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Tag: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

  • Will hand over cost to caretaker authorities in August: Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif

    By Press Trust of India: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday assured the nation that his authorities will hand over the reins of the federal government to an interim setup in August to steer it by means of the final elections.

    In a televised handle to the nation, Sharif additionally stated his authorities has cleared the “landmines” unfold in the way in which of Pakistan’s pursuits by former prime minister Imran Khan.

    This comes a day after Sharif, the president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) occasion, stated at a ceremony in Islamabad that Parliament would full its time period on August 14 to pave the way in which for interim authorities and elections.

    Sharif, who was sworn in in April final 12 months, said that he was given the “sacred responsibility” to run the nation because the prime minister.

    “We will hand over this responsibility in August 2023 to the caretaker government,” he stated.

    Under the Constitution of Pakistan, common elections should be held below the supervision of a impartial caretaker authorities so {that a} degree enjoying subject is out there to all political events.

    The caretaker prime minister is appointed by settlement between the outgoing prime minister and the chief of the Opposition within the National Assembly.

    If they fail to agree on a reputation, the prime minister and the chief of the Opposition ship their names to a bipartisan committee to agree on a reputation inside a given time interval.

    If the committee additionally fails, the identical names are despatched to the Election Commission of Pakistan, which appoints one in all them because the prime minister.

    The caretaker prime minister appoints a Cabinet to run the affairs of the nation and his tenure ends as quickly as the brand new prime minister takes oath after elections.

    It is thus far not clear who can be the caretaker prime minister however political events are having consultations to nominate one with consensus.

    Sharif in his handle stated that his authorities in a brief interval of 15 months tried to clear what he termed because the “rubble of destruction” left by his predecessor Khan.

    Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) occasion, was ousted from energy in April final 12 months after the National Assembly handed a no-confidence movement in opposition to him.

    “We cleaned the landmines spread in the way of Pakistan’s interests,” he stated.

    He stated that the federal government had been profitable in dousing the fireplace brought on by the mismanagement, inefficiency and conspiracy by the previous authorities.

    “This brief 1.5-year period was a journey from the darkness of hopelessness to the light of hope â€æ it was the beginning of gaining something after losing everything â€æ it was a journey of returning towards development from anarchy and chaos,” he stated.

    He took credit score for dealing with a few of the hardest challenges and tackling the issues and setting a path of the economic system and the nation.

    The handle was made on the day the International Monetary Fund supplied USD 1.2 billion out of USD 3 billion which the worldwide lender accepted for the cash-strapped nation.

    It averted the specter of default and would assist the caretaker set as much as deal with the election with out worrying concerning the financial scenario of the nation.

  • IMF negates Pakistan govt’s declare of meeting mortgage conditions

    By Press Trust of India: The IMF has rejected the cash-strapped Pakistan authorities’s declare that it has met all the conditions to reach an settlement with the worldwide financial physique to launch funds beneath an already agreed mortgage facility, in accordance with a media report.

    The International Monetary Fund signed a deal in 2019 to produce 6 Billion USD to Pakistan on fulfilment of positive conditions.

    The plan was derailed various events and the whole reimbursement stays to be pending on account of insistence by the donor that Pakistan must full all formalities.

    Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar have repeatedly claimed that Pakistan met all the prior conditions agreed for reaching a staff-level settlement and there was no trigger for holding once more the funds.

    Earlier, The Express Tribune newspaper reported that it obtained an announcement from the IMF on Friday, negating the declare made by the federal authorities with respect to meeting all prior actions wanted to complete the ninth evaluation.

    “The IMF continues to work with the Pakistani authorities to bring the 9th review to a conclusion once the necessary financing is in place and the agreement is finalised,” the newspaper quoted Nathan Porter, the IMF Mission Chief to Pakistan, as saying.

    Porter’s assertion negated what the Pakistani authorities have been claiming since February 9, when the face-to-face talks ended inconclusively, the newspaper talked about.

    Nathan did not make clear the quantum of the required financing that Pakistan has to put in place to conclude the ninth evaluation for the USD 1.2 Billion mortgage tranche that has been delayed by seven months now.

    The finance minister had talked about that Pakistan needed USD 6 Billion to bridge the financing gap by June this yr. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have assured Pakistan of providing USD 3 Billion nonetheless there are not any company assurances for the rest of the loans.

