PM Sharif reaffirms commitment to enhancing cooperation with the IAEA I Ministry of Aviation merged with the Ministry of Defence
In Focus
President Erdogan arrives in Pakistan for a two day visit
On 13 February, President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Islamabad for his two-day visit to Pakistan. He was earlier invited by PM Sharif to visit Pakistan. The aim of the visit is reportedly to enhance bilateral ties between the two countries and increase “economic cooperation.” President Erdogan landed in Islamabad along with his “ministers and senior officers.” PM Sharif and President Zardari were at the Nur Khan airbase to welcome the Turkish President. PM Sharif hailed the Turkish President as a “visionary statesman” in his post on X. On his visit, President Erdogan along with PM Sharif will be attending the seventh edition of Pakistan-Turkiye High Level Strategic Cooperation Council in Pakistan. President Erdogan is also set to hold separate discussions with PM Sharif and President Zardari. He will also be addressing Pakistan-Turkiye Business and Investment Forum during his visit. (“Erdogan arrives in Islamabad on two-day official visit,” The News International, 13 February 2025 “Turkiye President Erdogan touches down in Islamabad,” Dawn, 13 February 2025)
PM Sharif reaffirms commitment to enhancing cooperation with the IAEA
On 12 February, PM Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to increase cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Pakistan is looking towards using “nuclear technology” at its highest “potential” for civilian purposes. PM Sharif had a discussion with Director General of IAEA Rafael Mariano Grossi regarding use of nuclear energy. PM Sharif is confident that the cooperation with IAEA would be beneficial for “Pakistan and the global community.” The two dignitaries discussed the use of nuclear technology in “cancer diagnosis and treatment, agriculture food preservation, water management and industry.” PM Sharif appreciated the director of IAEA for encouraging the use of nuclear energy to fight “climate change.” Director of IAEA acknowledged Pakistan’s “constructive engagement” with the organization.
On 13 February, an editorial in The Nation titled “Clean nuclear energy” discussed the importance of utilizing nuclear energy. The editorial pointed out how the commitment to switch towards clean energy which PM Sharif made in UAE falls in line with his resolve to capitalize on nuclear energy. The editorial highlighted how Germany, which is reducing its dependence on nuclear energy, faces the risk of being over-dependent on Russia and the US for its energy needs. The editorial viewed the switch towards using nuclear energy as a chance for Pakistan to decrease its reliance on oil which it has to buy at a higher cost from other countries. (“Pakistan to strengthen partnership with IAEA for peaceful use of nuclear technology,” The Express Tribune, 12 February 2025; “Clean nuclear energy,” The Nation, 13 February 2025)
Ministry of Aviation merged with the Ministry of Defence
On 13 February, The New International report revealed that the federal government has sought to abolish the Ministry of Aviation and merge it with the Ministry of Defence under its rightsizing reforms. By doing so, the government expects to save a sum of PKR 145 million on an annual basis. In this regard, a letter was issued to various ministries and divisions, to apprise them regarding the merger after implementing the statutory regulation orders (SROs) advanced by the cabinet division. The letters were also sent for delivery to other provincial chiefs and the officials of “Azad Jammu and Kashmir” and Gilgit-Baltistan instructing them to approach the Defence Divison for all aviation matters in future. This development comes as the proposal to merge the aviation, railways and communications divisions was rejected. (Ayub Akbar Yousafzai, “Federal govt abolishes aviation ministry under rightsizing plan,” The News International, 13 February 2025)
In Brief
POLITICS
Cabinet approves amendment mandating civil servants to provide details of assets
On 13 February, Dawn reported that the cabinet has given a go-ahead to a key International Monetary Fund demand. The demand pertained to making it mandatory for government officials to declare assets owned by them and their family members. Additionally, they will also be required to provide details of assets in other countries. This was brought about by initiating amendments to Section 15 of the Civil Servants Act 1973. In this regard, the government is supposed to finalize the amendment by February 2025 where public officials of the highest ranks will digitally file their assets declarations and make them accessible to the public eye. Besides, the cabinet meeting also approved a new law to maintain interfaith harmony and religious tolerance via an action plan. This plan is set to protect minorities by holding public awareness campaigns, conferences, and and dialogues. Other plans of action agreed upon include measures that ban literature and material that promote hate. (Syed Irfan Raza, Bureaucrats will also have to declare their assets,” Dawn, 13 February 2025)
JUI-F questions IMF delegation’s meeting with the CJP
