After third round of talks, Pakistan PM forms committee on demands by Imran Khan’s party

After third round of talks, Pakistan PM forms committee on demands by Imran Khan’s party
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Pakistan's Opposition Leader National Assembly, Omar Ayub (right), hands over written demands of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf to Speaker National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on January 16, 2025. (Abdul Latif)
After third round of talks, Pakistan PM forms committee on demands by Imran Khan’s party
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Speaker National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, is addressing the meeting ahead of the third round of talks between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Islamabad, Pakistan, on January 15, 2025. (PTV News/Screengrab)
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Updated 16 January 2025
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After third round of talks, Pakistan PM forms committee on demands by Imran Khan’s party

After third round of talks, Pakistan PM forms committee on demands by Imran Khan’s party
  • Khan’s party is demanding release of political prisoners, judicial probe into allegations it led violent protests
  • Committee features members of government’s ally political parties, will issue “final response,” says PM’s aide

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prime minister has constituted a committee comprising members of its ally political parties to respond to a “Charter of Demands” submitted by ex-PM Imran Khan’s party, Shehbaz Sharif’s aide said after a fresh round of talks between the government and the opposition to ease political tensions concluded on Thursday. 
Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in 2022 has since plunged the country into long-term political crisis, particularly since the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was jailed in August 2023 on corruption and other charges and remains behind bars. Khan’s party and supporters regularly hold protests calling for his release, with some of the demonstrations turning violent, including one in November last year in which the government says four troops were killed and the PTI says 12 of its supporters died. 
Khan’s brief arrest on May 9, 2023, in a land graft case had also sparked countrywide protests that saw his supporters attack and ransack military installations in an unprecedented backlash against Pakistan’s powerful army generals. Hundreds of PTI supporters and leaders were subsequently arrested and dozens remain in jail as they face trail before civilian and military courts. 
Khan last month set up a negotiating committee of top PTI leaders to open dialogue with the government on two main demands: the release of political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate the May 9, 2023, and Nov. 26, 2024 protests. The first round of talks took place on Dec. 23 and the second on Jan. 2, while the third was held today, Thursday. 
“The prime minister has constituted a committee which has the representation of all ally parties,” Rana Sanaullah, the prime minister’s adviser on political affairs, told reporters at a news conference. 
“This committee will prepare an effective response to this Charter of Demands, which we will present to the PTI or the opposition committee in the same manner. That will be the final response,” he added. 
Sanaullah said one of the PTI’s principal demands since the past 10-11 months was that the results of the February 2024 general election, which the party claims were manipulated, be reversed. He said the PTI has “resigned” from the demand and did not mention it in the third round of talks between the two sides. 

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PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan, meanwhile, hoped on Wednesday that the government would consider the party’s demands seriously. 
“We hope that if [the government] participates with seriousness, an open mind, and sincerity, a solution can be found to all the issues,” he told reporters.
The talks opened last month as Khan had threatened a civil disobedience movement and amid growing concerns he could face trial by a military court for allegedly inciting attacks on sensitive security installations during the May 9 protests.
The negotiations also began two days after 25 civilians were sentenced by a military court to periods of two to 10 years of “rigorous imprisonment” in connection with the attacks on military facilities on May 9, 2023. Just days later on Dec. 26, another 60 civilians were sentenced by a military court to jail time ranging from 2 to 10 years.
Khan, facing a slew of legal cases from jail, says all charges against him are politically motivated to keep him and his party out of power. Khan had to sit out February 2024 general election as convicted felons cannot run for public office in Pakistan.


Pakistan rejects Trump’s Gaza displacement proposal as ‘deeply troubling and unjust’

Pakistan rejects Trump’s Gaza displacement proposal as ‘deeply troubling and unjust’
Updated 14 sec ago
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Pakistan rejects Trump’s Gaza displacement proposal as ‘deeply troubling and unjust’

Pakistan rejects Trump’s Gaza displacement proposal as ‘deeply troubling and unjust’
  • Donald Trump said this week Palestinians in Gaza should be resettled in Egypt, Jordan or other countries
  • Pakistan condemns Israeli restrictions on aid, shelters and medical supplies to the war-ravaged territory

