Presented here are a selection of news and views from the May 9 Urdu dailies of Pakistan

NEWS

1. Anti-Afghan Taliban forces have claimed that they have regained control over 15 districts in Panjshir. (Khabrain)
2. Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said his predecessor Imran Khan had conducted forensic audits of CPEC projects and this had angered the Chinese friends. He made this remark while talking to a delegation of newspaper editors. Shahbaz Sharif made it clear that his government will complete its constitutional term which is upto August 2023. Replying to a question on extension to the Army Chief Gen Bajwa, he said “We will see when the time comes”. (Daily Jinnah, Urdu Point, Daily Express, Ummat)
3. Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) leaders have asserted that the Pashtuns are not ready to live in Pakistan as third grade citizens. Unemployment, poverty, and the spectre of terrorism have has reached alarming levels in Pashtun belt. Doors of employment have been closed on Pashtuns. Narcotics are being sold openly in some areas, but government departments are supporting such activities in order to push Pashtun people into more darkness. (Qudrat)
4. The Home Department has set up a high-level committee to review the deteriorating law and order situation in the South Punjab region due to the activities of the Balochistan Liberation Army and other terrorist organizations. The recommendations of the 10-member committee headed by Owais Leghari will be presented to the Chief Minister on May 12. (Jang)
5. Pakistan Sunni Tehreek chief Muhammad Sarwat Ijaz Qadri has strongly condemned the murder of senior activist Muhammad Yousuf in New Karachi Sector 5-E.    The government, police, and Rangers should immediately arrest the killers and bring them to justice. Qadri added that once again there is a conspiracy to plunge Karachi into sectarian and linguistic riots. (Jasarat)
6. Rallies were organized in support of the Army in Badeen and Tilhar by Shia Ulema Council Student Organization. Speakers said through a conspiracy the Army is being maligned on social media. (Khabrain)
7. Expensive wheat in the open market and an end to quota regime are sure recipe to a severe flour crisis. Flour mills have reduced wheat procurement and this has already led to shortage in flour supplies. Government sources, however, contest these reports claiming that there is an abundance of wheat; the government also working on a new wheat policy, which will be announced soon. (Jasarat)
8. Water protests were held for the second day across the Sindh. Protestors raised slogans against the Sindh and federal governments. Farmers blocked roads at Uderolal, Juhi and Jarwar amongst other places. Rangers conducted raids to check water thefts and took into custody four persons.  have also been taken in custody. Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said water treaty 1991 is not being implemented. Sindh can tide over water shortage if it gets stored water from the dams. During visit to Sukkur barrage, he remarked “where are funds for making another Sukkur Barrage?” (Pahenji, May 8) 
9. PTI senior leader, Fawad Chaudhary, has said water thefts in the Sindh are an act of big landlords. On the one hand, they are depriving poor farmers of water in Sindh and on the other hand they are creating a rift between Sindh and Punjab. They are playing the politics of hate. Fawad said that the farmers of Sindh and Punjab are fed up with the Zardari mafia. (Islam Daily) 
10. PM has forwarded to the President a proposal for appointing MQM’s Nasreen Jaleel as the Sindh Governor. She will be the second governor of the province, first being Raina Liaqat Ali Khan, wife of former Premier, Liaqat Ali Khan. Nasreen was elected Senator twice. She languished in jail for three years during the drive against MQM. (Pahenji, May 8)  

COLUMNS

Allah Bux Rathod in Sindh Exp  

Now Shahbaz Sharif   government is said to be planning to get people some relief from soaring flour prices. Officials have also said there would be no hike in petroleum prices. These developments are sure to derail Imran Khan’s Long March to Islamabad.   It is possible that the Long March may not take off going by the statements of home minister, Rana Sanaullah and other govt functionaries. Even if Long March is allowed, it will be a very low-key affair with very thin participation which would pose no threat to the government. Anyhow the Long March cannot be taken much seriously now because Imran Khan’s has started making very bizarre statements like: “People will set themselves aflame in Long March”. Such statements do not reflect poorly on his political acumen. (By Allah Bux Rathod in Sindh Exp)

