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TALKS THROUGH ‘BACK AND FRONT DOORS’ CAN’T BE HELD SIMULTANEOUSLY : SIDDIQUI
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Sunday, 19 January, 2025 I 18 Rajabul Murajjab, 1446
Rs 20.00 | Vol XV No 194 I 8 Pages I Karachi Edition
g ACHAKZAI OPPOSES TALKS WITH GOVT, PML-N SENATOR STRESSES PTI SHOULD ABANDON NEGOTIATIONS IF PARTY HAD SAYING COMMON CITIZEN REALLY ENGAGED MILITARY IN TALKS CONSIDERED GOVT TO BE ‘ILLEGITIMATE’ g PPP’S SHAH SAYS PTI SHOULD PUBLIC IF THEY’VE HAD A MEETING WITH ARMY CHIEF g
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ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
ML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui on Saturday rebuked the PTI for claims on engagement with the ‘military leadership’ in talks amid ongoing negotiations with the government, saying that simultaneous talks could be held at “multiple doors.” In a post on X on Saturday, Siddiqui criticised the development, claiming to know all about the “details and conversations of Barrister Ali Gohar’s ‘meeting’ with the army chief”. He said that if the PTI leadership thought it could continue talks through both the “backdoor and front door,” negotiations through “two to three doors” could not continue at the same time. The PML-N senator said if the party had really engaged the military in talks then it should tell its negotiating team for the talks with the government to abandon the effort since there was no point to it.
The PTI and the government are currently engaged in talks to bring down political temperatures. After two rounds of meetings, the third round was held on Thursday in which
Democracy moves forward with dialogues, not deadlocks: Sanaullah ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Prime Minister’s Advisor on Political Affairs, Rana Sanaullah, emphasized on Saturday the importance of dialogue in democracy, saying it is the only way to resolve political issues and move forward. Talking to a private news channel, he stated that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had submitted written demands that will be responded to in writing after consulting with our allies, he said. During the meeting, PTI’s negotiation team was asked to continue the talks once they received the government’s response, however, Rana
RAWALPINDI
STAFF REPORT
A day after being convicted in £190 million case, incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Saturday said that he would not let AlQadir University fall into the hands of ruling Sharif family, his lawyer quoted him as saying. The remarks came a day after Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said that the varsity “is now under my control” and scholarships would also be given to its students. The PTI founder and his spouse Bushra Bibi were handed down 14 and seven years imprisonment in the high-profile £190 million corruption case by an accountability court in Rawalpindi on Friday. In its verdict, the court also ordered the federal government —led by CM Maryam’s uncle Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif — to take control of the Khan-founded university. Addressing a press conference outside the Adiala Jail on Saturday, Faisal Chaudhry — Khan’s counsel — conveyed the jailed former prime minister’s message, saying “We are ready to face all kinds of hardships for true freedom.” Quoting Khan, he said: “I will not bow down to any pressure.” Lauding the former first lady, the lawyer said that she had endured hardships and sufferings just because of supporting Khan. Expressing dissatisfaction over the accountability court verdict, Khan’s counsel said that the prosecution could not prove allegations about money laundering against his client. A day earlier, addressing an event of “Honhaar Scholarship Programme” at the University of Okara, CM Maryam said that “theft has been proven in the AlQadir Trust case”. “Imran Khan is the first [former] prime minister who has been caught red-handed while committing corruption,” added CM Maryam.
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Dialogue with govt to go on despite AlQadir Trust case verdict: Gohar
Sanaullah said that they turned down the suggestion by saying that further discussions would not be possible without the approval of the former chairman of PTI. “The PTI leadership insists that negotiations can only move forward if there is a guarantee that their demands will be met,” he explained. Criticizing PTI’s demands, Rana Sanaullah said they were self-serving, while the country needs dialogue to achieve a broader consensus among political forces. “The focus should be on ensuring incidents like May 9 never happen again, as this will help the country move forward,” he added.
