PESHAWAR: The government in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province has decided to send two delegations, comprising tribal elders, religious scholars, and political leaders, to engage in direct talks with the Afghan Taliban rulers for peace and stability in the region, a KP government spokesman said on Sunday, amid a rise in militant attacks in the province that borders Afghanistan.
The development came a day after KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur said the security situation in the province was directly linked to the “developments in neighboring Afghanistan,” following a consultative meeting convened by the KP administration under the title “National Unity Against Terrorism” that brought together representatives from various religious and political parties.
Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy in KP since a fragile truce between the Pakistani Taliban, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and Islamabad broke down in November 2022. The TTP and other militant groups have frequently targeted security forces convoys and check-posts, besides targeted killings and kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials in recent months.
The engagement with Kabul is planned to address critical issues, including cross-border security, economic cooperation and trade and KP government spokesman Muhammad Ali Saif would be the focal person of the KP government and part of all delegations in this regard, according to a statement issued from the provincial information department.
“There is no timeframe given for the visit of the planned delegations but they will visit very soon,” Nisar Khan, an official at the KP information department, told Arab News on Sunday.
Pakistan’s top military and political leadership has blamed the surge in violence on TTP militants launching cross-border attacks from Afghanistan, accusing Kabul of harboring and facilitating them. Afghanistan denies the allegation and says Pakistan’s security is an internal matter of Islamabad.
The TTP continues to get financial and logistical support from Kabul, a United Nations (UN) report said this month, amid Islamabad’s repeated calls for Afghanistan to rein in the group. The ambition and scale of the TTP’s attacks on Pakistan had significantly increased, with over 600 attacks from July till December 2024, the report said.
The KP provincial government intends to send the first delegation to lay the foundation for meaningful talks and pave the way for the second delegation to reach some sort of tangible solution to issues, according to officials.
Saif said tribal communities residing on both sides of the porous Pakistan-Afghanistan border share the same language, tradition and social norms.
“However, due to prolonged conflict and instability in the region, cross-border relationships have been impacted, contributing to security concerns, economic downturn and humanitarian challenges,” he said in a statement.
Aamer Raza, a lecturer of political science at the University of Peshawar, told Arab News that it would be too early to expect “immediate and tangible results” from the intended talks, but the engagements would help build confidence between the two sides.
“The issue of militancy in the province and in the region is interconnected. Cooperation between the two sides can bring down militancy not only in KP but the same will enhance peace and stability in Afghanistan,” he said.
“Dealing with the complex ideological landscape of militancy in the region will need an intricate dialogue.”
Saif said the objectives of the delegation include strengthening cross-border tribal diplomacy, confidence-building measures between tribal communities and authorities on both sides.
“[The delegations] will try to address cross-border security concerns, engage tribal leaders to dissuade terrorist organizations from using Afghan territory for launching attacks in Pakistan, seek cooperation in monitoring and preventing the TTP and other militant movements across the border,” he said, adding the delegates would also explore opportunities for trade between border regions, initiatives to enhance health care, education and livelihood opportunities.
Saif said his government intended to explore ways to establish mechanisms for the movement of people of both countries for medical treatment and business, and strengthening cultural and social exchanges.
The first delegation, comprising tribal elders and a senior government official from KP, would establish diplomatic groundwork and coordinate with Afghan counterparts, according to the KP government spokesman.
“Liaison with the federal government will be ensured for approvals and guidance,” he added.
After the first visit, a larger delegation, comprising tribal elders, religious scholars and key stakeholders, would visit Afghanistan to engage with Afghan tribal leaders and government representatives.
“Discussion points will cover security, trade, refugee issues and cross-border collaboration,” he added.
Irfanullah Khan, a Pakistani scholar and expert on tribal affairs, called the KP government initiative a “positive step toward addressing security issues,” but said the likelihood of achieving durable peace depends on the capacity of Afghan authorities to enforce agreements as well as the level of cooperation from Pakistan in addressing local grievances.
“Bilateral engagement is a good gesture which will lay the groundwork for peace, but sustained efforts are needed from both Kabul and Islamabad to address security issues,” he said.
“It is a good move to include tribal leaders in the talks. Local populations must feel empowered in the decision-making process. Combination of security measures, development activities and good governance can contribute gradually to restoration of peace in KP and its tribal areas.”
