ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s party on Tuesday demanded the government provide it “unfettered” access to the jailed ex-premier, saying it was the only way to demonstrate “seriousness” to end an ongoing political impasse in the country.
Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in 2022 has plunged Pakistan into a political crisis, particularly since he was jailed in August 2023 on corruption and other charges. His Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has regularly held protests to demand his release, with many of the demonstrations turning violent.
The two sides kicked off negotiations last month and have held two rounds of talks to end the political deadlock, but have failed to make a headway. The PTI and the government’s last round of talks on Jan. 2 ended inconclusively after Khan’s party demanded more time to meet and consult the ex-PM before submitting their demands in writing.
A government spokesperson last week said the government had facilitated Khan’s party by arranging its meetings with the ex-premier in jail, but the PTI remained “indecisive” about formalizing their demands despite written assurances made in joint declarations issued after talks between both sides.
“In the second and last session of our negotiations committee, we had clearly conveyed to the government that our unmonitored, unfettered meeting be arranged with [former] prime minister Imran Khan, in which there is no monitoring in that room,” PTI leader Omar Ayub said at a presser on Tuesday, adding their meetings with Khan were held in a small room, with cameras and other monitoring devices installed.
“In that environment, discussions can’t be held freely.”
Ayub said the government committee had promised to facilitate such a meeting, but they had been no development since.
“We have not received any information [about the meeting] so far from the government,” he said, adding the government’s arrangement of a meeting with Khan in an “unfettered environment, without restrictions,” would demonstrate its seriousness for talks.
Last week, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, a member of the government’s negotiation committee, said the talks could encounter “serious hurdles” due to the PTI’s failure to submit its demands in writing at the next meeting.
“If the PTI does not submit its demands in writing as promised, the negotiation process may face serious hurdles,” Siddiqui was quoted as saying by the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster.
“Even after 12 days, no significant progress has been made.”
The two sides held the first round of talks on Dec. 23. Khan’s party has previously stated two demands: the release of all political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate protests on May 9, 2023, and Nov. 26, 2024, which the government says involved Khan supporters, accusing them of attacking military installations and government buildings.
The talks between the two sides opened days after Khan threatened a civil disobedience movement, and amid growing concerns he may face trial by a military court for allegedly inciting attacks on sensitive security installations during the May 9, 2023 protests.
Ex-PM Khan’s party demands ‘unfettered’ access to him for talks with Pakistan government to succeed
https://arab.news/4t8e5
Ex-PM Khan’s party demands ‘unfettered’ access to him for talks with Pakistan government to succeed
- The government last week said it had facilitated meetings with Khan, but his party remained ‘indecisive’ about formalizing its demands
- The two sides have held two rounds of negotiations since last month to end a political deadlock, but have failed to make a headway
Pakistan vows retaliation, saying three bases targeted by Indian missiles
- Army says Nur Khan base, Murid base in Chakwal district and one Shorkot targeted by Indian missiles
- Reports came after Chaudhry said in sudden statement India fired ballistic missiles that fell in Indian territory
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Military Spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said on Saturday India had attacked multiple bases in Pakistan, vowing retaliation.
In the latest confrontation between the two longstanding enemies that began on Wednesday, India said it hit nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan in retaliation for what it says was a deadly Islamabad-backed attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22. Pakistan says it was not involved and denied that any of the sites hit by India were militant bases. It said it shot down five Indian aircraft on Wednesday.
Pakistan’s military said on Friday it shot down 77 drones from India at multiple locations, including the two largest cities of Karachi and Lahore, and the garrison city of Rawalpindi, home to the army’s headquarters.
On Saturday early morning, panic rang out in Pakistan as reports emerged that Pakistan Air Force’s Nur Khan base had been hit.
The Nur Khan air base in Rawalpindi, where the military has its headquarters, is around 10 kilometers from the capital, Islamabad.
In televised remarks, the military spokesman said three bases, Nur Khan, PAF Base Murid, an operational flying base of the Pakistan Air Force located near the village of Murid in the Chakwal District of Punjab, and one in Shorkot, had been targeted by Indian missiles.
“Now you just wait for our response,” Chaudhry said.
The reports came after Chaudhry said India fired ballistic missiles that fell in Indian territory, announcing it in a sudden statement on national broadcaster at 1:50 a.m. local time on Saturday (2050 GMT), with no details provided to support the claim.
