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NDC leaDers Call for release of politiCal prisoNers as CBMs for govt-oppostioN talks Thursday, 8 January, 2026 | 18 Rajabul Murajjab, 1447
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MEETING AGREES TO INITIATE FRUITFUL TALKS, ASKING GOVT AND OPPOSITION TO FORM COMMITTEES
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ISLAMABAD
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NDC EXTENDS SPECIAL INVITATION TO OPPOSITION ALLIANCE TTAP WHICH HAD REPORTEDLY REFUSED TO ATTEND THE MEETING
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Rs 20.00 | Vol XVI No 184 | 8 Pages | Karachi Edition
LEADERS SUGGEST CONCRETE AND PRACTICAL STEPS BE TAKEN FOR DIALOGUE, INCLUDING IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF ‘POLITICAL WORKERS,’ AND QUASHING OF CASES
Staff RepoRt
group of former PTI leaders and others on Wednesday proposed that the government and the opposition hold talks to reduce tensions and suggested that political prisoners be released as part of “confidence-building measures.” They made proposals in a formal statement issued at the conclusion of Wednesday’s conference in Islamabad, organised under the banner of the recently formed National Dialogue Committee (NDC). Ex-PTI leaders—including Fawad Chaudhry, former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, Dr Shahzad Waseem, and Mahmood Moulvi—are leading the initiative. “The meeting agreed to the proposal to initiate a fruitful negotiation process and declared that, in this regard, the government and the opposition should form separate committees comprising their respective representatives, between which the dialogue process should be initiated,” the statement read. The NDC proposed that President Asif Ali Zardari, PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif represent the ruling coalition in the talks. On the PTI side, it said: “After the announcement of the government’s committee, the National Dialogue Committee, in consultation with the opposition’s senior leadership in jail, will announce the names for the opposition committee.”
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pti protest BouND to fail; CeNtre CaN iMpose goverNor’s rule iN kp, warNs raNa saNaullah ISLAMABAD
Staff CoRReSpondent
Prime Minister’s Adviser on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah on Wednesday warned that the federal government has the constitutional authority to impose governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while dismissing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) planned protest as “doomed to fail”. Speaking to a local news channel, Sanaullah expressed concern over the PTI’s confrontational approach, cautioning that continued defiance by the party’s founder could lead to serious consequences. He welcomed the recent press conference by Director General
pM directs plan of action to enhance exports, reduce trade deficit ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed to expedite institutional reforms regarding the increase in exports and provision of facilities to exporters amid expressing zero tolerance for negligence regarding tax refunds to the exporters. The prime minister chaired a review meeting on promotion of exports and issued directives to prepare a plan of action pertaining to enhancing exports, especially agricultural exports, and reduction in trade deficit, a Prime Minister’s Office news release said. PM Shehbaz Sharif said achieving export-led development goals is the government’s priority, however, a strategy should be devised in collaboration with the Rice Exporters Association regarding increase in rice exports. The officials briefed the forum on government strategy regarding increase in exports, whereas trade statistics from July to December 2025 were presented in the meeting. The forum was briefed on increasing exports of high-value sectors such as engineering, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and processed food. The officials added that progress was also being done to make the country’s exports part of the global value chain. The country’s ports and logistics system was being improved to facilitate exporters, it added. The briefing to the forum also revealed that government-to-government agreements were being negotiated with several countries for rice exports. The meeting was attended by Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, Governor State Bank of Pakistan M. Jamil Ahmed and senior government officials.
Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR), terming his remarks clear, timely and significant. Sanaullah said the government had acted responsibly by offering dialogue to the PTI on three occasions on the floor of the National Assembly through the prime minister, but the party failed to respond. Despite this, he added, the PTI has once again announced a protest, which he said was unlikely to succeed. Criticising the PTI leadership, he said the party continues to pursue politics through street agitation and unrest and strongly condemned the May 9 incidents, describing them as acts of violence and anarchy that would not be tolerated. Commenting on the situation
in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sanaullah accused the PTI-led provincial government of obstructing counter-terrorism efforts, alleging that its actions reflected alignment with hostile narratives rather than cooperation with the state. He said the federal government was fully cognisant of the situation and had constitutional options available, including the imposition of governor’s rule in the province. When asked specifically about the possibility of governor’s rule in KP, Sanaullah said the option remained on the table and would be exercised if the PTI continued to challenge the authority of the state.
