ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party announced on Thursday it wanted to conclude its negotiations with the government by Jan. 31, 2025, reiterating that it wanted a judicial commission to probe violent nationwide protests that broke out in May 2023.
The PTI and the government opened formal negotiations on Monday to ease political tensions in the country. Both sides moved to reduce tensions after Khan threatened a civil dissidence movement and amid growing concerns he may face trial by a military court for allegedly inciting attacks on sensitive security installations during the May 9, 2023 protests.
The PTI has put forward two demands: the release of political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate protests on May 9 last year and Nov. 26 in Islamabad this year, which the government says involved his party supporters, accusing them of attacking military installations and government buildings.
Members of the PTI’s negotiation team, Omar Ayub and Sahibzada Muhammad Hamid Raza, spoke to the media after meeting Khan in the Adiala prison in Rawalpindi. The negotiating committee apprised Khan regarding Monday’s talks with the government.
“The cutoff timeframe for negotiations is the end of January,” Raza told reporters outside Adiala prison. “By Jan. 31, we want to take these negotiations to their logical conclusion.”
Raza reiterated the PTI’s demands for the formation of judicial commissions for the May 9, 2023 and Nov. 26 protests.
“Our stance on the Nov. 26 (Islamabad protest) is quite clear: As of today, according to our data, 13 of our supporters were martyred, 64 suffered bullet injuries and the number of our missing supporters is between 150 to 200,” he said.
He said Khan will not accept any “deal” by the government for his release from prison. “Imran Khan will after facing all his cases in court, come out through the courts,” Raza said.
The next round of talks between the government and the PTI is scheduled to be held on Jan. 2.
Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary vote of no-confidence in 2022 has plunged the country into a long-term political crisis, particularly since the PTI founder was jailed in August last year on corruption and other charges and remains behind bars.
His party and supporters regularly hold protests calling for his release, with many of the demonstrations turning violent, including the one on Nov. 26 in which the government says four troops were killed and the PTI says 13 of its supporters died.
The negotiations on Monday were held days after Pakistan’s military announced prison sentences for 25 people involved in the May 9 protests.
The military announced on Thursday it had sentenced 60 more civilians, among them Khan’s nephew and two retired army officers, to prison sentences ranging from two to 10 years, for the May 9 protests.
Khan’s party has pointed out that the sentencing is contrary to the International Covenant on Civil & Political Rights, to which Pakistan is a party.
Imran Khan’s party says wants to conclude negotiations with Pakistan government by Jan. 31
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Imran Khan’s party says wants to conclude negotiations with Pakistan government by Jan. 31
- Khan’s PTI, Pakistan’s government kicked off talks to ease political tensions on Monday
- PTI says Khan will not accept any “deal” with the government for his release from prison
US says trade with Pakistan could top $8 billion in 2025
- US chargé d’affaires links rising trade to deeper economic engagement with Pakistan
- Visit comes amid broader effort by Islamabad and Washington to improve bilateral ties
ISLAMABAD: Trade between the United States and Pakistan is projected to exceed $8 billion in 2025, the US Embassy said on Tuesday, as Washington signaled confidence in Pakistan’s export base and economic potential during a high-profile visit to the industrial city of Sialkot.
The projection was highlighted by US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie A. Baker during meetings with Pakistani exporters and business leaders, underlining the importance Washington places on trade, investment and supply-chain cooperation as the two countries seek to stabilize and expand their economic relationship.
“Highlighting the growth in trade between the United States and Pakistan, which was projected to reach over $8 billion in 2025, Baker said, ‘Expanding trade reflects a strong foundation that highlights the positive impact of US economic engagement in Pakistan and globally. The United States and Pakistan are pursuing a fair and balanced trade relationship that creates prosperity for both our nations’,” the US embassy said in a statement.
The envoy said the United States had been Pakistan’s largest export market and a leading investor, presenting significant opportunities for expanded trade and shared prosperity.
“The United States remains deeply invested in Pakistan and its people,” Baker said, “building on a partnership that dates back to Pakistan’s independence and continues to grow through trade, innovation, education, and cultural exchange.”
The visit comes amid a broader effort by Islamabad and Washington to improve bilateral ties under US President Donald Trump’s second term, after years of uneven engagement. Since mid-2025, the two sides have stepped up diplomatic contacts, including meetings between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s military leadership and US officials, alongside discussions on trade, minerals, security cooperation and regional stability.
Pakistan has also sought to re-energize economic diplomacy with Washington as it works to boost exports, attract foreign investment and stabilize its economy under an IMF-backed reform program.
In July 2025, the two countries agreed to a bilateral trade deal that included reciprocal tariff reductions and frameworks for US investment in Pakistan’s energy and mineral sectors, a step Islamabad has hailed as opening new avenues for economic collaboration.
During her visit, Baker toured leading exporters including Forward Sports, First American Corporation (FAC) and CA Sports, companies that are deeply embedded in global supply chains. The embassy said nearly 70 percent of FAC’s exports go to the United States, illustrating sustained US consumer demand for Pakistani-made goods.
Baker also visited Sialkot International Airport and met with the leadership of AirSial, highlighting private-sector-led infrastructure and logistics as key to Pakistan’s export growth.
