Government says talks with Imran Khan’s party to continue despite his 14-year sentence

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Updated 17 January 2025
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Government says talks with Imran Khan’s party to continue despite his 14-year sentence

  • Barrister Aqeel Malik, government’s legal spokesperson, calls negotiations and conviction ‘separate matters’
  • An analyst predicts ‘more direct talks’ between PTI and the security establishment after the court verdict

KARACHI: A government spokesperson said on Friday political negotiations with former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) would not be affected by an accountability court verdict earlier in the day, which sentenced the ex-premier to 14 years in prison.
Khan, who has been incarcerated for well over a year, warned of civil disobedience from a high-security prison in Rawalpindi last month while calling for the release of political prisoners from his party, which has complained of a government crackdown since the downfall of the PTI administration in April 2022.
Subsequently, the government-PTI talks began as an attempt to reduce political bitterness and polarization in Pakistan. However, the accountability court’s verdict in a case involving a charitable entity, Al-Qadir Trust, set up by Khan and his third wife Bushra Khan in 2018, has raised questions about the future of the negotiations.
The court also sentenced Khan’s wife to seven years in prison in the case. Pakistani authorities allege that the trust was a front for the couple to receive valuable land as a bribe from real estate developer Malik Riaz Hussain, one of Pakistan’s richest and most powerful businessmen. Hussain, like Khan and Bushra, denies any wrongdoing.

“The talks are going on in parallel,” Barrister Aqeel Malik, government spokesperson for legal affairs, told Arab News over the phone. “These are two separate matters. The decision from the court should not be mixed with the ongoing talks with the opposition at this particular time.”
Malik argued that the case was decided in accordance with the legal provisions of the accountability laws.
“Today’s decision is in accordance with the law and justice has been served, where a huge loss had been caused to the national exchequer for private gains,” he added. “It has now been decided by the competent court that Mr. Khan stands certified to have been involved in corruption.”




Pakistan’s imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan’s supporters hold Khan’s portraits during a protest in Peshawar on January 17, 2025. (AFP)

The Al-Qadir Trust case, involving allegations of corruption and misuse of authority by Khan, revolved around £190 million recovered from the Pakistani real estate tycoon, who was investigated by British authorities for money laundering.
Riaz surrendered the amount as part of a settlement, which was returned to the Pakistani state under the laws of the United Kingdom. However, the Khan administration allegedly adjusted it against the real estate developer’s liability in Pakistan’s top court, where he was fined in a case for illegally acquiring land for a major project in Karachi.
The ex-premier was criticized for using the sum to reduce Riaz’s owed amount rather than depositing it in Pakistan’s national treasury. The country’s anti-graft National Accountability Bureau also accused him of approving the adjustment in return for financial benefits.
Unlike Malik, Khan’s close aide and senior PTI leader, Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari, described the talks as a political ploy by the government.
“Talks were just a bluff,” he told Arab News, adding that it was “obvious” the PTI founding leader and his wife would be sentenced in the case.
“Al-Qadir Trust is a nonprofit organization. Neither of them was a beneficiary, and the money had gone to the Supreme Court of Pakistan,” he continued, describing the verdict as another act of “political victimization and a pressure tactic to make Khan agree to talks.”
The former premier’s conviction has come at a time when the PTI confirmed meetings with Pakistan’s powerful army chief, General Asim Munir, earlier this week, although security sources denied that the interaction focused on political matters.




Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party’s chairman and barrister Gohar Ali Khan (C) speaks to media outside the Adiala prison in Rawalpindi on January 17, 2025. (AFP)

Nadia Naqi, a talk show host and political analyst, said the verdict could pave the way for “more direct talks with the security establishment” of Pakistan, which she said was always interested in negotiating with a weaker Khan.
“Negotiations now, which have taken place within political circles, will become easier because a weak Imran Khan, a convicted Imran Khan, will be more likely to agree to the terms [offered to him] compared to a Khan who has obtained bail in various cases,” she argued.
“I believe that negotiations with the PTI will now move forward. Whether the government is involved or not, it won’t matter,” she added.
Iftikhar Ahmed, a Lahore-based analyst, said the future of the talks would depend on the reactions of both the government and the PTI.
“Until now, the PTI has not announced that they are ending the negotiations,” he noted. “The party did not offer this as a condition for negotiations that the courts should not announce their verdicts against Khan. Their demand was the release of the founder of their party.”

