NEWS

• At the behest of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Army Chief General Asim Munir, a high-level delegation went to Kabul on a one-day visit. Led by Defense Minister Khawaja Asif, the delegation discussed the growing threat of terrorism in the region, especially by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and ISIS but the Afghan interim government has not given any assurance of abolishing TTP camps or handing them over to Pakistan. (Jang)

• Balochistan Minister Sardar Abdul Rahman Khetran was arrested on charges of killing a mother and her two sons. The sit-in against the tragedy in Quetta and for the recovery of the abducted children continued for the second day. Despite the cold, the protesters spent the night on the streets. The protestors have announced to continue protests till the murder case is registered against Provincial Minister Sardar Abdul Rahman Khetran and the recovery of abducted children. Report added that to help the protesters, Al Khidmat Foundation is providing blankets and food. General secretary of the All-Pakistan Marri Alliance, Mir Jahangir Marri, who led the sit-in, said demanded the safe recovery of the remaining five children.  The inquiry committee chief DIG Loralai Saleem Lahiri has arrived in Barkan. The police team reached Kohlu in search of the abducted children. Meanwhile, the courts were boycotted   on the appeal of the Balochistan Bar Council. A spokesman of the Balochistan police said that the investigation is under supervision of the IG police Balochistan, Abdul Khaliq Shaikh.  Meanwhile, Sardar Abdul Rahman Khetran’s eldest son, Inam Shah Khetran, has accused his father of plotting to trap him in the kidnapping and murder of children. In a video statement on Facebook, Inam Shah said that he has been informed that Sardar Khetran has handed over the children to a Wadera in the Kohlu area where the abducted children are forced to give favorable statements. According to Levies officials, Khan Mohammad Marri’s wife, Giran Naz, daughter and a son, have been recovered from Kohlu, Chamaling, Dukki border from Bala Dhaka. Levies officials also said that three sons, Abdul Majid, Abdul Ghaffar and Abdul Sattar have been recovered from Kohlu, Dera Bugti border area. (Jasarat, Jang)

• There is a new twist in the Barkan case.  Levies have recovered the abducted woman with her daughter and son from the mountainous area of Kohlu, Dukki, while teams are conducting raids to recover the remaining three abducted sons. The post-mortem was completed at the Civil Hospital Quetta, of three dead bodies including a woman found in a well in Barkan. The dead woman was of 17 -18 years. She was sexually assaulted and tortured, according to Quetta police surgeon Dr Aisha Faiz, who performed the post-mortem.  Three bullets have been shot on her head; acid has been poured on the face and neck to disfigure it and thus hide the identity. Aisha Faiz   added that the other two bodies found in the well were of youth who were killed after hitting them hard. (Jang)

• The security agencies have recovered ten inmates including women and children from a private prison of Balochistan lawmaker Sardar Abdul Rehman Khaitran, who has been arrested. Imran Yaqoob Minhas, DIG of Loralai, told a press conference that a large contingent of the Anti-Terrorism Force (ATF), called from Quetta, raided Khaitran house, which was like a private jail.  Nine unregistered vehicles with large quantities of arms and ammunition were also seized from the residence of Sardar Abdul Rehman Khaitran in Haji Kot.    Khaitran has been taken into custody with his guards; they were presented before the court on Monday. (SAMAA News)

•  It is said that one more innocent girl besides four more sons of a poor Muree Family is still in the personal jail of Sardar Rahman Khetran. (Qudrat)

• Chief of Pakistan Sunni Tehreek, Muhammad Sarwat Ijaz Qadri said Barkan tragedy is on account of oppression unleashed by Baloch Sardars.  In a statement, he said thousands of oppressed poor Baloch are in prisons of Baloch Sardars even today.  He added that it is the government’s responsibility to end the cruel system in Balochistan. (Jasarat)

• Amir Jamaat -e-Islami Balochistan Maulana Abdul Haq Hashmi has demanded a judicial inquiry into the Barkan tragedy. Eliminate all private prisons, he thundered. (Jasarat)