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office said on Thursday any proposal to displace the people of Gaza was “deeply troubling and unjust,” emphasizing that Palestinian land rightfully belongs to the Palestinian people.
The statement comes days after former US President Donald Trump suggested that Palestinians residing in Gaza should be resettled in Egypt, Jordan or other countries while addressing the media alongside visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The proposal was rejected by both Egypt and Jordan, prompting condemnation from various international rights groups as well.
“The proposal to displace the people of Gaza is deeply troubling and unjust,” foreign office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan told reporters during a weekly press briefing. “Palestinian land belongs to the Palestinian people.”
He said the only viable way to resolve the Israel-Palestine conflict was through a two-state solution, as recommended in United Nations Security Council resolutions.
“Pakistan’s position on the issue of Palestine is very clear, as Pakistan has been and will continue to stand by the people of Palestine in their just struggle for self-determination, as well as for the establishment of a sovereign, independent and contiguous Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders,” he added.
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on internationally agreed parameters.
The spokesperson also condemned Israel’s restrictions on the flow of aid, shelters and necessary medical equipment to Gaza, saying it was in violation of the ceasefire deal.
“As per the agreement, 60,000 trailers and 200,000 tents were supposed to enter Gaza, and the deal also required Israel to allow equipment to help clear the way to reach Gaza,” he noted.
Khan said Pakistan called upon the international community to break its silence on the blatant violation of the ceasefire agreement by Israel and its “atrocities” against Palestinians.
“The international community must step up and ensure that the ceasefire agreement is honored in letter and spirit,” he added.
“We call for enhanced, unhindered humanitarian assistance to those in urgent need, opening up all access points of supply to Gaza, and for allowing all UN and international agencies, including UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency], to operate fully in Gaza,” he added.
Speaking about the situation in Syria since the fall of the Bashar Assad regime, Khan said Syria remained a significant country in the Islamic world, highlighting its cultural influence, people-to-people connections and historic ties through faith, language and history.
“We will support any initiative for a stable Syria and restoration of peace and stability after years of civil war,” he added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also welcomed Ahmed Al-Sharaa as Syria’s new president last week while expressing his desire for peace in the country. Sharaa, who led the campaign that ousted Bashar Assad, was declared president for a transitional phase and given authority to form a temporary legislative council, with the Syrian constitution suspended.


Militants attack police post in northwest Pakistan, killing three officers

Militants attack police post in northwest Pakistan, killing three officers
Updated 34 min 56 sec ago
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Militants attack police post in northwest Pakistan, killing three officers

Militants attack police post in northwest Pakistan, killing three officers
  • Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief says officers battled militants for two hours
  • Overnight attack in Karak district continued until police reinforcements arrived

PESHAWAR: Almost a dozen well-armed militants mounted an overnight assault on a police check post in Pakistan’s restive Karak district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, triggering a gunbattle that left three policemen dead and six others wounded on Thursday, police said.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militancy in KP, which borders Afghanistan, since a fragile truce between the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the state broke down in November 2022.
Most of these attacks have targeted police personnel and security forces, though civilians and other government functionaries have also been affected.
Pakistani officials have attributed the uptick in militant violence to cross-border attacks from Afghanistan, accusing the administration in Kabul of “facilitating” TTP fighters, though Afghan authorities deny the allegation.
“Militants started an attack on Bahadur Khel police check post of Karak with small and heavy weapons but police officers on duty offered stiff resistance,” Shaukat Khan, the district’s police spokesman, said. “During the exchange of fire, three police officials were martyred and six others wounded. But militants had to flee after police reinforcement arrived.”
Khan said the dead and wounded were shifted to the district headquarters hospital for treatment soon after the incident.
Speaking to the media after attending the funeral prayers of the slain police officers, provincial police chief Zulfiqar Hameed said law enforcement personnel fought bravely with the militants for two long hours.
“The terrorists wanted to take over the police post but their attempt was thwarted. We will chase terrorists everywhere and will take strict action against those involved in this heinous assault,” he added.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion is likely to fall on the TTP that has frequently targeted police and security personnel in the province.
KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur condemned the assault and directed the police chief to take all measures to identify the perpetrators.
He expressed his condolences over the death of the three police officers and prayed for the swift recovery of those wounded in the attack.
“The provincial government will not leave the bereaved families alone and will provide them with all support. Police have rendered immense sacrifices to protect the lives and property of people,” he added.
The TTP and other militants have stepped up attacks against security forces in the country’s two western provinces, alongside targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials, in recent months.
Last week, four soldiers of the paramilitary Levies force were killed after they were targeted by gunfire and an improvised explosive device (IED) blast in Dera Ismail Khan district of the province.
Earlier this month, the military said 18 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a militant attack in southwestern Balochistan province.
The military added that it had killed at least 23 militants in subsequent clearance operations.
 