Imran vows not to allow Al-Qadir University ‘fall into hands of Sharif family’
the PTI formally presented its demands in writing. The same day, the issue of a meeting between Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir and PTI leaders Ali Amin Gandapur and Barrister Gohar Ali Khan came under intense scrutiny but the agenda of the rendezvous remained shrouded in mystery, amid conflicting claims from both sides. Initially, the interim PTI chairman had denied a meeting took place, but on Thursday, he confirmed a meeting with the army chief, where he claimed to have “received a positive response”. A statement attributed to security sources, however, denied any political aspect of the gathering, saying the contents of the meeting were being reported out of context. The meeting was also confirmed by former prime minister Imran Khan, who is incarcerated in Adiala jail, saying if talks had started between the two sides, then it was indeed a step in the right direction. Senior PPP leader Khursheed Shah raises concerns about the meeting as well.
ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan Tehreeek-e-Insaf Chairman Ali Gohar Khan stated that the ongoing talks the government will continue despite the conviction of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife in the AlQadir Trust case. “Talks with the government would continue and the PTI would wait for the government to constitute a judicial commissions on May 9 and Nov 26 incidents”, the PTI chief said. “The PTI has submitted its charter of demands; and it will wait to see how the government responds to the de-
mands,” Gohar said. He said Imran Khan is in high spirits and not afraid of the conviction. The sentence awarded in Al-Qadir reference will soon be overturned by the higher judiciary, he claimed. The PTI chairman recalled that Imran has constantly been saying to the higher judiciary that people do not get justice from lower courts and this leads to shattering nations’ trust in judiciary. “[Talks] will not be aborted because of this [judgment],” Gohar quoted Imran as saying soon after an accountability court sentenced the former PM to 14 years in prison in the £190m AlQadir Trust corruption case.
IMF lowers Pakistan’s growth forecast to 3% for FY25
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GLOBAL SLOWDOWN, INFLATIONARY PRESSURES, AND POLICY UNCERTAINTY CITED AS KEY FACTORS FOR REVISION PROFIT
NEWS DESK
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised Pakistan’s GDP growth projection downward to 3% for fiscal year 2025, reducing its earlier estimate of 3.2%, according to the latest “World Economic Outlook (WEO) Update.” The report also forecasts a 4% growth rate for Pakistan in fiscal year 2026. In comparison, the World Bank has estimated GDP growth at 2.8% for FY25, while the Asian Development Bank (ADB) aligns with the IMF’s revised figure of 3%. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has projected real GDP growth in the range of 2.5% to 3.5% for the ongoing fiscal year. Globally, the IMF projects economic growth at 3.3% for both 2025 and 2026, below the historical average of 3.7% recorded between 2000 and 2019.
The forecast for 2025 remains largely unchanged from October 2024, with upward revisions for the United States offsetting lower expectations for other major economies. The report anticipates global headline inflation to decline to 4.2% in 2025 and further to 3.5% in 2026. However, inflation is expected to return to target levels sooner in advanced economies compared to emerging markets and developing countries. The IMF warned of medium-term risks to global growth, tilted toward the downside, citing elevated policy uncertainty and potential disruptions to the disinflation process, which could affect fiscal sustainability and financial stability. The report underscores the need for policies that balance inflation control and real economic activity, rebuild economic buffers, and boost long-term growth through structural reforms and enhanced multilateral cooperation.
