Pakistan’s 16-member caretaker cabinet takes oath

Short Url
Updated 17 August 2023
Follow

Pakistan’s 16-member caretaker cabinet takes oath

  • 16-member cabinet includes senior economist Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, who is believed to have been appointed finance minister
  • Pakistan’s caretaker government will have its hands full in leading country to elections through political instability, economic crisis

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani President Dr. Arif Alvi on Thursday administered oath to a caretaker cabinet, days after Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar was sworn in as interim prime minister to oversee general elections.

The caretaker administration will have its hands full in attempting to oversee general elections in Pakistan at a time when the country is grappling with an economic crisis and heightened political instability.

Those who took oath as cabinet members include ex-Pakistan ambassador to the US, Jalil Abbas Jilani, senior journalist Murtaza Solangi, Dr Umar Saif, Sarfraz Bugti, Shahid Ashraf Tarar, industrialist Gohar Ejaz, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Jamal Shah, Dr Nadeem Jan, Aneeq Ahmed, Muhammad Sami, Ahmed Irfan, and Lt General (retired) Anwar Ali Haider.

Senior economist Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, who is also a former governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, is believed to have been given the finance portfolio while Jilani will be appointed as Pakistan’s caretaker foreign minister.

According to Pakistan’s constitution, members of the caretaker cabinet and their immediate family (spouses and children) would not be eligible to contest the upcoming elections.

The Cabinet Division or Prime Minister’s Office would issue a formal notification announcing the portfolios assigned to various members of the cabinet. The majority of the members are technocrats.

The role and functions of the caretaker government have been clearly defined in Section 230 of the Elections Act, 2017, which restricts its functions to “day-to-day matters which are necessary to run the affairs of the government.”

As per the Act, the caretaker government is supposed to be “impartial to every person and political party” and is not mandated to “take major policy decisions except on urgent matters.” It is also not authorized to undertake transfers and postings of public officials without approval from Pakistan’s election regulator.

“The caretaker government shall not attempt to influence elections or do or cause to be done anything which may, in any manner, influence or adversely affect the free and fair elections,” the Elections Act states.

The amendments passed by parliament to the Elections Act earlier this month empowered the caretaker government to take important decisions about “existing bilateral, multilateral and ongoing projects” already signed with international institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Experts, however, said the amendment would not change the “basic character” of the interim government.


Pakistan says India using ‘terrorism’ as foreign policy tool after school bus attack in Balochistan

Updated 5 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan says India using ‘terrorism’ as foreign policy tool after school bus attack in Balochistan

  • New Delhi rejects Pakistan’s allegation, calls it an attempt to deflect responsibility for internal failures
  • PM Sharif visits Balochistan after school bus bombing kills three children, leaves eight critically wounded

KARACHI: Pakistan urged the international community on Wednesday to condemn what it called India’s use of “terrorism” as a foreign policy tool, after a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device targeted a school bus in the southwestern Balochistan province, killing at least three children and injuring 39 others, including eight critically.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by landmass and rich in mineral resources, has long faced an insurgency led by separatist groups who accuse Islamabad of exploiting local resources while neglecting the population. The government denies the claims, citing investments in health, education and infrastructure.

In recent months, the insurgency has intensified, with groups like the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) carrying out high-casualty attacks on civilians and security forces, including taking hostages at a passenger train. Pakistan says it has evidence linking India to these attacks, though New Delhi has denied involvement and distanced itself from the Khuzdar school bombing.

However, Islamabad described the attack as a “sequel” to India’s missile and drone strikes earlier this month, accusing New Delhi of deploying militant proxies to destabilize the country, as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir visited the region to meet injured children in hospital.

“These terrorist groups — masquerading under ethnic pretenses — are not only being exploited by India as instruments of state policy, but also stand as a stain on the honor and values of the Baloch and Pashtun people, who have long rejected violence and extremism,” said a statement issued by the PM Office after Sharif’s visit to Quetta.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir being briefed on the Khuzdar school bus attack, in Quetta on May 21, 2025. (Photo courtesy: Handout/PMO)

“India’s reliance on such morally indefensible tactics, particularly the deliberate targeting of children, demands urgent attention from the international community,” it added. “The use of terrorism as a tool of foreign policy must be unequivocally condemned and confronted.”

The prime minister and the accompanying delegation was briefed by Balochistan’s Chief Minister Sardar Sarfraz Bugti and local military officials on the attack, which also killed two soldiers and injured 53 people in total.

The official statement said Pakistan’s security forces and law enforcement agencies “will relentlessly pursue all those involved in this barbaric act,” vowing to bring “the architects, abettors and enablers of this crime” to justice.

