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Ex-PM Khan’s PTI says mulling merger with religious Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen party

Supporters of Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party block Peshawar to Islambad highway as they protest against the alleged skewing in Pakistan's national election results, in Peshawar, Pakistan, on February 11, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 12 February 2024
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Ex-PM Khan’s PTI says mulling merger with religious Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen party

  • Khan-backed candidates, who contested as independents, won the highest number of seats in national polls 
  • Since they contested as independents, Khan’s party will not have a share in reserve seats for women, minorities
Updated 12 February 2024
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party is mulling a merger with the religious party Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen, a senior leader of the PTI confirmed on Sunday, as it eyes reserve seats in parliament to form its government at the center. 

Pakistan’s election regulator announced the unofficial results of the 2024 general elections according to which independent candidates, many of whom were affiliated with Khan’s PTI party, secured the highest number of seats, 101. 

Last month, Pakistan’s top court upheld a court ruling that stripped the PTI of its electoral symbol, a cricket bat. As a result, Khan’s candidates were forced to contest polls as independent ones. This meant the party would not be entitled to reserve seats for minorities and women in parliament, which helps parties form the federal government. 

Along with the 266 directly elected seats, there are also 70 reserved seats — 60 for women and 10 for non-Muslims— allocated based on each party’s strength in the National Assembly, to determine their final standing. 

One of the strategies at the PTI’s disposal is to join a smaller party in parliament to form a single bloc to fulfill the requirement for them to be allocated reserve seats, and hence, put up a joint candidate for the post of prime minister. 

“Alliance with MWM is definitely an option we are considering seriously,” Khan’s close aide and media adviser, Sayed Zulifkar Bukhari, told Arab News.

The MWM is a Pakistani religious and political organization that advocates for the rights of Shia Muslims in the country. During national polls, the PTI and MWM joined forces to help the MWM candidate win the NA-37 constituency. The MWM has only one seat in the parliament. 

Bukhari said the PTI would “definitely” merge with a party.

“We will look into reserve seats as well,” he said. “We also hope to win a majority of our challenged seats where the public’s mandate has been stolen,” Bukhari added. 

He said if the PTI is not able to form its government at the center, it would feature in the strongest opposition that Pakistan has ever seen. 

“We definitely would not be forming any govt with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) or the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) as PDM 2 is doomed for failure,” Bukhari said, referring to the Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM), a coalition of anti-PTI parties comprising PPP, PML-N and others that challenged Khan’s government. 

Husnain Zaidi, an MWM spokesperson, said his party would unconditionally welcome all PTI parliamentarians and facilitate them according to their preferences. 

“We have an alliance with them and will not hesitate to demonstrate our platform to them,” Zaidi told Arab News. 

He said both parties were in contact with each other over a possible merger, adding that a formal decision on the matter would be reached soon.

 “Regarding the reserve seats, the decision will be made by the PTI, and we will cooperate with them accordingly,” he said. 

Meanwhile, PML-N leader and former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif has invited other political parties in the country, such as the Muttahida Quami Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to help it form a coalition government at the center. 
 

Topics: elections 2024 PTI MWM

Pakistan’s finmin calls for timely policy measures to address country’s energy, economic needs

Updated 14 sec ago
Shahjahan Khurram  
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Pakistan’s finmin calls for timely policy measures to address country’s energy, economic needs

  • Pakistan has attempted to undertake financial reforms in energy, tax and other sectors of its economy
  • Islamabad has grappled with a prolonged economic crisis that has drained its resources, weakened its currency
Updated 14 sec ago
Shahjahan Khurram  

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has called for timely policy measures to address the country’s key economic, energy and industrial needs, state-run media reported this week, as Islamabad attempts to steer the nation toward sustainable economic growth. 
The finance minister was chairing a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC), the cabinet’s top economic body, which was attended by senior ministers, officials and federal secretaries of various government departments, when he stressed on need for policy measures. 
Pakistan has sought to ward off a prolonged economic crisis by attracting foreign investment in its vital sectors and undertaking long-term financial reforms concerning loss-making state-owned enterprises, energy and tax sectors. 
“Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb on Monday emphasized the importance of timely policy measures to address critical economic, energy and industrial needs, with a focus on transparency and efficiency in implementation,” the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Monday. 
The ECC reviewed and approved a technical grant of Rs1.945 billion [$7.002 million] for the Ministry of Defense and Rs5.276 million [$18,993.60] for the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW), to support the commission’s efforts in advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in Pakistan.
The ECC also considered and approved a proposal from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for a technical supplementary grant of Rs 2,462.302 million [$8,864,287.2] to facilitate the execution of 15 projects under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) for fiscal year 2024-25, the APP said.
Pakistan has registered some economic gains in the past few months, with inflation slowing to 4.1 percent in December 2024 and its stock market experiencing a bullish trend for the past couple of weeks. It has signed investment agreements from foreign countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Central Asian states to ensure sustainable economic growth. 
In October 2024, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) valued at $2.8 billion. In December, Sharif’s office confirmed that seven of the 34 MoUs had been converted into agreements worth $560 million.
Pakistan has also attempted to privatize its state-owned enterprises which have accumulated losses in the billions, including its national flag bearer, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). It failed in its attempt last year to sell the airline, attracting just one bid of Rs10 billion ($36 million) for a 60 percent stake.

