker prime minister. (Dawn Daily)

1. The Election Commission of Pakistan is expected to decide the time frame for new constituencies today (Tuesday) after the approval of the final results of the first digital census, a senior election commission official said. The Election Commission will review the time frame for holding elections within 90 days after the dissolution of the National Assembly on August 9, three days before the end of the constitutional period. Yesterday, an important meeting of the Election Commission was held with Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja in chair, in which the action plan was decided in light of the official results of the digital census. The Special Secretary Election Commission and the legal team also participated in the meeting. The Election Commission also asked its scrutiny committee to submit reports on the foreign funding of the Muslim League (N) and the People’s Party in the next 10 days and made it clear that this should be considered as a final deadline. (Dawn Daily)

1. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman’s lawyer Naeem Haider Panjutha said that Imran Khan has been kept in complete darkness in the jail where he has not been provided any facilities. Talking to the media after meeting Imran Khan in the Attock Jail, he said Imran Khan has been in great pain, but his morale is high. “Imran laughed during our meeting. I told Imran Khan about the arrests of the workers. He replied: see how far they have gone. I also told Imran Khan that PTI has won in the Peshawar by-poll. He was happy, and said that the nation has given its verdict on where it stands”. Lawyer Panjutha said Imran Khan has been kept in a completely dark room. There is no TV facility. No newspaper is being given to him. “Imran khan told me that he is not allowed to be contacted by anyone, as if I am the biggest terrorist in the country”. In a social media post, the lawyer stated that his meeting with Imran Khan lasted for an hour and 45 minutes. (Dawn Daily)

1. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has said that elections will be held in Pakistan in November, but the elections may be delayed by one to two months. In an interview to American TV, Asif said that the assembly will be dissolved by the evening of August 9, after which elections must be held within 90 days according to the constitution. He said that elections will be held in Pakistan in November, however, in certain circumstances, the Election Commission can delay the election for one to two months, but the elections cannot be delayed more than that. (Dunya Daily)

1. The University of Balochistan was closed for an indefinite period after a clash between two student organizations in Quetta. Officials say that the university will remain closed until further orders. All students have been directed to vacate the university hostel. (Dunya Daily)

• In Balochistan University, 4 students were injured as a result of being attacked with sticks and punches in a clash between student organizations. (Urdu Point)

• Petroleum products are set to become more expensive.  From August 16, the prices of petroleum products are likely to increase by Rs.22. The prices of petroleum products will reach the level of 300 rupees (Urdu Point)

• Provincial General Secretary Jamaat-e-Islami Balochistan Maulana Hidayatur Rehman Baloch said that by giving CPEC projects to Punjab, salt has been sprinkled on the wounds of the people of Balochistan. (Urdu Point)

• Chairman of Pakistan Milli Tehreek Syed Rabbani Agha has stated that Gwadar International Airport should be named after a historical figure of Gwadar. He stated that the youth of Balochistan have the right to the CEPC posts and rejected the appointment of non-Balochis to these posts. He asked the Pakistan Army to get the construction of Sibi Bolan Highway Panjara Bridge by Army Engineering Corps and FWO. (Urdu Point)

• Fake NAB officers Bilawal Haroon and Akmal were nabbed in Lahore on a complaint received in the open NAB court. Fake stamps of sensitive institutions, letter pads, fake visiting cards of Government Officials were recovered from them besides cash looted from their victims. (Daily Islam)

• After former prime-minister Imran Khan was jailed, there have been no large-scale protests across. Only rallies were taken out here and there. On Sunday, PTI leadership called for protests but people did not take to the streets in a big way. (Jang)

• A tribal-style jirga was held at Sohrab Goth, Karachi for the release of Hekmatullah Mehsud, an Advocate associated with the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM). According to local sources, the jirga was held at Barak Pump in Sohrab Goth, where 50 to 70 people were present. The presence of members of a banned outfit has also been reported. A video of the jirga is making rounds on social media. Earlier a similar jirga was held in Rawalpindi for Hikmatullah’s release. (Jang)