    Pakistan’s gross official worldwide commerce reserves keep at a mere USD 4.5 Billion. The nation should pay virtually USD 4 billion to the world on account of principal and curiosity on the debt by June this yr.

    Since the federal authorities would not have a good financing plan for the July-December interval of the next fiscal yr, the sources talked about, Pakistan moreover desires to rearrange funds to repay the loans in the midst of the primary half of the next fiscal yr.

    The exterior debt repayments, along with curiosity, for the July-December interval amount to USD 11 Billion, talked about the Pakistan Finance Ministry sources.

    Even if China and Saudi Arabia roll over their short-term cash owed, Pakistan will nonetheless need over USD 4 billion to repay the worldwide collectors in the midst of the primary half of the next fiscal yr.

    These embody funds to the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Saudi Fund for Development, the Islamic Development Bank and Chinese industrial banks.

    Porter has moreover talked concerning the subsequent fiscal yr’s worth vary in his assertion, which the federal authorities must present spherical June 10.

    “In addition, the IMF supports the authorities in the implementation of policies in the period ahead, including in the technical work to prepare the fiscal 2024 budget, which is to be passed by the National Assembly before end-June,” talked about Porter.

    The Ministry of Finance, already struggling to meet completely different conditions, appeared irritated by the IMF’s new demand. Senior finance ministry officers argued that the IMF should not hyperlink the approval of the ninth evaluation with subsequent yr’s worth vary.

    They talked about that the issue of the fiscal yr 2023-24 worth vary must be taken up on the time of the discussions for the eleventh evaluation.

    “The IMF’s demand is worrisome,” talked about a Cabinet member on state of affairs of anonymity.

    Less than two months are left for the expiry of the stalled USD 6.5 Billion IMF programme.
    There seems to be no likelihood that Pakistan and the IMF will conveniently full the remaining three wonderful critiques of the programme, the report talked about.

    The finance ministry sources talked about that the finance secretary not too way back urged Porter to evaluation the demand for an settlement on subsequent yr’s worth vary. However, the IMF, already agitated by the federal authorities’s contradictory claims regarding the completion of the conditions, couldn’t present any fundamental discount to Pakistan.

    There are points that the coalition authorities might try to unveil a politically-oriented worth vary, which might make it more durable to take the nation out of the monetary catastrophe inside the near future, the paper talked about.

  • IMF negates Pakistan govt’s declare of meeting mortgage conditions

    By Press Trust of India: The IMF has rejected the cash-strapped Pakistan authorities’s declare that it has met all the conditions to achieve an settlement with the worldwide financial physique to launch funds under an already agreed mortgage facility, in accordance with a media report.

    The International Monetary Fund signed a deal in 2019 to provide 6 Billion USD to Pakistan on fulfilment of positive conditions.

    The plan was derailed quite a few events and the whole reimbursement stays to be pending on account of insistence by the donor that Pakistan should full all formalities.

    Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar have repeatedly claimed that Pakistan met all the prior conditions agreed for reaching a staff-level settlement and there was no trigger for holding once more the funds.

    Earlier, The Express Tribune newspaper reported that it acquired an announcement from the IMF on Friday, negating the declare made by the federal authorities with respect to meeting all prior actions wanted to complete the ninth evaluation.

    “The IMF continues to work with the Pakistani authorities to bring the 9th review to a conclusion once the necessary financing is in place and the agreement is finalised,” the newspaper quoted Nathan Porter, the IMF Mission Chief to Pakistan, as saying.

    Porter’s assertion negated what the Pakistani authorities have been claiming since February 9, when the face-to-face talks ended inconclusively, the newspaper talked about.

    Nathan did not make clear the quantum of the required financing that Pakistan has to position in place to conclude the ninth evaluation for the USD 1.2 Billion mortgage tranche that has been delayed by seven months now.

    The finance minister had talked about that Pakistan wished USD 6 Billion to bridge the financing gap by June this yr. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have assured Pakistan of providing USD 3 Billion nonetheless there are no company assurances for the rest of the loans.

    Pakistan’s gross official worldwide commerce reserves keep at a mere USD 4.5 Billion. The nation should pay virtually USD 4 billion to the world on account of principal and curiosity on the debt by June this yr.

    Since the federal authorities does not have a good financing plan for the July-December interval of the following fiscal yr, the sources talked about, Pakistan moreover needs to rearrange funds to repay the loans in the middle of the primary half of the following fiscal yr.

