ISLAMABAD: The European Union’s mission in Islamabad said on Thursday it had not received any “official communication” from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party of jailed ex-premier Imran Khan on the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) special trade scheme.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused the PTI of approaching the EU and starting a series of online petitions urging European authorities to withdraw Pakistan’s GSP+ status, a special trade arrangement offered to developing economies in return for their commitment to implement 27 international conventions on human rights, environmental protection and governance.
The current GSP framework came to an end in December 2023 but Members of EU Parliament (MEPs) voted in October to extend the current rules on the scheme for another four years for developing countries, including Pakistan.
“We have not received any official communication from PTI regarding GSP+,” Samar Saeed Akhtar, EU Press and Information Officer in Islamabad, told Arab News.
The PTI has also said it had not written any letter to the EU, as alleged by the information minister, on Pakistan’s GSP+ status.
“During a recent visit, both EU and Commonwealth delegations met with various political parties, including PTI and no other engagement with the EU took place than this,” PTI spokesperson Raoof Hassan said.
Last month, the PTI sent a letter to the International Monetary Fund, urging it to ensure an audit of the disputed Feb. 8 elections before any more bailout talks with Islamabad. The letter was widely decried by Khan’s rivals as an attack on Pakistan’s efforts to achieve economic stability.
The International Monetary Fund will hold a second and last review of Pakistan’s $3 billion stand-by arrangement (SBA) this week, the finance ministry and the IMF said on Wednesday, during which the South Asian nation will ask for a new longer-term bailout.
The four-day review begins today, Thursday, and if successful, will release a final tranche of around $1.1 billion secured by Islamabad under a last-gasp rescue package last summer, averting a sovereign debt default.
EU denies ‘official communication’ from Imran Khan’s party on Pakistan’s GSP+ status
https://arab.news/9mtbj
EU denies ‘official communication’ from Imran Khan’s party on Pakistan’s GSP+ status
- Information Minister Tarar has accused PTI of conspiring to get special trade status withdrawn
- Current GSP regulation was set to expire in December 2023 but extended until Dec. 31, 2027
Pakistan mulls 'Super App' for public services, document verification in major technology push
- Pakistan has been urging technology adoption in public, private sectors as it seeks to become a key tech player globally
- The country this month launched the Indus AI Week to harness technology for productivity, skills development and innovation
KARACHI: Pakistan is planning to launch a “Super App” to deliver public services and enable digital document verification, the country's information technology (IT) minister said on Sunday, amid a major push for technology adoption in public and private sectors.
Pakistan, a country of 240 million people, seeks to become a key participant in the global tech economy, amid growing interest from governments in the Global South to harness advanced technologies for productivity, skills development and innovation.
The country's information and communications technology (ICT) exports hit a record $437 million in Dec. last year, according to IT Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja. This constituted a 23% increase month on month and a 26% increase year on year.
Pakistan's technology sector is also advancing in artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud computing, marked by the launch of Pakistan’s first sovereign AI cloud in November, designed to keep sensitive data domestic and support growth in the broader digital ecosystem.
“In developed countries, citizens can access all government services from a mobile phone,” Fatima said, announcing plans for the Super App at an event in Karachi where more than 7,000 students had gathered for an AI training entrance test as part of the ‘Indus AI Week.’
“We will strive to provide similar facilities in the coming years.”
Khawaja said the app will reduce the need for in-person visits to government offices such as the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
The Indus AI Week initiative, which ran from Feb. 9 till Feb. 15. was aimed at positioning Pakistan as a key future participant in the global AI revolution, according to the IT minister.
At the opening of the weeklong initiative, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that Pakistan would invest $1 billion in AI by 2030 to modernize the South Asian nation’s digital economy.
“These initiatives aim to strengthen national AI infrastructure and make the best use of our human resource,” Khawaja said, urging young Pakistanis to become creators, inventors and innovators rather than just being the consumers of technology.