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Pakistan, China agree to institutionalize security coordination to further deepen bilateral ties
ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has given his approval for negotiations between the government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). According to sources, the prime minister has authorized Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq to lead the talks, and the government delegation is ready to participate at the Speaker’s request. Government sources emphasized that negotiations will only involve elected representatives of PTI, and discussions with non-elected members will not take place. Meanwhile, sources from the Speaker’s office stated that no PTI leader has formally contacted them for talks yet. Speaker Ayaz Sadiq has maintained the parliamentary committee, and if the opposition shows willingness, he will convene its meeting immediately. Parliamentary sources noted that despite the Speaker’s offer, the opposition has not reached out so far. The Speaker has invited PTI leaders to visit his chamber for discussions. It is worth noting that PTI’s last meeting with the Speaker was held to appoint Mahmood Achakzai as the opposition leader. In related development, former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani urged the Senate chairman and National Assembly speaker to move ahead with appointing leaders of the opposition in both houses of Parliament, warning that keeping these positions vacant marginalises dissenting voices. The offices have remained unfilled since August last year, when then opposition leaders in the National Assembly and Senate — PTI’s Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz — were disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) after their convictions in cases linked to the May 9, 2023 riots. Although the PTI has nominated Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai as opposition leader in the National Assembly and Majlis Wahdat-iMuslimeen’s Allama Raja Nasir Abbas for the Senate, their appointments have yet to be officially notified.
rabbani urges appointment of opposition leaders ISLAMABAD
MonitoRing RepoRt
training and exchange programmes. The two ministers also discussed matters related to Islamabad–Beijing sister-city cooperation and agreed to develop a joint strategy to strengthen training and professional capacity of police and security personnel. Naqvi stressed the importance of exchanging expertise and information through training programmes. He briefed the Chinese side on Pakistan’s enhanced security arrangements for Chinese nationals, describing their protection as a “top priority.” “We have taken strong measures at all levels to ensure the security of Chinese citizens and joint projects,” Naqvi said, adding that a special protection unit was being established in Islamabad for this purpose. He welcomed Chinese cooperation in curbing cybercrimes and said Pakistan was seeking support from Chinese institutions to strengthen the National Cyber Crimes Investigation Agency.
Former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani has urged the National Assembly speaker and the Senate chairman to immediately fill the vacant posts of opposition leader in both houses, warning that the continued absence of opposition leadership is undermining Parliament’s constitutional role. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Rabbani said that Parliament could not be considered complete or effective when key positions meant to ensure accountability and dissent were left unoccupied. He described the situation as a troubling contradiction, noting that political actors frequently invoke parliamentary supremacy while failing to uphold its basic institutional requirements. The positions of opposition leader in the National Assembly and the Senate have remained vacant since August last year, after PTI leaders Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz were disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan following their convictions in cases linked to the May 9, 2023 unrest. Since then, the PTI has nominated Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai for the National Assembly role and Majlis Wahdat-iMuslimeen’s Allama Raja Nasir Abbas for the Senate slot, but neither appointment has been formally notified. Rabbani said the prolonged delay was particularly damaging at a time when the political environment was already deeply polarised. He warned that keeping opposition offices vacant was not a procedural technicality but a decision that effectively muted dissent and weakened parliamentary oversight. Such practices, he said, risked further eroding public confidence in democratic institutions. His remarks came as National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq indicated that the process for appointing an opposition leader in the lower house would be restarted. The speaker made the comments during a meeting with PTI Chief Whip Amir Dogar, who raised concerns over the delay and submitted documents related to the withdrawal of cases involving Omar Ayub. According to parliamentary sources, Dogar again pressed for the notification of Mahmood Khan Achakzai as opposition leader, while Sadiq reiterated that all steps would be taken strictly in line with constitutional provisions and the rules of the House. He said members would be briefed on the matter during the next National Assembly session.