“I want to give you the shocking news that India fired six ballistic missiles from Adampur. One of the ballistic missiles hit in Adampur, the rest of the five missiles hit in the Indian Punjab area of Amritsar,” the army’s spokesman said in his short video statement.
Amritsar’s district commissioner in a text message between Friday and Saturday said:
“Don’t panic. Siren is sounding as we are under red alert. Do not panic, as before, keep lights off, move away from windows. We will inform you when ready to resume power supply.”
Around 48 people have been killed since Wednesday’s conflagration, according to casualty estimates on both sides of the border that have not been independently verified.
Pakistan military says it will not let India set precedent for cross-border strikes
- Military spokesperson says Pakistan has ‘every right to protect its honor, integrity and sovereignty’
- He says India has been equipping people against Pakistan while running ‘terrorist’ training camps
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military said on Friday it would not allow India to “set a new norm” where it could carry out cross-border strikes at will, vowing to defend the country’s sovereignty and respond at a time and place of its choosing.
The two South Asian nuclear rivals have been on the brink of a full-scale war since India carried out strikes on multiple locations in Pakistan on Wednesday, in response to a deadly April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 tourists dead. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the attack, a charge Pakistan has denied.
In the days since, Pakistan has claimed to have downed five Indian fighter jets and over 75 drones, while India said it had retaliated against Pakistani air and drone assaults by destroying an air defense system in Lahore.
Global powers have urged both sides to exercise restraint, but tensions remain high.
“They want to set a new norm that at their convenience, whenever they feel like it, they will go cross-border, cross-international, and hit wherever they like,” Pakistan military spokesperson Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said in a briefing to foreign media.
“What do you think of Pakistan — that we will allow all this to happen after clearly saying we have every right to protect the honor, integrity and sovereignty of our people?”
He added that Pakistan would respond “at the time, place and method of our choosing.”
During the briefing, Chaudhry displayed images of children killed in Indian strikes and asked journalists to keep them in mind.
“Please remember these pictures when you talk about what’s happening on the ground and when you ask us what Pakistan is going to do,” he said.
Accusing India of sponsoring “terrorism,” Chaudhry alleged that Indian agencies were operating training camps inside their country and directing armed groups to increase attacks on Pakistani soil.
“They have networks of people whom they train and equip with weapons,” he said. “Instructions have been issued to terrorist groups to ramp up activities against Pakistan.”
India and Pakistan have fought multiple wars, but this is the most serious escalation since both countries became declared nuclear powers in May 1998.
The disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, which both sides claim in full but control in part, has long been a flashpoint and the cause of repeated military skirmishes.
PM Sharif announces IMF approval of $1 billion disbursement to Pakistan under $7 billion deal
- The prime minister expresses satisfaction India’s ‘efforts to sabotage’ the loan program had failed
- He says Pakistan’s economic situation is improving and it is moving toward financial progress
KARACHI: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $1 billion disbursement for Pakistan under a loan program secured by the government last year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in an official statement late Friday.
The announcement followed an IMF Executive Board meeting to finalize staff-level agreements related to the $1 billion payout, as well as Pakistan’s new $1.3 billion arrangement under a climate resilience facility approved in March.
The meeting took place at a time when Pakistan is working to revive investment amid a gradually stabilizing macroeconomic environment, following a prolonged downturn that compelled it to seek external financing from allies and global lenders.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed satisfaction over the IMF’s approval of the $1 billion tranche for Pakistan and the failure of India’s underhanded tactics against the country,” his office said in a statement issued after the board’s decision.
Media reports said recently India had attempted to pressure the IMF to block the disbursement, citing heightened military tensions between the two neighbors following a deadly April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 tourists dead.
New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the assault, an allegation Pakistani officials repeatedly denied.
Sharif said international financial institutions had “responsibly rejected” India’s narrative and reaffirmed their trust in Pakistan’s economic strategy.
“Indian efforts to sabotage the IMF program have failed,” he said, adding the disbursement would help stabilize the economy and steer it toward long-term recovery.
He praised Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and other members of the government’s economic team for their role in securing the funds.
Pakistan has been working to broaden its tax base, improve energy sector efficiency, and unlock private sector growth as part of its reform commitments under the $7 billion IMF loan program.
“By the grace of God, the country’s economic situation is improving, and Pakistan is moving toward progress,” Sharif said. “The government remains committed to tax reforms, energy sector improvements and private sector development.”
He reiterated that Pakistan would stay the course on economic stabilization, effective performance and long-term planning.
