KARACHI: Pervez Khattak, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), has offered to hold talks with the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), after army-mandated negotiations between the group and the KP governor stalled.
Khattak appealed to the PTM leadership to attend a Jirga, a traditional assembly of leaders, chaired by KP governor so that the issues and their demands can be discussed and resolved in accordance with the constitution.
“I will personally hold talks with the PTM leadership and try to address their grievances,” Khattak added.
PTM want to discuss issues of discrimination against the Pashtun community, including enforced disappearances, extrajudicial arrests and killings, and general abuses of their rights.
“Some of the basic demands of PTM are genuine, which should be resolved,” said Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, a spokesman for the KP government.
However, he said the group’s actions “may take things in wrong direction,” adding that “in such scenario we deem it our responsibility to play a mediatory role in talks.”
“We have remained in contact with the PTM leaders,” he continued, but admitted the government has yet to come with a proposal for talks.
Ali Wazir, a member of PTM’s core committee, said Khattak’s offer was just a continuation of the offer of discussions that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan had extended through party member Murad Saeed, a lawmaker from Swat.
“Violating the rules of the Jirga, Imran Khan, instead of coming to meet the PTM which is an aggrieved party, is summoning its leadership to Bani Gala, which is not possible,” Wazir said.
He confirmed the talks between the PTM and the army-mandated Jirga were deadlocked.
“A jirga has rules and principles which bind both the parties,” he said. “It was decided that until the final agreement is reached, no one would level any allegations.” He added that one of the jirga members, Waris Khan Afridi, recently described PTM members as traitors during a public meeting in Khyber Agency. “If it was not enough, Afridi also demanded action against us,” he said.
Since the rules of the Jirga demand such issues be settled first, PTM has asked for a meeting about it, Wazir said, so that everyone can move on when the issue is resolved.
He also said it had been agreed that no member of the jirga would face criminal charges but this condition has also been violated.
“Can we hold talks under such circumstances when we are answerable to thousands of people who have stood for the cause?” asked Wazir. “The army and PTM are parties in this issue. The governor and chief minister should stand by us. There is no need for jirga since we have a constitution to resolve our issues, which are legal and ethical under the constitution of Pakistan.”
Wazir said PTM leaders would hold a meeting on Friday evening regarding a planned rally in Karachi.
PTM recently received criticism for calls from some members that international guarantors be present during talks with the KP government.
“Talking of UN guarantees amounts to asking for a UN intervention,” said Imtiaz Gul, a senior analyst and author. “Either PTM leaders don’t understand what they are talking about or it is part of the old campaign to involve the international community in Pakistan’s domestic affairs.”
KP chief minister offers to talk with PTM after army-backed negotiations stall
KP chief minister offers to talk with PTM after army-backed negotiations stall
- Pashtun Tahafuz Movement plan show of power in Karachi after planned discussions fell through.
- “Some of the basic demands of PTM are genuine, which should be resolved,” said a spokesman for the KP government.
World Bank approves $700 million for Pakistan’s economic stability
- Of this, $600 million will go for federal programs and $100 million will support a provincial program in Sindh
- The results-based design ensures that resources are only disbursed once program objectives are achieved
ISLAMABAD: The World Bank has approved $700 million in financing for Pakistan under a multi-year initiative aimed at supporting the country’s macroeconomic stability and service delivery, the bank said on Friday.
The funds will be released under the bank’s Public Resources for Inclusive Development — Multiphase Programmatic Approach (PRID-MPA) that could provide up to $1.35 billion in total financing, according to the lender.
Of this amount, $600 million will go for federal programs and $100 million will support a provincial program in the southern Sindh province. The results-based design ensures that resources are only disbursed once program objectives are achieved.
“Pakistan’s path to inclusive, sustainable growth requires mobilizing more domestic resources and ensuring they are used efficiently and transparently to deliver results for people,” World Bank country director Bolormaa Amgaabazar said in a statement.
“Through this MPA, we are working with the Federal and Sindh governments to deliver tangible impacts— more predictable funding for schools and clinics, fairer tax systems, and stronger data for decision‑making— while safeguarding priority social and climate investments and strengthening public trust.”
The approval follows a $47.9 million World Bank grant in August to improve primary education in Pakistan’s most populous Punjab province.
In November, an IMF-World Bank report, uploaded by Pakistan’s finance ministry, said Pakistan’s fragmented regulation, opaque budgeting and political capture are curbing investment and weakening revenue.
Regional tensions may surface over international financing for Pakistan. In May, Reuters reported that India would oppose World Bank funding for Pakistan, citing a senior government source in New Delhi.
“Strengthening Pakistan’s fiscal foundations is essential to restoring macroeconomic stability, delivering results and strengthening institutions,” said Tobias Akhtar Haque, Lead Country Economist for the World Bank in Pakistan.
“Through the PRID‑MPA, we are launching a coherent nationwide approach to support reforms that expand fiscal space, bolster investments in human capital and climate resilience, and strengthen revenue administration, budget execution, and statistical systems. These reforms will ensure that resources reach the frontline and deliver better outcomes for people across Pakistan with greater efficiency and accountability.”
In Sindh, the program is expected to increase provincial revenues, enhance the speed and transparency of payments, and broaden the use of data to guide provincial decision making. The program will directly support the increase of public resources for inclusive development, including more equitable and responsive financing for primary health care facilities and more funding for schools.
