ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s envoy to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Tuesday said the administration in Islamabad was following an agenda to ensure economic progress, as he hosted a reception to mark his country’s national day.
Pakistan annually commemorates its national day on March 23, marking the anniversary of the 1940 Lahore Resolution that called for a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Indian Subcontinent.
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi highlighted the Pakistani government’s socio-economic initiatives during the event in Abu Dhabi, which was attended by diplomats and senior Emirati officials, including Sheikh Nahayan bin Mabarak Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence.
“[Ambassador Tirmizi] invited attention toward a range of opportunities in Pakistan that remained pivotal in promoting socio-economic development in [his] country,” said an official statement issued by the Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi following the event.
“These included a healthy youth bulge; growing women participation in public life; the potential of agriculture; rich socio-cultural heritage; tourism potential; and the fastest-growing IT sector,” the statement added. “He underscored that the government was pursuing a progressive agenda aimed at making tangible progress toward achieving economic growth and Sustainable Development Goals.”
In his address, the Pakistani envoy also called for an immediate end to hostilities in Gaza and reiterated Islamabad’s support for the peaceful resolution of the Palestine and Kashmir disputes in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The ambassador acknowledged the UAE’s impressive economic transformation over the past five decades and paid tribute to the leadership of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, whose vision, he said, was being proudly carried forward by President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Tirmizi also praised the growing political and economic partnership between Pakistan and the UAE while highlighting regular high-level exchanges and institutional cooperation between them along with the presence of a 1.7 million-strong Pakistani diaspora in the Gulf state.
Pakistan’s envoy to UAE says Islamabad pursuing progressive agenda to drive economic growth
https://arab.news/pu5kb
Pakistan’s envoy to UAE says Islamabad pursuing progressive agenda to drive economic growth
- Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi hosted a gathering in Abu Dhabi to mark his country’s national day
- He called for an end to hostilities in Gaza and demanded peaceful resolution of the Palestine dispute
Imran Khan’s party seeks ‘confidence-building measures’ after government’s talks offer
- PTI says access to jailed founding leader essential for talks to be considered credible
- Government says it’s ready for dialogue but nothing will happen until Khan favors the idea
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party said on Saturday it would only consider the government’s offer for talks credible if it is accompanied by “concrete confidence-building measures,” such as unhindered access to its founding leader in a high-security prison in Rawalpindi.
Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government was fully prepared to hold a dialogue with Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to address political polarization that has deepened since the downfall of the PTI administration in a parliamentary no-confidence vote in 2022.
PTI has frequently complained about a state crackdown against its top leadership, including Khan and his wife, who are serving prison sentences in multiple cases ranging from corruption charges to inciting violence against state institutions and attacks on government properties.
Sharif’s offer for talks came amid media reports that PTI wanted a dialogue with the government, though he noted that negotiations would not be allowed to proceed on the basis of “blackmailing” or unlawful demands and would only cater to legitimate issues.
“Announcements of talks, without concrete confidence-building measures, cannot be treated as credible progress,” Azhar Leghari, PTI’s central deputy information secretary, told Arab News.
He recalled that Khan had authorized Mahmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Raja Nasir Abbas to carry forward with the dialogue process, adding that talks “require trust, and trust cannot be built at the cost of constitutional rights or democratic legitimacy.”
“For dialogue to be meaningful, it is essential that these authorized representatives are allowed regular and unhindered access to Imran Khan so that any engagement accurately reflects his views and PTI’s collective position,” he added.
Khan’s family, party and legal team have complained in the past they are stopped by the authorities from meeting the ex-PM in prison. Last month, they also raised concerns about his health, prompting the officials to allow one of his sisters to meet him, who said he was fine.
Shortly thereafter, a scathing message was posted on his social media account, criticizing the army chief. Khan’s post elicited a bitter response from the government and the military amid accusations of inciting people against state institutions.
Leghari’s comments came only a day after Rana Sanaullah, adviser to Prime Minister Sharif on political affairs, said PTI’s “second- or third-tier leadership” wanted dialogue, but nothing was going to happen until Khan favored these negotiations.
He also maintained that while the government was ready for talks, “uncertainty and delays from PTI are preventing progress.”
Meanwhile, a newly formed National Dialogue Committee of former PTI leaders told Arab News it had organized a session on Wednesday, January 7, in the federal capital that will bring together all major political parties, journalists, lawyers and representatives of civil society.
“Our goal is to bring political leaders together so that, while discussing their own issues, they can collectively seek solutions to the nation’s challenges,” Mahmood Baqi Moulvi, a Pakistani politician and member of the committee, said.
“The initiative also builds on previous efforts, including a letter to the prime minister requesting confidence-building measures to enable talks with PTI,” he added.
The National Dialogue Committee had urged the government in the letter to grant parole to jailed party figures in Lahore, including former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Dr. Yasmin Rashid, describing the move as vital for building trust ahead of negotiations.
It had also maintained such a step “would not only create an extremely positive, conducive, and trust-filled environment for the negotiations but would also lay a strong foundation for restoring mutual confidence among all stakeholders.”
While the government has also offered dialogue in the past, PTI leaders have conditioned participation on substantive measures, including what they describe as an end to politically motivated prosecutions and arrests, restoration of fundamental rights, respect for judicial independence and a credible roadmap toward free and fair elections.
“Reconciliation is possible, but it must be based on correcting injustices rather than managing optics,” Leghari said. “A genuine reset requires restoring respect for the Constitution, ending political victimization and allowing democratic processes to function without interference.”
Rana Sanaullah and Deputy Law Minister Barrister Aqeel Malik did not respond to requests for comment.
