ISLAMABAD: Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has not held any talks with the government to ease political tensions, PTI leader Asad Qaiser said on Friday, denying media reports suggesting a dialogue having taken place between the two sides.
Pakistani media reported this week that the PTI and the government had agreed to ease political tensions in the country after PTI’s Qaiser and Salman Akram Raja met ruling party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) member and National Assembly speaker, Ayaz Sadiq, this week to offer condolences on his sister’s death.
Reports of negotiations surfaced after Khan earlier this month announced the PTI would launch a civil disobedience campaign from Dec. 14, if the government did not meet their demands release of political prisoners and to set up judicial commissions to investigate May 9, 2023 and Nov. 24 protests, in which the government says his supporters partook in violence and caused vandalism.
In a message to supporters on Dec. 5, Khan, who has been in jail since August last year, said he was setting up a five-member negotiations committee to hold talks with the federal government. PM Shehbaz Sharif’s visit to the speaker’s residence for condolences, following Qaiser’s meeting with Sadiq, also fueled speculation that the reported negotiations were discussed between Sadiq and the Pakistani premier.
“It is being reported in media that some dialogue, some talks have been taking place [with the government] and that I have had this kind of discussions with the speaker,” Qaiser said, while speaking in the National Assembly.
“I only went to the speaker’s residence to offer Fatiha, we did not have any dialogue, any talks.”
He said the PTI committee would hold talks with the government only if the latter demonstrated “seriousness.”
“Yes, we have definitely formed a committee and when that committee deemed appropriate and the government demonstrated seriousness, then we will see and we will formally take instructions from our founding chairman and only then things will proceed further,” Qaiser added.
Khan’s party alleges the Sharif-led coalition government came to power after rigging polls with the help of Pakistan’s all-powerful military and has staged several protests this year to demand the release of Khan and to challenge results of the Feb. 8 national election. The government and the military deny the allegations.
Rana Sanaullah, a member of Sharif’s PML-N party, said they always encouraged political dialogue and a month ago, PM Sharif, in an interaction with opposition members in the National Assembly, had offered to hold a political dialogue with them, but Opposition Leader Omar Ayub did not respond to the offer positively.
“Now they have formed a committee but they have not conveyed us this message that ‘we want to talk to you’,” Sanaullah said on a Geo News show Friday morning.
“If they sent this message to the government or the prime minister that ‘we are ready to hold talks with you,’ then it is my assessment that the PML-N will never refuse to hold a political dialogue.”
Ex-PM Khan party denies any dialogue with Pakistani government to ease political tensions
https://arab.news/59gzh
Ex-PM Khan party denies any dialogue with Pakistani government to ease political tensions
- Reports of talks between two sides surfaced after Khan’s party members met National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq
- Ex-PM Khan this month announced his party will launch a civil disobedience campaign against government on Dec. 14
Pakistan Navy tests missile, loitering munitions and unmanned vessel at Arabian Sea
- The exercise reflects growing focus on air defense and autonomous systems in modern warfare
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s navy conducted live firing of a surface-to-air missile, tested loitering munitions and carried out open-sea trials of an unmanned surface vessel during a major exercise in the North Arabian Sea on Saturday, highlighting a growing focus on air defense and unmanned warfare amid evolving regional security dynamics.
The exercise, which demonstrated both conventional and autonomous capabilities, comes at a time when Pakistan is increasingly emphasizing advanced technology and multi-domain operations following last year’s four-day conflict with nuclear-armed India, which reinforced the importance of air defense, surveillance and precision strike systems.
“Pakistan Navy demonstrated its operational readiness and combat preparedness through a comprehensive exercise in the North Arabian Sea, showcasing both conventional and unmanned capabilities, as per dictates of evolving naval warfare,” the Navy’s Directorate General Public Relations said in a statement.
“The exercise included the successful live firing of LY-80(N) Surface to Air Missile (SAM) from Vertical Launching System at extended range, validating the long-range capabilities of Pakistan Navy’s modern air defense systems,” it added. “LY-80(N) SAM successfully engaged and neutralized an aerial target, demonstrating Pakistan Navy’s robust air defense capabilities.”
The statement said the exercise also featured the successful engagement of surface targets using a loitering munition, which it said demonstrated the navy’s precision strike capability.
“Successful open-sea trials of Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) were also conducted, marking a significant leap in autonomous naval technology,” it continued. “The trials validated the platform’s ability to combine high-speed performance with mission-critical durability.”
Pakistan’s armed forces routinely hold large-scale exercises to enhance operational readiness, but recent drills have placed greater emphasis on emerging technologies, reflecting lessons drawn from modern conflicts.
Key capabilities demonstrated during the exercise included extreme maneuverability, precision navigation and weather resilience.
Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf commended officers and men of the Pakistan Navy for their professionalism and operational competence, reiterating the navy’s resolve to ensure the seaward defense of the country and safeguard its maritime interests.
