Category: 1. Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ruling coalition government finally secured a two-thirds majority in parliament on Wednesday after the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) latest notification, allocating reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies to parties other than the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in line with the top court’s recent ruling.

The Supreme Court’s constitutional bench on June 27 ruled that former prime minister Imran Khan’s PTI is not entitled to reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies, upholding an earlier verdict by the Peshawar High Court. The dispute arose after PTI lost its electoral symbol ahead of the February 8 national polls and its candidates contested as independents.

Despite its candidates winning the most general seats, the PTI was denied reserved seats for women and minorities, which are allocated to parties based on proportional representation, by the ECP. The government lost its two-thirds majority in parliament in July 2024 when the top court reversed the ECP’s decision, terming it unconstitutional and ordering the reserved seats to be allocated to PTI. The ECP and the political parties had filed a review petition, which were accepted by the top court last week.

“Pursuant to the Order dated 27 June, 2025 passed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of Pakistan (Constitutional Bench) in Civil Review Petitions, the ECP hereby notifies the names of under-mentioned returned candidates against various categories of Reserved Seats with immediate effect,” the ECP’s notification said.

Furthermore, the ECP also withdrew its notifications of July 24 and July 29, 2024, which declared the successful candidates on general seats in the national and provincial assemblies as PTI-returned candidates.

Sixteen reserved seats for women and three for minorities in the National Assembly were allocated to various parties, with the lion’s share going to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the PTI’s chief rival. The PML-N were allocated 13 seats, while four were allocated to the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) and two to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Pakistan (JUI-F).

With this development, the ruling coalition has crossed the two-thirds majority mark, securing 233 seats in the 336-member National Assembly, the lower house of parliament. A political party or a coalition government needs 224 seats to reach the threshold.

As per the notification, 21 reserved seats for women were reinstated in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly, with eight allocated to the JUI-F, six to the PML-N and five to the PPPP. One seat each was also allotted to the PTI Parliamentarians and the Awami National Party (ANP).

Meanwhile, out of the four reserved seats for minorities in KP Assembly, two were given to the JUI-F and one each to the PML-N and the PPPP.

The ECP restored 24 reserved seats for women in the Punjab Assembly, of which the PML-N received 21, while one seat each was allocated to the PPPP, the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).

Additionally, three minority seats were allocated–two to the PML-N and one to the PPPP.

Two reserved seats for women and one for minorities were reinstated in the Sindh Assembly, with two allotted to the PPP and one to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P).

‘GRAVE INJUSTICE’

PTI’s spokesperson for international media, Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari, vowed the party would do everything to expose the latest “injustice” before the public.

“The judgment on reserved seats must be highlighted as a grave injustice and the undemocratic nature of the decision should be exposed before the entire nation,” he told Arab News.

Political analysts noted the development would further weaken the PTI’s position at the center.

“This move is likely to further undermine democracy in Pakistan and encourage horse-trading, as the ruling coalition may try to woo legislators particularly in KP,” Mazhar Abbas, a political analyst and journalist, told Arab News.

The PTI has a large support base in KP, where it has been emerging as the largest party since the 2013 polls.

Zahid Hussain, another political analyst, said the move has given the ruling coalition government the much-desired two-thirds majority, enabling them to make constitutional changes as per their will.

“The government and [military] establishment appear intent on securing a two-thirds majority to push through legislation and constitutional amendments of their choosing,” he noted.

Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of the Islamabad-based think tank Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT) said the move would further strengthen the ruling PML-N as it would reduce the party’s reliance on the PPP.

“In National Assembly, PML-N-led coalition has come closer to having a simple majority without the PPP,” Mehboob said.

He added that after securing the reserved seats, the PML-N-led coalition needed only 11 seats to secure a simple majority on its own.

The Kuwaiti Dinar (KWD) continued its upward momentum against the Pakistani Rupee (PKR), trading at 929.72 PKR on Monday, up from 928.56 PKR the previous day. The steady appreciation highlights the dinar’s consistent strength throughout the past month.