Meanwhile, Aitzaz Ahsan, a veteran lawyer and politician, maintained that the judgment against Khan had legal loopholes.
“This is another case in which the conviction will be converted into an acquittal by a high court,” he said, adding that the government had to show the state had suffered a financial loss due to Khan’s decision about the repatriated money, pointing out this was not adequately done.


WWF alarmed after blue whale found dead in southwestern Pakistan bay 

Updated 16 June 2025
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WWF alarmed after blue whale found dead in southwestern Pakistan bay 

  • Whale likely died a few days earlier after getting entangled in gillnets, says WWF 
  • Blue whale is the largest animal on the planet, weighing as much as 200 tons

KARACHI: The World Wide Fund For Nature-Pakistan has expressed alarm over the mortality of the blue whale in the country, saying that one was found dead near a remote bay area between Pakistan and Iran on Monday.

Whales are at the top of the food chain and have an important role in the overall health of the marine environment. This animal is listed as an endangered species on the IUCN Red List of Species, and there are around 10,000 to 25,000 specimens worldwide. Blue whale is the largest animal on the planet weighing as much as 200 tons. Its stomach can hold one ton of krill, and it needs to eat around four tons of krill each day.

In a press release, WWF-Pakistan said a 35-foot-long blue whale was found dead in the remote Gwater Bay area between Pakistan and Iran by a local fisherman on Monday. The international nature conservation organization said it is likely that the whale may have died a few days back in the open seawater and while the cause of death is not known yet, it seemed it might have died after getting entangled in gillnets used for catching fish. 

“Muhammad Moazzam Khan, Technical Adviser, WWF-Pakistan, expressed concerns over the mortality of the blue whale and termed it sad news for the conservation community around the world,” the press release said. 

Khan said all cetaceans, including whales and dolphins, are protected under the wildlife and fisheries legislations of Pakistan’s Sindh and Balochistan provinces.

“He also stressed to enact federal legislation for the protection of cetaceans, including whales, in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Pakistan,” the statement added. 

WWF-Pakistan noted that there are many records of blue whales being spotted in Pakistan. It said the last blue whale was spotted off Gaddani town in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province on Apr. 8, 2024.

WWF-Pakistan has said in the past that major dangers to blue whales include entanglement in fishing nets, ship strikes, water pollution, and climate change.


Pakistani Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem named in Forbes 30 Under 30 list

Updated 16 June 2025
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Pakistani Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem named in Forbes 30 Under 30 list

  • Nadeem bagged gold at the Paris Olympics 2024 with record-shattering 92.97 meter javelin throw
  • In May, Nadeem won gold in Asian Athletics Championships in South Korea with 86.4 meter throw

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Olympic gold medalist and star javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem has been featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for South Asia in 2025, the international business magazine said in a report on Monday.

Forbes 30 Under 30 is an annual list published by Forbes since 2011 that recognizes outstanding individuals under the age of 30 across multiple industries. 

Nadeem, 28, made headlines around the world when he threw the javelin over the 90-meter mark in August 2024 during the Paris Olympics. The record-shattering throw handed Pakistan its first Olympic medal since 1992. It was also the first-ever gold medal Pakistan had bagged in a track and field competition. 

“Arshad Nadeem’s impressive javelin throws won Pakistan its first-ever Olympic gold for an individual sport in Paris 2024,” Forbes said in the report.