China, Pakistan urge Afghanistan to act against militants as Zardari seeks stronger economic ties

China, Pakistan urge Afghanistan to act against militants as Zardari seeks stronger economic ties
Updated 06 February 2025
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China, Pakistan urge Afghanistan to act against militants as Zardari seeks stronger economic ties

China, Pakistan urge Afghanistan to act against militants as Zardari seeks stronger economic ties
  • Pakistan recognizes commitment to ensuring safety of Chinese workers, calls it ‘foremost responsibility’
  • President Zardari meets Chinese Premier Li Qiang, seeks enhanced people-to-people exchanges

ISLAMABAD: China and Pakistan on Thursday called on Afghanistan’s administration to take “visible and verifiable” steps to address militant threat, according to a joint statement, as President Asif Ali Zardari discussed enhanced economic collaboration and people-to-people ties during a meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.

Zardari is on a five-day visit to Beijing, where he also met Chinese President Xi Jinping a day earlier and invited him to visit Pakistan. His engagements with Chinese officials come amid Beijing’s growing concerns over the security of its nationals working in Pakistan, many of whom are involved in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects and have been targeted in a series of attacks in recent years.

During his meeting with Xi, Zardari acknowledged that Pakistan’s relationship with China had “gone through ups and downs” but said it would not be undermined by militant violence.

Most of the attacks against the Chinese workers have been attributed to groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), which Pakistan says operate from neighboring Afghanistan. Kabul denies the allegation.

“The two sides [Pakistan and China] agreed to maintain close communication and coordination on the issue of Afghanistan, and play a constructive role in helping Afghanistan achieve stable development and integrate into the international community,” said the joint statement released by Pakistan’s foreign office.

“They called on the Interim Afghan Government to take visible and verifiable actions to dismantle and eliminate all terrorist groups based in Afghanistan which continue to pose a serious threat to regional and global security, and to prevent the use of Afghan territory against other countries,” it added.

The statement also highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to ensuring the safety of Chinese workers, calling it the country’s “foremost responsibility.”

“The Pakistani side reiterated its strongest condemnation of the terrorist attacks in Pakistan involving Chinese personnel,” it said, adding that the government would continue to investigate these incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice.

“It will also further increase input into security, and take targeted and enhanced measures to effectively ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan,” the statement said.

Separately, the Pakistani president met with Chinese Premier Li at the Great Hall of the People, reaffirming Islamabad’s commitment to deepening its “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership” with Beijing.

“The President highlighted the pivotal role of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in promoting regional connectivity and economic growth and expressed appreciation for China’s continued support toward Pakistan’s development agenda,” a statement from Pakistan’s presidency said.

Discussions between the two leaders focused on the expansion of cooperation under “CPEC 2.0,” with an emphasis on renewable energy, science and technology, infrastructure and agriculture.

They also explored ways to enhance trade and investment through business-to-business linkages.

Both sides underscored the importance of strengthening people-to-people and cultural exchanges to build a “China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future in the New Era,” the statement added.


Pakistan urges UN action on Kashmir as OIC reiterates call to revoke India’s 2019 move

Pakistan urges UN action on Kashmir as OIC reiterates call to revoke India’s 2019 move
Updated 06 February 2025
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Pakistan urges UN action on Kashmir as OIC reiterates call to revoke India’s 2019 move

Pakistan urges UN action on Kashmir as OIC reiterates call to revoke India’s 2019 move
  • The developments came as Pakistan marked its annual Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5
  • Pakistan’s letter to the UN officials mentioned alleged human rights violations by Indian forces