According to exchange rate data, the KWD has gained 8.89 PKR since June 10, when it was valued at 919.67 PKR marking an increase of approximately 0.97% over the 21-day period. This climb underscores the Kuwaiti Dinar’s resilience in regional currency markets, driven by strong economic fundamentals.

The dinar’s performance is underpinned by Kuwait’s robust fiscal health, largely supported by oil exports which make up nearly 90% of the nation’s GDP. Kuwait’s stable economic policies and substantial sovereign wealth reserves contribute to long-term investor confidence in the currency.

The exchange rate trajectory between KWD and PKR is shaped by factors such as trade balances, foreign investment flows, and comparative economic performance. Kuwait’s consistent foreign currency inflows from oil exports exert upward pressure on the dinar, while Pakistan’s inflation and current account challenges influence the rupee’s value.

Introduced in 1961, the Kuwaiti Dinar is one of the world’s highest-valued currencies, pegged to a weighted basket of international currencies. In contrast, the Pakistani Rupee, in circulation since 1948, operates under a managed float system regulated by the State Bank of Pakistan.

The appreciation of the dinar carries important implications for Pakistani expatriates in Kuwait, who form a vital segment of the country’s remittance base. A stronger KWD means more rupees for each dinar sent home, potentially boosting remittance inflows to Pakistan.

In bilateral trade terms, a stronger dinar makes Kuwaiti imports costlier for Pakistan, but it may improve the competitiveness of Pakistani exports in the Kuwaiti market.

Analysts suggest that with stable oil prices and Kuwait’s solid fiscal footing, the KWD is likely to maintain its upward trend in the near term.

At least 64 people have died and 117 others have been injured across Pakistan in the past week due to flash floods and heavy rain, a government agency said on Wednesday. The worst-hit area was the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where 23 people, including 10 children, lost their lives. In Punjab province, another 21 people were killed—11 of them children—mainly due to homes collapsing in the rain, reported news agency AFP. Over the weekend, torrential rain triggered sudden floods in the Swat Valley. In one incident, 12 members of a family from Mardan were swept away while picnicking near the river. Locals said there were no immediate rescue efforts despite repeated calls for help. Videos from the scene showed people clinging to rocks and screaming as waters surged. “We kept dialling the emergency numbers, but no one came. By the time they did, it was too late,” Kabeer, a local vendor who helped retrieve bodies, told TOI earlier. Swat residents expressed frustration at repeated government failures in disaster response. “This valley has lived through terrorists, military operations, and devastating floods. Every time, we’re promised lessons will be learned, but nothing changes,” said Khan Sher from Mingora. Despite its push for climate justice globally, Pakistan’s domestic preparedness remains weak. Locals in tourist towns like Bahrain and Kalam, where riverside hotels were hit hard, said the floods turned busy market areas into danger zones within minutes. “Each year we mourn our dead, patch up the roads, and brace for the next disaster,” said Liaquat Bacha, a farmer whose fields were destroyed. Rescue efforts are ongoing.

New Delhi: The Quad group of countries on Tuesday (July 1) condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and called for its “perpetrators, organisers and financiers” to be “brought to justice”, but stopped short of naming Pakistan or explicitly calling for cooperation with the Indian government.

This was stated in a joint communiqué issued after the foreign ministers of the Quad – comprising India, the United States, Japan and Australia – met in Washington for the second time this year. The language closely followed the template of the UN Security Council (UNSC)’s press statement issued in May, which had also avoided identifying the group responsible for the attack or making any direct reference to the Indian government.

The Quad joint statement said it “unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and renews our commitment to counterterrorism cooperation”.

It went on to condemn “in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025”, offered “deepest condolences to the families of the victims” and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

“We call for the perpetrators, organisers and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay and urge all UN Member States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UNSCRs, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard,” the statement said.

This sentence was nearly identical to the UNSC statement issued on May 25.

Diplomatic sources had said at the time that Pakistan, currently a non-permanent member of the Council and backed by China, had influenced the final language of the UNSC statement, which was originally drafted by the United States.