    The exterior debt repayments, along with curiosity, for the July-December interval amount to USD 11 Billion, talked about the Pakistan Finance Ministry sources.

    Even if China and Saudi Arabia roll over their short-term cash owed, Pakistan will nonetheless need over USD 4 billion to repay the worldwide collectors in the middle of the primary half of the following fiscal yr.

    These embody funds to the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Saudi Fund for Development, the Islamic Development Bank and Chinese industrial banks.

    Porter has moreover talked concerning the subsequent fiscal yr’s value vary in his assertion, which the federal authorities must present spherical June 10.

    “In addition, the IMF supports the authorities in the implementation of policies in the period ahead, including in the technical work to prepare the fiscal 2024 budget, which is to be passed by the National Assembly before end-June,” talked about Porter.

    The Ministry of Finance, already struggling to satisfy totally different conditions, appeared irritated by the IMF’s new demand. Senior finance ministry officers argued that the IMF should not hyperlink the approval of the ninth evaluation with subsequent yr’s value vary.

    They talked about that the problem of the fiscal yr 2023-24 value vary must be taken up on the time of the discussions for the eleventh evaluation.

    “The IMF’s demand is worrisome,” talked about a Cabinet member on scenario of anonymity.

    Less than two months are left for the expiry of the stalled USD 6.5 Billion IMF programme.
    There seems to be no probability that Pakistan and the IMF will conveniently full the remaining three glorious critiques of the programme, the report talked about.

    The finance ministry sources talked about that the finance secretary not too way back urged Porter to evaluation the demand for an settlement on subsequent yr’s value vary. However, the IMF, already agitated by the federal authorities’s contradictory claims regarding the completion of the conditions, couldn’t present any essential discount to Pakistan.

    There are points that the coalition authorities might try and unveil a politically-oriented value vary, which may make it tougher to take the nation out of the monetary catastrophe throughout the near future, the paper talked about.

  • ‘I didn’t see this tweet, so I’ve no information of it’: Babar Azam on Pakistan PM’s ‘152/0 vs 170/0’ tweet after India’s semis loss

    In his press convention, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam mentioned he has not seen Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s viral ‘152/0 vs 170/0’ viral tweet. Pakistan will tackle England within the closing of the T20 World Cup on the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

    When requested about whether or not such social media posts are likely to put additional stress on the facet.

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    “There is no pressure as such. But sorry to say, I didn’t see this tweet so I have no knowledge of it. But yes we just try to give our best against the opposition,” Babar instructed reporters on the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

    Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appeared to take a dig at India after they misplaced by 10 wickets to England within the second semifinal on Thursday.

    So, this Sunday, it’s:

    152/0 vs 170/0

    🇵🇰 🇬🇧 #T20WorldCup

    — Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) November 10, 2022

    “So, this Sunday, it’s: 152/0 vs 170/0,” Sharif tweeted, referring to India’s 10 wicket loss towards Pakistan within the 2021 T20 World Cup and the truth that England will now meet Pakistan within the closing on Sunday.

    Pakistan is again on the venue the place the legend of the cornered tigers was cast 30 years in the past, and England is once more the ultimate foe.

    At the fan zone forward of the T20 World Cup closing 🙌#WeHaveWeWill | #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/bhpATmvxvx

    — Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) November 12, 2022

    There are so many similarities between this unlikely run to the Twenty20 World Cup closing and the one impressed by Imran Khan in 1992, when Pakistan beat England on the Melbourne Cricket Ground to say its first World Cup title within the 50-over format.

    For occasion, each Babar and Khan misplaced their opening spherical video games on the MCG; arch-rival India acquired the higher of them in 1992 and 2022. Pakistan went on to win their final three video games forward of the semifinals on each events, however each Babar and Khan needed to financial institution closely on the outcomes of different video games to undergo to the knockout stage on the final day of the group stage.

    New Zealand was the opponent in each semifinals, with the Kiwis batting first each instances. And prime all of it, England trounced top-ranked India by 10 wickets within the second semifinal on Thursday in order that Pakistan may tick one other field within the retelling of the story.

  • Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif rakes up Kashmir challenge at UN, seeks peace with neighbours

    Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has raked up the Kashmir challenge on the United Nations and stated battle was not an choice anymore. In his handle to the high-level UN General Assembly session, Sharif stated Pakistan was in search of peace with all its neighbours.

    “Pakistan needs a stable external environment. We look for peace with all our neighbours, including India. Sustainable peace and stability in South Asia, however, remains contingent upon a just and lasting solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” he stated.