It added the incident had exposed India’s “cunning role” to the world, revealing how it orchestrated militant violence while simultaneously portraying itself as a victim.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs earlier in the day rejected Pakistan’s allegations, describing them as Islamabad’s attempt to deflect responsibility for its own failings and internal issues.

The latest attack follows a brief military standoff between the two countries earlier this month, which ended in a ceasefire on May 10.

While hostilities along the border have subsided, both sides continue to trade diplomatic barbs, accusing each other of sponsoring terrorism and destabilizing the region.

School bus targeted in a suicide blast in pictured in Pakistan's southwestern Khuzdar district on May 21, 2025. (Jawad Yousafzai)

The attack in Khuzdar, which targeted children en route to an army-run school, was condemned by US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker and UNICEF in separate statements.

It was also reminiscent of one of the deadliest militant attacks in Pakistan’s history when over 130 children were killed in a military school in the northern city of Peshawar in 2014. That attack was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban group.


India expels second Pakistani diplomat amid ongoing tensions

Updated 21 May 2025
Follow

India expels second Pakistani diplomat amid ongoing tensions

  • India declares Pakistani diplomat persona non grata, orders him to leave the country within 24 hours
  • India expelled another Pakistani diplomat on May 13, prompting a tit-for-tat response from Islamabad

ISLAMABAD: India has expelled a second Pakistani diplomat within ten days, declaring him persona non grata for activities “not in keeping with his official status,” the external affairs ministry in New Delhi announced on Wednesday.

The move comes amid heightened tensions between the two countries following a military standoff earlier this month. Despite a ceasefire agreement reached on May 10, diplomatic relations between the nuclear-armed neighbors remain strained.

“The Government of India has declared a Pakistani official, working at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, persona non grata for indulging in activities not in keeping with his official status in India,” the Indian ministry said in its statement.

“The official has been asked to leave India within 24 hours,” it added.

This is the second such expulsion in recent weeks. On May 13, India expelled a Pakistani diplomat on similar grounds. In response, Pakistan declared an Indian High Commission staffer in Islamabad persona non grata.

The Indian ministry also summoned the Charge d’Affaires of the Pakistan High Commission to issue a demarche, emphasizing that Pakistani diplomats must not “misuse their privileges and status in any manner.”

As of now, Pakistan’s foreign office has not responded to the latest development.


Pakistan’s health minister assures Palestinian counterpart of medical support

Updated 21 May 2025
Follow

Pakistan’s health minister assures Palestinian counterpart of medical support

  • Syed Mustafa Kamal meets Dr. Maged Abu Ramadan at the World Health Assembly in Switzerland
  • Israel has repeatedly targeted hospitals and health workers in Gaza, causing international concern

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s health minister Syed Mustafa Kamal informed his Palestinian counterpart that a framework has been developed to provide medical assistance to the people of Gaza, according to an official statement on Wednesday, during a meeting on the sidelines of the 78th World Health Assembly in Switzerland.

Kamal’s meeting with the Palestinian health minister, Dr. Maged Awni Muhammad Abu Ramadan, took place at a time when Israeli forces have repeatedly targeted hospitals and health facilities in Gaza, crippling the enclave’s health care system.

Israeli attacks have also led to international concern over violations of humanitarian norms in the war-torn Palestinian territory.

“We stand with our Palestinian brothers and will provide all possible medical support to heal their wounds,” the health ministry quoted Kamal as saying.

He strongly condemned Israel’s targeting of hospitals and health care workers, urging the international community to take concrete action to end the atrocities against Palestinians, including women and children.

“The brutality and oppression must stop,” he was quoted as saying. “The world must hold Israel accountable.”

Earlier this week, Pakistan condemned Israel’s targeting of hospitals in Gaza and described its announcement of taking control of the entire Palestinian territory as a “grave threat” to regional peace.

The remarks by the Pakistani foreign office came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his government wanted to take control of the Gaza Strip.


Pakistani military blames ‘Indian-sponsored’ militants for children’s death in northwest this week

Updated 21 May 2025
Follow

Pakistani military blames ‘Indian-sponsored’ militants for children’s death in northwest this week

  • Protests broke out in North Waziristan after a suspected drone strike reportedly led to the killings of four children
  • The military says initial investigations have revealed the incident was carried out by ‘Fitna Al Khwarij’ militants

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military on Wednesday denied responsibility for the death of four children in North Waziristan earlier this week, attributing the incident to a proscribed militant network which it said was operating on “the behest of their Indian masters.”

