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In Brief
EXTERNAL
Pakistan, Ghana hold first formal bilateral talks; reaffirm commitment to strengthen ties
On 28 January, Dawn reported that in a press release by the Foreign Office (FO), Pakistan and Ghana held their first formal bilateral talks and signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). The talks, led by Pakistan’s Additional Foreign Secretary Hamid Asghar Khan and Ghana’s Chief Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, resulted in the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding: one institutionalising regular BPCs and another linking Pakistan’s Foreign Service Academy with the Ghana Foreign Service Institute. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening ties. They agreed to expand cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including politics, trade, defence, tourism, culture, health, education, and information technology, and to schedule the next BPC round in Islamabad next year. (“Pakistan, Ghana hold first formal bilateral talks; reaffirm commitment to strengthen ties,” Dawn, 28 January 2026)
President Zardari and his UAE counterpart discuss ways to further deepen ties
On 28 January, Dawn reported that President Asif Ali Zardari, who is currently undertaking a four-day official visit to the Gulf country, met his UAE counterpart while being accompanied by a high-level delegation. The two sides reviewed the full spectrum of cooperation and explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, technology, and people-to-people exchanges, while also exchanging views on regional and international developments and reaffirming support for peace, stability, and sustainable development. President Zardari welcomed the UAE president’s recent visit to Pakistan and appreciated Abu Dhabi’s continued support, while separately engaging with UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan on promoting dialogue, inclusivity, and interfaith harmony. The president also met AD Ports Group CEO Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, praising the group’s investments in Pakistan’s maritime and logistics sector, particularly at Karachi Port, and welcoming its Islamabad representative office and collaboration on digital and customs facilitation, underscoring the growing economic dimension of the Pakistan–UAE strategic partnership. (“President Zardari, UAE counterpart discuss way to further deepen ties," Dawn, 28 January 2026)
Pakistan and Australia eye mining partnership
On 28 January, Dawn reported that Pakistan and Australia discussed the possibility of an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for structured, long-term cooperation in Pakistan’s mining and mineral sector, proposed by Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik during his meeting with the new Australian High Commissioner (AHC) to Pakistan, Timothy Kane. It builds on a previous Australian proposal made through former AHC Neil Hawkins for collaboration between Australian universities, mining firms, and Pakistani institutions to provide specialised training programmes in modern mining techniques and services and enhance local expertise and support Pakistan’s mining sector development and reflects growing Australian interest in Pakistan’s mineral potential, particularly in the Tethyan Belt. The two sides reviewed cooperation in mining and gemstones, including Australian involvement in the Reko Diq copper-gold project, originally identified through collaboration between the Geological Survey of Pakistan and BHP Billiton, and now being developed by Barrick Gold. Discussions also covered gemstone sector formalisation, Australian participation in the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum, and the strategic importance of copper and gold for the global energy transition, with both sides agreeing to deepen bilateral cooperation for mutual benefit. (“Pakistan, Australia eye mining partnership,” Dawn, 28 January 2026)
POLITICS & GOVERNANCE
PTI weighs return to parliamentary panels
On 28 January, Dawn reported that several days after the appointment of the leader of the opposition in both the Senate and the National Assembly, the main opposition party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), is considering rejoining the standing committees of parliament. As the final decision to rejoin the committees rests with Imran Khan, political analysts believe he is likely to decide on the matter after the PTI’s countrywide protest scheduled for 08 February. PTI previously held the chairmanship of more than a dozen standing committees in the National Assembly and five in the Senate, and also participated in several others. However, on the directives of Imran, the party withdrew from all standing committees in both houses of parliament in August last year. Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, who heads the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (Pildat), stated: “A lack of opposition representation in these important committees negatively impacts the quality of parliamentary proceedings.” (“PTI weighs return to parliamentary panels,” Dawn, 28 January 2026)
PROVINCE
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif terms Tirah Valley displacement "routine"
On 27 January, The Express Tribune reported that the recent displacement in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's (KP) Tirah Valley was a part of a routine seasonal migration, and as stated by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, it was not a military operation in the area as the federal and provincial disagreements kept escalating. Moreover, while thousands of families have relocated due to unrest, Asif characterised the situation as misinterpreted, emphasising that migration occurs annually due to harsh winter conditions, while acknowledging previous negotiations involving the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which did result in substantial migration, further emphasising the army’s limited role in the displacement. The defence minister further went on to criticise the provincial government’s management, highlighting infrastructural neglect and alleging that the situation had escalated for political gain. (“Defence Minister Khawaja Asif addresses press conference on Tirah; terms displacement ‘routine’ seasonal migration,” The Express Tribune, 27 January 2026)