    Sharif claimed that India’s “illegal and unilateral” actions on August 5, 2019, to vary the particular standing of Jammu and Kashmir additional undermined the prospects of peace and infected regional tensions.

    ALSO READ | PM Shehbaz Sharif travelling to Saudi Arabia at his personal expense: Pakistan govt

    “I think it’s high time that India understood this message loud and clear that both countries are armed to the teeth. War is not an option. It is not an option. Only peaceful dialogue can resolve these issues so that the world becomes more peaceful in time to come,” he stated.

    India has repeatedly informed Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and shall forever” stay an integral a part of the nation. India has stated it wishes regular neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an setting freed from terror, hostility and violence.

    The ties between India and Pakistan nosedived after New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution.

    India’s choice evoked robust reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy.

    Shehbaz stated that New Delhi has ramped up its navy deployments in Jammu and Kashmir, thus making it the “most militarised zone in the world,” he said.

    He said the Pakistani people have always stood by Kashmiris in complete solidarity and will continue to do so.

    He said he will be forthcoming, to sit down and talk to “our Indian counterparts” to pave the way forward for the future so that “our generations don’t endure, in order that we spend our sources on mitigating miseries, on constructing constructions to face these floods and outburst of clouds.”

    ALSO READ | Can someone assist? Pak PM’s awkward second throughout meet with Putin at SCO summit | Watch

    “I assured the World Forum that we in Pakistan remain consistent in our commitment to peace in South Asia. India must take reasonable steps to create an enabling environment for constructive engagement,” he stated.

    ‘WAR NOT AN OPTION’

    “We have had three wars from 1947 onwards and as a consequence, only misery, poverty and unemployment increased on both sides. It is now up to us to resolve our differences, our problems, and our issues through peaceful negotiations and discussions,” he stated.

    “I think it’s high time that India understands this message that both countries are arms to the teeth. War is not an option, only peaceful dialogue can resolve issues so that the world becomes more peaceful in the time to come,” stated.

    Shehbaz stated each India and Pakistan shouldn’t waste their sources in shopping for extra ammunition and attempting to advertise rigidity.

    “It’s now up to us to resolve our differences, our problems or issues like peaceful neighbours through peaceful negotiations and discussions and save our scarce resources for promoting education and health and employment to millions of people,” he said.

    On Afghanistan, he said at this point isolating the Afghan interim government could aggravate the suffering of the Afghan people who are already destitute.

    ALSO READ | Pakistan to face ‘more difficult times’: PM Shehbaz Sharif

    The Pakistani leader began his address by talking about the devastating floods in his country and said “in this ground zero of climate change”, 33 million folks, together with ladies and youngsters, are at excessive danger from well being hazards.

    He stated 650,000 ladies have given start in makeshift tarpaulins, greater than 1500 folks have died, together with over 400 youngsters.

    “The undeniable truth is that this calamity has not been triggered by anyhting we have doneWhat happened in Pakistan will not stay in Pakistan,” he said.

    Shehbaz said Pakistan’s urgent priority was to ensure rapid economic growth and lift millions out of poverty and hunger, asserting that to enable any such policy momentum, Pakistan needs a stable external environment.

    On terrorism, Shehbaz said Pakistan shares the key concern of the international community regarding the threat posed by major terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan, especially ISIL-K, TTP, as well as al Qaeda, ETIM, and IMU.

    “They all need to be dealt with effectively and comprehensively with the support and cooperation of the interim Afghan authorities,” he said.

    While stating that the UN Security Council and the General Assembly must be empowered to play their respective roles under the UN Charter, he said the Security Council must be expanded by adding 11 new non-permanent members to make it more representative, democratic, transparent, effective and accountable.

    He said adding new permanent members will “paralyse” the Council’s decision-making, create new facilities of privilege in violation of precept of sovereign equality.

    — ENDS —

  • Xi requires ‘strong safety’ for Chinese personnel engaged on CPEC tasks in Pakistan as he meets Sharif

    President Xi Jinping on Friday known as on Pakistan to offer “solid protection” for a whole bunch of Chinese engaged on the CPEC tasks within the nation and construct stronger synergy between the event of methods of the all-weather allies as he met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif within the historic Uzbek metropolis.

    Xi and Sharif met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Summit in Samarkand throughout which the 2 international locations signed paperwork on cooperation in railway, e-commerce and different areas, China’s state-run Xinhua information company reported.