Irfanullah, however, said the success of negotiations would depend on the evolving political and security landscape.
Saif said the KP government would formally notify the federal government about the initiative, ensuring its alignment with national foreign and security policies.
“No commitments will be made that override Pakistan’s national security framework or diplomatic stance,” he added.
Northwestern Pakistani province to send delegations to Kabul for talks amid surge in militancy
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Northwestern Pakistani province to send delegations to Kabul for talks amid surge in militancy
- Pakistan has struggled to contain a surge in militancy since a fragile truce between Pakistani Taliban and Islamabad broke down in 2022
- Islamabad has frequently accused Afghanistan of sheltering militant groups that launch cross-border attacks, Kabul denies the allegation
PM Sharif hails investor confidence as Pakistan Stock Exchange crosses 119,000 points
- KSE-100 index soared by over 1,400 points after trading commenced, hitting an all-time high of 119,421.81
- Shehbaz Sharif says his government is trying to ensure conducive business and investment environment
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday lauded the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) for surpassing the significant 119,000-point threshold for the first time, saying the market’s bullish opening session mirrored growing investor confidence.
The benchmark KSE-100 index soared by over 1,400 points shortly after trading commenced, reaching an all-time high of 119,421.81 points.
The market rally coincides with Sharif’s four-day visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met separately with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih to discuss strengthening economic cooperation.
“The positive trajectory in the Pakistan Stock Exchange signifies the increasing trust of traders and investors in the government’s economic policies,” the prime minister said in a statement issued by his office from Jeddah.
“The government is providing all necessary facilities on a priority basis to ensure a conducive environment for business and investment in the country,” he added.
Earlier this month, an International Monetary Fund (IMF) team concluded its review of Pakistan’s economic reforms under a $7 billion loan program.
The international lender described Pakistan’s progress as “strong,” though its mission departed without finalizing the staff-level agreement.
The IMF’s positive assessment, nevertheless, led to bullish sentiment in the market, despite recent upticks in militant violence.
The ongoing PSX session saw the KSE-100 index dip below its earlier high, trading at 118,526.63 points at the time of filing this report.
UK lists former Pakistan PM’s son as ‘deliberate tax defaulter’ over £9.4 million unpaid dues
- Hasan Nawaz, identified as property developer, has been fined £5.2 million over unpaid taxes
- He was previously declared bankrupt by the High Court of Justice in London in a 2024 case
ISLAMABAD: The United Kingdom’s tax authority listed Hasan Nawaz, son of Pakistan’s three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, as a “deliberate tax defaulter” this week, imposing a penalty of £5.2 million on unpaid taxes totaling £9.4 million.
According to details, Hasan Nawaz, identified as property developer, failed to pay the amount between April 6, 2015, and April 5, 2016. The list ranks him as the second-highest defaulter.
In the UK, a “deliberate tax defaulter” is an individual or business that has intentionally evaded taxes or made false declarations to underpay their tax liabilities. Under the rules, those who owe more than £25,000 in tax and have received penalties for deliberate default can have their names published on the list of deliberate tax defaulters.
“Amounts in the list relate to the tax/duty on which penalties are based and the penalties charged, where the penalty meets the criteria for publishing under the Publishing Details of Deliberate Defaulters legislation,” His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, responsible for enforcing tax laws, inscribed at the outset of the document. “The list does not necessarily represent the full default of the taxpayer.”
Nawaz Sharif and his family have long faced corruption allegations, including the Panama Papers case, which led to his disqualification as prime minister in 2017. While he has denied such charges against him in the past, the revelation that his son has defaulted on millions in UK taxes revives concerns about financial impropriety and hidden wealth.
In 2024, Hasan Nawaz was declared bankrupt by the High Court of Justice in London following a petition filed by HMRC over unpaid liabilities.
HMRC regularly publishes a list of tax defaulters, updating it quarterly to include individuals and businesses penalized for deliberate tax defaults.
Pakistan March inflation to drop below 1% — market analysis
- Topline Pakistan Research says the decline may mark the lowest level in over three decades
- The research firm cautions any major deviation in commodity prices will impact the inflation rate
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani market research organization on Wednesday estimated a further decline in inflation in the ongoing month, projecting it to fall below 1%, marking the lowest monthly year-on-year (YoY) reading in over three decades.