• A delegation of the National Democratic Movement led by its provincial president Ahmed Jan Khan attended the dharna against the Barkan murders. They condemned the brutal act and said that Pashtuns and Balochs   are always at the receiving end of sabotage, murder, and torture. The Barkan tragedy is the continuation of this process. They said that the dictatorial rulers of Balochistan have taken control of all Baloch resources by force and are keeping the people as hostages. The province is not ruled by the representative of the people but by secret agencies and forces. (Intekhab Daily)

• Suicide bomber, his accomplice and four facilitators were arrested in North Waziristan.  The arrested facilitators belong to Hormuz, Spin Wam, Khudri and Mirali. The arrested terrorists and facilitators confessed their crime, after which they were shifted to an unknown location for interrogation. According to official sources, 28 facilitators of the terrorist have been arrested in North Waziristan so far this year.  Government sources said most of the arrested terrorists were students of Madaris of Kirk, Hangu, Kurram and Tal.  Reports also say that three FC personnel were injured in a bomb blast targeted at a security force vehicle in Jeoni. One bomb was recovered. (Jasarat)

• One terrorist – extortionist was killed and e spot while five were arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (Peshawar Region) in a big op against terrorist -extortionists. (Jasarat)

• Imran Khan said, “One day I will definitely come to power. Then I will not spare them”.  In a video address,  he said “I will not spare those who are taking the wrong steps against me”.  He said that legally a caretaker government cannot work for more than 90 days. He said that if the rulers bring back their looted money from abroad then inflation will end. He said that a fugitive who had run away from the country is taking decisions about the country. (Islam Daily)  

• All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA), the representative of Grade 1-C16 civil servants across the country has protested against inflation. A large number of Government employees, and teachers took part in the demo led by APCA President Chaudhry Khalid Javed. They demanded an immediate increase in house rent, medical and transport allowances. (Urdu Point)

• The tribal Jirga comprising representatives of Baloch Pashtun tribes and other communities has given a two -day notice to the Government to arrest the accused in the Barkan tragedy. Otherwise, they too will join the sit-in by the affected families. (Urdu Point)

• Jamaat-e-Islami chairman, Siraj-ul-Haq, said the government is responsible for the unrest in the country. Addressing the tribal rights conference, he said that this gathering is itself proof that we want peace. The area consisting of tribal districts is the only area that does not bow down to anyone except God. The people of the tribal districts should also be given the same facilities that the people in Lahore are getting. He further said that while we are not afraid of anyone, we will wage a fruitful war for the rights of tribal districts. (Daily Express, Ummat, Nawai Waqt)

• MQM Pakistan has decided not to participate in the by-elections from Karachi to the National Assembly. Party sources said, MQM has instructed its candidates to withdraw their nomination papers. Today is the last day to withdraw nomination papers. (Daily Jinnah, Ummat, Nawai Waqt)

Editorials

• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has accepted the resignation of NAB Chairman Aftab Sultan. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Aftab Sultan resigned for personal reasons. At his insistence, the Prime Minister approved his resignation. Contrary to the statement issued by the Prime Minister’s House, Aftab Sultan said that there was interference in his work and that was unacceptable to him. He wanted to act according to the constitution and the law. (Edit Jasarat)

• The Prime Minister has asked the Foreign Ministry to reduce the missions abroad and reduce the cost of their offices, staff and other expenses. All this shows that the federal government is serious about austerity measures. (Edit Jang)

• All Federal Ministers, State Ministers, and assistants have voluntarily agreed to work without salary and privileges, said the Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif while announcing the details of the government’s austerity campaign yesterday. They have also agreed to pay bills for their gas and electricity consumption their pocket. It is a good decision that should have been taken long ago. Now we have to wait to see the results. As PM Imran Khan had also claimed austerity on a large scale, but what happened, we all know. Austerity is not a ritual that can be performed at some selected times. It is a mindset that our nation lacks. In our society, people take heavy loans to spend lavishly on ceremonies, and at the government level, the rulers take loans to live luxuriously. They all do so without thinking about how they will return the loan. The present economic crisis is the result of this mindset. Austerity cannot be a temporary measure; it must become a part of our national psyche. (Editorial-Dunya Daily)

• The austerity plan announced by the Prime Minister   is a welcome development. It offers the much-needed savings in these hard-hit times. But, saving in government expenditure can take place only when the government implements its decisions. Perks and privileges being enjoyed by bureaucrats also should be reduced so that common man can get some benefit from such savings.” (Sindh Exp, Edit)  

