Pakistan stability hopes rise as government says won’t appeal top court ruling on provincial polls

A policeman walks past the Supreme Court building in Islamabad, Pakistan, on January 29, 2021. (AFP/File)
Short Url
Updated 02 March 2023
Follow

Pakistan stability hopes rise as government says won’t appeal top court ruling on provincial polls

  • Court on Wednesday ruled elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa be held within 90 days of dissolution of legislative assemblies
  • Both Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assemblies were dissolved in January in bid by ex-PM Khan’s party to force early national elections

ISLAMABAD: Despite differences in interpretation, the federal government has said it will not appeal the Supreme Court’s Wednesday verdict that general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces be held within 90 days of the dissolution of their legislative assemblies, rising hopes of some political stability in the cash-strapped South Asian nation on the brink of default.

Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party dissolved the KP provincial assembly in January, while the chief minister of PTI’s allied party, the PMLQ, dissolved the Punjab assembly the same month, with both moves aimed at forcing the federal government to announce early national elections.

However, the caretaker governors of both provinces declined to give dates for fresh elections and referred the matter to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). As the deadlock continued, the president unilaterally announced polls in both provinces on April 9.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan intervened last week, taking suo motu notice of the situation and on Wednesday ruled that “elections within 90 days after the dissolution of an assembly are mandatory.”

"The federal government will definitely accept the Supreme Court decision," interior minister Rana Sanaullah told reporters on Wednesday evening. "The Supreme Court decision is constitutionally binding on the federal government.”

However, he said there was “disagreement” within the verdict.

“At this stage, the majority 4-3 decision has declared the petitions seeking the election dates ahead of time,” Sanaullah said, adding that the majority decision was also against the top court's decision to take a suo motu in the matter.

 

 

 

The controversy arose on Wednesday afternoon when, commenting on the verdict, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said petitions for the court to decide on election dates had been rejected by a 4-3 majority.

He was referring to the fact that the five-member bench that heard the case on Wednesday was originally a nine-member bench from which four judges recused themselves. And even before the recusation, two of the judges had objected to whether the Supreme Court could hear the case to begin with.

Tarar viewed Wednesday's decision by the five-member bench as a dismissal of petitions seeking election dates from the court since four of the judges in the original bench had said these pleas were not maintainable.

He referred to a past case against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif when a split verdict of a five-member bench was later merged as a 5-0 verdict.

The issue, Tarar had said, should now be adjudicated in respective high courts.


Pakistan PM seeks plan to lift trade with Baku to $2 billion before Azerbaijan president’s visit

Updated 5 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan PM seeks plan to lift trade with Baku to $2 billion before Azerbaijan president’s visit

  • President Ilham Aliyev is expected to arrive in Islamabad in April to further deepen bilateral cooperation
  • Both countries signed several MoUs last month to enhance cooperation in trade, energy and tourism

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday instructed the commerce ministry to draft a comprehensive strategy to raise Pakistan’s trade volume with Azerbaijan to $2 billion, ahead of an expected visit by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to Islamabad next month.
Pakistan and Azerbaijan signed multiple memoranda of understanding (MoU) last month to enhance cooperation in trade, energy, tourism and education during Sharif’s visit to Baku, aimed at strengthening bilateral collaboration.
The visit was part of Pakistan’s broader push for economic diplomacy with Central Asian republics, offering them access to its southern ports in Karachi and Gwadar.
“The prime minister has directed the Ministry of Commerce to present a comprehensive roadmap for increasing Pakistan-Azerbaijan trade volume to $2 billion,” the PM Office said in a statement following a meeting chaired by Sharif to review progress on recent MoUs.
The prime minister formed a committee, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, to ensure preparations for agreements in the energy and infrastructure sectors between the two sides, the statement added.
Sharif instructed officials to finalize all necessary arrangements on a priority basis before the Azerbaijani president’s visit.
“Pakistan and Azerbaijan share deep-rooted fraternal ties spanning decades,” he was quoted as saying. “We are taking priority steps to fully capitalize on the vast trade and investment potential between Pakistan and Central Asian states.”
The prime minister also directed the appointment of trade officers in countries with high trade potential for Pakistan, including Azerbaijan.
Last year in July, Azerbaijan announced a $2 billion investment in Pakistan during Aliyev’s visit to Islamabad. A few months later in September, Pakistan signed a contract to supply JF-17 Block III fighter jets to Azerbaijan, deepening defense cooperation between the two nations.


