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Ex-PM Khan’s party announces ‘failure’ of talks with government over general elections

Leaders of former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party are pictured during talks with the government representatives in Islamabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2023. (Shah Mahmood Qureshi/Instagram)
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Updated 03 May 2023
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Ex-PM Khan’s party announces ‘failure’ of talks with government over general elections

  • Khan’s aide Shireen Mazari says the PTI agreed to conduct elections on the same day if the assemblies were dissolved by May 14
  • Earlier, the government reported ‘huge progress’ in the talks, saying an agreement had been reached to hold elections on same day
Updated 03 May 2023
Sarah B. Haider

ISLAMABAD: Political tension between the government and former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party intensified on Wednesday after Khan’s aide claimed the ongoing talks between the two sides over holding elections across the country on the same day had “failed.”

The statement from Khan’s party came a day after the government claimed that the two sides, after holding the third round of negotiations with the administration in Islamabad upon the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan to resolve the political impasse, had agreed to conduct the polls throughout the country simultaneously.

The controversy was triggered when the PTI and its allies dissolved the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in January to force the government to call early elections across the country. Pakistan’s constitution says elections must be held within 90 days of the dissolution of an assembly or after it finishes its tenure and ceases to exist.

Historically, Pakistan has held voting for provincial and national assemblies on the same day, making Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government maintain it would only agree to elections being simultaneously held across the country.

“Media [deliberately] distorting PTI position on talks which failed,” Khan’s aide Shireen Mazari wrote in a Twitter post.

She said her party had only agreed to conduct the polls on the same day if all the assemblies across the country were dissolved by May 14.

Mazari added the ruling Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance had refused to agree to that condition.

 

 

Barrister Ali Zafar, who was also a part of the PTI delegation negotiating with the government, said there had been “no consensus on the date of dissolution or elections.”

“This means that the date fixed by Supreme Court under the constitution for the Punjab assembly election is 14th May,” he added. “Disobedience will be a violation of Constitution/court orders involving serious consequences.”

 

 

Pakistan’s finance minister Ishaq Dar reported “huge progress” in the government-PTI talks on Tuesday, saying both sides were trying to show flexibility and had agreed to hold the polls on the same day.

Former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani, who is part of the government’s negotiating team and accompanied the finance minister, informed the two sides had also agreed to accept the results of the upcoming elections whenever they were held.

In Pakistan, rigging allegations and street protests are not uncommon after election outcomes are announced.

Khan held a sit-in protest in Islamabad against the government of then prime minister Nawaz Sharif in 2014, protesting against alleged rigging in the general elections a year before that.

Topics: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Government PTI talks election talks

Pakistan’s central bank sees FY26 growth up to 4.25 percent, trade gap to widen

Updated 5 sec ago
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Pakistan’s central bank sees FY26 growth up to 4.25 percent, trade gap to widen

  • Current account deficit forecast at 0–1 percent of GDP despite remittance growth
  • Forex reserves projected to reach $15.5 billion by end-December 2025
Updated 5 sec ago
Ismail Dilawar

KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank on Wednesday projected economic growth of up to 4.25 percent in the current fiscal year but warned the trade deficit would widen, even as reserves are set to climb on the back of steady remittances and foreign inflows.

The forecast comes as Pakistan implements reforms under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program approved in September 2024, which has helped stabilize the currency, ease inflation and restore investor confidence. The IMF deal is tied to fiscal consolidation, energy sector reforms, and measures to boost exports, part of a broader effort to strengthen macroeconomic stability after years of chronic external imbalances.

The economy returned to moderate growth last year, aided by improved agricultural output, lower global commodity prices, and a series of policy rate cuts totaling 1,100 basis points since late 2024. Inflation has eased from record highs, while the rupee has stabilized against the dollar after a crackdown on the illegal currency market.

“With the policy rate kept unchanged at 11 percent in the MPC meetings in June and July, the MPC expects the real policy rate to be adequately positive to stabilize inflation within the medium-term target range,” the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) said in its Monetary Policy Report (MPR) released on Wednesday. 

“In the external account, the MPR expects the trade deficit to widen further and, notwithstanding continued expected growth in workers’ remittances, result in a current account deficit of 0–1 percent of GDP in FY26,” it added.

The central bank said “projected financial inflows, coupled with continued SBP interbank FX purchases, would support further buildup in SBP’s FX reserves, which are projected to rise to $15.5 billion by end-December 2025.”

Economic activity, it said, was “projected to gain further traction, with the impact of the earlier reductions in the policy rate still unfolding,” and real GDP growth was expected to range between 3.25 percent and 4.25 percent in FY26.

The MPR also flagged “potential external and domestic risks to the baseline macroeconomic outlook” and included analysis of the lag in monetary policy transmission, comparisons with global central bank decisions, and the SBP’s use of alternative data and machine learning to fill gaps in labor market and agriculture statistics.
 