The IMF funding approval comes at a critical time for Pakistan, as it seeks to reassure global investors and shore up foreign exchange reserves amid geopolitical instability and upcoming budget negotiations.
Pakistan accuses India of targeting civilians along Kashmir border amid intensifying hostilities
- Army spokesperson says Pakistan has limited its response to Indian military posts across the LoC
- He denies Indian claims Pakistan launched large-scale drone and missile attacks across the border
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s military on Friday accused India of deliberately targeting civilians along the Line of Control (LoC), the de facto border in the disputed Kashmir region, as tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors escalated sharply this week.
Fighting between the South Asian rivals intensified after India carried out strikes on multiple locations in Pakistan on Wednesday, in response to a deadly April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that left 26 tourists dead. New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the attack, a charge Pakistan has denied.
In the days since, Pakistan has claimed to have downed five Indian fighter jets and over 75 drones, while India said it had retaliated against Pakistani air and drone assaults by destroying an air defense system in Lahore.
The cross-border violence also had a devastating impact on civilians living along the LoC, with both sides trading heavy fire over the past two days.
“Pakistan has been receiving the Indian artillery shelling,” the military’s spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, told Türkiye’s TRT World in an interview.
“Unfortunately, they are targeting, deliberately targeting, the civilians,” he continued. “Pakistan is now firing on the posts from where the [Indian] artillery and the military are firing. We are concentrating and putting our fire only on military targets.”
Chaudhry said Pakistan’s response was defensive and restrained, limited to small arms fire against Indian military positions.
He also denied New Delhi’s claims that Pakistan had launched large-scale drone or missile attacks across the international border, calling them “fabrications” designed to fuel a “media frenzy.”
“Since last night, they [India] have created a media blitz that Pakistan has launched drones, aircraft and a massive attack across the international border,” he said, adding: “In 21st century warfare, everything has an electronic signature. If there have been attacks with missiles from the Pakistani side, there has to be an electronic signature.”
Chaudhry further accused India of “gagging” international and domestic media as well as controlling digital platforms, saying it was using its new organizations to spread disinformation hour after hour.
The LoC has long been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan, both of which claim the disputed Kashmir region in full but control only parts of it. The latest hostilities mark one of the most serious flare-ups in decades.
Pakistani stocks surge sharply on IMF optimism, hopes of easing India-Pakistan standoff
- The benchmark KSE-100 index rose 3,647.82 points, or 3.52 percent, to close at 107,541.45
- India-Pakistan tensions triggered about 12 percent market decline between April 23 and May 8
KARACHI: The Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) rebounded sharply on Friday, climbing over 3,500 points, as investor sentiment improved ahead of an International Monetary Fund (IMF) Executive Board meeting and what some analysts described as easing tensions between Pakistan and India.
The benchmark KSE-100 index recovered 3,647.82 points, or 3.52 percent, closing at 107,541.45, after a historic plunge of 6,482 points on Thursday, the largest single-day drop in the index’s history, triggered by fears of an escalating conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.
"The recovery was on account of optimism on IMF Executive Board meeting scheduled to consider Extended Fund Facility (EFF) program, where market expects smooth approval," Topline Market Review said after the end of trading. "Overall decline in cross border hostilities also provided stimulus to investor sentiment."
The EFF, a $7 billion loan program secured by Pakistan in September last year, is aimed at stabilizing the country's economy through structural reforms and fiscal consolidation.
While Pakistan’s authorities say macroeconomic indicators have improved in recent months, they view the IMF support as critical for sustaining gains and transitioning toward growth.
Some analysts also linked the improved investor confidence to what they described as a gradually easing geopolitical situation between India and Pakistan.
"Stocks staged sharp recovery as investor eye de-escalation in Pakistan-India tensions after US appeal for end to violence," Ahsan Mehanti, the Chief Executive Officer of Arif Habib Commodities, told Arab News.
Raza Jafri, the head of Intermarket Securities, said any de-escalation could extend the positive stock market trend.
"Institutional value buying, especially in blue-chip high dividend yielding stocks, saw the KSE100 rebound today," he added.
Tensions between India and Pakistan spiked this week after New Delhi launched missile strikes on multiple locations in Pakistan, blaming Islamabad for a deadly April 22 attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed 26 tourists. Pakistan has denied involvement.
The crisis triggered a 12 percent decline in the Pakistani market from April 23 to May 8.
The geopolitical unrest posed a major challenge for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s efforts to stabilize the economy, which depends on a number of factors including increased foreign investment, exports and revenue generation.