In a key shift from the UNSC’s 2019 statement after the Pulwama attack, the press statement on the Pahalgam terror attack omitted any mention of the Indian government, referring only to “relevant authorities” – an approach now mirrored by the Quad. The 2019 statement also mentioned the Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed by name as being behind the Pulwama attack. 

India has claimed that an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba was behind the Pahalgam attack.

Two weeks after the incident, India launched drone and missile strikes on four sites inside Pakistan, targeting what it described as terrorist infrastructure. Pakistan retaliated, leading to four days of military exchanges that ended after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire.

While Trump claimed credit for brokering the ceasefire, India later stated there had been no formal agreement but only a temporary cessation of hostilities following a phone call between the Indian and Pakistani military leaderships. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s standing in Washington appeared to improve, with army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir receiving an unprecedented lunch invitation from Trump.

The Narendra Modi government has since faced domestic criticism from opposition parties for failing to garner international support to name or isolate Pakistan. There was also concern in New Delhi that Trump’s public framing of the situation had ‘re-hyphenated’ India and Pakistan. In the days following the clashes, India dispatched multiple all-party delegations of MPs to foreign capitals to make the case for Pakistan’s alleged terror links.

‘India has every right…’: Jaishankar

Speaking just ahead of Tuesday’s Quad meeting, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said India expected its partners to recognise its right to defend itself against terrorism.

“A word about terrorism in the light of our recent experience,” he said, referring to the Pahalgam attack. “The world must display zero tolerance. Victims and perpetrators must never be equated.”

“India has every right to defend its people against terrorism, and we will exercise that right. We expect our Quad partners to understand and appreciate that,” he added.

The latest July 1 Quad statement also does not include language that had previously figured in both the July 2024 foreign ministers’ joint statement issued in Tokyo and the September 2024 leaders’ joint statement from Wilmington. Those earlier declarations had explicitly named past terror attacks, such as 26/11 in Mumbai and the 2016 Pathankot airbase attack, and called for action against UN-listed terrorist groups, including the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed.

No ‘Pakistan-sponsored terrorism’

In a separate development, India’s own messaging on Pakistan had also been muddled. 

The Ministry of Defence removed all references to “Pakistan-sponsored terrorism” from its official readout on defence minister Rajnath Singh’s call with US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth on Tuesday. The original version, which was also carried by state media Doordarshan, affirmed India’s right to launch strikes inside Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir under “Operation Sindoor” and declared, “Pakistan’s long track record of cross-border terrorism is well known globally. It has become a safe haven for internationally banned terrorists who enjoy immunity there.”

However, after minutes of its release, the ministry issued a revised version that dropped all references to “Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.”

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Saudi Ambassador Meets Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to Strengthen Bilateral Ties

Ansar M Bhatti / DNA

Islamabad, 2 Jul – The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Pakistan, Nawaf bin Saeed Al-Malkiy, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif today at the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad. The meeting underscored the deep-rooted fraternal relations between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, with discussions focusing on enhancing bilateral cooperation in various fields, including trade, investment, and regional peace.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended his heartfelt regards to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reaffirming Pakistan’s strong bond with the Kingdom. The Prime Minister fondly recalled his recent telephone conversation with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on 24 June, during which both leaders reiterated their commitment to further strengthening Pak-Saudi ties.

Ambassador Al-Malkiy conveyed greetings from the Saudi leadership and expressed the Kingdom’s desire to expand cooperation with Pakistan in multiple sectors, including energy, infrastructure, and human resource development. He emphasized Saudi Arabia’s continued support for Pakistan’s economic stability and progress.

The meeting highlighted the importance of accelerating ongoing projects under the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council (SPSCC), a high-level platform established to boost economic and strategic collaboration. Both sides reviewed progress on Saudi investments in Pakistan’s energy, mining, and agriculture sectors, with the Prime Minister assuring full facilitation for Saudi investors.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lauded Saudi Arabia’s role in promoting peace and stability in the region, particularly its efforts in mediating global conflicts. He reiterated Pakistan’s support for the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, a transformative economic and social reform blueprint aimed at reducing Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil and diversifying its economy.

