ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan has allowed his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to submit its demands in writing to the government during the next round of negotiations between the two sides, Khan’s top aide and PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan said on Wednesday, as both sides attempt to break the political deadlock in the country.
The second round of discussions between the two sides took place on Jan. 2 ended inconclusively after Khan’s party demanded more time to meet and consult the ex-PM before submitting their demands in writing.
Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in 2022 has plunged Pakistan into a political crisis, particularly since he was jailed in August 2023 on corruption and other charges. His party has regularly held protests to demand his release, with many of the demonstrations turning violent.
“Today Khan has said that you can give our demands in writing [to the government],” Gohar Ali Khan told reporters after his meeting with the former prime minister at the central prison in Rawalpindi. “So we will give our demands at the negotiation table in writing.”
Khan’s party has previously stated two demands: the release of all political prisoners and the establishment of judicial commissions to investigate protests on May 9, 2023, and Nov. 26, 2024, which the government says involved Khan supporters, accusing them of attacking military installations and government buildings.
“We will present our two demands in writing because even though there is no need to do so, we don’t want it to [delay the talks] by using it as a reason,” he said.
At a press conference on Wednesday evening, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah said talks between both sides had been paused as National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, who is heading the government’s delegation, has left the country on an “emergency” visit to a foreign country.
“As soon as he returns, the second meeting that they want [with Imran Khan] will be held and after that we expect that they will present their demands seriously,” Sanaullah told reporters.
The next date for talks between the PTI and the government has not been finalized. Last week, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, a member of the government’s negotiation committee, said the talks could encounter “serious hurdles” due to the PTI’s failure to submit its demands in writing at the next meeting.
Imran Khan has allowed party to submit demands to Pakistan government in writing — aide
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Imran Khan has allowed party to submit demands to Pakistan government in writing — aide
- Second round of discussions between both sides ended inconclusively last week after Khan’s party demanded more time to consult ex-PM
- PM’s special assistant on political affairs says negotiations to resume after National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq returns from overseas trip
Pakistan says Panda bond launch to diversify funding, avoid overreliance on dollar
- Pakistan has said it plans to issue its first-ever yuan-denominated Panda bond in January 2026
- Pakistan minister identifies agriculture, minerals, AI as key areas to attract Chinese investment
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said on Tuesday that launching its first-ever Panda bond would allow Islamabad to diversify its external financing sources away from overreliance on the US dollar, the Finance Division said.
Pakistan has said it aims to launch the Panda bond— a yuan-denominated bond issued in China’s domestic market— by January next year. This highlights Pakistan’s efforts to find alternatives to dollar-denominated borrowing as global financial conditions tighten and Islamabad looks to escape a prolonged macroeconomic crisis.
Panda bonds are renminbi-denominated instruments sold to Chinese investors by foreign governments or companies, offering issuers access to China’s deep domestic capital markets while reducing exposure to foreign-exchange volatility.
“He said the [Panda bond] issuance would allow Pakistan to tap into the second-largest and second-deepest capital market in the world, helping diversify funding sources away from overreliance on the US dollar by complementing existing access to euro and sukuk markets,” the Finance Division said.
Aurangzeb was speaking to the state-owned China Global Television Network (CGTN), the Finance Division said.
The finance minister acknowledged Pakistan had “previously underutilized” the opportunity to take advantage of the Panda bond, expressing optimism about investor interest in the Chinese market.
He said Pakistan remains hopeful of launching the bond ahead of the Chinese New Year, calling it a “landmark development” in the country’s external financing strategy.
In response to a question about Pakistan’s economic priorities, Aurangzeb identified agriculture, minerals and mining, artificial intelligence and digital economy as key areas where Islamabad could attract Chinese investment.
“He emphasized that beyond capital flows, this phase of cooperation places strong emphasis on knowledge transfer and technical support,” the Finance Division said.