Topline Pakistan Research, a division of Topline Securities, a prominent brokerage house in Pakistan, gathers and analyzes market data along with consumer behavior and socio-economic indicators.
In recent years, Pakistan has grappled with high inflation, with consumer prices reaching a record 38% in May 2023. However, subsequent monetary policy measures and a series of economic reforms led to a substantial decline, bringing the annual inflation rate down to 1.5% in February 2025.
“Pakistan’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Mar 2025 is expected to bottom out and clock in at 0.5-1.0% YoY (+0.9 percent MoM), lowest monthly YoY reading in over 3 decades, taking 9MFY25 average to 5.38% compared to 27.06% in 9MFY24,” Topline Pakistan Research stated in its estimate.
It noted the anticipated decline in March 2025’s CPI was likely to follow a 2.3% reduction in electricity prices, resulting from a higher fuel cost adjustment of Rs2 per kilowatt hour (kWh) compared to Rs1/kWh in the previous month.
The transport segment index is also expected to decrease by 0.7% month-on-month, owing to a decline in diesel and petrol prices by an average of 2%.
Given these developments, Topline Pakistan Research said it was also revising its inflation forecast for fiscal year 2025 downward from 6-7% to 5-6%.
With the expected inflation rate of less than 1 percent for March 2025, the research organization said the real interest rates will be significantly higher than Pakistan’s historic average of 200-300 basis points, standing at 1,100-1,150 basis points. However, based on fiscal year 2026 inflation estimates of 8-9%, real rates are projected to be 300-400 basis points positive.
Topline Pakistan Research also cautioned any major deviation in commodity rates from current levels, especially fuel prices, could result in change in inflation estimates.
Pakistani drama breaks silence on blasphemy killings
- Hum Network’s 11-part television drama began airing in December, handling the taboo topic with sensitivity
- Producer Sultana Siddiqui calls it her duty to ‘raise awareness about crucial social issues’ that impact society
KARACHI: An axe-wielding mob chases a terrified group; a daring Pakistani television drama has for the first time tackled the deeply sensitive issue of the dozens murdered for alleged blasphemy.
Islam is the official religion in Muslim-majority Pakistan, and accusations of insulting religious sentiments can easily incite mob violence.
Blasphemy is an incendiary charge, and the issue is rarely discussed by major media broadcasters due to security concerns.
But producer Sultana Siddiqui challenged that with an 11-part television drama, which has earned praise since it began airing in December for handling a taboo topic with sensitivity.
“This issue has not been raised before because of fear,” Siddiqui, founder of the Hum Network media company, told AFP.
Her drama “Tan Man Neelo Neel,” or “Bruises on Body and Soul,” tells the stories of people in a small Pakistani town, and has generated millions of views and widespread praise on social media.
“I took the risk in a careful manner,” she said. “That’s why people appreciated it.”
In the drama, the case of blasphemy centers around a character who falsely claims a dance performance takes place in a mosque, rather than the abandoned mansion it happened in.
That storyline of false allegations is an echo of reality.
Pakistan’s independent Human Rights Commission, in a report last month, described the “impunity for perpetrators of hate and violence.”
It detailed cases of people killed, and followers and places of worship of Pakistan’s minority religions, including Christians and Hindus, being attacked over false claims.
“Law enforcement... have often failed to rescue blasphemy suspects from vigilante violence,” the commission said.
“A careful examination of various blasphemy allegations shows that these are invariably based on fabrications, malicious disinformation and fake news.”
Siddiqui said she was motivated by a 2017 case in the city of Mardan when a mob beat 23-year-old journalism student Mashal Khan to death after accusing him of posting blasphemous content online.
“I couldn’t sleep after hearing Mashal’s mother say that ‘not a single bone in his body was left unbroken — even his finger bones were fractured,’” she said.
“I kept wondering: How brutally must they have beaten him?“
Mohammad Iqbal, the murdered student’s father, said that the producer had chosen the “right topic” and had “honored his son.”
“We, those most affected, have rarely spoken about it publicly,” he told AFP.
“At last, this conversation is happening on television.”
Siddiqui said she had long wanted to address the issue and had been carefully collaborating with fellow directors and writers to address the subject matter appropriately.
“I, too, fear extremists who might not like me and could harm me,” she said.
“However, I believe we should address these issues with them in a respectful manner.”
Siddiqui said it was her “duty to educate people” and “raise awareness about crucial social issues” that impact society.
