NEWS

• Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court, Athar Minullah, has said the Prime Minister will be held responsible if the missing persons are not recovered. He made these remarks while hearing the case against harassment of Baloch students. The Chief Justice pulled up the Ministry of Human Rights saying students from an entire province have complained that they are being harassed. The Justice asked: “Has the federal government contacted these children (Baloch students). Students say if we go to our province (Balochistan), we disappear”. (Jasarat)

• Seven persons including a policeman, a woman, and a girl were injured in a hand grenade attack on Mekangi Road near Sefir Masjid Chowk, Quetta, last night. Police and security forces are conducting a search operation to nab the culprits. (Jasarat)

• Jamaat-e-Islami (Punjab Central) Amir, Muhammad Javed Kasuri, said that September 7, 1974, was the day when the Parliament gave a blow to the sedition of Qadianis and unanimously declared them non-Muslims. Islamic thinker Syed Abul Ala Maududi played a key role in exposing the sedition of Qadianis. (Jasarat)

• Pak Sarzamin Party chief, Syed Mustafa Kamal has said that the corrupt, cruel, and insensitive rulers of Sindh have made the flood a means of making money. They are pocketing donations coming from abroad as, there is no audit of such funds. (Jang)

• Former Provincial Minister Mian Zahid Hussain has called for legal markets at the border to reduce unemployment. He said Pak-Afghan trade has drastically decreased as the recommendations of border area trade chambers are ignored. (Urdu Point)

• Hunger strike by teachers and students of government schools in Balochistan has entered the 36^th day.  Their demand is good facilities in schools and quality education. (Urdu Point)

• Flood-hit people of Upper Dir Gwaldai staged a protest in Peshawar demanding relief. “We are neglected in the relief operations”, they complained. “We have only road to our area but it is damaged in the floods. Rehabilitate the road”, they thundered. The protest was led by former law maker, Mohd Ali. (Urdu Point)

• Grand Democratics Alliance (GDA) law maker, Moazzam Ali Abbas has resigned from the Sindh Assembly in protest against non-availability of any relief aid to flood victims. He sent his resignation to the Sindh Speaker.  “PPP-led Provincial Government is not providing relief aid to the flood victims. Instead of Government officials, PPP leaders have seized the relief material and distributed it according to their wishes. (Jehan Pakistan)

• Jamaat e Islami chief, Sirajul Haq, visited the flood-affected parts of Sindh in a boat. He surveyed the damage in Jhadu area of the Naukot district. It is an old town with some 50 thousand population. The town is inundated, and almost 80 percent of the population has shifted to safe places. Addressing the media after flood survey, he said the Sindh government and the people’s representatives are responsible for the terrible situation. To save the properties, farms and palaces of ministers, landlords and feudal lords they drowned the villages and towns of the poor people. The government should immediately provide tents and drinking water to the homeless people. Steps should be taken to drain out the flood water. (Dunya Daily)

•  “After looking at the electricity bills, I told the Prime Ministers that people are greatly distressed by inflation”, said Federal Home Minister Rana Sanaullah. Speaking on a TV program he said, “I suggested (to Prime Minister) we should leave the government and go for an election”.  He also added that a decision was taken when we had a meeting with Nawaz Sharif in London that we should not continue in the government. “After that, we had a meeting with PDM leaders. Nawaz Sharif participated in the discussions through a video link. And he also tried to convince the allies to leave the government. But to save the country from default we had to take some hard decisions”.   (Dunya Daily)

• PPP Punjab leader, Syed Hasan Murtaza has said any more increase in petroleum products or electricity will be unacceptable. The government’s first preference should be to improve the living standard of people. He said that the floods have made inflation to go out of control. About one-third of the country is drowned in flood water. More than 3.5 crore people are acing grave difficulties. In this situation, the government must control prices of food items, vegetables, fruits and fuel. The farmers should be given incentives to increase production of grains. A comprehensive economic policy should be framed to reduce dependence on IMF doles. The people have made sacrifices more than their due. Now is the turn of the elites to come forward with their sacrifices for the nation. (Dunya Daily)