• According to the official gazette of the latest census, the population of Karachi has increased by 73% to 23,820,000. In the 2017 census, the city population was 16 million. The population of Karachi has changed 8 times and the main reason for this is the constant pressure from MQM. As a result of the new addition, Karachi’s provincial and national assembly seats are likely to increase. Among all the 29 divisions of Pakistan, Rakhshan Division of Balochistan is the fastest growing region with an annual population growth rate of 5.75%, followed by Karachi Division of Sindh, whose population is growing at the rate of 4.1%. The population has increased by 3.98% in Makran Division of Balochistan. The province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the least increase in population. Sindh has the highest (53.73%) advertised urban area among the provinces of Pakistan, according to a tweet by PILDAT founder Bilal Ahmad.     (Jang)

•  90% of the nursing colleges in the Sindh province are ghost colleges which have no direct connection with hospitals for clinical practice, according to a working paper submitted by the Pakistan Nursing Council to the Senate Sub-Committee on National Health.    The Senate committee discussed the issue with Senator Rubina Khalid in chair. It also considered the issue of affiliation of fake institutes and hospitals   with the Pakistan Nursing Council.  The chair criticized that the power of the PNC seems to be greater than that of the Prime Minister. This is evident from the failure of PMC to implement the directions of the Senate Committee. (Jang)

• A Police Constable was killed and two injured in firing by terrorists on a Police Mobile Van in Budh Beer area of Peshawar. Police have cordoned off the area and search is on to arrest the terrorists. (Asas)

• Federal Minister and Senior PPP leader Syed Khurshid Shah said that Pakistan’s judiciary is responsible for 80% of the problems facing the country. Speaking at the IBA University campus in Sukkur, he held the view that it was the judiciary that killed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and forced Nawaz Sharif’s ouster wrongly. He added that the Judiciary has been divided since the regime of Gen. Ayub Khan. (Asas)

• Sunni Ulema Council and Chairman of Ahle-Sunnat Wal-Jamaat Balochistan, Maulana Mohammad Ramzan Mengal thanked the Senate Chairman and all the senators approving the Bill on the blasphemy against the Companions of Prophet, Ahle al Bayt (Daily Khabrain, Roznama Intekhab)

• According to the preliminary investigation report on the attack, The attackers on the police mobile in Badh Bir area of Peshawar came walking and escaped easily after targeting the police at close range, preliminary probe revealed. It. The investigators found that the assailants had already laid an ambush in pursuit of the police team. (Roznama Intekhab, Daily Kashmir Express)

EDITORIALS

• Official Secret Act has also been approved in the Senate, prompting Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan to remark that Pakistan will henceforth become a cantonment or chawni practically. The more dangerous thing will be that the intelligence agencies will have unlimited powers, which will seriously affect personal freedoms, political freedoms, and freedom of the media. In Senator Mushtaq’s view, this is no more than legal martial law. Senator Raza Rabbani and Senator Kamran Murtaza also opposed it. Kamran Murtaza warned that tomorrow this law will be used against those who passed it. Senator Mushtaq pointed out that strange words have been used in the bill. However, over the objections of Senator Mushtaq, some amendments were accepted. The phrase “arrest without warrant” was deleted. Similarly, some other words were also removed at his behest. However, the spirit of the bill remains the same. (Edit Jasarat)

• After banning girls’ education in secondary schools, the Taliban have now banned girls from studying beyond class 3 in Afghanistan. According to a BBC report, the Taliban have banned the education of girls above the age of 10 and with this decision, girls will not be able to study after class 3. “We have been told that girls above 10-years will not be allowed to enter the school,” a sixth-former told the BBC.  The Taliban government is already under heavy international criticism for curbing women’s rights. When the interim government was established in Afghanistan after the American withdrawal, the Afghan government assured the world that it would work together with the international community to change the wrong policies of the past and take care of women’s rights. But after coming to power, the Taliban seem to be following their previous policies due to which they were isolated in the world. Especially in the case of women, they still adopted an aggressive attitude. With this attitude of theirs, not only the image of Islam is being affected, but also the rights of women are being violated. Depriving girls of education after third grade on the basis of their height is a reflection of ignorance. If this behavior of the Taliban continues, Afghanistan may be permanently isolated. (Edit Nawaiwaqt)