Relief packages for families of Gul Plaza fire victims get cabinet approval
On 27 January, Dawn reported that relief packages for the families of victims of the Gul Plaza fire had been approved by the Sindh Cabinet. The package includes PKR 10 million in interest-free loans for affected shopkeepers, with an additional PKR 500,000 for support measures and a commitment to provide alternative commercial spaces within two months. Moreover, the cabinet allocated PKR 19.116 billion for urgent infrastructure projects. The fire, which occurred on 17 January, resulted in over 73 fatalities. (“Sindh cabinet approves compensation package for families of Gul Plaza victims,” Dawn, 27 January, 2026)
ECONOMY
S&P projects a strengthening of the macroeconomic outlook
On 28 January, Dawn reported that S&P Global Market Intelligence has projected a strengthening of Pakistan’s macroeconomic outlook in the current and next fiscal years, endorsing the State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) projections. It said while commenting on SBP’s monetary policy decision that kept benchmark interest rate unchanged at 10.5 per cent, on Monday, that the real GDP is to expand to 3.5 per cent in FY26, before strengthening to 4.4 per cent in FY27. These projections are relatively higher than the 3.2 per cent growth rate projected by the International Monetary Fund last week, down from 3.6 per cent of its previous estimate. The S&P, on the other hand, projected inflation to come at 5.1 per cent in 2026 before slightly inching upwards to 5.6 per cent in 2027, again with a caveat. “Risks to the inflation outlook are tilted to the upside, linked to volatility in global commodities and domestic wheat prices, possible adjustments in administered energy tariffs, and a stronger-than-assumed pickup in domestic demand,” it concluded. (“Pakistan’s macroeconomic outlook to strengthen: S&P,” Dawn, 28 December 2026)
SECURITY
Six TTP-linked members neutralised in Pishin
On 28 January, Dawn reported that six members of the banned organisation Fitna al Khawasrij, which is linked to Tariq-I-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), were shot dead in a counter terrorism operation in Pishin, Balochistan. The operation lasted from 0700 hrs till 1630 hrs. The targeted suspects were wanted for serious crimes, including murder and terrorism. According to Aitzaz Ahmed Goraya, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Balochistan, the operation was initiated after field negotiations with locals, who attempted to assist the suspects. Amidst the crossfire, 10 CTD personnel were injured. Additionally, the Balochistan government affirmed its commitment to a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism, promising accountability for the violence that has taken place in the province. (“Six POs linked to TTP neutralised in Pishin: CTD,” Dawn, 28 January 2026)
Editorials/Opinions
Society
Zahid Hussain, “Absent state accountability,” Dawn, 28 January 2026
“Accountability is an essential component of a democratic and rules-based system. There is no such concept of responsibility under authoritarian rule, which seeks to consolidate power without being subjected to checks and balances. In such a situation, the entire political system is designed to serve the interests of a narrow power elite. Freedom of expression is stifled in the name of national interest."
https://www.dawn.com/news/1969464/absent-state-accountability
Pakistan & the IMF
Nadeem ul Haque & Shahid Kardar, “Road to exiting IMF,” Dawn, 28 January 2026
“Every few months, Pakistani officialdom and its associated stakeholders return to a familiar, comforting refrain: how Pakistan must ‘exit the IMF’. The vocabulary is predictable and well-rehearsed: exports, productivity, human capital, technology, governance, national coordination. These concepts are presented as panaceas, as if merely invoking them charts a path to freedom from the Fund. What is almost always missing is the road to get there. The discussion rarely addresses concrete policy actions, operational instruments and institutional changes needed to achieve the objective. Wishes are communicated as targets, outcomes are mistaken for reforms, and reform itself is reduced to rhetoric."
https://www.dawn.com/news/1969463/road-to-exiting-imf
Economy
Editorial, “Prudent stimulus,” Dawn, 27 January 2026
“By holding the policy interest rate steady while cutting the cash reserve requirement for banks, the State Bank appears to have clearly signalled a significant recalibration of its stance in favour of economic growth."
https://www.dawn.com/news/1969467/prudent-stimulus
Politics & governance
Aisha Khan, “Broken federalism,” Dawn, 27 January 2026
“Pakistan is confronting climate change under a governance model that was not designed for systemic, cross-border crises. Floods, heatwaves, droughts and glacial melt now interact with food security, public health, migration and fiscal stability. Yet the constitutional and fiscal architecture created after the 18th Amendment disperses authority, fragments accountability and leaves the federation with too little capacity to coordinate national responses. In a warming country already facing economic stress, this model is becoming a multiplier of vulnerability rather than a shield against it."
https://www.dawn.com/news/1969307/broken-federalism
Judiciary
Naween A. Mangi, “Justice, Pakistan-style,” Dawn, 27 January 2026
“When we speak of justice in Pakistan, the discussion usually unfolds in courtrooms, legal reforms, constitutional clauses, and televised outrage. Rarely does it begin in villages — and yet it is there, far from cameras and commentary, that the justice system reveals its truest form."
https://www.dawn.com/news/1969308/justice-pakistan-style
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