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In Brief
POLITICS
PM Sharif appoints Ishaq Dar as deputy prime minister
On 28 April, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appointed Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar as the deputy prime minister “with immediate effect and until further orders.” The unprecedented move, which barely drew criticism from the PML-N’s allies, was potentially made as Nawaz Sharif wanted to have his “confidant” in a key position in the federal cabinet, to make up for the loss of the finance portfolio. It was also seen as a way for him to take over the reins of the PML-N after recently being re-appointed as the party’s president. As per a senior cabinet member, Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif took the decision “jointly,” proving that “there is no division in the party.” The cabinet member added that appointing a senior minister as deputy prime minister is an “old practice,” and since Dar is the “senior-most” government member, he “deserved” the position. However, another insider said the move was “pre-planned” as it had been “decided from the very first day that Ishaq Dar would be the deputy prime minister in the present government.” Senior PML-N leader Irfan Siddiqui said to Dawn that Shehbaz Sharif was “fully authorized to give any additional charge to anyone within the government,” while asserting that there is “no divide in the PML-N ranks as all party members consider Nawaz Sharif as their top leader.” Dar, who had served as the finance minister four times, is considered to be a key confidante of Nawaz Sharif. During Nawaz Sharif’s tenure as prime minister, Dar was acting as the de facto deputy prime minister. (Syed Irfan Raza, “‘Nawaz’s man’ Ishaq Dar gets another feather in his cap,” Dawn, 29 April 2024)
PTI demands return of mandate and release of incarcerated leaders before dialogues
On 29 April, Dawn reported that amid speculation of holding talks with the establishment, the PTI linked the proposed dialogue to the release of imprisoned party leaders, including Imran Khan, as confidence-building measures by the concerned powers. This statement came against a backdrop of the PTI being urged to hold a dialogue to help Pakistan come out of political and economic crises. Multiple party leaders have advised the party to engage in dialogue only after tangible actions, while some leaders suggested that all incarcerated leaders should be released on bail with the party’s “stolen mandate” in the elections being returned, as a groundwork for dialogue. Two of the party’s imprisoned leaders, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry and former Punjab governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema wrote a letter to Khan and the PTI’s core committee suggesting that the PTI should take part in talks after confidence-building measures and guarantees from the establishment. They also advised that the dialogue agenda should include the formation of a judicial commission tasked with issuing a probe into the 8 February elections and 9 May incidents. The leaders asked for scrutiny of the caretaker government’s “unconstitutional steps,” a search for electoral reforms, the removal of the incumbent chief election commissioner, and the creation of an environment for democratic liberties. Separately, PTI Central Punjab General Secretary Hammad Azhar said Khan would not talk to the establishment till the return of the mandate and the release of imprisoned leaders. He alleged: “The establishment had no credibility even before the 9 May false flag operation, which was used as an excuse to batter the PTI leaders and workers…to achieve its political agendas.” (Mansoor Malik, “PTI seeks return of ‘stolen mandate’ before reconciliation,” Dawn¸ 29 April 2024)
ECONOMY
Government will use digital solutions to fix undocumented economy issue, says finance minister
On 28 April, during a session at a special World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Riyadh, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said that the biggest challenge facing Pakistan is the undocumented economy, and the government is considering switching to digital solutions. Despite Pakistan generating “PKR 4.9 trillion in annual revenues,” half of the economy remains undocumented, which necessitates reimagining the economic framework. Aurangzeb highlighted that “national identification” and the “real-time payment system called Raast” are the “two important pillars” that Pakistan can use to move “towards documenting the economy through digital solution.” He said that an agreement signed with McKinsey earlier on 26 April would result in the company helping with the “end-to-end digitalization” of the country’s economy. This digitalization is a priority for the government, which is extending digital solutions to the informal sector as well. Aurangzeb mentioned that as per the latest figures, “approximately 700,000 SMEs and around six million farmers are being offered credits through digital solutions. There is an absolute need for scaling up.” Speaking on the importance of extending digital solutions to women and the unbanked population, he pointed out that the government is “providing cash to the poor women of Pakistan,” lamenting the fact that “male family members take cash” from the women. (Riaz Usman, “Digital transition key to tackle undocumented economy: Finance Minister Aurangzeb,” Dawn¸ 29 April 2024)
EXTERNAL
Saudi leaders assure PM Sharif of continued support through investments
On 28 April, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received assurances on investment from Saudi Arabia and was described as a “man of action” by the hosts of a special meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF). He had taken a high-powered delegation of key ministers in charge of investment to hold discussions. The Saudi Minister for Investment, Khalid Al-Falih, assured Sharif by saying “Your mission is our mission.” Saudi Arabian Finance Minister Mohammad Al Jadaan stated that Pakistan is a priority for investment in the fields of agriculture, information technology, and energy, and a delegation of Saudi investors would soon visit Pakistan. Sharif met the Saudi minister for energy, who expressed interest in collaborating with Pakistan in various fields, and said he was in contact with private Saudi companies regarding investing in Pakistan. On the sidelines of the WEF meeting, Sharif met the IMF’s Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and affirmed his government’s commitment to putting the country’s economy back on track. Georgieva said that the two “discussed policy reforms and strong decisions to address [Pakistan’s] challenges and create stronger sustained and more inclusive growth for the benefit all Pakistanis.” (“PM Shehbaz secures more investment assurances from Riyadh,” Dawn¸ 29 April 2024)