PTI decides on moving IHC against Al-Qadir Trust case verdict tomorrow ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has decided to challenge the Accountability Court’s verdict announced in Al-Qadir Trust case on Monday (tomorrow). The was made during a meeting of political committee of the PTI held under the chairmanship of Barrister Gohar Khan and was attended by Omar Ayub, Shibli Faraz, Ali Amin Gandapur, Asad Qaiser, Salman Akram Raja and others. According to PTI insiders, matters related to Al-Qadir Trust case verdict and ongoing dialogues with the government were discussed at length. On the occasion, the PTI legal team briefed the leadership on Al-Qadir Trust case and its different aspects. After brainstorming session, PTI’s political committee o decided to challenge the Al-Qadir Trust case verdict on Monday (tomorrow). An Accountability Court (AC) on Friday announced verdict, sentencing PTI founder Imran Khan to 14 years in jail and his wife Bushra Bibi to seven years in the graft reference about a 190 million pound scam (Al-Qadir Trust case). AC Judge Nasir Javed Rana announced the reserved verdict — delayed thrice — in a makeshift courtroom at Adiala Jail. The court also imposed fines on Imran and Bushra, amounting to Rs1 million and Rs500,000, respectively. Failure to pay the fines would result in an additional six months in jail for Imran and three months for Bushra, the court said. According to the verdict, property of the “sham trust ‘Al-Qadir University Project Trust’ is hereby forfeited to the Federal Government within the meaning of Section 10(a) of the National Accountability Ordinance, 1999”. “Both the convicts are present before the Court, they be taken into custody in this case and be handed over to the Superintendent Jail along with the Committal Warrant to serve the sentences so awarded,” it added. PTI founder vows to “fight till last ball” Following the court verdict, former prime minister Imran Khan condemned the court’s verdict in the Al Qadir Trust case, calling it “mockery” of justice and pledged to fight till the last ball and refuse any deals, The Express Tribune reported. In a statement shared on social media platforms Facebook and X, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan condemned court’s decision in the Al Qadir Trust case, calling it a premeditated move with the verdict and sentencing already leaked to the media before the official announcement. Khan called the judicial process a “mockery” of justice and said that the individuals who wrote the judgement leaked it to the media, undermining the integrity of the legal system, according to The Express Tribune report. PTI founder reiterated his stance against the “militarybacked regime” and vowed to never accept it. Reacting to the announcement of the verdict on Friday, PTI leaders such as Omar Ayub, Sheikh Waqqas Akram and others protested the couple’s innocence and maintained that their party founder had been subjected to political victimisation. “We will challenge the verdict in the superior courts,” the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly told a press conference after the verdict. Interim party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan divulged that an appeal would be filed before the high court within a few days, and hoped that Mr Khan would be released soon.
Dar directs efficient, timely assistance to Pakistani victims of Moroccan boat tragedy ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar on Saturday directed the foreign and interior ministries to ensure the provision of efficient and timely assistance to the Pakistani victims of the Moroccan boat tragedy. The Atlantic Ocean migrant boat tragedy occurred in the waters between
Mauritania and Morocco earlier this month. As per reports, 44 out of a total of 65 Pakistani immigrants on board the ship either drowned or died after alleged torture, while 10 bodies have been recovered. At least 19 others survived, according to media reports. The survivors and the bodies are currently in Dakhla, a small town near the coast of Morocco. FM Dar reviewed the incident in detail while chairing a meeting on Saturday
on issues relating to third-country relocations of Afghan nationals. He also issued instructions regarding coordination of the government’s response to the incident. The secretaries of the foreign and interior ministries and other officials attended the meeting. On the hand, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to send an official team to Morocco. The team comprising Federal Investigation Agency
(FIA) Additional Director General (north) Muneer Maarth, Additional Secretary Interior Salman Chaudhry and representatives from the foreign ministry and Intelligence Bureau. According to mandate of the team, the officials would visit the Moroccan capital of Rabat and Dakhla, where they would assess the situation and compile a detailed report, which would be submitted to the prime minister.
Finance minister reviews New Energy Vehicle Policy 2025 to boost EV adoption g
POLICY TARGETS CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION IN TRANSPORT SECTOR; FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE, INVESTMENT, AND PRODUCTION BARRIERS PROFIT
NEWS DESK
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired a meeting on the New Energy Vehicle (NEV) Policy 2025 at the Finance Division today. The policy aims to address key challenges in the adoption and production of electric vehicles (EVs) and sets ambitious targets for transitioning to clean energy in the transport sector. The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain, Governor State Bank of
Pakistan, Secretary Finance, Secretary Commerce, Secretary Climate Change, Member Custom Policy, Additional Secretary Trade Policy (Ministry of Commerce), and senior officers from relevant ministries and divisions. Secretary Industries and Production delivered a detailed presentation outlining the current state of the electric vehicle industry. The presentation emphasized policy interventions to ensure smooth adoption of NEVs in line with national priorities. Discussions focused on overcoming barriers to electric vehicle production and adoption, improving manufacturing processes, addressing infrastructure needs, necessary
policy corrections to streamline EV production, addressing supply chain issues, and encouraging private sector investment. The Finance Minister stressed the importance of the timely development and implementation of the NEV Policy 2025-30 . He stressed the importance of coordinated efforts to achieve policy targets and align them with Pakistan’s environmental and economic priorities. The meeting concluded with a commitment to expedite efforts for the successful implementation of the NEV Policy, paving the way for a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future for Pakistan.