“Nadeem’s stunning show at the Paris Olympics though, set a new Olympic record for his 92.97m javelin throw.”

The magazine noted that Nadeem also won gold at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Turkiye and the Commonwealth Games in 2022, and secured a silver medal in the men’s javelin throw at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

In May, Nadeem claimed gold with an 86.4-meter throw in the men’s javelin final at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea.

He is the first Pakistani in over 50 years to win a gold medal at the Asian Athletics Championships. Pakistan’s Allah Daad had last topped the podium in javelin throw and Muhammad Younis won the 800-meter event in 1973.

He hails from the small town of Mian Channu and has since become a national hero, inspiring millions with his rise from modest beginnings to the top of the Olympic podium.


Pakistan repatriates 268 nationals from Iraq amid ongoing Iran-Israel conflict

Updated 16 June 2025
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Pakistan repatriates 268 nationals from Iraq amid ongoing Iran-Israel conflict

  • Pakistani nationals repatriated through two flights, from Basra to Karachi and Islamabad, says FO
  • Thousands of Pakistani zaireen (pilgrims) travel annually to Iran and Iraq to visit the holy sites there

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office said it repatriated 268 nationals from Iraq on Monday, as the Iran-Israel military confrontation enters its fourth day with no signs of either side letting up amid fears of a wider war breaking out in the region. 

Thousands of Pakistani zaireen (pilgrims) travel annually to Iran and Iraq to visit holy sites there. Many have been stranded since Friday when Israel launched a massive wave of attacks targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities but also hitting residential areas, sparking retaliation and fears of a broader regional conflict. 

Pakistan last week advised its nationals to avoid traveling to Iran and Iraq amid surging tensions. Pakistan said it facilitated the evacuation of 450 nationals from Iran on Sunday. 

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in close coordination with Iraqi Airways, successfully facilitated the repatriation of 268 Pakistani nationals earlier today through two special flights from Basra to Karachi and Islamabad,” the foreign office said. 

“Both flights have safely reached Pakistan.”

The foreign ministry said it remains engaged with Iraqi Airways and other Iraqi authorities to ensure the safe and timely return of the remaining Pakistani pilgrims in the country. 

It advised Pakistani pilgrims in Iraq to remain in contact with the Pakistan Embassy in Baghdad and respective airlines for timely updates regarding their travel arrangements.

“All zaireen are further advised to remain prepared for travel at short notice,” the ministry said. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to monitor the situation closely and remains fully committed to facilitating the safe and orderly return of all Pakistani zaireen.”

Pakistan has condemned the Israeli strikes, calling them an unjustified violation of Iranian sovereignty, and has urged the international community to help de-escalate tensions through dialogue.

Iran has said over 200 people have been killed in Israel’s onslaught since Friday, while Israel says Iranian strikes have killed at least 18 people.


Pakistan holds interest rate at 11% as Mideast conflict poses new economic challenges

Updated 16 June 2025
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Pakistan holds interest rate at 11% as Mideast conflict poses new economic challenges

  • Central bank maintains cautious stance as heightened geopolitical tensions, volatile global oil prices add new inflation risks
  • Leading Karachi-based business and trade body criticizes central bank’s decision, says will ‘dampen’ business sentiment

KARACHI: Pakistan’s central bank kept its key interest rate unchanged at 11% on Monday, maintaining a cautious stance, as financial analysts warn heightened Middle East tensions and volatile global oil prices add new risks to the country’s fragile external sector and inflation rate.

A Reuters poll released earlier on Monday had shown analysts revising their expectations for a rate cut in light of Israel’s military strikes on Iran that began on Friday and have since intensified, pushing up global commodity prices.

“The [Monetary Policy] Committee noted some potential risks to the external sector amidst the sustained widening in the trade deficit and weak financial inflows. Moreover, some of the proposed FY26 budgetary measures may further widen the trade deficit by increasing imports,” the central bank said, announcing its decision to leave the rate unchanged.

