In Brief
JUDICIARY
PTI to file appeal against Al-Qadir verdict
On 19 January, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) announced that it would appeal against the National Accountability Bureau’s decision in the GBP 190 million Al-Qadir Trust case at the high court on 21 January. While speaking at a news conference, PTI leader Salman Akram Raja contended that the government had misconceived the funds returned by the National Crime Agency (NCA) of UK. He claimed that they were supposed to be deposited in the real-estate tycoon, Malik Riaz’s account and not the state treasury. He explained how nine accounts of Malik Riaz’s family in the UK were frozen on the grounds of suspicion. However, there have been claims that Riaz was a recipient of 16,000 acres of land and the Supreme Court has made a verdict against the real-estate giant, to pat a fine of PKR 460 billion to the Malir Development Authority (MDA). In this regard, the NCA decided to send the confiscated amount of GBP 190 million to the SC and instructed Riaz and his family to leave the UK after considering the SC verdict. Raja added that the UK authorities found no characteristic of crime in the fund as there was a bilateral agreement between the NCA and Riaz that the amount would be sent to the SC’s account. The belief that the amount was supposed to go to the state exchequer was wrong. Additionally, Riaz had deposited the outstanding amount to the SC as the latter transferred PKR 50 billion to the federation and PKR 44 billion to the provincial government of Sindh. (Ikram Junaidi, “PTI to challenge £190m case ruling tomorrow,” Dawn, 20 January 2025)
ECONOMY
Pakistan to issue its first Panda bonds from June
On 20 January, The News International reported that Pakistan has decided to issue its first USD 200 million panda bonds in June. This comes as Pakistan celebrates its 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations with China. While speaking to Hong Kong’s TVB channel, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb said: “We just want to make sure that we are also present in the second largest and second deepest capital market in the world.” Panda bonds are usually issued by non-Chinese parties to help encourage investment from China. In this regard, Pakistan would find these bonds of use as the country has revived from almost being at the brink of a default. Hoping that this new plan would give a thrust to the economy, Aurangzeb said that the government sought to adopt an “export-led growth” by “changing the DNA of the economy.” He also expressed optimism that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC 2.0) would help stabilize the economy by expediting industrial and technological growth. (Israr Khan & Khalid Mustafa, “Pakistan set to issue first-ever $200m panda bonds in June,” The News International, 20 January 2025)
5G services launch scheduled for June
On 20 January, the News International reported that 5g services would be launched in Pakistan in June 2025. According to the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecom, the document relating to this schedule of the launch has been tabled in the parliament. It has been decided that the Spectrum Advisory Committee will submit their recommendations in the next month. Following this, policy reforms involving trading conditions and taxation and spectrum pricing would be finalized in March. Then, the policy directive is set to receive approval from the centre in March and the 700 2300, 2600 and 3500 Mega Hertz spectrum will auctioned in May. Finally, the 5g network will be launched in June. (“5G service launch schedule presented in parliament,” The News International, 20 January 2025)
On unsustainable economic growth: “We are no longer in a position to pull off higher growth rates by encouraging imported consumption with borrowed money,” argued an editorial in Dawn
On 20 January, an editorial titled “Lower growth” in Dawn argued the need for heavy private investment into the economy. It began by discussing the current state of Pakistan’s economy as the International Monetary Fund has lowered its growth forecast of Pakistan from 3.2 per cent to 3.3 per cent. Being a country highly vulnerable to external forces, there are concerns that it lacks the capacity to support economic growth. Besides, several international agencies expect Pakistan’s growth to show a downward trend for the next couple of years. The editorial suggested that the current figures of macroeconomic indicators might be misleading as the Pakistan Muslim League- (N) (PML-N) led government is not ready to undertake “critical reforms to address the imbalances” and put an end to the country’s “growth drought.” It highlighted how the inaction towards implementing structural reforms would not help sustainable growth or even help it revive from a balance of payment crisis. This leads to a lack of investor confidence in Pakistan as no foreign private investment has flown into the country. (“Lower growth,” Dawn, 20 January 2025)
SOCIETY
Women stage rally against sedition charges slapped on 12 BYC activists
On 19 January, several female activists gathered in Malir after the police registered 12 workers and the Baloch Yakjehti leader in a sedition case and held 13 others. These individuals were detained by the police for demonstrating a rally in Lyari on 18 January. While 13 detained women were released, a case has been filed against the 12 mentioned above, by the state at the Kalakot police station. It has been alleged that these activists were chanting anti-national slogans “against national institutions and Pakistani leadership” in the Lyari demonstration. In this regard, FIRs have been issued under Sections 123, 124-A, 146, 149, 153, 290, 341 and 34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. (Imtiaz Ali, “Women stage rally in Malir after 12 BYC activists booked on sedition charge,” Dawn, 20 January 2025)
Heart attack cases among young men on the rise, reports The News
On 20 January, The News International reported on the rise in cases of heart attack among young men. The death of married men leaves their young widows with no option but to engage in jobs which do not pay adequately. As per a senior cardiologist, 15 per cent cases of heart attacks occur in people who are below the age of 40. According to him, out of the 47 cases of heart attacks that occur every hour in the country, close to 15 of them are below the age of 40. This not only compels young women to pursue low-wage jobs but also increases their dependency on their relatives. Men who manage to survive heart attacks become dependent upon high-cost medicines. The cost of medicines range from PKR 10000 to PKR 15000 per month. As per a cardiologist practicing in Karachi, the key reasons for heart attacks among young men are “smoking and hypertension.”