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ISLAMABAD/BEIJING Staff RepoRt
Pakistan and China on Wednesday agreed to institutionalise closer internal security coordination by holding Joint Working Group (JWG) meetings every three months and annual meetings between the interior ministers of the two countries, underscoring their shared resolve to further strengthen bilateral cooperation. The consensus was reached during a meeting between Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Chinese Interior Minister Wang Xiaohong at the headquarters of China’s Ministry of Public Security, where the Pakistani minister was warmly received by the Chinese side. The two counterparts held an extensive three-and-a-half-hour meeting, during which they discussed bilateral relations, counterterrorism cooperation, police training exchanges and coordination in areas of mutual interest. Both sides agreed to strengthen institutional mechanisms and enhance operational coordination. According to officials, Pakistan and China agreed that the Joint Working Group would meet every three months, while the interior ministers of both countries would hold annual meetings. The ministers emphasized the need for closer coordination to further promote bilateral cooperation. Chinese Interior Minister Wang Xiaohong expressed satisfaction with Pakistan’s security arrangements for Chinese nationals and development projects. He thanked Mohsin Naqvi and his team, and appreciated Pakistan’s efforts in internal security and counterterrorism. Wang said China valued Pakistan’s sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and held them in high regard. Both sides agreed to make joint and rapid-response mechanisms against terrorism and crime more effective, and to further expand the scope of police
pM shehbaz gives his approval for govt-pti negotiations
PM orders banks to ease credit for SMEs, farmers to boost economic inclusion ISLAMABAD
Staff RepoRt
Reaffirming the government’s focus on inclusive economic growth, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed the State Bank of Pakistan and commercial banks to further simplify and expand credit mechanisms for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), new businesses and small farmers, declaring improved access to finance a top national priority for productivity, innovation and economic inclusion. The prime minister made these remarks while chairing a high-level review meeting on facilitation of loans for SMEs, small farmers here, a Prime Minister’s Office news release said. PM Shehbaz Sharif emphasized that priority financing should be ensured for service providers to promote innovation in the agriculture sector. He also instructed that modern technology and machinery loans for SMEs and small farmers be made more ac-
cessible to enhance productivity and competitiveness. The prime minister directed his Special Assistant on Industries and Production, Haroon Akhtar, along with the SMEDA team, to undertake visits to all provinces, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and work closely with provincial gov-
ernments to formulate a comprehensive, coordinated SME facilitation policy. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that SMEs constitute the backbone of economies and industries in developed countries and stressed the need to replicate such models in Pakistan. He also directed that youth should be provided entrepreneurship training to en-
courage new business startups and expand economic activity. The prime minister also added that he would personally chair and regularly monitor progress in this area. He announced that a sub-committee would be constituted soon to develop actionable recommendations for further simplifying credit access for the private sector particularly SMEs and agriculture to accelerate business activity and economic growth in the country. The officials briefed the meeting on trends in private sector lending over recent years, including loans for business expansion, machinery and modern technology. It was informed that compared to 2021–22, bank lending to the private sector had improved significantly by December 2025, with the number of borrowers doubling to over 303,000 and total credit volume reaching Rs1.1 trillion. The meeting was also told that an estimated three million farmers benefited from agricultural credit during the current year,
compared to 2.8 million last year. Banks are prioritizing loans for new businesses and modern machinery, while agricultural financing now covers crops, modern equipment, livestock and fisheries. The SMEDA officials informed the meeting that it would soon launch a program to enhance financial literacy and awareness among SMEs. Participants were also briefed on Punjab’s program providing loans to service providers for supplying modern agricultural machinery, and the State Bank’s fully digital “Zarkhez-e App,” launched to facilitate small farmers, which is benefiting a large number of users. The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kiyani, SAPM Haroon Akhtar, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, senior federal officials, and chief secretaries of all four provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.