ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s interior minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Saturday he was hopeful the government’s agreement with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party would be released in the next seven to 10 days, reported the local media.
The TLP launched a major protest demonstration in the country’s most densely populated Punjab province in October, seeking the release of its incarcerated leader Saad Rizvi along with the expulsion of the French envoy to Pakistan over the publication of anti-Islam caricatures in his country last year.
This led to deadly clashes between the police and supporters of the religious group which claimed the lives of at least seven law enforcement personnel and left several of them injured.
TLP workers were instructed to march on Islamabad, though they camped in Wazirabad city after the government requisitioned paramilitary Rangers to deal with the protesters.
Pakistani officials also tried to pacify the situation by negotiating with the religious party, though they said they were going to announce the details of the government’s agreement with the group at the “right time.”
“An agreement has been decided with the TLP,” the interior minister was quoted by Dawn after he interacted with a group of journalists in the federal capital. “The hope is ... [its details] will come out in seven to 10 days and they will be positive.”
The minister maintained he did not actively participate in the negotiation process which was carried out by the country’s religious affairs ministry and Punjab administration.
Since announcing that it had reached an agreement, the government has released about 2,000 TLP activists who were arrested for perpetrating violence from prison.
Some of the prominent TLP leaders have also been taken off a terrorism watchlist, and the organization has managed to shun its proscribed status.
The interior minister told journalists the central government had banned the religious party on the recommendation of the Punjab administration, adding the Pakistani authorities restored the group’s status after the provincial government rescinded its decision.
Pakistan’s interior minister hopes details of government’s TLP deal will be released in 10 days
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Pakistan’s interior minister hopes details of government’s TLP deal will be released in 10 days
- The government did not share the content of its agreement with the religious party, saying it would do that at the ‘right time’
- Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said he did not actively participate in the negotiations which were carried out by religious ministry, Punjab administration
Pakistan says economy stabilizing as it looks to 2026 growth
- Inflation averages 5 percent, remittances hit $16.1 billion as government cites signs of recovery
- IT exports, industry and development spending highlighted as focus shifts to next year’s targets
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s economy has shown signs of stabilization in the first half of the current fiscal year, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said on Thursday, as the government looks ahead to sustaining growth momentum into 2026 after several years of economic volatility.
Briefing the media on economic performance through November, Iqbal said key indicators including inflation, industrial output, exports, remittances and fiscal revenues had improved, creating what he described as a more stable base for forward planning.
Pakistan has spent much of the past two years navigating high inflation, external financing pressures and fiscal tightening under an IMF-backed reform program. While growth remains modest, officials say recent data suggests the economy has moved out of crisis mode and into a consolidation phase.
“During July to November of fiscal year 2025–26, stability has returned to Pakistan’s economy,” Iqbal said, adding that average inflation during the period stood at around 5 percent, compared with 7.9% last year, easing pressure on households and businesses.
Large-scale manufacturing posted growth of 4.1 percent, which Iqbal described as “clear evidence of recovery in industrial activity.”
The planning minister said government revenues also improved, with Federal Board of Revenue collections reaching Rs4,733 billion ($16.9 billion) during July–November, reflecting a 10.2% increase.
External inflows remained resilient, with workers’ remittances rising 9.3% to $16.1 billion, while IT services exports increased 19% to $1.8 billion over the same period, he said.
On the public investment side, Iqbal said Rs196 billion ($700 million) were released under the development budget during the quarter, of which Rs92 billion ($329 million) had already been spent. He added that cost rationalization in development projects between July and October saved Rs3.3 billion ($11.8 million) billion in public funds.
In November, the planning minister said, the Central Development Working Party approved 10 development projects, while six major schemes were referred to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council.
Iqbal said the approved projects were expected to create 994 immediate jobs, with nearly 24,859 direct and 40,873 indirect employment opportunities projected overall.
Looking ahead, he said all future development schemes would be required to comply with green building codes to ensure environmental protection and sustainable growth.
He also highlighted skills and innovation initiatives, saying that under the “Uraan Pakistan” program, partnerships with Oxford and Cambridge universities were being pursued to promote research, technology and innovation.
Under an IT industry revival plan, he said more than 20,000 young people were being trained in advanced technologies, with over 14,000 new jobs expected to be created.
The government has said maintaining macroeconomic stability while gradually lifting growth remains its central challenge as Pakistan moves into 2026, with officials emphasising disciplined spending, export growth and job creation as key priorities.