On 12 February, Jamiat-e-Ulema-Islami founder, Maulana Fazlur Rehman commented on the recent interaction between the International Monetary Fund delegation and the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Yahya Afridi. He believed that it was a unique event that took place in Pakistan’s history. He said: “Either economic stability is linked with justice or the IMF has reservations about Pakistan’s justice system.” In a separate statement, JUI-F's Noor Alam expressed reservations regarding the meeting and sought to understand by what capacity and under whose authority was the delegation permitted to meet the CJP. He also asked the government to provide details pertaining to what was discussed in the meeting. In response Defense Minister Khwaja Asif underscored the importance of the judiciary in achieving and maintain fiscal discipline. He suggested that the judiciary played a prominent role in the government’s efforts to impose fiscal discipline under the IMF’s conditions, amidst economic challenges. On the meeting, he said: “We got the breathing space because of the IMF. We have compulsions, not a choice.” (Muhammad Anis, “Judiciary-IMF meeting unique event of its kind: Fazl,” The News International, 13 February 2025; Ifthikar A Khan, “Defence minister defends IMF team’s meeting with CJP,” Dawn, 13 February 2025)
Third letter from Imran Khan to COAS underway, election report and dossier sent to IMF
On 12 February, Imran Khan’s lawyer, Faisal Chaudhry claimed that a third open letter to Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir was underway. He disclosed that Khan would express his concerns about the system and even propose “structural reforms” to tackle the crises in Pakistan. According to sources quoted by Dawn, the letter will soon be published on social media. Furthermore, the previous letters have been entangled in controversy as the military claimed that it did not receive the first letter. However, its contents were revealed on social media. With regard to the second letter, only its crux was highlighted on Khan’s X account. In a separate development National Assembly Opposition leader, Omar Ayub Khan submitted pictures of a dossier sent to the Chief Justice of Pakistan along with a report of the 2024 elections to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). In the letter addressed to IMF’s economist Mahir Binici, Ayub Khan communicated Imran Khan’s reservations regarding the democratic functioning, governance and state of justice and free will in Pakistan. (Ikram Junaidi, “PTI to continue letter-writing spree,” Dawn, 13 February 2025)
JUDICIARY
LHC judge Sarfraz Dogar to take oath as IHC Chief Justice
On 13 February, Justice Sarfaraz Dogar is set to take over as Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) Chief Justice (CJ) after taking a fresh oath. This comes as there have been reservations regarding his seniority within the legal fraternity. In this regard, the new oath-taking ceremony will not follow the usual procedure where the oath is administered to the acting chief justice of a high court by a senior judge. Instead, President Asif Ali Zardari will oversee Justice Dogar’s oath-taking ceremony. This has raised questions pertaining to the five senior IHC judges’ refusal to administer the oaths. Separately, even outgoing Chief Justice of the IHC, Aameer Farooq is set to take oath in the Supreme Court, on the same day. Besides, even Sindh High Court (SHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, Justice Shakeel Ahmad, and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb and Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar will also be sworn in by the Chief Justice on 13 February. (Malik Asad, “Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar,” Dawn, 13 February 2025)
Military Courts of Pakistan lack transparency: Counsel Salman Akram Raja
On 12 February, a seven-judge constitutional bench led by Justice Aminuddin Khan took on intra-court appeals against the Supreme Court’s October 2023 hearing which nullifies the trial of civilians in military courts. While representing the father of Arzam Junaid who was accused in the 9 May violence, Senior lawyer Salman Akram Raja said: “The court-martial is a burning issue in the world for the last many years.” He further highlighted the absence of accountability within military courts as they give out death penalties without providing a “written reason.” Citing a study by the International Commission of Jurists, he shed light on how the military courts of Pakistan have had a 93 per cent conviction rate over the last 20 years. He lamented that all convictions were mostly based on convictions. To this Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan suggested that perhaps the high convictions were due to strong prosecution. Raja retorted that the court martial process was characterized by “fear” and not fair trial. He also compared Pakistan’s system to foreign courts of India and the UK. He said: “There is no opportunity in Pakistan to approach the high courts in the middle of the court martial proceedings.” However, in India and the UK the procedure of court martial has been renovated. (Nasir Iqbal, “Military courts questioned over lack of transparency,” Dawn, 13 February 2025)
ECONOMY
PM Sharif receives backing from IMF Managing Director for his “reform-based programmes”