The incident occurred on May 19 in the Hurmuz village of Mir Ali tehsil, where a suspected drone strike reportedly led to the death of four children from the same family and injuries to five others, including a woman.

The tragedy sparked protests in the area, with locals staging a sit-in and refusing to bury the deceased until authorities provided clarity on the incident and ensured accountability for the loss of innocent lives.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, dismissed allegations implicating Pakistan’s security forces in the strike, labeling the accusations as “entirely baseless” and part of a “coordinated disinformation campaign” aimed at discrediting the military’s counterterrorism efforts.

“Initial findings have established that this heinous act has been orchestrated and executed by Indian-sponsored Fitna Al Khwarij,” the statement said, using a term commonly employed by Pakistani authorities to describe extremist factions like the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The term “khwarij” is rooted in early Islamic history and refers to an extremist sect that declared other Muslims apostates.

“It is evident that these elements — acting at the behest of their Indian Masters — continue to exploit civilian areas and vulnerable populations as shields to conduct their reprehensible acts of terrorism,” the statement added. “Such tactics aims to unsuccessfully sow discord between the local population and the security forces, who together remain resolute to uproot the menace of terrorism.”

The military also reaffirmed its commitment to bringing the perpetrators to justice, emphasizing its ongoing efforts to combat militant violence in the region.


Afghanistan and Pakistan to work to upgrade diplomatic ties after trilateral talks in Beijing

Updated 21 May 2025
Follow

Afghanistan and Pakistan to work to upgrade diplomatic ties after trilateral talks in Beijing

  • Pakistan and Afghanistan agree to work to extend China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan
  • Neighbors decide in principle to send ambassadors to each other’s capitals as soon as possible

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Afghanistan plan to upgrade diplomatic ties and will work to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan, Beijing said on Wednesday after hosting an informal meeting between Islamabad and the Afghan Taliban administration.

The announcement comes as Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar was in China on a three-day visit for trilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Beijing.

Islamabad and Kabul had agreed in principle to send ambassadors to each other’s capitals as soon as possible, Wang said after his talks with Muttaqi and Dar.

The two countries “clearly expressed” willingness to upgrade the level of their diplomatic relations, Wang said according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

The officials also decided to hold the 6th Trilateral Meeting of Foreign Ministers in Kabul at a mutually agreeable date.

“Pakistan, China and Afghanistan have agreed to deepen cooperation on Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan,” Radio Pakistan reported after Dar concluded his Beijing visit.

The Belt and Road Initiative, also known as the One Belt One Road or the New Silk Road, is China’s large-scale infrastructure development project aimed at connecting the world through land and sea trade routes. It involves investing in infrastructure like ports, railways, roads, and energy projects in over 150 countries. CPEC is a flagship of the BRI scheme under which China has pledged over $60 billion in infrastructure, energy, industrial, and agricultural projects in Pakistan.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have plummeted in recent months due to a surge in militant attacks that Islamabad blames on Afghan-based insurgents. Kabul denies it allows its territory to be used against other nations.

In December, the Afghan Taliban said bombardment by Pakistani military aircraft in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province had killed at least 46 people, most of whom were children and women.

Pakistan has not confirmed the strikes but said at the time it was carrying out “anti-terrorist operations” against militants with safe havens in Afghanistan, a charge Kabul denied.

In a statement on Wednesday, Pakistan’s foreign office said it “welcomed positive momentum in bilateral ties, including enhanced diplomatic engagement, trade, and transit facilitation.”

Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister “emphasized the importance of political and economic relations with both countries and expressed hope for further progress in these areas in the future.”

Tensions appeared to ease after a rare meeting between Muttaqi and Dar in Kabul last month where the Taliban’s acting foreign minister expressed concern over the deportation of tens of thousands of Afghans from Pakistan. Pakistan has expelled more than 80,000 Afghan nationals since the end of March as part of a renewed surge in a repatriation drive that began in 2023.

Wednesday’s meeting in Beijing signaled a further thaw, with all agreeing to a trilateral foreign ministers’ dialogue in Kabul as soon as possible.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have embassies in each other’s capitals, but they are led by charge d’affaires, not ambassadors. China was the first country to accept an ambassador from the Taliban-run administration in Kabul though it does not formally recognize its government. Several other states, including the UAE, followed.

During the talks, China and Pakistan voiced support for the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan, and are willing to expand trade exchanges with Afghanistan, said Wang.

The meeting also agreed on security cooperation, combating terrorist forces and safeguarding regional peace and stability, he said.

With inputs from Reuters