•  PTI Balochistan leaders have alleged that incompetency of the rulers has drowned Pakistan in flood water. Devasted poor people are sitting in the open grounds without any roof over their heads but Prime Minister and his cabinet minister are busy in photo sessions for the media. People of Balochistan are suffering from an acute shortage of food items and medicines. Entire Balochistan is plunged into darkness. The long and continuous load shedding has created a shortage of drinking water. Wheat and flour are not available. Balochistan has not received any relief from the federal government. The incompetent rulers are only issuing statements and holding photo sessions. The PDM government is totally unconcerned with the people of Balochistan. (Intekhab Daily)

EDITORIALS

• Political tensions are at their peak in the country today. This is taking a toll on the economy and are becoming reasons enough for making the country’s key institutions controversial. The global agencies are now warning that economic stability is not possible as long as political conditions are not in shape. Major issue before the country today is getting crores of ‘displaced’ people back to their houses from shelters in the flood hit areas. Second major issue is ever-rising inflation. Making our key institutions controversial and making explosive statements in such conditions is not good for national security as also political stability. Let national interests and not political gains or political differences be given priority at this juncture. (Kawish, Edit, Sept.7)   

• The UN Secretary General is coming to Pakistan on a three-day visit from Sept.9 to look at the flood havoc. This visit is most welcome, but we should make this visit useful for Pakistan by presenting to him a detailed account of the flood devastation. The need of the hour is rehabilitation of the people, who have lost their homes, and are displaced. They need to be given food, tents and medical aid. So far, the authorities have not succeeded in providing people with these basic needs. (Ibrat, Edit)  

• The government has decided to hike power tariff by Rs.3 plus per unit from next month. We think this hike is a big injustice to the people. Let this big burden of heavy power tariffs on people be reduced.” (Sindh Exp. Edit)  

• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is witnessing target killings, kidnapping for ransom, extortion, murder and robbery – all from across the border. Officers and staff of law enforcement agencies including Pakistan Army and Police are becoming targets. The Provincial Government and its agencies should keep a close watch on cross-border migrants and take strict action against those who come and hide in KP. (Daily Pakistan Edit 7th Sept)

• The Pakistan Army has strongly reacted to Imran Khan-speak over selection of next army chief. It shows that the Imran statement has been condemned and rejected in toto as insulting. It is unfortunate that an attempt has been made to undermine the credibility of senior military leadership at a time when the army as an institution is sacrificing its lives daily for the security of the nation and its people. The attempt to make the appointment of the Army Chief controversial is indeed sad and disappointing because a clear-cut procedure has been laid down for the purpose in the Constitution. (Daily Pakistan Edit 7^th Sept)

• Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and Federal Finance Minister Miftah Ismael yesterday told the media that criticizing national institutions is neither fair nor proper for anyone. They were referring to Imran Khan’s a controversial statement on the subject and his attempts at justification of his remarks. A new norm in our politics these days is to say something controversial and then justify it but never offering regrets or apology for the remarks. Every politician is following this trend. When they are in government, they strongly oppose such statements but when they are in opposition, they resort to such controversial comments without bating eyelids.  Criticizing national institutions has become the basic right of the Opposition. This situation has to be changed and boundaries should be set for the politicians which they must not cross; politicians should give due respect to national institutions.  (Edit-Dunya Daily)

COLUMNS

• In our country, two blames can be put on anybody very easily. One is blasphemy and the other is treachery. Any proof or evidence is not needed for these charges. I will not talk about blasphemy now. But will focus on treachery.  According to present political norms, any person, who opposes the government, criticizes it or points out its faults, is a traitor. Calling anybody a traitor is easier than running a bicycle. Any part of his speech or statement can be used to declare him a traitor. I am seeing this game since my childhood. All the big leaders of the past were declared traitors at different times. Yes, treachery is not permanent label. Once they join hands with you, they are clean. There are many cases in the past but I will take the recent one. MQM was declared a traitor and a gang of killers by Imran Khan but when he needed its support to form the government, the very MQM became clean. It was washed white in the political laundry of Imran Khan. Pervez Ilahi was a robber of Punjab for Imran Khan but today he is his bosom friend. Imran Khan thinks he is always right and his advisors endorse this falsehood. Imran Khan has become the greatest enemy of himself. Instead of accepting his mistakes, he justifies them with explanations. He is rapidly moving towards a road which leads nowhere. A dead end!  (Khalid Masood Khan in Dunya Daily)