On 12 February, PM Sharif met with Kristalina Georgieva who is the managing director of the International Monetary Fund(IMF). during the World Governments Summit 2025 hosted in Dubai. The IMF managing director reassured PM Sharif of IMF’s backing for the hard measures taken by the federal government. The discussion between the two emphasized on Pakistan’s resolve to bring “structural reforms” and not let the fiscal deficit to increase. Appreciating the government's efforts, she said that “Pakistan was on the path to growth and has undergone economic recovery.” A team from the IMF is in Pakistan which is carrying out inspection of Pakistan’s “judicial and regulatory system.” This is being done with an aim to bring out “governance and corruption vulnerabilities” existing in the system. Separately, Minister of Finance Muhammad Aurangzeb, while addressing a conference coordinated by Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), stated that the managing director of IMF appreciated PM Sharif’s efforts and his resolve towards “reform-based programme.” (“IMF chief meets PM Shehbaz, pledges support for govt’s actions,” Dawn, 12 February 2025)
Federal Board of Revenue to miss revenue collection target set by IMF
On 13 February, Dawn reported on apprehensions that revenue collection for the ongoing financial year would remain less than the target which was set by the International Monetary Fund programme of PKR 12.97 trillion. FBR is looking at missing the set target by PKR 0.5 trillion. Decrease in taxes that are put on imports, slow growth rate of “large scale manufacturing” and downfall seen in the rate of inflation are highlighted as some of the reasons which has resulted in FBR missing the set target. However, the Federal Board of Revenue(FBR) is optimistic that it would be able to meet the tax-to-GDP ratio (10.6 per cent) criteria set by the IMF. In the first four months of the ongoing financial year, tax-to-GDP ratio was calculated to be 9.6 per cent. This number surged to 10.8 per cent in the next four months. FBR is predicting that for the third quarter, tax-to-GDP ratio would fall below the mark set. Nevertheless, it expects that the number would go above 11 per cent in the final quarter. (Nasir Jamal, “FBR confident of raising tax-to-GDP ratio despite shortfall,” Dawn, 13 February 2025)
On the IMF visit: “It is crucial to ensure that what reforms the IMF does seek to implement do actually deliver tangible benefits to the people rather than just making their lives harder,” suggests an editorial in The News International
On 13 February, an editorial titled “IMF visit” in The News International pinned hope to the recent visit by the International Monetary Fund for the duration of a week. This visit comes as a part of its USD 7 billion Extended Facility Fund. What’s unique about the visit is that unlike previous visits the IMF is not focused on market reforms. Instead it is more focused on addressing Pakistan’s governance and corruption vulnerabilities. The visiting mission will undertake a Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Assessment (GCDA) across six core functions of the state. They include rule of law, Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML-CFT), central bank governance and operations, fiscal governance and financial sector supervision. In this regard, the editorial highlighted the Fund’s realization of the need to “address rule of law, corruption and transparency and accountability in the public sector” in order to meet economic goals.” This will ultimately result in a set of recommendations provided by the technical mission, which is something Pakistan can benefit from. However, it also must be acknowledged that Pakistan’s challenges are also rooted in “rooted in poverty and an exploitative global financial system that gives developing countries the short end of the stick.” In this environment the citizen bears the brunt of inflation and is even a victim to corruption. Hence, it creates a market in which citizens are unwilling to participate in. It leads them “ to cut corners when it comes to taxes and tariffs.” In this regard, the IMF ought to provide reforms that deliver “tangible benefits” rather than make people’s lives more miserable, the editorial concluded. (“IMF visit,” The News International, 13 February 2025)
On the importance of remittances: “inflows have been a key factor behind the stable exchange rate,” says an editorial in Dawn
On 13 February, an editorial in Dawn titled “Support from remittances” discussed the importance of remittances and the reasons behind its surge in the past few years. The editorial highlighted how remittances enable Pakistan to maintain a “surplus current account” despite a declining foreign investment and increasing “trade deficit.” The editorial cite a finding by a brokerage firm about Pakistan being able to maintain a positive current account for a total of eight months in the past 12 months period. For fiscal year 2024, the remittances per month come around to USD 3 billion. This number is USD 2.3-2.4 billion for the fiscal year 2023. The editorial gave credit to remittances coming from Saudi Arabia and UAE which have seen a surge by 42 per cent. The editorial mentioned reasons such as putting an end to “grey dollar trade,” increase in political and economic stability, steady “exchange rate” and reforms made in “forex market” for the boost seen in remittances. Another reason pointed out by the editorial for the surge in remittances is that IT workers are increasingly moving to Dubai because of the restrictions put by the government on internet in Pakistan. The editorial, however, cautioned against increased dependency on remittances for a long duration as it could affect “balance of payments stability.” (“Support from remittances,” Dawn, 13 February 2025)
