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Rs 20.00 | Vol XV No 204 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
‘AMID BLAME SHIFT,’ GOVT SAYS TALKS PRACTICALLY OVER AS KHAN BLASTS FAILURE AS ‘SIGN OF DECEIT’ Wednesday, 29 January, 2025 I 28 Rajabul Murajjab, 1446
IRFAN SIDDIQUI SAYS OUR g BARRISTER GOHAR SAYS PARTY g JUNAID AKBAR CONFIRMS NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE HAD ALREADY MADE IT CLEAR IT PTI’S INTENTION TO STILL THERE AND IT HAS WAS NOT SITTING DOWN FOR ABANDON NEGOTIATIONS IN NOT BEEN DISSOLVED ‘HI HELLO OR PHOTO SESSIONS’ FAVOR OF STREET PROTESTS patience as the other side called for civil g NA SPEAKER ASSERTS HIS DOORS REMAINED OPEN, HOPING disobedience … and did very scary tweets that included attacks on the armed OPPOSITION WOULD HOLD TALKS TO FIND A WAY FORWARD forces, the prime minister was abused but g
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ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
ML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui said on Tuesday that negotiation process with PTI was “practically” at an end after it skipped fourth round of meetings with PTI’s Junaid Akbar warned of a nationwide campaign, citing the government’s lack of commitment to resolving political tensions through dialogue. The incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan also slammed the government’s inaction on the judicial commissions demanded by the party to probe May 9 and Nov 26 incident as a “sign of deceit”. The much-touted negotiation between the government and the PTI kickstarted in December last to cool down the political temperatures in the country, but despite weeks of negotiations, the dialogue process stalled on major issues — the formation of two judicial commissions and the release of PTI prisoners. Speaking to the media on Tuesday
we tolerated that”, adding that the onus was on the other side now to approach the speaker to restart the process.
outside Parliament House after the PTI skipped meeting, Siddiqui said: “Since they (PTI) didn’t come, the negotiation process has practically ended. However, our [negotiating] committee is still there and it has not been dissolved.” He continued, “If they can approach the speaker by their deadline of January 31 or they think this door should be opened again and this process should resume then they can contact the speaker and our committee will still sit down and talk to them before the 31st or even after that date we can continue this process.” “But as far as today is concerned, they decided on their own on the 23rd, five days before the 28th, and unilaterally announced [abandoning the process] giving various reasons for it. “Sometimes they said that first make the commission … then they said that police raided one of their committee member’s house, all of this was baseless and they just wanted to end the process.” He added that PTI must have other priorities, saying: “The process that they
started, they themselves have now finished by sabotaging the process.” Siddiqui added that the government “took this process forward with a lot of
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lambasted the government for ‘ruining’ the dialogue process, asserting the party had opted for the process with good intentions and great sincerity to sail the country out of stormy waters. PTI Central Information Secretary (CIS) Sheikh Waqas Akram lashed out at the mandate thief government for blaming PTI for derailing the negotiation process. He recalled that PTI presented its two most justifiable and reasonable demands in writing before the government’s committee but the
later failed to reciprocate in the same fashion. Waqas categorically stated that unlawfully incarcerated PTI founding Chairman Imran Khan had formed an empowered committee to engage in talks with the illegitimate government in the greatest national interest and to navigate the country out of its current untold crises. He emphasized that despite the government’s illegitimate seizure of power, PTI was willing to engage in talks. However, PTI CIS noted that the government lacked both the interest in making the dialogue meaningful and the authority to accept PTI’s demands.
The amendments were passed by majority vote. Senator Irfan-ul-Haque Siddiqui, who tabled the amendments, clarified that the changes were procedural in nature. “The term FATA no longer exists on Pakistan’s map or in the Constitution after its merger with KP,” he explained. Addressing concerns raised by Senator Dost Muhammad, Siddiqui empha-
sized that the changes were limited to Senate rules and had no bearing on constitutional amendments or seat allocations. Tensions over development governance Meanwhile, tensions continue over development governance in the merged districts. On January 26, the KP government urged the federal government to withdraw a newly formed steering com-
mittee tasked with managing the Accelerated Implementation Programme (AIP) for the region. The provincial government described the move as “ill-conceived political adventurism.” The planning ministry had earlier formed a nine-member steering committee to oversee the allocation of 80% of AIP funds and recommend federal agency-led development projects.