“In this regard, the Committee deemed today’s decision appropriate to sustain the macroeconomic and price stability.”

Monday’s decision comes days after Pakistan announced its Rs16.7 trillion ($62 billion) annual budget targeting 4.2% growth, up from a provisional estimate of 2.7% for the current year. 

The MPC noted that despite the widening trade deficit, the current account remained broadly balanced in April, and foreign exchange reserves rose to $11.7 billion as of June 6 after the completion of the first review under the International Monetary Fund’s Extended Fund Facility. The country expects $14 billion foreign exchange reserves by the end June.

The bank paused its policy rate easing cycle in March, following cumulative cuts totaling 1,000 basis points from a record high of 22%, and resumed it with a 100-basis-point reduction in May.

Inflation in Pakistan has slowed markedly since peaking at around 40% in May 2023. However, last month it rose to 3.5% year-on-year, above the finance ministry’s projection of up to 2%, partly due to the fading of favorable base effects. The central bank projects average inflation between 5.5% and 7.5% for the fiscal year ending this month.
“Going forward, inflation is expected to trend up and stabilize in the target range,” the MPC said.

The escalating tensions in key oil-producing regions have triggered a sharp surge in global oil prices with brent, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Arab Light crude oils showing a 12% week-on-week increase and daily spikes exceeding 6%, Arif Habib Ltd, a Karachi-based research firm, said in its latest note.

‘WAIT-AND-SEE’ STANCE

Amreen Soorani, the head of research at Al Meezan Investment Management, said the SBP’s decision was primarily driven by emerging geopolitical risks that had affected international oil prices.

“Even with substantial improvements in Pakistan’s inflation and external account, the central bank seems to have taken a cautious “wait-and-see” stance,” she told Arab News.

The regional tensions, she said, were posing potential challenges to Pakistan’s balance of payment and inflation rate. Cash-strapped Pakistan spent $17 billion on oil imports last year.

Soorani said petroleum was a major driver of Pakistan’s trade deficit, accounting for approximately 30% of all imports and consuming around 55% of export proceeds.

“All else being equal, a $5 per barrel increase in average oil prices for the year would worsen our trade deficit by an estimated $900 million annually,” the analyst said.

Pakistan is closely watching the global oil market, where brent and WTI crude traded at around $73.5 and $70.5 a barrel on Monday and fell 1% after opening lower in the Western markets, Finance Adviser Khurram Schehzad said.

“Global calls for increasing supplies is (are) one of the reasons among potential resolve of the Israel-Iran conflict by the US,” Schehzad said. 

Muhammad Waqas Ghani, head of research at JS Global Capital Ltd., said the SBP’s current monetary stance was aligned with the IMF’s recommendation to Islamabad to maintain a sufficiently tight monetary policy to anchor inflation.

“Additionally, the committee may have preferred to wait for greater clarity on the budget measures and their potential impact on inflation dynamics,” he told Arab News.

STOCKS GAIN, RUPEE DECLINES

Pakistani stocks gained by 82 points to close at 122,225 points “despite geopolitical risk amid speculations over SBP policy announcement,” Ahsan Mehanti, chief executive officer at Arif Habib Commodities Ltd, said.

The rupee declined for the fifth consecutive session and inched down 0.07% to Rs283.17 per dollar. Qazi Owais Ul Haq, a currency dealer at Arid Habib Ltd. said Pakistan’s currency was “feeling the heat” as regional tensions surge.

“They are trying to hold the rate but as a third-world country war affects us,” Haq told Arab News.

Pakistan’s top trade body, the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) and the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, (KCCI) said the central bank’s decision to maintain the policy rate at 11% was disappointing

“The SBP has not only ignored market signals but has also dampened business sentiment at a time when the economy urgently requires a boost,” KCCI President Muhammad Jawed Bilwani in a statement.