SECURITY
Security forces kill at least six terrorists in separate operations in KP
On 29 April, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that during an intelligence-based operation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), security forces killed at least four militants who had been involved in terrorist activities in the area. They then recovered “weapons and ammunition” from the terrorists. A day earlier in a separate operation, security forces killed at least two terrorists in KP’s Dera Ismail Khan district. (“At least four terrorists killed in Tank IBO,” The Express Tribune, 29 April 2024)
SOCIETY
Report highlights attacks on media practitioners in Pakistan, warns of poor media freedom
On 28 April, the Freedom Network published an annual report titled ‘Erosion of Free Speech: The Silencing of Citizens, Political Parties and Media,’ ahead of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May. The report, which covers the May 2023 to April 2024 period, said that media freedom in Pakistan suffered significant setbacks through “state-driven intimidation” and “predatory actions by some non-state actors,” which resulted in over 200 journalists and bloggers targeted through at least 70 legal notices. Media freedom was also at risk because of reduced tolerance for online dissent, and a series of attacks on journalists and bloggers, including the murder of four journalists. Many of the 70 legal notices served to media practitioners came “consequent to a ‘joint investigation team’ of various government departments tasked with identifying persons allegedly running a smear campaign against some judges; although, the chief justice later said he was not a complainant, and that the judiciary was being used to target free expression aimed at others.” In the period under review, two journalists each in Sindh and Punjab were killed, while there were 104 cases of violations against journalists including attacks and kidnappings, recorded by the Freedom Network.
The report highlighted how “acute political polarisation and governance and economic instability saw three governments in the one year between May 2023 and April 2024.” All three ruling dispensations seemingly evolved “an alarming consensus among its most powerful political and state figures to lower their threshold of tolerance to freedom of expression, particularly online dissent.” In the past year, a pattern of crackdowns was observed in the form of “warnings of actions by high officials, including top government functionaries, followed by regular targeting of online expression.” The report expressed alarm at the government’s renewed efforts to legislate the ‘E-Safety Bill and Personal Data Protection Bill.’ The bills, which had been approved by the federal cabinet of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s previous government in 2023, seek to establish separate authorities with the ability to penalize “posters of content” on social media. Therefore, actions such as the “state’s intent to weaponize regulations of online content, particularly social media platforms, including journalistic and social expression, will not only institutionalise coercive censorship but also put other Pakistan’s rising digital economy in peril.” However, the report mentioned some “small victories” in defending freedom of expression and media freedom, including the Supreme Court’s decision to ask the Federal Investigations Agency to suspend notices issued to journalists. (Ikram Junaidi, “Over 200 journalists ‘intimidated’ via legal notices last year: Freedom Network,” Dawn, 29 April 2024)
Nationwide vaccination campaign to protect children against poliovirus begins
On 29 April, a vaccination campaign to immunize more than 24 million children below the age of five against poliovirus, will be carried out in Islamabad, 30 districts of Balochistan, 26 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 24 districts of Sindh, and ten districts of Punjab. As part of the campaign, health workers will go house-to-house to vaccinate children. The PM’s Coordinator on National Health Services, Dr Malik Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath, said that since “poliovirus has been detected in multiple sewage samples in the country in recent months,” the virus is a “serious threat to children’s well-being” which is why the government is prioritizing the campaign. Additionally, the Coordinator of the National Emergency Operations Center for Polio Eradication, Dr Shahzad Baig, said the campaign is critical as the virus has been “detected in over 31 districts this year,” and regular vaccination campaigns will be implemented in “all high-risk districts to ensure that children have the immunity to fight off the polio infection.” (“Anti-polio drive aiming to vaccinate 24m children begins today nationwide,” Dawn, 29 April 2024)
PROVINCES
Balochistan: Former chief ministers advise using political means to solve ongoing issues
On 28 April, two former chief ministers of Balochistan, Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, asserted that Balochistan’s issues can only be solved through political means and not the use of force. They also opined that Pakistan’s future is linked with the supremacy of democracy and the strengthening of political forces. Speaking at the 5th Asma Jahangir Conference in Lahore, Mengal, the President of the Balochistan National Party (BNP-M), stated: “If someone wants to resolve the issues of Balochistan, it must be done through political hands, not by guns.” Baloch expressed a similar sentiment and said that Pakistan’s “constitution is seeking self-preservation.” He also blamed the weakness of political parties for empowering the establishment to rule Pakistan according to its will and labelled the current government and parliament as the weakest institutions in history. Further, he alleged that elections across Pakistan were rigged, with “popular political leaders” being “ousted from parliament.” Baloch lamented that the leaders who were brought in “were not politically affiliated and had no connection with people,” and that parliamentary seats were bartered. (Saleem Shahid, “Political solutions to Balochistan’s issues sought,” Dawn, 29 April 2024)
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