ISLAMABAD: The Awam Pakistan Party, scheduled for launch on July 6 in Islamabad, plans to focus on the economic prosperity of people by extending tax concessions to middle-income and salaried classes and bringing down annual government expenditure, a top party official announced Sunday.
Miftah Ismail, one of the founding members of the party who previously served as finance minister, said that people from all four provinces had already started joining the party.
More than 175 political factions have been registered with the Election Commission of Pakistan, though only 13 of them managed to get their members elected to the National Assembly in the wake of the last general elections held on February 8.
The leading political parties in the country pivot around a central leader who is viewed as charismatic by its followers and play a vital role in getting the popular vote.
Former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and ex-finance minister Ismail, the driving forces behind the new party, aim to encourage public participation in governance and address the country’s fragile economy through reforms and the privatization of public entities.
“One of our major purposes behind forming the new political party is to struggle for the uplift of poor people through their active participation in politics, governance and economy,” Ismail told Arab News in a conversation over the phone.
“We have to extend tax concessions to middle-income and salaried classes, focus on privatization, limit the government’s footprint by encouraging the private sector and privatize the public organizations to reform the economy,” he added.
Ismail said Pakistan had been one of the leading economies in the region until the 1990s, but the poor governance model brought its development to the lowest level in the last two to three decades.
“A specific elite group is ruling the country without the active participation of the public, experts and professionals,” he maintained, pointing out that his party wanted to focus on improving the education and health sectors.
Criticizing the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the ex-finance minister said the current administration had lost the opportunity for economic reforms by bringing in the latest budget.
“This government has literally wasted opportunities for effective reforms in the governance and economic models,” he said.
Ismail acknowledged it was a long and assiduous journey to establish the new party, adding it would also be challenging to get its members elected to parliament.
“We know it is difficult,” he said, “but the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step.”
“If elections are held in a year now, definitely we will not be in a position to fully participate in them through our platform,” he continued. “But if we get two to three years ahead of the national elections, we will be in a position to field our candidates across the country.”
Ismail said the Awam Pakistan Party leadership planned to hold workers’ conventions across the country and mobilize the public.
“We will be using social media effectively for our publicity, but along with that, we will be focusing on ground activities like conventions and seminars on issues of public importance,” he added.
New Pakistan political party to focus on economic reform, reduce government footprint, founder says
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New Pakistan political party to focus on economic reform, reduce government footprint, founder says
- Awam Pakistan Party led by former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi scheduled for launch on July 6 in Islamabad
- Founder Miftah Ismail says party leaders will hold workers’ conventions, seminars across the country to mobilize the public
PM calls for tapping gemstone reserves as Pakistan pushes for economic recovery
- Pakistan this month approved first national policy framework for precious stones, aiming to lift annual exports to $1 billion
- PM Shehbaz Sharif directs implementation of new policy framework, completion of Islamabad Gemstone Center by Aug. 2027
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday called for tapping Pakistan’s vast gemstone reserves, Sharif’s office said, as Islamabad seeks to boost their exports to support economic recovery.
The development comes two weeks after Pakistan approved its first national policy framework for gemstones and precious stones, aiming to reform the sector, align it with international standards and lift annual exports to $1 billion within five years.
Pakistan has intensified efforts to monetize its untapped mineral resources, amid fiscal pressures and an International Monetary Fund-backed reform program. Over the past two years, Islamabad has hosted international minerals conferences and signed agreements with countries including the United States, Saudi Arabia and China to attract investment and move up the value chain in mining and minerals processing.
On Monday, PM Sharif presided over a meeting on the promotion of precious stones and minerals in Islamabad, at which he directed seeking services of relevant experts of international repute for the construction of proposed gemstone centers in Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, according to his office.
“There is a need to utilize the potential of gemstone reserves in Pakistan so that valuable foreign exchange can be earned from the exports of these precious stones,” Sharif was quoted as saying by his office.
Despite officials estimating Pakistan’s gemstone reserves at around $450 billion, formal exports remain negligible, at about $5.8 million annually, due to weak certification systems, limited domestic processing capacity, widespread smuggling and fragmented regulation across federal and provincial authorities.
Pakistan’s new policy framework includes geological mapping to accurately assess reserves, the establishment of internationally accredited laboratories and certification regimes and the creation of a dedicated authority to regulate and promote the sector. The government also plans to set up a National Warranty Office and centers of excellence to support training, research and value-added processing.
The prime minister directed the implementation of the policy framework and the completion of Islamabad Gemstone Center by Aug. 2027.
A location has been identified on the Constitution Highway for the establishment of a gemstone center in Islamabad, according to Sharif’s office. The center will provide international standard value addition services, certification, incubation center and trade center facilities.
“Exports should be increased through value addition in the gemstone industry,” he said, urging officials to work together with the governments of all provinces, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir to promote the industry.