• The real reason behind the Hazara Express derailment is still a matter of investigation. The probe is looking into the sabotage angle as well. The Pakistan Railways are the main means of travel for the common man who cannot afford other expensive modes of travel. But daily train accidents have made even this a life-threatening facility. Last year’s devastating floods made the railway tracks weak and unsafe, especially in Sindh, and incidents of derailment of freight vehicles as well as passenger train carriages have started taking place. Such accidents happen even in developed countries, but in Pakistan the main problem is the system; our railway track is very old and indeed obsolete. It needs complete overhauling but is not being addressed. Even when an attempt is made to correct a defect, the original defect is not removed. This attitude is not limited to the railways. PIA, which was once considered the best airline in the world, is also in decline due to this policy. The structure of Pakistan Railways is designed by the British, which is more than a century old. Nothing was done to develop it on modern lines. Improving and monitoring of condition of trains and tracks has not been given due attention. Due to this, the railway which was a profitable enterprise is now in a state of decline. Modernization of railways and safety on rails deserve urgent attention. It brooks no delay. (Edit in Jang, Express Daily, Pahenji, Daily Pakistan, Jinnah and Sindh Exp of Aug.7)

• Schools have reopened after summer holidays. But students are denied basic amenities. Complaints have started pouring in that syllabus has not reached most of the schools. There should be enquiries as to why the syllabus has not reached schools yet and where the text book board has gone wrong. The education department’s views should also be sought about this and there should be an inquiry as to whether the contract for preparing the syllabus was given months in advance. In the Sindh schools, there are several other issues besides non-receipt of syllabus. There is no drinking water facility; there are no bath-rooms. And at several places there is school building. Wherever we have school buildings, there are no roads to reach schools. It is essential to provide a better    atmosphere for education so that students can develop their critical capabilities. This is possible only when the education department is serious about this aspect. Need of the hour is that sector like education is not neglected. Environs should be improved to attract more students to government schools. (Sindh Exp., Edit)

• It is very alarming that Pakistan has the second-highest number of hepatitis C patients in the world. According to a report, about 12 million people in the country are suffering from hepatitis. One of the main reasons for the high prevalence of this infectious disease is the lack of timely screening and early diagnosis and treatment facilities. According to Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, a comprehensive nationwide program will be launched to eradicate hepatitis C under which filter clinics will be established. Now that the government has indicated to build and make such clinics functional, it is to be hoped that these facilities will play a major role in eradicating hepatitis from the country. But Prime Minister has made this announcement when his term of power is about to be completed. If this initiative had been taken a year and six months ago, these filter clinics would have been activated by now and the goal of making the country hepatitis free by 2030 would have been achieved. (Edit-Dunya Daily)

• Polio campaign started in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with a two-fold strategy. On the one hand, the health department has started an awareness campaign targeting the training parents and on the other hand, the police and law enforcement agencies are deployed for the security of the polio teams. The Caretaker Government has taken admirable steps to prevent children from becoming handicapped. Citizens should play their full role to make this campaign a success. (Daily Pakistan Edit)

• It is amazing that Maulana Siraj ul Haq of Jamaat-e-Islami is clearly saying that the delay in the election is not the desire of the country but a single party, while the Pakistan People’s Party is taking a cautious approach. PPP senior Khursheed Ali Shah also said that if the election is deliberately delayed, his Party will stand in front of it as a wall. Now this wall will be built practically or will be established on the basis of suppressed words. There is no denying that some politicians may want to delay the elections so that they get some unseen heavenly help to make their electoral fortune to look up, (Edit, Daily Khabrain)