(M, Waqar Bhatti, “Number of young widows, orphan kids rising as married men dying of heart attacks, strokes: experts,” The News International, 20 January 2025)
SECURITY
Five terrorists neutralized in Zhob, Balochistan
On 20 January, The News International reported that five terrorists who were attempting to enter Pakistan from Afghanistan were neutralized. The operation took place in Zhob, Balochistan. Islamabad has been insisting that the Taliban government in Afghanistan to make sure that no such illegal border crossings occur and not let the militants use Afghanistan as safe havens. President Zardari and PM Sharif appreciated the efforts of the security forces in curbing the intrusion by militants from Afghanistan. PM Sharif said “We are fully determined to root out all types of terrorism from the country.” President Zardari yet again stated about the government's intention to eliminate terrorism and secure the borders. (“Action in Zhob: Five terrorists killed while sneaking into Pakistan thru border with Afghanistan,” The News International, 20 January 2025)
Security Operation launched in Bagan to neutralize militants and disruptors of peace
On 19 January, a security operation was launched in Bagan to eliminate armed militants and disruptors of peace in Kurram. Source of the Dawn confirmed that the security officials are now engaged in dismantling the bunkers and taking control of the check posts. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is determined to bring back normalcy to the region and neutralize the militants. As per the officials, militants have escaped from the region. The officials are working on taking control of the road between Kurram and Peshawar. This would enable trucks to use the road. The operation is a response to the attacks on the aid convoys after the signing of peace accord. In one of the attacks, former deputy commissioner’s vehicle was targeted. The present deputy commissioner of Kurram Ashfaq Ahmed informed that camps have been put up in Thall and Hangu to accommodate displaced residents. Separately, the jirga which was involved in mediating the peace agreement has called for a joint investigation team (JIT) to look into the reasons which have led to breach of the accord. The jirga has demanded that the JIT should be led by a judge. On another note, residents of Bagan are continuing with their sit-in protests. The protesters stated that their demands have not been fulfilled yet. As per a local leader, the protesters have four demands- government should take action against disruptors of peace, “de-weaponization” of the region, destroying the bunkers and remuneration for the shop and house owners whose property were damaged in the violence. (Umer Farooq and Javid Hussain, “Operation to rid Kurram of ‘spoilers’ launched,” Dawn, 20 January 2025; Ali Afzal Afzaal, Isarul Haq and Javed Aziz Khan, “‘Targeted’ operation launched in Lower Kurram,” The News International, 20 January 2025 )
On the escalation of violence in Kurram “administration was in denial, letting the Kurram cauldron boil until it was ready to explode” says an editorial in Dawn
On 19 January, an editorial in Dawn titled “Kurram conundrum” discussed the flawed approach of the government in addressing the violence that erupted in Kurram. The editorial mentioned the recent assault on an aid convoy which took place in Bagan on 16 January and that resulted in the death of security officials. The editorial highlighted that the land disputes among tribes have been utilized by “sectarian groups and terrorist outfits” to strengthen their position in the province. The editorial argued that if the provincial and federal government would have been proactive in addressing the violence when it first erupted in the province, many lives could have been saved. However, the editorial also stated that “administration was in denial.” The editorial criticized the government's approach of closing down the roads which had left Parachinar isolated from the rest of the country. Because of the closure of roads, there was a scarcity of food and necessary supplies in Parachinar, leading to a serious “humanitarian crisis.” The editorial further argued that the escalation of violence in the region could have been stopped if the government eliminated the militants irrespective of their group affiliation. (“Kurram conundrum,” Dawn, 19 January 2025)
On rising cybersecurity risks, “the country needs to focus on education if it is to produce the kind of people that can ensure cybersecurity,” walls,” says an editorial in The International News