Topics: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Growth rate of Pakistan GDP

Pakistan’s first Islamic digital bank offers 14 percent Independence Day cashback

Updated 8 min 56 sec ago
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Pakistan’s first Islamic digital bank offers 14 percent Independence Day cashback

  • Campaign runs Aug. 13–22 with Rs3,000 cap per customer
  • Cashback credited to accounts within one business day
Updated 8 min 56 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

KARACHI: Pakistan’s first Islamic digital bank is offering a 14 percent cashback on eligible debit card and QR code transactions to mark the country’s 78th Independence Day, in a campaign aimed at promoting cashless and Shariah-compliant payments.

The “Azadi Cashback” promotion, launched by aik, will run from Aug. 13 to Aug. 22 and allow customers to earn up to Rs3,000 ($10.75) in cashback during the period, credited to their accounts within one business day. The offer excludes utility bills, cash withdrawals, peer-to-peer transfers and government payments.

“The cashback is structured as a discretionary gift on the momentous occasion of Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day,” aik said in a statement.

aik, which operates as a digital-only platform, said the promotion supports its mission to provide Riba-free financial services and encourage secure, cashless transactions. It aims to create a banking experience rooted in transparency, ethics and user empowerment.

aik said the Independence Day campaign was part of efforts to “accelerate the adoption of secure digital payments across Pakistan,” combining “convenience with compliance” for users seeking Islamic finance options.

Digital banking is expanding rapidly in Pakistan, driven by high smartphone penetration and government incentives for electronic payments. According to the State Bank of Pakistan, digital retail transactions surged over 50 percent year-on-year in fiscal 2024, with mobile banking emerging as a key growth segment.

Topics: Cashless economy Shariah Banking Shariah Compliant

India conflict fires up Pakistan’s Independence Day fervor, boosts flag sales

Updated 4 min 7 sec ago
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India conflict fires up Pakistan’s Independence Day fervor, boosts flag sales

  • Flag maker reports sales up by up to 50 percent as households and businesses spend heavily on August 14 decorations
  • Traders say brisk Independence Day buying is lifting markets despite inflation squeezing consumer budgets
Updated 4 min 7 sec ago
Ismail Dilawar

KARACHI: Pakistan’s largest flag manufacturer, VIP Flags, is expecting around 50 percent growth in sales this year as the public marks the country’s 78th Independence Day with unusual zeal, fueled by celebrations of victory in the May 2025 conflict with India.

The two nuclear-armed neighbors, which have fought three major wars since 1947, engaged in their deadliest fighting in decades this May. The fighting ended on May 10 after US mediation, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government declaring victory and saying it had downed at least six Indian fighter jets.

Officials have since linked the conflict’s outcome to the heightened national fervor surrounding August 14 this year, reflected in booming flag markets and sales of other Independence Day paraphernalia.

“Our business, all the businesses have grown 50 percent,” said VIP Flags CEO Nisar Ahmed Sheikh, adding that much of his stock had been sold to marchers rallying in support of Pakistan’s armed forces during the war with India.

VIP Flags manufactures flags for domestic customers, the armed forces, and international buyers in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and holds Guinness World Records for the largest flags made in 2004 and 2008.

Sheikh said sales this year would likely run into millions of units.

“Obviously when people were filled with passion [after the war with India] and started hoisting flags, the flags business saw an uptick and increased compared to last year,” he told Arab News. 

“It is still growing and people are putting flags on their cars, bicycles and motorcycles.”

Sheikh said the surge in sales extended well beyond flags, with market vendors incorporating Independence Day themes into a wide range of products — from shirts, mufflers and headbands to shawls, dresses and children’s clothing — creating a vibrant festive atmosphere.

“People must be spending billions of rupees on this (celebrations) and this spending boosts the economy,” the CEO said. 

In Pakistan’s commercial hub of Karachi ahead of Aug. 14, large and small flags adorned vehicles, houses and office buildings, alongside buntings and night-time illuminations. Meanwhile, federal and provincial governments are holding daily events, with top officials like the prime minister and army chief expected to attend ceremonies in Islamabad on Aug. 13 and 14.

“The last time we saw such a show of national zeal on Independence Day was in Zia’s time,” Sheikh said, referring to former military ruler Zia-ul-Haq. “We see people decorating their houses, vehicles and vicinities with flags and buntings and badges.”

Abdul Wahab, a finisher at one of Sheikh’s factories, said he expected at least a 25 percent income increase this season. 

“We are seeing a rush in the market because of this war we recently fought with India,” said the 26-year-old, who plans to work overtime to meet demand.

For lawyer Bad-e-Saba, the occasion was a chance to pass on a message to the next generation.