Pakistani dramas boast a massive viewership and their popularity serves as a powerful vehicle for social change.
A Gallup survey conducted in October 2023 suggested that two-fifths of the country watch dramas.
“We should have spoken about such issues much earlier,” said Mustafa Afridi, the writer of the show.
“If we had, perhaps we wouldn’t be in this situation today, perhaps our children wouldn’t be dying.”
Pakistan’s media industry has been wary of the topic — and fallen foul in the past of accusations of creating blasphemous content.
The release of the 2019 award-winning film “Zindagi Tamasha,” or “Circus of Life,” was halted after the Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan (TLP) objected to its portrayal of a cleric they deemed “blasphemous.”
In 2020, a music video shot at Lahore’s Wazir Khan mosque sparked furious protests after singer Bilal Saeed was filmed dancing with actor Saba Qamar.
Police filed a case against them, and they apologized — and were eventually acquitted two years later.
Arafat Mazhar, the director of the Alliance Against Blasphemy Politics group, said Siddiqui’s show had “sparked a viral critique of blasphemy-related mob violence.”
He called the reaction “unprecedented.”
“It wasn’t just that people were watching a drama about mob violence — it was that the conversation centered on mob violence at such a large scale for the first time,” he told AFP.
“The battle against blasphemy violence is not just about speaking out against mob killings. It is about challenging the structures that create and sustain them.”
Pakistani PM meets Saudi crown prince, discusses economic ties, security cooperation
- Sharif’s visit comes at a time when Islamabad is seeking to strengthen trade and investment ties with friendly nations
- Riyadh has promised Islamabad a $5 billion investment package that cash-strapped Pakistan desperately needs
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman today, Thursday, and discussed cooperation in the economic, trade, investment, energy and defense sectors, the premier’s office said in a statement.
Sharif’s four-day visit to the Kingdom comes as Islamabad seeks to strengthen trade and investment ties with friendly nations. Riyadh in particular has promised a $5 billion investment package that cash-strapped Pakistan desperately needs to shore up its dwindling foreign reserves and fight a chronic balance of payment crisis.
Islamabad and Riyadh signed 34 memorandums of understanding and agreements worth $2.8 billion last year to enhance private sector collaboration and commercial partnerships. The two nations are also in “advanced” talks relating to investment in the Reko Diq copper and gold mine, one of the world’s largest underdeveloped copper-gold areas, as per Pakistani officials.
In October last year, Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih announced the Kingdom planned to allocate a significant portion of its $200 billion annual construction and material procurement contracts to Pakistan. Last month, Pakistan also signed an agreement with the Saudi Fund for Development to defer by one year a $1.2 billion payment on the country’s oil imports.
“The meeting reaffirmed the strong and historic ties between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, with discussions focused on enhancing cooperation in economic, trade, investment, energy and defense sectors,” Sharif’s office said in a statement after he met the Saudi crown prince.
“The Prime Minister appreciated the Kingdom’s commitment to increasing investments in key sectors, which will contribute to Pakistan’s economic growth and stability.”
The statement said both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening defense and security cooperation as well, “recognizing the importance of collaborative efforts in addressing regional security challenges.”
They also discussed the “evolving regional situation as well as geopolitical landscape” and agreed to work closely at all levels to promote a “shared vision for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.”
“Both the leaders emphasized the need to further strengthen people-to-people ties, cultural exchanges, and educational collaboration,” the statement concluded.
Separately, Sharif also met Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih and Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri, the head of the Joint Task Force for Economic Engagement. The discussions focused on strengthening economic cooperation, attracting Saudi investments and expediting joint initiatives in key sectors.
“The PM reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to facilitating Saudi investors, highlighting the country’s strategic position and investment-friendly policies,” the PM’s office said. “He emphasized Pakistan’s vast potential in energy, infrastructure, agriculture and technology, inviting Saudi businesses to explore opportunities under the Special Investment Facilitation Council.”
The two sides also discussed enhancing institutional collaboration to accelerate investment projects and ensure smooth implementation and strengthening the Pakistan-Saudi economic partnership through “structured engagements and swift execution of joint projects.”
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and cultural ties. Petroleum products mostly from Saudi Arabia make the major chuck of Pakistan’s import bill. The Kingdom is also home to more than two million Pakistani expatriates and serves as the top source of remittances.