Topics: Muhammad Aurangzeb

Pakistan’s Punjab offers Saudi investors incentives in health, education and religious tourism sectors

Updated 5 min 29 sec ago
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Pakistan’s Punjab offers Saudi investors incentives in health, education and religious tourism sectors

  • Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz meets Prince Mansour, former governor of Hafr Al-Batin province
  • Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have sought closer business and economic ties in recent months
Updated 5 min 29 sec ago
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: The chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province has offered Saudi investors incentives as part of a “special package” to explore opportunities in religious tourism, health, education and infrastructure, state-run media reported this week. 
Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif met Prince Mansour bin Mohammed Al Saud, the former governor of Saudi Arabia’s Hafr Al-Batin province, on Monday to discuss promoting bilateral relations and mutual cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Punjab, the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said. 
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy cordial ties, with Riyadh frequently assisting cash-strapped Pakistan by supplying oil on deferred payment terms and financial support to stabilize the South Asian country’s economy.
“During the discussions, the chief minister invited Saudi investors to explore opportunities in infrastructure, health, education, and religious tourism in Punjab,” APP reported. “She assured Saudi investors of her government’s full cooperation and the provision of incentives under a special package.”
Sharif praised Saudi Arabia’s longstanding cooperation with Pakistan, saying that Riyadh was like “Pakistan’s elder brother and the hearts of the people of both countries beat together.”
“The Punjab government has ensured foolproof security and established a system based on merit to improve the business environment in the province,” the report quoted her as saying. 
APP said Prince Mansour assured Pakistan of Saudi Arabia’s support. 
“The relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is crucial for the stability and prosperity of the entire region,” he was quoted as saying. “Saudi Arabia will always stand by Pakistan.”
The Kingdom is also home to over 2 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as the source for most overseas workers remittances for Pakistan. Both countries have forged strong business and economic relations in recent months. 
In October 2024, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed several memorandums of understanding (MoUs) valued at $2.8 billion. In December, Sharif’s office confirmed that seven of the 34 MoUs had been converted into agreements worth $560 million.

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Ties Maryam Nawaz Sharif

Pakistan, Bangladesh discuss enhancing media cooperation amid push to improve ties

Updated 07 January 2025
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Pakistan, Bangladesh discuss enhancing media cooperation amid push to improve ties

  • Pakistan’s information secretary, Bangladesh diplomat discuss collaboration between state media organizations of both countries
  • Islamabad and Dhaka have moved closer in recent months to forge closer ties after the ouster of former premier Sheikh Hasina
Updated 07 January 2025
KASHIF IMRAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s information secretary and Bangladesh’s high commissioner discussed ways to boost media cooperation and people-to-people contacts with each other, state-run media reported this week, as both countries bolster efforts to improve their relations strained by a bitter past.
Established together as one independent nation in 1947, Bangladesh won liberation from then-West Pakistan in 1971. Relations between the two countries continued to deteriorate during former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s previous administrations, which prosecuted several members of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) party for war crimes relating to the 1971 conflict.
However, Islamabad’s ties with Dhaka improved after Hasina was ousted last year after student-led violent protests in the country. Dhaka’s ties with New Delhi have been strained in recent months as the new administration in Bangladesh repeatedly demands India extradite the ousted prime minister.
“Secretary Information and Broadcasting Ambreen Jan and Bangladesh’s High Commissioner in Pakistan Iqbal Hussain Khan met here Monday and discussed ways to boost media cooperation and people-to-people contacts between their countries,” state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said on Monday.
The two sides focused on enhancing partnerships to highlight their shared historical narratives and cultural values that strengthen mutual understanding, the state media said. 
Jan said Pakistan and Bangladesh had longstanding diplomatic and cultural ties with a shared history of cooperation in diverse sectors.
“She emphasized collaboration between state media organizations including Pakistan Television Corporation, Associated Press of Pakistan and Radio Pakistan with their Bangladeshi counterparts in fields of joint productions and exchange of news,” the APP said.
The Pakistani official highlighted that a journalist exchange program could provide media persons from Pakistan and Bangladesh an opportunity to learn about each other’s perspectives and narratives on various matters.
“High Commissioner Iqbal Hussain Khan lauded the government of Pakistan for taking steps to encourage multifarious cooperation between the two countries,” the APP reported. “He likened the people of two countries as brothers and added that their connectivity through joint cooperation programs would bring both nations further closer.”
The two sides also discussed expanding the availability of Pakistani news and entertainment channels on Bangladeshi cable networks and organizing film festivals and photographic exhibitions, the state media added.
Pakistan’s moves to forge stronger ties with Bangladesh include Islamabad’s initiative to launch a fully funded scholarship program for 300 Bangladeshi students in December 2024. The scholarship program is backed by Pakistan’s education ministry and supported by leading universities such as NUST, Comsats, and Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS).

