ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday invited jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to resume its reconciliatory talks with the government after it withdrew from the process this week, offering the formation of a parliamentary committee to probe results of the 2024 general elections.
Pakistan held its general election on Feb. 8, 2024 that was marred by a mobile Internet shutdown and unusually delayed results. The polls threw up a hung National Assembly and were followed by weeks of protests by opposition parties over allegations of rigging and vote count fraud.
Khan last week called on his party’s members and supporters from all walks of life to mark Feb. 8 as a “Black Day” and hold protests across the country to protest alleged rigging of last year’s polls. The call came amid renewed tensions between Khan’s party and the government, following the PTI boycott of the latest round of reconciliatory talks with the government on Jan. 28.
Khan’s party blames the government for the breakdown of negotiations, saying it did not release political prisoners and establish judicial commissions to investigate violent protests of May 9, 2023, and Nov. 26, 2024. The government blames Khan’s party for walking away from the talks “unilaterally” before they had a chance to respond to the PTI’s demands.
“I am absolutely ready in all honesty and with pure intentions that this dialogue moves forward,” Sharif said in televised comments after presiding over his cabinet’s meeting. “I feel that they [PTI] should come and sit, we are ready for a House committee.”
Negotiations began last month, and three rounds have been held so far. At the last meeting on Jan. 16, the PTI gave the government seven days to announce the truth commissions, a deadline that expired on Jan. 23. Subsequently, the PTI announced it was abandoning the talks process.
Sharif said his government was ready to bring all facts regarding the polls to light.
“The committee formed by Khan to probe the 2018 elections should complete its work and another be formed for the 2024 elections,” he said.
“Similarly, if you talk about the Nov. 26 protest, a House committee should be formed to probe the 2014 PTI party protest [against Sharif’s party] and the Nov. 26 one too.”
Khan’s ouster in a parliamentary no-trust vote in 2022 has plunged Pakistan into a 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 have regularly held protests calling for his release, with many of the demonstrations turning violent.
Khan’s first arrest in May 2023 in the land graft case in which he was sentenced last week sparked countrywide protests that saw his supporters attack and ransack military installations in an unprecedented backlash against Pakistan’s powerful army generals.
Although Khan was released days later, he was rearrested in August of that year after being convicted in a corruption case. He remains in prison and says all cases against him are politically motivated.
Pakistan PM invites Imran Khan’s party to resume talks, offers audit of 2024 elections
https://arab.news/mf5qk
Pakistan PM invites Imran Khan’s party to resume talks, offers audit of 2024 elections
- Pakistan held its general election on Feb. 8, 2024 that was marred by a mobile Internet shutdown and unusually delayed results
- The polls threw up a hung National Assembly and were followed by weeks of protests by opposition parties over rigging claims
World Bank president in Pakistan to discuss development projects, policy issues
- Pakistan, World Bank are currently gearing up to implement a 10-year partnership framework to grant $20 billion loans to the cash-strapped nation
- World Bank President Ajay Banga will hold meetings with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials during the high-level visit
ISLAMABAD: World Bank President Ajay Banga has arrived in Pakistan to hold talks with senior government officials on development projects and key policy issues, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday, as Islamabad seeks multilateral support to stabilize economy and accelerate growth.
The visit comes at a time when Pakistan and the World Bank are gearing up to implement a 10-year Country Partnership Framework (CPF) to grant $20 billion in loans to the cash-strapped nation.
The World Bank’s lending for Pakistan, due to start this year, will focus on education quality, child stunting, climate resilience, energy efficiency, inclusive development and private investment.
"World Bank President Ajay Banga arrives in Pakistan for a high-level visit," the state-run Pakistan TV Digital reported on Sunday. "During his stay, he will meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials to discuss economic reforms, development projects, and key policy issues."
Pakistan, which nearly defaulted on its foreign debt obligations in 2023, is currently making efforts to stabilize its economy under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program.
Besides efforts to boost trade and foreign investment, Islamabad has been seeking support from multilateral financial institutions to ensure economic recovery.
“This partnership fosters a unified and focused vision for your county around six outcomes with clear, tangible and ambitious 10-year targets,” Martin Raiser, the World Bank vice president for South Asia, had said at the launch of the CPF in Jan. last year.
“We hope that the CPF will serve as an anchor for this engagement to keep us on the right track. Partnerships will equally be critical. More resources will be needed to have the impact at the scale that we wish to achieve and this will require close collaboration with all the development partners.”
In Dec., the World Bank said it had approved $700 million in financing for Pakistan under a multi-year initiative aimed at supporting the country's macroeconomic stability and service delivery.
It followed a $47.9 million World Bank grant in August last year to improve primary education in Pakistan's most populous Punjab province.