Pakistan seeks joint ventures in renewable energy with Kyrgyztan

Updated 11 min 3 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan seeks joint ventures in renewable energy with Kyrgyztan

  • Pakistan’s Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari meets Kyrgyz ambassador to discuss energy opportunities
  • Pakistan is part of CASA-1000 project through which it expects to buy energy from ex-Soviet republics Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Power Minister Sardar Awais Leghari sought joint ventures with Kyrgyzstan in renewable energy, state-run media reported on Tuesday, amid Islamabad’s push to resolve its prolonged energy crisis through collaboration with international partners. 
Pakistan has suffered from an energy crisis that stems largely from a gap its energy supplies and electricity demand. The cash-strapped country lacks adequate resources to run its oil-and-gas powered plants and imports most of its energy needs. Similar to Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan also has large but untapped potential for renewable energy, including hydropower, solar and wind. 
According to National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s (NEPRA) 2022 yearly report, Pakistan’s total installed power generation capacity is 43,775 MW, of which 59 percent of energy comes from thermal (fossil fuels), 25 percent from hydro, 7 percent from renewable (wind, solar and biomass) and 9 percent from nuclear energy resources. 
“Talking to Ambassador Kyrgyzstan to Pakistan Avazbek Atakhanov in Islamabad, he [Leghari] emphasized the potential for joint ventures in renewable energy,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. 
Leghari invited Kyrgyz investors to explore opportunities in Pakistan’s energy sector. He briefed the ambassador on the ongoing reforms being undertaken by the government in the power sector, which the minister said was aimed at improving efficiency and sustainability.
“The Ambassador of Kyrgyzstan appreciated Pakistan’s reform efforts in the energy sector and expressed his country’s willingness to collaborate in areas of mutual interest,” Radio Pakistan said. 
The Kyrgyz ambassador noted that enhanced cooperation in power infrastructure and energy connectivity would contribute to regional stability and economic growth, the state broadcaster added. 
Pakistan has been eagerly pushing to leverage its strategic position as a key trade and transit hub to connect Central Asia with global markets. Since last year, there has been a flurry of high-level visits, investment discussions and other economic engagements between Islamabad and Central Asian republics in a bid to achieve that. 
Pakistan is eagerly pursuing the CASA-1000 project, through which former Soviet republics Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, who both have an extensive network of hydroelectric power plants, will be able to sell excess energy to Pakistan and Afghanistan in the summer months.
Last month Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif undertook visits to Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan as part of Pakistan’s economic diplomacy push to enhance trade and investment with landlocked Central Asian states.
Uzbekistan is the largest consumer market and the second-biggest economy in Central Asia. It is central to Pakistan’s regional connectivity plans and was the first Central Asian nation with which Pakistani officials signed a bilateral Transit Trade Agreement (UPTTA) and a Preferential Trade Agreement (PTA) covering 17 items.


China ready to strengthen space ties as Pakistani astronaut prepares for Tiangong mission

Updated 04 March 2025
Follow

China ready to strengthen space ties as Pakistani astronaut prepares for Tiangong mission

  • Chinese spokesperson hopes Pakistani astronaut’s entry into the Chinese space station will be a success
  • The Pakistani astronaut will train as a scientific payload specialist to conduct research aboard the station

ISLAMABAD: China is prepared to strengthen space cooperation with Pakistan, its embassy in Islamabad said on Tuesday, quoting Chinese Foreign Spokesperson Lin Jian, who highlighted a day earlier a Pakistani astronaut would soon join the Chinese space station successfully.
Pakistan’s space agency signed a cooperation agreement with China last week, paving the way for the country’s first astronaut to embark on a mission to the Chinese space station, Tiangong.
According to Pakistan’s Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), the Pakistani astronaut will be trained as a scientific payload specialist to conduct research aboard the station.
The mission will focus on scientific experiments across disciplines, including biological and medical sciences, aerospace, applied physics, fluid mechanics, space radiation, ecology, material sciences, microgravity studies and astronomy.
“China is ready to work with Pakistan to elevate our space cooperation to a new level and give a stronger boost to the socioeconomic development of the two countries through space technologies,” Lin Jian said, according to a social media post by the Chinese embassy.
Lin told reporters on Monday exploring the universe had always been humanity’s shared aspiration.
“We are glad to see the signing of a space cooperation agreement between China and Pakistan,” he said. “We hope the Pakistani astronaut’s entry into the Chinese space station will be a full success.”
He added that since the launch of China’s manned space engineering program, Beijing had followed principles of peaceful use, equality, mutual benefit and common development.
“We focus on sharing with all humanity the results of China’s development and offer opportunities of cooperation in China’s space station,” he said, noting Beijing was open to further collaboration with other countries.
Pakistan and China have deepened their space partnership in recent years, marked by joint satellite development and a planned lunar mission. In January, the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding for Pakistan’s first lunar rover to be included in China’s Chang’e 8 mission in 2028.
The rover, developed by SUPARCO, will land at the lunar south pole, carrying scientific instruments designed by Pakistani, Chinese and European scientists. Pakistani scientists will operate the rover from Earth, conducting surface mapping, soil analysis and radiation studies.
Pakistan previously participated in lunar exploration in 2024, when its first lunar satellite, ICUBE-Q, developed by students at the Institute of Space Technology (IST) in collaboration with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, was deployed aboard China’s Chang’e 6 mission to capture lunar images and collect magnetic field data.


