NEWS

• The story behind plans to not welcoming PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif at Lahore airport on his return from London has come to light. Sources say PML N leaders are afraid it will not be possible to gather people at the airport to welcome Nawaz Sharif in the face of public outcry against hike in petrol prices and high electricity bills.   It has been decided therefore to bring Nawaz Sharif to Minar-e-Pakistan in the darkness of evening. Lights at the Minar will show that the gathering is big. Social media will be used to celebrate Nawaz Sharif’s grand welcome.  (ARY News Daily)

• 80 corruption cases involving PML-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif, former President Asif Ali Zardari and other politicians have been revived. Sources say this followed the decisions taken at an emergency meeting of NAB after the Supreme Court restored its powers.   NAB brass has written a letter to the Registrar of Accountability Court Islamabad in this regard. According to sources, the fake account cases against PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari have also been restored, while the rental power case against Raja Pervez Ashraf has been reopened. Toshakhana vehicle case against Nawaz Sharif, Asif Zardari, Yusuf Raza Gilani has also been opened. The cases against Murad Ali Shah, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi have also been restored. According to sources, the case of assets in excess of income against Ishaq Dar has also been opened. It should be noted that the Supreme Court declared PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s petition against the NAB amendments admissible and invalidated 9 out of 10 amendments of the NAB amendments.  (Jasarat, Sindh Exp, Roznama Intekhab, Daily Khabrain)

• Chief Organizer of PML-N Maryam Nawaz said she had left her mother on her deathbed and went to the Adiala Jail. She was kept in solitary confinement. While in jail, she never said that she wanted desi chicken, but ate jail dal and roti; since then, she started liking dal very much. Addressing Muslim Students Federation in Model Town Lahore in connection with the preparations for the reception of Nawaz Sharif, Maryam said she spent five months in a death cell, but she does not believe in the politics of revenge. She is standing in front of the public even after suffering nearly 200 appearances in court.  She. She further said that the persons who conspired against Nawaz Sharif are not able to come out in public today. (Qudrat Daily)

• Former Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has left for London again today just 48 hours after returning home from the UK. This development has given rise to many speculations.  Shahbaz Sharif had reached home early this week after spending several weeks in London, but after reaching Lahore, he planned a sudden return to meet his elder brother and party chief Nawaz Sharif. His visit will coincide with the visit of party vice-president Maryam Nawaz to London, who will go to London on a separate flight ahead of her uncle’s arrival. Party sources said that the two leaders will hold important talks with Nawaz. Sources said that the discussion will be about the current political situation as well as the party’s action plan for the upcoming general elections. Obviously, these are matters of an urgent nature that cannot be discussed over the phone. Another party source said that Shahbaz met Maryam Nawaz in Lahore last Wednesday in which the issues related to Nawaz’s return were discussed. He also discussed the situation arising from the reopening of cases against him and other members of the Sharif family in the light of the Supreme Court’s decision to nullify the NAB amendments and the resulting legal complications.Sources said that the question of who will be the party’s choice for the post of prime minister in the next government is also under consideration. (Dawn Daily)

• Treason charges have been slapped against Imran Khan and others in connection with the May 9 rioting, according to SSP (Investigation). Charges under 120 B section have been applied in the main case of May 9 disturbances and other cases connected with it. According to police, though the PTI chairman was not present at the riot sites, there is evidence about his planning, provoking and instigating others for the May 9 riot.  (Sindh Exp.)

• Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested Nasrullah, a terrorist of the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He is the elder brother of Muslim Khan is the commander of TTP, with a reward of Rs. 30 lakhs on his head; the reward on the accused’s brother-in-law, Ehsanullah, is 20 lakhs.  The accused used to provide treatment and residential facilities to the injured terrorists and collect funds for the organization. (Jang)

• One terrorist was killed and another was injured by security forces in the Kulachi area of Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A statement issued by the Public Relations Department of the Pakistan Army (ISPR), said that the security forces conducted an operation in the Kulachi area based on a tip-off.  There was a fierce exchange of fire between the army personnel and the terrorists, as a result of which one terrorist was killed and another was injured. The security forces recovered arms and ammunition from the possession of the slain terrorist, who was involved in terrorist activities against the security forces and the massacre of innocent civilians. ISPR said that forces are taking action to eliminate the presence of more terrorists in the area. It should be noted that after the banned TTP ended the ceasefire with the government in November last year, there has been an increase in terrorist activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. (Dawn Daily)

• Jamaat-e-Islami Sindh Information Secretary Mujahid China has strongly condemned hostage taking of senior journalist Raja Rustam Andhar and cameraman Anwar Jatoi by a local influential group in Pano Aqil and demanded that an impartial investigation into the incident. Journalists should be protected. (Urdu Point)

• The protest camp of the participants of the long march on foot from Kalat against the violation of merit entered the sixth day. Mir Abdul Wahid Pindarani, Jamiat Ulema Islam Ideological District General Maulana Munir Ahmad Nichari, Press Monitoring Jamiat (Ideological) Israr Ahmed Sasoli and others stated that the bureaucracy and ministers in the Health, Agriculture, Forestry and other Departments have distributed posts against merit and denied meritorious youth. By selling the posts, the hopes of the youth have been dashed and their future has been put at stake, which has caused a wave of concern among the eligible aspirants. (Urdu Point)