• It was Imran Khan as Prime Minister gave three-year extension to the army chief after making necessary statutory changes in parliament.  This earned for him taunts of establishment’s favorite. But, when the “umpire” (army chief) became neutral, it resulted in Imran Khan’s defeat on the floor of the house in a no-confidence motion. The differences between Imran Khan and the establishment (army) started last year over the appointment of ISI chief. Imran Khan opposed the shifting of ISI head, Faiz Hameed to Peshawar as core commander.  Slowly and gradually, these differences started thickening resulting in removal of Imran Khan from the corridors of power in March/April this year. Now, Imran Khan says he will be more dangerous out of power. He also says that he has kept one tape hidden and that it contains four names who conspired for his removal. It is learnt that Imran Khan has come to know from his sources that those at the helm of affairs (establishment or army chief) would never want to see him back in power. That is the reason he has turned sort of a rebel. The sources feel that more than Imran Khan losing anything once out of power, it is the country that is suffering more because of his being out of power now. The country is still not out of economic crisis. Despite getting an installment of loan from the IMF, inflation is still not under control. The IMF has also warned of protests and agitations if the situation remains unchanged.  To add to the country’s bad times, rains have played havoc especially in Sindh. PPP’s 14-year rule in Sindh stands totally exposed. Country will not be in any condition to withstand any protests and agitations now. If PPP continues failing people of Sindh, it will face its worst ever defeat even in such parts of Sindh which are its strongholds. (, Gulam Hyder Khokhar in Pahenji, Sept.7)  

• After losing power, Imran Khan has tried everything possible for him to be back in their good book of the establishment.  All this with an eye to return to the PM’s chair. But, since none of his efforts is succeeding, he seems to have been rattled. As a result, he is making irresponsible statements. He started spreading rumors that he is getting closer to establishment, but people are not “buying” his claims.  The way he keeps making controversial statements, it only conveys that he and his close aides are very confused. He has been dragged to court with serious charges. He knows he cannot escape disqualification from Parliament now. Conviction in some cases cannot be ruled out to his dismay.  (Maula Bux Chandiyo in   Kawish, Sept.7)         

• For those who say current times (flood season) is not the right time to do politics, I would like to tell them that every time is the right time. In fact, current times are more ideal to do politics since the floods have exposed rulers’ apathy, neglect and failure to deliver. How can the media ignore when there is so much to report about the devastation, which is exposing the utter failure of the government to rise to the occasion for people in distress? Why should we try to soften and melt down peoples’ fury against rulers as they keep expressing their displeasure and anger with authorities for not doing the needful in flood times? Why should we not encourage people to gear up against rulers and their (rotten) system instead of rulers trying to get cheap publicity by distributing ration amongst people? (Assar Imam in Sindh Exp) 

• PPP is losing people’s trust.  It will have to work very hard to regain peoples’ goodwill.  Sindh is becoming politically aware, sensitive and assertive these days. People do not spare politicians and tell them on their face nowadays. Change looks very imminent on Sindh political landscape. (Shafeeq Wassan in Ibrat) 

• Flood havoc is not new to Juhi (Sindh). It was submerged under a wave of floods in 2010 but this time neither the Sindh government in Karachi nor the Federal government in Islamabad   has extended any help to Juhi.  Sindh has sunk from Kashmor-Ghotki to Hyderabad and Nao Kot. All this can lead to results on the lines of what Zulfikar Junior (Murtaza Bhutto’s son) has said a few days ago. The wars and floods have often led to either revolutions or anarchy. The First World War gave rise to the October Revolution; uprising in East Pakistan saw the rise of Bangladesh. Let us wait and watch out as to where the 2022 floods take the country and Sindh.  (Sindh Exp, Hameed Soomro) 

• Let some honest and knowledgeable persons like Idrees Rajput and N G Abbasi be brought in as advisors to overhaul the Sindh irrigation department. Award deterrent punishment to corrupt and dishonest elements in the department. This will work as balm on flood-affected lakhs across Sindh. The engineers and bureaucrats without any ethics in the irrigation department need to be dealt with an iron hand. (Dastgir Bhati in Sindh Exp) ###