The two leaders also exchanged views on key regional and international developments, including the situation in the Middle East and South Asia. The Prime Minister appreciated Saudi Arabia’s steadfast support on the Kashmir issue and its consistent stance at multilateral forums, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Ambassador Al-Malkiy reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to playing a constructive role in fostering dialogue and stability in the region. He praised Pakistan’s efforts in counterterrorism and its contributions to regional peace.

Recognizing the significant Pakistani diaspora in Saudi Arabia, the Prime Minister thanked the Kingdom for its hospitality towards Pakistani expatriates, who contribute substantially to both economies. Discussions also touched upon enhancing cultural exchanges, religious tourism, and educational collaborations between the two nations.

The meeting concluded with a mutual commitment to further elevate the historic Pakistan-Saudi relationship. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed optimism about future collaborations, stating, “Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are bound by unbreakable ties of faith, brotherhood, and mutual trust. We are determined to take this partnership to new heights.”

Ambassador Al-Malkiy reiterated Saudi Arabia’s unwavering support for Pakistan’s prosperity and stability, assuring that the Kingdom would continue to stand by Pakistan in all circumstances.

The diplomatic engagement reflects the shared vision of both nations to deepen their strategic alliance and work together for regional peace and economic growth.

ISLAMABAD: In order to ensure uniform power tariff in the country, the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) has reduced the electricity rate by Rs1.15 per unit for all but lifeline consumers with the change also applicable to K-Electric consumers.

The development follows Nepra’s hearing of the Power Division’s motion seeking a uniform basic tariff, contending that tariff rationalisation is not aimed at raising any revenues for the federal government but in fact enables the fulfilment of parameters set forth in the Constitution as well as the policy.

In its decision, the regulator has maintained the tariff for lifeline consumers using 50 units at Rs3.95 per unit, whereas those using 100 units will continue to pay Rs7.74 per unit.

Protected consumers with 100 units on their bill will now pay at rate of Rs10.54 per unit, whereas an Rs13 per unit rate will apply to those consuming 200 units a month.

With regards to non-protected consumers, the electricity tariff has been slashed by Rs1.15 per unit for all categories — and the same reduction is applicable on commercial consumers as well, bringing their new average basic tariff to Rs45.43 per unit.

The Rs1.15 per unit reduction also applies to the general services whose existing rate now stands at Rs43.17 per unit.

For industries, the new electricity tariff is now fixed at Rs33.48 per unit after the Rs1.15 per unit reduction. Meanwhile, the new basic tariff for bulk electricity consumers has been set at Rs41.76 per unit.

Agricultural consumers on the other hand will also benefit from the reduction and will now pay at a rate of Rs30.75 per unit.

During the Nepra hearing a day earlier, the government had attributed the reduction to rupee stability, falling capacity payments, and declining global fuel prices — offering rare fiscal relief amid ongoing economic challenges.

Interestingly, the government’s renegotiated deal with independent power producers (IPPs) would help shave Rs236 billion off capacity payments in FY26.

During the hearing Power Division officials estimated that national electricity consumption in FY2025-26 will hover around 103 billion units, slightly lower than the 106 billion units projected for the current fiscal year. The revenue requirement for FY26 has also been revised down to Rs3.521 trillion, from Rs3.768 trillion a year earlier, documents presented at the hearing show.

“The decline in power generation costs by Rs1.27 per unit and capacity charges by Rs1.34 per unit has created room for tariff reduction,” a Power Division official told Nepra.

Despite the proposed tariff cut, capacity payments — fixed payments to power producers — will remain a heavy burden on consumers. The total capacity payments for FY26 are projected at Rs1.766 trillion, translating into Rs17.06 per unit.

On an annual basis, it is a Rs1.34 per unit cut in these charges. In the FY 2024-25 the total capacity payments were Rs1.952 trillion, the official added. When asked about the impact of terminating/hybrid Take & Pay agreement with the IPPs on the capacity payments, the official said that the total reduction in capacity payments will be Rs236 billion.