“The war we recently won against Hindustan is a matter of great pride for us. We want to convey it to our children so they could know where we are standing against our enemy,” she said.

“We want to tell our enemies that we can take good care of our country and our next generation will do it better.”

Topics: Pakistan Independence Day 2025 Pakistan India Conflict

Pakistan seeks Gulf, regional backing for global plastics treaty at Geneva talks

Updated 13 August 2025
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Pakistan seeks Gulf, regional backing for global plastics treaty at Geneva talks

  • Climate minister meets delegations from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and others on sidelines of INC-5.2 session
  • Talks focus on circular economy, resource mobilization for developing nations hit hardest by plastic pollution
Updated 13 August 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has stepped up engagement with Gulf and regional partners on a planned global plastics treaty, holding talks with senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and other states at high-level negotiations in Geneva this week, the ministry of climate change said on Wednesday.

The discussions took place during the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution (INC-5.2), part of ongoing UN-led efforts to produce the first legally binding international agreement to curb plastic waste. Negotiations have drawn wide participation from governments, industry and civil society, with particular focus on measures to reduce plastic production, boost recycling, and address the mounting environmental and economic costs of plastic pollution.

Pakistan has positioned itself as a voice for developing countries in the talks, stressing the need for fairness, financial support and technology transfer to help poorer nations tackle the crisis. Gulf states, several of which are major petrochemical producers, are seen as key stakeholders in shaping the treaty’s scope and implementation, both as plastic producers and as potential investors in recycling and waste-management infrastructure.

“The discussions focused on advancing cooperation for a fair and effective Global Plastics Treaty, promoting circular economy solutions, and mobilizing resources to address the disproportionate impacts of plastic pollution on developing countries,” the Pakistani climate ministry said in its statement after Climate Minister Dr. Musadik Malik held an interactive briefing with delegations from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, Iran, Azerbaijan, Algeria, and Kuwait.

The ministry said the engagements “formed part of Pakistan’s broader diplomatic outreach to build consensus and strengthen partnerships for equitable global environmental action.”

The second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5.2), opened on Aug. 12 in Geneva. The session aims to finalize and approve the text of the agreement and forward it for consideration and adoption at a future Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries.

INC-5.2 takes place from 5 – 14 August, follows INC 5, which took place in November/December 2024 in Busan, Republic of Korea. 

“Plastic pollution is already in nature, in our oceans and even in our bodies. If we continue as on this trajectory, the whole world will be drowning in plastic pollution – with massive consequences for our planetary, economic and human health,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP. “But this does not have to be our future. Together, we can solve this challenge. Agreeing a treaty text is the first step to beating plastic pollution for everyone, everywhere.”

“We are here today to fulfil an international mandate. This is a unique and historic opportunity for the international community to bridge differences and find common ground. It is not just a test of our diplomacy— it is a test of our collective responsibility to protect the environment, safeguard human health, enable sustainable economies, and stand in solidarity with those most affected by this plastic pollution crisis,” said Luis Vayas Valdivieso, Chair of the INC. 

Topics: Climate Ministry of Pakistan Dr. Musadiq Malik Global plastics treaty

Mortar kills 2 children, mother in northwest Pakistan where troops are targeting militants

Updated 13 August 2025
AP
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Mortar kills 2 children, mother in northwest Pakistan where troops are targeting militants

  • It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the overnight civilian casualties in Mamund
  • Angered by the deaths, hundreds of demonstrators were refusing to bury bodies and demanding a probe
Updated 13 August 2025
AP

KHAR, Pakistan: A mortar struck a home and killed two children and their mother in a northwestern Pakistani region where security forces are carrying out a “targeted operation ” against the Pakistani Taliban, residents and a hospital official said Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the overnight civilian casualties in Mamund, a town in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.

Naseeb Gul, a medical doctor at a local hospital, said the dead were two children and their mother. Two people were also wounded Tuesday when another mortar hit their home, he said.

Angered by the deaths, hundreds of demonstrators were refusing to bury the bodies and demanding an investigation, according to local villager Mohammad Khalid.

There was no immediate comment from the government or the military.

The latest development came days after security forces launched an offensive in Bajaur to target militant hideouts. The provincial government said the “targeted operation” was launched after tribal elders failed to evict insurgents from the region.

Government officials said the ongoing offensive against the Pakistani Taliban has displaced 25,000 families or an estimated 100,000 people in Bajaur, where authorities eased a curfew on Wednesday, allowing residents to buy essential items.

Thousands of displaced people are currently residing in government buildings, and many other have gone to other safer areas to live with relatives.

The Bajaur offensive is the second operation there since 2009, when the military launched a large-scale campaign against the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP. The TTP is a separate but a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

Many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuary in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover and have been living there openly. Some have crossed the border back into Bajaur to carry out attacks.

Topics: Military operation Counter Terrorism Pakistan Taliban

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