• PTI has started its Jail Bharo campaign and the government is ready with its strategy. The government stated that there will be no arrest of women and common workers. PTI has announced that if its workers are not arrested then they will sit on a dharna at the place of protest. The clash between the ruling coalition and the PTI is intensifying day -by -day. No one is ready to back out.  The economy of the country is on the verge of collapse. But they are fighting for power. If Imran Khan wins the forthcoming election, then does he think that the opposition will let him work peacefully? It will be an unending spiral of political instability. (Edit-Islam Daily)

• Pakistan Kissan Ittehad, a representative organization of farmers, has refused to sell wheat to the Punjab Government at less than Rs 4,000 per Maund. Empowerment of local farmers can be the cause of increase in domestic production and a source of foreign exchange savings. Therefore, the Punjab government should take immediate steps to meet the legitimate demands of farmers. (Daily Pakistan Edit)

• If the President of a country has the right to announce elections in given conditions and if the election commission also does not deny this right of the President, then the government should not be flexible. Election commission’s apprehensions should be addressed and security agencies and government be made to play their roles. Funds must be released to the election commission for holding polls. This will help take country out of atmosphere of crisis and it will also help our ailing economy get better for larger good of common man. (Kawish. Edit, Feb.22) 

• Who will be responsible if polls do not take place within 90 days in Punjab and KPK? The election commission and Governors in these two provinces must ensure that they play their role, and see that elections are held there within 90 days as laid down in the constitution. Not holding elections in time will be violation of the constitutional norms. Instead of making mockery of our constitution, let us abide by it. (Pahenji, Edit, Feb.22) 

COLUMNS

• It is reported that Chairman NAB Aftab Sultan has resigned.  He refused to accept any interference in his work. PTI is very happy with this decision of Aftab Sultan even though their reign was also marked by dozens of such resignations by officers who refused to kowtow the rulers of the day.  Like any other regime PTI regime also did massacre of merit. There are two sides to Aftab Sultan’s resignation. One is that he refused to accept the pressure and left. Two he showed weakness in not continuing the work and thought it better to go home rather than face the situation. It is the primary responsibility of the head of the constitutional institutions and every important institution of this country to raise the flag of justice while resisting all kinds of pressure. If everyone resigns, who will manage the country? If you look at the current situation, you will understand where we are moving towards, who is pushing us towards the dead end. Can we move forward like this? Can the nation decide who is responsible? Can the nation even decide how much we owed in 1985 and how much we owe in 2023? When we were acquiring nuclear capability, we were not in debt. But when we became a nuclear power then some of the political governments before it and the democratic governments after it have made the children of Pakistan indebted. Has the nation thought about who owed the country and how much the government system of the last 35 years has damaged the foundations. (Mohammed Akram Choudhary, Nawai Waqt)

• The 33-day padayatra from Sukkur to Karachi undertaken by nationalist leader, Zen Shah highlights the woes of Sindh people. He is   the grandson of legendary nationalist leader, G M Syed.  He has undertaken the foot march despite spinal problems. He is joined by other like-minded people and followers of G M Syed’s philosophy. I would appeal to all in Sindh, be it media persons, advocates, students, literary persons and even working class, that they all should join Zen Shah’s padayatra for rehabilitation of Sindh. It is time we prove our love and concern for Sindh. For the sake of Sindh, we must stand by Zen Shah and participate in large numbers in his padayatra. (Sindh Exp. Sufi Tariq Ali Khoso) 

• Law-making is not judges’ job. Now that cases are filed against two judges, it remains to be seen as to what it leads to. These judges are facing charges of being close to one political party. Rule of law can be established only when verdicts are given as per law books and not as per dictates of conscience. It is often seen whatever case is filed against Imran Khan he gets bail. No other politician has got as much relief from courts as Imran Khan has been given by courts. Hence, PML (N) has expressed concern over double standards of judiciary and has decided to move against two Supreme Court judges, Justice Aijaz Al Hasan and Justice Muzahar Ali Akbar. Bar councils have also decided to move supreme judicial council against Justice Muzahar. (Sindh Exp, Akhtar Hafeez) 

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