Akhtar Hafeez in Sindh Exp

Imran Khan’s aides like Fawad Chaudhary and Sheikh Rashid cannot be of much use in saving his political career. Also, his changing narratives have left many of his partymen wondering as to what line Imran is going to pursue. Partymen know very well that anti-USA narrative alone is not enough to get votes in an election. Imran thinks he has done a great job by trying to malign America’s image before the eyes of Pakistanis. Even as Prime Minister, Imran did immense damage to the country; it will take very long time to undo the harm. Appointment of a new army chief in November will derail Imran Khan’s plans. (Akhtar Hafeez in Sindh Exp) 

Allah Bux Rathod, in Sindh Exp, May 7

The most important issue right now for Pakistan is Balochistan. Pindi (that is establishment) will have to either suspend its programs in Balochistan as is being demanded by Balochistan representatives in new government, or Pindi (establishment) will have to handover the issues concerning Balochis to the political leadership so that fresh strategies can be put in place.   If the Balochistan issue gets resolved or some betterment is achieved, it will send out a clear message to those forces who believe only in armed militancy. (Allah Bux Rathod, in Sindh Exp, May 7)  

Mumtaz Mungi in Sindh Exp, May 7

An independent commission must be set up for judicious water distribution. Experts like Idress Rajput and Abhayo Khusk fit the bill. They can monitor water availability at every water course/reservoir on a daily basis and share the information with the media, especially social media. A complaint cell can also be set up on social media where people can lodge their water related grievances.   But, feudal class in Sindh is very smart and would not allow all this to happen. Therefore, progressive people and left-wing intellectuals should come forward to organize a powerful people movement like the one organized against Kalabagh dam. (By Mumtaz Mungi in Sindh Exp, May 7)  

Mohammed Khan Aabroo in Kawish, May 8

As PM, Imran Khan proved to be anti-Sindh. He started projects in Sindh despite Sindh peoples’ opposition. He tried to take away islands in Karachi. He tried to regularize illegally staying Afghan refugees. He started campaigns along with chief justice, Saqib Nisar, in favour of big dams. Imran Khan government’s total thrust was on Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Life kept getting more miserable for the poor during the Imran regime as items like flour were increasingly becoming inaccessible. Imran Khan tried a lot to make the government fascist and ISIS-like. Though he failed miserably in these pursuits, he had laid the foundation for spreading negative and extremist traditions. God knows how long it will take to undo the damage he had inflicted on the Pakistani society. (Mohammed Khan Aabroo in Kawish, May 8) 

EDITORIALS

1. The Sindh government has decided to start a full-fledged operation against water theft in Karachi. As against daily requirement for 1000 MGD, the city is getting only 406 MGD. The chief minister conceded that this (594 MGD) is a huge deficit.  The authorities should find out some permanent solution to water issues in Sindh especially because Sindh faces this situation every year particularly during summer months. (Sindh Exp. Edit, May 8)  
2. The wheat season has not ended but the wheat crisis has appeared. The government could not achieve its wheat purchase target. The reason is said to be lack of funds with the food department for purchasing wheat. It is not buying new wheat and the stock of old wheat is very limited. That is why the supply of wheat from the government to the flour mills has stopped. The flour mills are buying wheat from the open market which is 150 rupees costlier. If the government does not take any step now then the price of wheat will be out of control in the future. (Edits in Dunya Daily, Aeen, & Aaj)
3. When people attended the public meetings of PTI during Ramazan in large numbers, other parties thought that after the Eid people will become busy in their daily chores and therefore will keep off PTI shows. But this has not happened. In fact, the PTI is going ahead with 15 more public meetings, and even released the rally schedule. This made PML-N and other parties decided to enter the rally race. PML N has already held two rallies – one at Attock and the second at Besham. Now the PDM has declared its intention to hold public meetings. People are confused as to the purpose of these rallies when elections are due next year.    Perhaps they have heard from some source that elections may be advanced. And the media is speculating the polls may be announced at the end of May itself. It is the responsibility of the Election Commission to conduct fair and transparent elections in such a way that no political party can blame malpractices, mismanagement, or partiality. (Edit in Intekhab Daily)
4. After the arrival of the Shehbaz Government, the relations with the US are looking up. Washington has termed the change of guard in Islamabad as Pakistan’s internal democratic and constitutional process. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken telephoned the new Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and the call lasted 50 minutes.   He invited Bilawal to attend a food security conference in New York; diplomatic circles are now trying to take advantage of this opportunity to arrange a meeting between the two foreign ministers. (Edit in Daily Pakistan)

                                    …………………………