Baloch separatist group claims attack on Pakistan security convoy by woman suicide bomber

Updated 04 March 2025
Follow

Baloch separatist group claims attack on Pakistan security convoy by woman suicide bomber

  • One Pakistani troop was killed, four injured as suicide bomber targeted security convoy in Balochistan on Monday
  • Baloch Liberation Army has previously used woman fighters to carry out suicide attacks against security forces

QUETTA: A prominent Baloch separatist outfit this week claimed responsibility for an attack by a woman suicide bomber targeting a convoy of Pakistani security forces that resulted in the killing of one paramilitary troop and injuries to four others in the southwestern Balochistan province. 

The attack took place in Balochistan’s Kalat district on Monday afternoon, when the paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) convoy was en route to security forces’ mess from the FC Fort on N-25 Quetta-Karachi highway, according to Kalat Deputy Commissioner Bilal Shabbir.

The Baloch Liberation Army, (BLA) the most prominent ethnic Baloch separatist outfits in Balochistan, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement on Monday night. 

“A female suicide bomber struck the security forces convoy killing one soldier of the paramilitary Frontier Corps on the spot and injuring four others who were shifted to hospital,” DC Shabbir told Arab News.

“The female suicide bomber was standing outside the FC fort located at the highway and detonated herself when they were moving from the fort to the security forces’ mess in Kalat.”

The BLA has used woman fighters in its ranks to carry out suicide attacks against Pakistani security forces and Chinese nationals over the last few years.

In 2022, Shari Baloch, a woman suicide bomber linked to the BLA carried out a suicide attack that ripped through a passenger van, killing three Chinese nationals and a Pakistani in the southern port city of Karachi, according to Pakistani authorities.

In November last year, Pakistani officials arrested a woman among three suspects involved in a deadly suicide bombing, also claimed by the BLA, that killed two Chinese nationals and a Pakistani man outside the Karachi airport on Oct. 6, 2024.

Balochistan has for years been the scene of an insurgency, where separatist groups have frequently attacked police and security forces as well as civilians and foreigners they see as “outsiders” in the resource-rich region, where China has been building a deep-sea port in Gwadar on the Arabian Sea and has made huge investments under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The separatists accuse Islamabad of exploiting the province’s natural resources. Successive Pakistani governments deny the allegations and say they have prioritized Balochistan’s development through investments in health, education and infrastructure projects.


Pakistan, IMF kick off talks on $7 billion bailout program review

Updated 37 min 28 sec ago
Follow

Pakistan, IMF kick off talks on $7 billion bailout program review

  • IMF delegation led by Nathan Porter arrived in Pakistan on Monday to assess country’s economic performance
  • Pakistan secured the $7 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) last summer as part of an economic recovery plan

KARACHI: Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday formally kicked off talks for the first review of a $7 billion bailout program that Islamabad secured last year, the finance ministry confirmed in a statement. 

A Pakistani economic adviser told Arab News on Monday, requesting anonymity, that a nine-member mission led by Nathan Porter had landed in Pakistan to assess the country’s economic performance to determine the release of a $1.1 billion tranche over the following three weeks.

Pakistan’s macroeconomic indicators have gradually improved since it secured the IMF bailout last summer. The country’s consumer price index (CPI) inflation rate, maintaining a downward trend on Monday, hit a more than 9-year low at 1.51 percent year-on-year in February. Pakistan’s current account recorded a surplus of $729 million in November 2024, marking the fourth consecutive month since the country reported a current account surplus. The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) also reported record gains last year, with frequent bullish trends dominating the market. 

“Pictures of kick-off meeting held today, ” the finance ministry wrote as caption of two photos shared with media on WhatsApp. The pictures showed Pakistani officials, led by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, involved in discussions with an IMF delegation led by its Pakistan mission chief Nathan Porter. 

Pakistan’s finance ministry has so far not shared any details of the talks between the government and the IMF. However, local media has widely covered the delegation’s visit. 

Speaking to international news agency Reuters, Aurangzeb said Pakistan is “well-positioned” for the first review. 

“They are here. We will have two rounds of talks, first technical and then policy level,” Aurangzeb said. “I think we are well positioned,” he added. 

The IMF team usually spends around two weeks reviewing fiscal reforms and policy.

Last week, a separate IMF team visited Pakistan to discuss around $1 billion in climate financing on top of the EFF. That disbursement will take place under the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust, created in 2022 to provide long-term concessional cash for climate-related spending, such as adaptation and transitioning to cleaner energy.