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan contacted top United Nations officials on Wednesday to raise concern over alleged rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir, as the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) reiterated its demand that New Delhi rescind its 2019 decision to revoke the disputed region’s special constitutional status.
Kashmir has remained a flashpoint between India and Pakistan since their independence in 1947, with both nuclear-armed neighbors claiming it in full but controlling only parts of it. They have fought wars over the region and continue to engage in diplomatic efforts to assert their respective positions.
Pakistan accuses India of committing human rights violations in the region while denying Kashmiris the right to self-determination. India, in turn, accuses Pakistan of supporting militancy in the territory. Both countries reject each other’s allegations.
On Aug. 5, 2019, India unilaterally revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, stripping it of the limited autonomy it had previously enjoyed. The move led Pakistan to downgrade diplomatic ties with New Delhi.
“Ambassador Munir Akram, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, met with Ambassador Fu Cong, Permanent Representative of China, who is also President of the UN Security Council, to hand over the letter written by Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Pakistan,” the Pakistani mission at the UN said in a social media post.
It added that the letter “drew the Security Council’s attention to the grave human rights violations in IIOJK [Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir] at the hands of the Indian occupation forces and urged the Council members to take decisive steps, without any further delay, to secure the implementation of its own resolutions and end India’s egregious violations of the human rights of the Kashmiri people, in particular the right to self-determination.”
The letter was also copied to the President of the UN General Assembly and the UN Secretary-General.
Separately, the OIC, a bloc of Muslim-majority nations, also reiterated its position on the Kashmir dispute.
“The General Secretariat reiterates the OIC’s call to revoke all illegal measures initiated on August 5, 2019, which aimed to change the demographic structure of the disputed territory,” the organization said in a statement.
The developments came as Pakistan marked its annual Kashmir Solidarity Day on Feb. 5 to express support for Kashmiris in Indian-administered territory.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, calling on India to engage in “meaningful and result-oriented” dialogue over the dispute. He asserted that New Delhi’s unilateral measures had failed due to resistance from the local population.
Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, also traveled to the region, expressing optimism that Kashmir would eventually become part of Pakistan as he vowed to defend the country’s territorial integrity.


Pakistan’s first ‘Made in Pakistan’ expo inaugurated in Jeddah to strengthen Saudi trade ties

Pakistan’s first ‘Made in Pakistan’ expo inaugurated in Jeddah to strengthen Saudi trade ties
Updated 06 February 2025
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Pakistan’s first ‘Made in Pakistan’ expo inaugurated in Jeddah to strengthen Saudi trade ties

Pakistan’s first ‘Made in Pakistan’ expo inaugurated in Jeddah to strengthen Saudi trade ties
  • Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan calls the event a testament to enduring Saudi-Pak relationship
  • The minister emphasizes joint ventures targeting African, Central Asian and Far Eastern markets

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan inaugurated the country’s first-ever solo “Made in Pakistan” exhibition in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday, marking a significant milestone in the Saudi-Pak trade relations.

Saudi Arabia presents a key export opportunity for Pakistani businesses, given its strong consumer demand, large expatriate workforce and ambitious Vision 2030 economic reforms that emphasize diversification and foreign investments.

Pakistan has sought to strengthen business-to-business (B2B) ties with the Kingdom, with both sides announcing during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to Riyadh last October that they had signed 34 memorandums of understanding and agreements worth $2.8 billion to enhance private sector collaboration and commercial partnerships.

Addressing a gathering of Saudi officials, business leaders and diplomats at the three-day event, the Pakistani minister emphasized the importance of enhancing bilateral economic cooperation and exhibiting his country’s diverse industrial potential.

“This event is a testament to the enduring relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, rooted in shared faith, cultural ties and strategic partnership,” he said, according to a statement released by his office.

Khan expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabia for its unwavering support in organizing the exhibition.

He maintained the event served as a platform to present Pakistan’s best products and services, including textiles, sports goods, light engineering, food items, construction materials and more.

The minister underlined the government’s commitment to expanding trade and investment ties with Saudi Arabia through strategic economic initiatives.

He noted that Pakistan’s evolving industrial base and dynamic economy offered immense potential for collaboration, particularly in sectors like food security, energy, mining and human resource development.

“Our government is dedicated to fostering an investment-driven environment, and Saudi Arabia, with its Vision 2030, is ideally positioned to benefit from these opportunities,” he said.

Khan praised the contributions of the 2.7 million-strong Pakistani diaspora in Saudi Arabia, describing them as a cornerstone of the countries’ bilateral ties. He also highlighted that over 1.7 million Pakistani workers had migrated to the

Kingdom in the past five years, making it the top destination for Pakistani emigrants.

The minister stressed the need for joint efforts in skill development to further enhance employment opportunities for Pakistanis in Saudi Arabia.

He called for deeper collaborations between Pakistani and Saudi businesses, emphasizing the potential for joint ventures targeting markets in Africa, Central Asia, and the Far East.

“Together, we can explore new markets and create successful trilateral partnerships, leveraging the vast experience of Pakistani entrepreneurs,” he said.

Khan described the exhibition as a symbol of growing economic partnership between our nations, saying it would open new avenues for cooperation and mutual growth.

The Made in Pakistan Exhibition, featuring 137 Pakistani companies, has attracted a number of potential buyers and companies.

The event will run from February 5 to 7.