ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has said the South Asian country seeks to “broaden and expand” its relations with the United States (US), days after Prime Minister Imran Khan accused Washington of meddling in the country’s affairs.
At a rally on Sunday, Khan spoke of a purported letter that contained “threats” to his government, but did not name a country that sent it. Pakistani officials have since said the letter was a cable written by a former Pakistani ambassador to the US, who conveyed threats by a “senior foreign official.”
On Thursday, Khan named the US in his televised address to the nation, accusing it of backing a political campaign aimed at ousting him. He said the move was aimed at hindering his efforts to pursue an independent foreign policy for Pakistan. Washington has denied the allegations.
Gen Bajwa said while Pakistan enjoyed a close strategic relationship with China, it equally shared a long history of excellent strategic relationship with the US, which remained the largest export market for the South Asian nation.
“We seek to broaden and expand our ties with both countries without impacting our relationship with the other,” the army chief said, while addressing attendees at the two-day Islamabad Security Dialogue 2022.
“Similarly, the European Union, United Kingdom, Gulf, South East Asia and Japan are also vital for our national development and progress.”
Gen Bajwa’s comments were in contrast with what was recently said by PM Khan, who faces a no-trust vote in parliament, along with defections by over a dozen of his party’s lawmakers.
The Pakistani army chief expressed alarm over the Russian invasion of Ukraine, describing it as “unfortunate.”
“Sadly, the Russian invasion against Ukraine is very unfortunate as thousands of people have been killed, millions made refugees and a half of Ukraine destroyed.”
“This is a huge tragedy which must be stopped immediately. Despite legitimate security concerns of Russia, its aggression against a smaller country cannot be condoned.”
Pakistan supported a dialogue between all sides to find a lasting solution to the conflict, he said, calling for immediate cessation of hostilities.
After failing to take a major Ukrainian city since it launched the invasion on Feb. 24, Russia has shifted its focus to Ukraine’s southeast, where it has backed separatists since 2014.
Both countries recently agreed to humanitarian corridors during the war to facilitate the evacuation of civilians from cities, but have often traded blame when the evacuations have not been successful.
The conflict has killed thousands, uprooted a quarter of Ukraine’s population and devastated cities such as Mariupol.
Russia denies targeting civilians in what President Vladimir Putin calls a “special military operation” aimed at demilitarizing Ukraine.
Ukraine calls it an unprovoked war of aggression and Western countries have imposed sweeping sanctions in an effort to squeeze Russia’s economy.
Pakistan army chief says Islamabad seeks to ‘broaden and expand’ ties with US
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Pakistan army chief says Islamabad seeks to ‘broaden and expand’ ties with US
- Gen Qamar Bajwa’s comments contrast with PM Imran Khan’s accusations against Washington
- On Thursday, Khan said Washington was backing a political campaign aimed at ousting him
Pakistan finance chief says country leveraging AI to boost tax compliance, revenu
- Aurangzeb says AI-driven systems are cutting leakages, discretionary intervention in tax administration
- He tells a national workshop the government must focus on applied AI, not technology for its own sake
KARACHI: Pakistan is deploying artificial intelligence-driven systems to strengthen tax compliance and enforcement as part of a broader reform push, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Tuesday, adding the country must focus on applied AI solutions.
He was speaking during a panel discussion at the National Artificial Intelligence Workshop in the capital, as Pakistan undertakes sweeping fiscal and structural reforms under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund loan program aimed at stabilizing the economy and boosting revenue collection.
The government has pledged to widen the tax base, curb leakages and digitize administration, with technology playing a central role in its tax transformation agenda.
“AI-enabled systems are playing an increasingly important role in strengthening compliance, enforcement, and decision-making,” Aurangzeb said, according to a statement released by the finance division.
“The Government’s ongoing tax transformation, anchored in reforms to people, processes, and technology, is leveraging AI-led CRM [Customer Relationship Management] systems, AI-led production monitoring, risk-based compliance tools, and faceless customer processes to enhance transparency, reduce leakages, and improve revenue outcomes,” he added.
The finance minister said the focus for a country like Pakistan must remain on applied AI solutions that deliver measurable gains in efficiency, transparency and productivity, rather than on adopting technology for its own sake.
Reducing discretionary human intervention through technology was central to curbing inefficiencies and corruption, he said, adding that AI-led systems had generated tangible fiscal gains that would not have been achievable through manual processes alone.
Aurangzeb said investing in human capital and skills development was essential to enable Pakistan’s youth to participate in higher-value segments of the global technology ecosystem, noting that technologies such as blockchain and data analytics could support productivity-led growth.
He maintained artificial intelligence offered opportunities in revenue mobilization, public service delivery and climate and population management, adding that realizing those gains would require clear policy direction, institutional readiness and a coordinated, whole-of-government approach.