    Details of the agreements weren’t disclosed.

    ALSO READ | All eyes on India, China amid hypothesis of a Modi-Xi meet on the sidelines of SCO summit

    “China hopes that Pakistan will provide solid protection for the security of Chinese citizens and institutions in Pakistan as well as the lawful rights and interests of Chinese businesses,” Xi advised Sharif, airing Beijing’s concern over recurring terror assaults on the Chinese employees.

    China has deployed a whole bunch of its personnel in a number of tasks of the USD 60 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in Pakistan.

    Recent stories mentioned hassle is brewing between the all-weather mates with China more and more getting crucial of Pakistan’s failure in defending Chinese employees who got here beneath periodic assaults from the militant teams.

    In April, three Chinese had been killed in a suicide bombing in Karachi University carried out by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army, which is against China’s investments in Balochistan accusing China and Pakistan of exploitation of the resource-rich province.

    Some of the opposite assaults had been additionally attributed to radical Islamic militant outfits in Pakistan.

    With recurring assaults, China is reportedly urgent Pakistan to allow the Chinese companies to offer safety for his or her personnel which, in accordance with the media stories, Islamabad is resisting because it meant boots on the bottom for China’s armed forces.

    China can also be involved over the acute monetary disaster confronted by Pakistan, prompting Beijing to step in periodically to bail out Islamabad with the induction of international change loans.

    According to Pakistani media stories, China can also be involved concerning the gradual tempo of progress of the CPEC tasks. Chinese buyers had been additionally reportedly irked by Islamabad’s failure to honour its contractual obligations beneath the CPEC framework.

    The CPEC is showcased by China because the flagship mission of Xi’s multibillion Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). India has protested to China over the CPEC as it’s being laid by way of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

    Pakistan has just lately determined to scrap the CPEC Authority created by the earlier Imran Khan authorities over the gradual tempo of the tasks.

    Xi careworn that the 2 sides should proceed to firmly help one another, foster stronger synergy between their growth methods, and harness the function of the Joint Cooperation Committee of the CPEC to make sure easy development and operation of main tasks.

    It is necessary to broaden cooperation in such areas as business, agriculture, science, expertise and social welfare to create new impetus for the CPEC’s growth, he mentioned.

    Highlighting the shut ties between China and Pakistan, Xi mentioned the 2 international locations have all alongside stood with one another by way of thick and skinny. No matter how the worldwide scenario evolves, China and Pakistan are all the time one another’s reliable strategic companions, he mentioned.

    He praised Pakistan for backing his new initiatives just like the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative (GSI) and mentioned China will work with Pakistan to advertise the implementation of those two initiatives.

    He additionally mentioned the 2 sides want to boost communication and collaboration throughout the United Nations, the SCO and different multilateral platforms to voice the creating international locations’ rightful opposition to bloc confrontation and dedication to multilateralism.

    For his half, Sharif expressed appreciation to the Chinese facet for its well timed and worthwhile help as Pakistan has been affected by the latest severe flooding.

    Pakistan will make its finest efforts to guard the safety of Chinese residents and establishments in Pakistan, proceed its lively participation within the Belt and Road cooperation and make the CPEC a mannequin of mutually useful cooperation, he mentioned.

    Sharif praised Xi’s management, saying the Chinese President is a pacesetter of strategic foresight and beneath his sturdy management China has secured nice achievements in its growth and made necessary contributions to peace and growth within the area and the broader world.

    The Pakistani individuals maintain President Xi in a excessive esteem and examine China as an everlasting, nice buddy of Pakistan, Sharif added.

    He additionally mentioned Pakistan needs the upcoming twentieth National Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China a full success.

    The Congress, which is to satisfy on October 16, is broadly anticipated to endorse an unprecedented third time period for Xi. All his predecessors retired after two five-year phrases.

    In a veiled criticism in opposition to the US strikes backing independence of Taiwan, which China considers as a part of its mainland, Sharif mentioned Pakistan is firmly dedicated to the ‘one-China’ coverage.

    Pakistan firmly helps China’s place on points regarding its core pursuits together with Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong, he mentioned, including that Pakistan is resolutely against the try of sure forces to undermine China’s sovereignty and to intervene in its inside affairs.

    The Pakistan-China friendship is unbreakable and unparalleled, Sharif mentioned, including that Pakistan will work with China to take their bilateral relationship to a brand new top.

    — ENDS —