Pakistan’s Punjab unveils $18.9 billion budget, increases development spending by 47%

Updated 16 June 2025
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Pakistan’s Punjab unveils $18.9 billion budget, increases development spending by 47%

  • Punjab allocates $4.40 billion for development budget, $2.88 billion for education and $2.24 billion for health sectors
  • Provincial government proposes increase in minimum wage from $131 to $142 per month

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s largest and richest Punjab province on Monday unveiled its Rs5.33 trillion [$18.9 billion] budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, increasing its development spending by 47% and refraining from imposing new taxes on the masses. 

Punjab, home to more than half of Pakistan’s over 240 million people, plays a dominant role in the national economy. It contributes roughly 60% to Pakistan’s gross domestic product and receives the largest share of federal funds under the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award.

Last year, Punjab’s budget for FY2024–25 was about $19.6 billion, with a development outlay of $3 billion. Punjab’s budget is seen as politically significant for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, which has faced tough economic and governance challenges since forming its government at the center last year. 

“The total outlay for [Punjab’s] 2025-2026 budget is Rs5,335 billion [$19.2 billion],” Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman said while presenting the budget in the provincial assembly. 

Rehman said the provincial government was presenting a “record-breaking development budget” this time.

“For which the total amount recommended is Rs1,240 billion [$4.36 billion], which is more than 47% compared to the current financial year,” he added. 

The minister said the FY26 budget did not contain any new taxes on the masses, adding that the government wanted to widen the tax net to increase revenue. 

Punjab’s own-source revenue is projected at Rs828.1 billion ($2.94 billion), including Rs524.7 billion ($1.86 billion) in tax receipts and Rs303.4 billion ($1.08 billion) in non-tax receipts. 

According to budget documents seen by Arab News, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has set a national target of Rs14,131 billion ($50.11 billion), with Punjab’s share estimated at Rs4,062.2 billion ($14.4 billion).

Rehman said the province has proposed a significant increase in education and health budgets to benefit the people of Punjab. 

HEALTH, EDUCATION BUDGETS

“The total allocation for the education sector is Rs811.8 billion ($2.88 billion), which is 21% higher than last year, where development allocation stands at Rs148.5 billion ($526 million), the highest in the province’s history and 127% higher than the previous year,” he said. 

He said Punjab would launch new education projects while continuing existing ones, allocating Rs15 billion ($53 million) for scholarships for high-achieving students and continuing with its Rs5.9 billion ($21 million) Undergraduate Scholarship Programme. 

“To address infrastructure needs, Rs40 billion ($142 million) is set aside for building classrooms, while a Rs35 billion ($124 million) Education Delivery Programme aims to enhance access and quality across Punjab,” Rehman said. 

The minister said the provincial government has allocated Rs630.5 billion ($2.24 billion) for the health sector in this budget, which is 17% higher than last year. 

“Of this, Rs181 billion ($641 million) is earmarked for development, reflecting a 41% increase over the previous year,” Rehman said. 

The minister said Punjab had allocated Rs494 billion ($1.75 billion) for the social sector, which accounted for 40% of the development budget. 

Rehman said provincial government employees’ salaries would be increased by 10%, while pensions have been raised by 5% and the proposed increase in the minimum wage is from Rs37,000 ($131) to Rs40,000 ($142) per month.

The minister said that the new budget has given special priority to Pakistan’s agriculture sector. 

“In the next financial year, Rs123 billion ($436 million) are allocated for development in the agriculture, livestock, irrigation, and water sectors, while Rs56.2 billion ($199 million) is allocated for non-development expenses,” he said.

The provincial minister said to ensure a climate-resilient Punjab, a record Rs795 billion (approximately $2.82 billion) worth of projects were included in the budget this year, accounting for 64% of the overall development budget.

Pakistan’s top revenue-generating Sindh province last Friday unveiled its Rs3.45 trillion ($12.41 billion) new budget while the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province announced a surplus budget of Rs2,119 billion ($7.63 billion) for the next year on the same day.