On Pakistan's corruption index ranking: “It comes as little surprise,” says an editorial in Dawn
On 13 February, an editorial titled “Corruption ranking,” in Dawn discussed Pakistan’s ranking on the Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index of 2024. It noted the drop in Pakistan’s position by two points and illustrated the country’s trend since 2012. It highlighted how the state of corruption in Pakistan has worsened since 2018, with 2023 being an exception. It suggested that this decline took place along the “increasing influence of unelected stakeholders in governance.” This has raised concerns regarding the state of accountability and transparency under Pakistan’s “hybrid” regimes. Besides, the Index also highlighted how corruption is a threat to meet the country’s climate-related needs within the Asia-Pacific region. With context to Pakistan, the report highlighted how “systemic governance gaps and policy implementation barriers — including delays in implementing regulations and establishing institutions under the Climate Change Act of 2017.” This in turn has further left its climate finance below the USD 348 billion target required by 2030. (“Corruption ranking,” Dawn, 13 February 2025)
HEALTH
Fresh case of polio detected from Sindh
On 13 February, The News International reported on a fresh case of polio virus which detected from Badin in Sindh. The victim is a four year old girl. As per the officers of the health department, the girl hails from a Baloch tribe. With this new case, the total number of cases of Wild Poliovirus type 1 in the country for 2025 has reached to two. (M Waqar Bhatti, “2nd polio case of 2025 in Badin,” The News International, 13 February 2025)
SECURITY
District administration in Kurram continues to raze down bunkers
On 13 February, The News International reported that an administrative officer in Kurram has confirmed about continued razing of bunkers in the district. He also revealed that close to 130 bunkers have been destroyed until now. A trench which was roughly 3000 foot in length has also been suffused through the use of “heavy machinery.” The officer further informed that the administration is attempting to restore Bagan Bazar which is situated in the lower part of Kurram. Additionally, he stated that financial assistance is being given to those who were impacted due to the ongoing violence in the region. As per the concerned authorities, the situation in the region is moving towards normalcy. Trade is also being resumed in the upper part of Kurram. More than 850 trucks are transporting necessary supplies to Parachinar and other nearby areas. Those who are in urgent need of medical assistance are being transported through a helicopter. People of Parachinar have voiced their distress over scarcity of “fuel, gas and medicines.” Educational institutions are likely to resume their operations and the residents are apprehensive about losing “another academic year” if the problem of scarcity in fuel is not solved. (“130 bunkers demolished in Kurram so far: official,” The News International, 13 February 2025)
MIDDLE EAST VIEW
On Trump’s plan to evict Palestinians from Gaza: “Mr. Trump’s plan will not bring peace,” argues an editorial in Dawn
On 13 February, an editorial in Dawn titled “Trump’s folly” discussed US President Donald Trump’s proposed plan to vacate Gaza which is presently inhabited by the Palestinian population. The editorial argued that remarks from Trump has further aggravated the apprehensions of Palestinians who view the proposal as “blue print for ethnic cleansing.” The editorial pointed out that compelling the Palestinian population to move out of Gaza is a “grave violation of international law.” The editorial highlighted how Trump’s proposed plan has not been well received by the Arab countries. Jordan’s King Abdullah has dismissed the proposed plan where Saudi Arabia has termed the plan as “unacceptable violation of Palestinian rights.” The editorial further argued that the execution of the proposed plan will not bring peace to the region. On the contrary, it will give rise to “radicalism and instability.” The editorial claimed that the proposal could also prove to be detrimental for the recently agreed upon “ceasefire.” The editorial called for international criticism of the proposed plan and demanded that those who support such plans must be “held accountable.” (“Trump’s folly,” Dawn, 13 February 2025)
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In a country where a national hero like Imran Khan can be punished for doing a good deed, think about what will happen to you...
- PTI
"Indeed, with every difficulty comes ease."
- PTI Islamabad
"People sitting in national positions formed this government at the center by resorting to cruelty, barbarity, and fascism. These people were imposed on us on the basis of Form 47. In the name of determination and stability, a war was waged in exchange for dollars in the border areas. As a result, we made many sacrifices. People in the tribal areas were martyred and displaced from their homes. We will not allow anyone to destroy peace anymore. We stand with our tribesmen."
Iqbal Afridi
- PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
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"A country the size of Pakistan should never allow itself to come this close to the edge of catastrophe."
- An opinion in Dawn, ''PTI’s losing gambit."
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