On 20 January, an editorial titled, “Securing the digital walls,” in The International News stated that a recent World Economic Forum report has revealed that the 2020s have seen growing geopolitical tensions drive global cybersecurity challenges. The report titled Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2025 revealed that 60 per cent of organizations are adapting their strategies accordingly. A third of the CEOs in the report highlighted cyber espionage and intellectual property theft as critical threats, while 45 per cent of cyber leaders fear operational disruptions. The confidence in national cybersecurity responses is low, especially in the Global South. There are only 40 per cent of leaders in Asia who expressed confidence in their countries’ preparedness. The cybersecurity firm Kaspersky reported that Pakistan exemplifies these concerns with a 114 per cent rise in financial malware attacks targeting its banking sector in 2024. The vulnerabilities could escalate as the country adopts advanced technologies like 5G and crypto-currencies without robust cybersecurity infrastructure. Pakistan’s new virtual assets bill offers a regulatory framework but with significant gaps like talent shortage. Furthermore, 49 per cent of public-sector organizations worldwide are faced with similar challenges. The editorial stated that the issues could be addressed through education and international cybersecurity laws which could mitigate risks and foster global cooperation. (“Securing the digital walls,” The International News, 20 January 2025)
EXTERNAL
On Pakistan’s human trafficking crisis, “Tragedy at sea,” says an editorial in The International News
On 20 January, Dawn reported that a boat carrying 86 migrants, including 66 Pakistanis, reached its destination and docked in Morroco after nearly two weeks adrift in the Atlantic. This incident left 44 Pakistani immigrants presumed dead. Moroccan authorities rescued 36 survivors, including 21 Pakistanis who are being housed in a coastal city in Western Morocco, Dakhla. Pakistan’s embassy has provided essential aid to the 21 Pakistanis and coordinated with local officials for their care. Furthermore, Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has intensified its crackdown on human traffickers. There have been four cases filed against eight suspects, including a ringleader linked to sending 28 migrants to Spain for hefty fees. The assets and bank accounts linked to these traffickers are being frozen, and a high-level team led by Additional Secretary Interior Salman Chaudhary is in Morocco to probe the incident. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called for strict action and emphasized accountability.
On 20 January, an editorial titled, “Tragedy at sea,” in The International News stated that human trafficking remains a grim reality in Pakistan, with tragedies like the recent boat capsizing off Morocco exposing the scale of exploitation. The fifty people, including 44 Pakistanis, perished after being stranded for thirteen days at sea. The victims revealed that the traffickers extorted money, inflicted torture, and threw migrants overboard. These incidents highlight the broader crisis, with over 10,000 migrants dying on routes to Spain in 2024 alone. Pakistan’s government has made progress by arresting 185 traffickers, freezing assets worth PKR 450 million, and investigating complicit officials. However, these measures are insufficient against the sprawling, adaptive trafficking networks. The strengthened collaboration with international organizations like Interpol and the UN is needed, alongside advanced intelligence-sharing and tighter border security. There should be stricter laws, harsher penalties, and comprehensive victim support, including legal aid and rehabilitation domestically. The public awareness campaigns and targeted initiatives in high-risk areas, such as Punjab’s Gujrat, are essential to prevent exploitation. The editorial stated that every life lost to trafficking underscored systemic failures and demanded decisive global and national action to dismantle these networks. (Waseem Ashraf Butt and Syed Irfan Raza, “FO names 21 boat tragedy survivors,” Dawn, 20 January 2025; “Tragedy at sea,” The International News, 20 January 2025)
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Gwadar International Airport is a symbol of future hope and progress.
Federal Minister of Defense Khawaja Asif
- PMLN Digital
If Imran Niazi tells the truth, he cannot deny the corruption that took place during the Buzdar era
Muneeb Farooq
- PMLN Digital
"The ink on the Al-Qadir Trust case has not even dried yet and the decision has been completely reversed. The part of the British decision that said the money would go to Pakistan was copied and pasted in the decision, but the other part was deleted. Now, when this British decision and Malik Riaz's agreement are submitted to the Islamabad High Court, the evidence of this case will be lost."
Imran Riaz Khan
- PTI
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"There is no dollar bonanza forthcoming that can cheapen imports and sustain middle class consumption."
- An opinion in Dawn, 'Middle class in crisis.'
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