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Govt, not PTI, responsible for ‘ruining’ dialogue process: Sh Waqas ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Senate formally approves amendments removing FATA from procedural rules ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
The Senate on Tuesday approved amendments to the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business, 2012, officially removing references to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), following its constitutional merger with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Several projects in limbo as US halts aid to Pakistan g
FOREIGN AID INITIALLY SUSPENDED FOR 90 DAYS AND IT WOULD BE RESUMED AFTER A REVIEW BY US AUTHORITIES PROFIT INP
The United States has confirmed halting aid to Pakistan, leaving several projects related to development, health and others in limbo, says in media reports. A US official said the aid will remain suspended for Pakistan until a review is conducted. The move has caused suspension of work on five projects related to energy sector. It has also affected four economic development programmes and five agriculture-related projects besides suspending aid for human rights and governance temporarily. The foreign aid has initially has been suspended for 90 days and it would be resumed after a review by the US authorities. Earlier, the US, the world’s biggest donor, froze virtually all foreign aid, making exceptions only for emergency food, and military funding for Israel and Egypt. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sent an internal memo days after President Donald Trump took office vowing an “America First” policy of tightly restricting assistance overseas. “No new funds shall be obligated for new awards or extensions of existing awards until each proposed new award or extension has been reviewed and approved,” said the memo to staff. The sweeping order appears to affect everything from development assistance to military aid — including to Ukraine, which received billions of dollars in weapons under Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden as it tries to repel a Russian invasion. The directive also means a pause of at least several months of US funding for PEPFAR, the anti-HIV/AIDS initiative that buys anti-retroviral drugs to treat the disease in developing countries, largely in Africa. But the memo explicitly made exceptions for military assistance to Israel — whose longstanding major arms packages from the United States have expanded further since the Gaza war — and Egypt, which has received generous US defense funding since it signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979. Rubio also made an exception for US contributions to emergency food assistance, which the United States has been contributing following crises around the world including in Sudan and Syria.
Pakistan passes Digital Nation Act to streamline technological advancement g
DIGITAL ACT AIMS FOR GDP GROWTH, JOBS, AND BETTER GOVERNANCE THROUGH A SWEEPING DIGITAL POLICY PROFIT
NEWS DESK
Pakistan has taken a significant step towards digital transformation with the passing of the Digital Nation Pakistan Act by both Houses of Parliament. The Act, as elaborated in a social media post by the IT minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, aims to create a robust digital ecosystem, promising GDP growth, job creation, and financial inclusion. The initiative, championed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif since April 2024, focuses on building a digital society, economy, and governance underpinned by Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). The legislation aligns with global frameworks such as the UN Global Digital Compact, which envisions equitable and secure technological development. One of the main features of the Act is
that it establishes a National Digital Commission, a supra-ministerial body chaired by the Prime Minister, with representation from all provinces and key government institutions like NADRA and the State Bank of Pakistan. This centralised body will ensure a unified approach to the country’s digital agenda providing it with a direction. According to the IT minister, an OECD study corroborates that most leading digital nations (including top 15 ranked countries in the UN E-Government Development Index) have high-level political commitment and a centralised, supraministerial, head-of-state-led approach. By placing Pakistan’s digital transformation under the direct leadership of the Shehbaz Shareef, Pakistan aligns with this proven model—signalling our commitment to putting digital progress at the forefront of national policy. Key elements would also include a National Digital Masterplan and emphasis on AI-
driven growth to empower youth and enhance economic opportunities. A of the highlights of the aforemen-
tioned social media post, between the lines, was the mention of provisions for paperless governance and integrated digital services
are also expected to streamline public administration.
ISLAMABAD
The amended law, which introduces new penalties for spreading “fake news” online, has drawn sharp criticism for its potential misuse to stifle dissent and control the narrative. The Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Bill, 2025 introduces Section 26(A), which criminalizes the intentional dissemination of false information that could incite fear, panic, or unrest. Offenders could face imprisonment of up to three years, fines of up to
Rs. 2 million, or both. The bill, which passed in both the National Assembly and the Senate, now awaits the president’s assent to become law. Following the Senate’s approval, protests erupted in cities including Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Faisalabad, and Bahawalnagar. Journalists, under the banner of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), held rallies demanding the withdrawal of the amendments.
Nationwide protests erupt after Senate passes controversial PECA amendments STAFF REPORT
The Senate’s recent approval of controversial amendments to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016 triggered a wave of protests across the country on Monday, with journalists, political parties, and digital rights activists uniting against what they see as an attack on press freedom and free expression.
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