• Three more suspects, including the main facilitator of journalist Jan Mohammad Mehr’s killers, were arrested from Kucha. SSP Sukkur Irfan Ali Samo said the operation is going on for the second day to arrest the killers. The whereabouts of the accused are being identified with the help of drone cameras.He said thatinvestigation started after arresting four suspects yesterday in Sukkur. The caretaker Home Minister of Singh Haris Nawaz has asked the police to accelerate the investigation to nab killers of Jan Mohammad Mehr. The Minister told the police to provide fool-proof security to the family members of the slain journalist. (ARY News Today)

• Armed men attacked the house of journalist Abdul Hakeem Jatoi of Shikarpur on Rustam Road in the limits of Shikarpur New Faujdari Police Station. As a result, four persons including Abdul Shakoor Jatoi, elder brother of journalist Jatoi were seriously injured. (Urdu Point)

• A Karachi court asked the police authorities for a report regarding the recovery of the missing persons including Younis Khan, Ibadullah Hasan, Taj Hussain and Muhammad Arif. The judge said the court is the last hope for the families of the missing persons. Fake reports will not do. The missing persons should be traced. (Jasarat)

• Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister for Law Kanwar Dilshad has stated that the General Elections are expected to be held between January 15 and 25. He is a former Secretary Election Commission. (Daily Pakistan)

• The Election Commission has proposed an 88-point code of conduct for the general elections. Accordingly, the President, Prime Minister, Ministers, and public officials will not be able to participate in election campaign. Senators and local public representatives will have the right to conduct election campaigns, during which there will be a ban on announcements of development schemes. Moreover, there will be a ban on campaigning against the judiciary and ideology of Pakistan, while political parties and candidates will not lure the public in any way during the electioneering.   There will be a ban on the display of weapons in rallies, processions, and public gatherings. Permission for political meetings will be subject to the administration’s clearance.The Code also stipulates   ban on biased coverage on official media and the use of official resources during the election campaign.  Car rallies and communal and linguistic discussions will not be allowed. Protests or dharnas in front of any citizen’s house will not be allowed. Candidates can appoint one polling agent at each polling booth, and 3 election agents for the constituency. According to the poll code of conduct, the election agent must be from the constituency concerned. There will be a ban on putting up flags of political parties on government property. The Election Commission stated that the final poll code of conduct will be issued after consultation with political parties.  (Aeen Daily)

• Cameras installed to catch thieves in the federal capital have started to be stolen. The thieves took away the Safe City cameras installed outside the Margalla police station and the police remained in the dark for two weeks. Safe City cameras worth 1.2 Lakh rupees outside the police station were stolen so far. (Daily Khabrain, Daily Dharti)

• The United Arab Emirates has stopped import of fresh meat from Pakistan by sea. According to a private TV channel, the decision followed presence of fungus the meat in a container sent by a company in Karachi. The ban will be effective from October 10. The UAE authorities said that the import of Pakistani chilled chicken meat is also covered under the ban. Pakistan exports have sought the intervention of the Pakistani government to ensure continued meat exports to the UAE. (Qudrat Daily)

EDITORIALS

• If we do not sit down to brood over our failures, flaws and shortcomings and if we still delay reforms, then our conditions will keep deteriorating. Though it is already late, it is never too late if we take to reforms now at least, it will herald for better and brighter times for our coming generations. (Ibrat, Edit, Sept.20)

• Political parties and the establishment might be having day-dreams about tackling crisis on multiple fronts in their own way. Such attempts have been made in the past too, but to no avail. Any such attempt to neglect people this time would be an open invitation to big storms, and the losses to be incurred will be irreplaceable this time. Also, it is time political parties stop blaming one another and start working together. Let people decide whom they want to elect to rule the country. This time too if any political party wants to join hands with the establishment against other parties, it would only mean more mess. The solution lies in all parties getting equal opportunities and level playing without discrimination. Let it be left to people because they are better judges to choose their rulers for tomorrow. (Awami, Edit, Sept.20)

• The performance by most government departments in Sindh is going from bad to worse instead of getting better with time. Most bureaucrats are found indulging in irregularities as is evident from reports of  tampering of land records and several suspicious entries now coming to light. Off and on we also get to read reports of wheat bags going missing from government warehouses. Most often culprits of such misdeeds are not punished and as a result such misdeeds instead of coming to halt keep rising. Few days back, there were reports of several Sindh government departments working from private bungalows. Later, it was also learnt that most of these bungalows were owned by officers who take lakhs and crores by way of monthly rents for these bungalows. It is these officers who decide and fix the monthly rent amount.!! If this is the way to run our country, then we will have no option but to keep saying yes to tough terms and conditions of IMF every time we approach them for loans, But then, at the end of the day entire burden will fall on people who are already reeling under miserable times because of deep-rooted corruption, worsening state of law and order, poverty and starvation. (Kawish, Edit, Sept.20)

• At a time when the country is suffering from a severe shortage of gas, the news that large gas reserves have been discovered in the Rahim Yar Khan area is no less than a boon. According to the Oil and Gas Development Company, 1.1 million cubic feet per day of gas will be added to the system from the Dongan Formation in Rahim Yar Khan. These new gas deposits will play a significant role in bridging the gap in energy demand and supply through local resources. According to the Petroleum Division, this is the third major oil and gas discovery this year, while 15 new oil and gas deposits were discovered last year. The discovery of the new reserves should reduce the dependence on imports of petroleum products. But for this, it is necessary that the government brings these locally discovered reserves into operation as soon as possible. At present, the volume of energy products is the largest in the country’s imports. Prices of imported energy products have been recorded to rise by around 60 rupees per liter in a month. Domestic industry is also affected due to the expensive energy. Local reserves of oil and gas can prove to be an effective solution to these problems. (Edit-Dunya Daily)#####