Topics: Pakistan Bangladesh Ties

Pakistan launches first locally made ventilator in bid to achieve technological self-reliance

Updated 06 January 2025
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Pakistan launches first locally made ventilator in bid to achieve technological self-reliance

  • The AlnnoVent AVB-100 ventilator supports adult patients across five invasive and two non-invasive ventilation modes
  • The ventilator was created in response to the acute shortage of respiratory aid devices during the COVID-19 pandemic
Updated 06 January 2025
Hasaan Ali Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Monday launched the country’s first locally made ventilator, Pakistani state media reported, describing it as a step toward technological self-reliance.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) last month approved the ‘AlnnoVent’ ventilator, which has been developed by the Alsons Group precision manufacturing firm in Karachi. After successfully passing clinical trials, the ventilator has been officially licensed for production.
The AlnnoVent AVB-100 is an electro-mechanical ICU ventilator that meets international standards of quality and reliability. It supports adult patients across five invasive and two non-invasive ventilation modes, making it suitable for a range of critical care scenarios. The ventilator was created in response to the acute shortage of respiratory aid devices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Iqbal praised the company for its efforts and emphasized that Pakistan needed more such innovators to succeed in a rapidly evolving world, the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency reported.
“We require an army of such individuals – people who combine skill, hard work, ambition and the intelligence that defines our nation,” the minister was quoted as saying.
The development comes as Pakistan’s government attempts to steer the country out of a prolonged macroeconomic crisis that has weakened the South Asian country’s currency and drained its foreign exchange reserves over the past few years.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has consistently emphasized the need for Islamabad to adopt an export-led economy to achieve sustainable, long-term economic growth.
Iqbal emphasized that Pakistan’s economic success depended on its ability to innovate and produce new products, which would help shift the country to a more export-driven economy.
He urged private sector leaders to leverage Pakistan’s affordable human resource to produce high-quality goods that could compete in global markets.
“You are the drivers of Pakistan’s future and the government will stand behind every private sector initiative that helps bring in exports and dollars,” the minister said.

Topics: made in pakistan ventilators Ahsan Iqbal

UNICEF donates ‘mobile clinics’ to Pakistan to strengthen immunization efforts in remote regions

Updated 06 January 2025
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UNICEF donates ‘mobile clinics’ to Pakistan to strengthen immunization efforts in remote regions

  • The donation will help improve service delivery, address immunization gaps and reach children in underserved areas
  • Official says children’s vaccination top priority of government, clinics will help overcome accessibility challenges
Updated 06 January 2025
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has donated seven “mobile clinics” to Pakistan to improve immunization services in the country’s remote regions, it said on Monday.
The move follows the transfer of 23 mobile units in Nov. 2021 to the Pakistani provinces of Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan as well as the Islamabad Capital Territory.
The vehicles are crucial for expanding immunization services to Pakistan’s most vulnerable populations, and the project aims to improve service delivery, address immunization gaps, and reach zero-dose children in underserved areas, according to UNICEF.
The 4x4 vehicles were handed over to Pakistani officials at a ceremony held at the Federal Directorate of Immunization (FDI).
“These mobile clinics will deliver essential immunization services, guaranteeing equitable access for all communities,” UNICEF said in a statement.
On the occasion, Special Health Secretary Mirza Nasir-ud-Din Mashood Ahmad termed the necessary vaccination of children top priority of the Pakistani government.
“UNICEF’s provision of 4x4 vehicles will help overcome accessibility challenges in hard-to-reach areas, ensuring quality immunization services in remote regions of KP, Balochistan, GB, and AJK,” he said.
Director-General Health Dr. Shabana Saleem stressed the importance of ensuring that vaccines reach every child, regardless of their location.
“These vehicles will strengthen our outreach capacity and help ensure that every child has equitable access to life-saving vaccines,” she said.
UNICEF’s Dr. Gunter Boussery said he was honored to contribute to this collective effort to serve Pakistan’s underserved communities.
UNICEF’s humanitarian aid to Pakistan focuses on education, health care and protection for vulnerable populations. In 2025, it seeks to support nutrition, emergency relief, refugee support, and disaster risk reduction, according to the UN agency.

Topics: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Pakistan health ministry

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