Minister of Commerce Jam Kamal Khan said that the government is finalising a comprehensive Textiles and Apparel Policy and National Industrial Policy for the next five years, aimed at making Pakistan’s industry regionally competitive, removing trade barriers, and ensuring long-term export growth.
The minister announced, while chairing a meeting with Aamir Fayyaz Sheikh, CEO of Kohinoor Mills, Kamran Arshad, Chairman All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), Rehman Naseem, CEO of Fazal Cloth, and Shahid Sattar, Executive Director APTMA at the Ministry of Commerce, and joined by Haroon Akhtar Khan Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production.
According to an official statement, the commerce minister underlined that the Textiles and Apparel Policy will be designed aimed at reduce cost of manufacturing, improving resource productivity and optimizing processes, promoting research and development and product/market diversification, and enhancing Pakistan’s share in global market.
He remarked that Pakistan must rely on export growth, adding that the government is committed to ensuring all decisions are taken in consultation with stakeholders. Kamal stressed that the government and industry are aligned in their determination to revive and enhance momentum of increasing exports.
Welcoming the industry proposal to analyse the policies of regional competitors, Kamal shared the observations from his recent visit to Dhaka, where he witnessed first-hand the country’s success in industrial development and exports of readymade garments.
Meanwhile, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar Khan emphasised that the new industrial policy would go beyond a few sectors and address the broader industrial landscape.
10-year industrial policy finalised
He explained that the policy would comprehensively cover the areas, including energy, tariffs and taxation, financing, economic zones and the other areas. He also underlined that facilitation for greenfield projects, land-lease models under public-private partnership, and one-window model for investor facilitation are also being incorporated.
He added that the initiative would inject new momentum into industrial growth across the country.
During the meeting, APTMA delegation urged the government to remove structural inefficiencies and provide enabling environment that hinder competitiveness of export sectors in the global market.
ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Thursday rejected the pre-arrest bail an accused in cheque dishonor case. A division bench headed by Justice Malik Shahzad heard the pre-arrest bail petition of accused Muhammad Shakeel. During hearing, Prosecutor Abid Majeed said that there are already ten cases against the accused, who is engaged in gold business. The accused took three tolas of gold and returned one tola. The accused’s lawyer told the court that there is no video or evidence against the accused. Justice Shahzad Malik remarked that does anyone make a video while giving gold to a goldsmith? The court expressed annoyance over the absence of arrest of the accused during the hearing. Justice Shahzad Malik said that despite ten cases, why has the police not arrested the accused yet, to which the investigation officer said that the accused has appealed in the Supreme Court. Justice Shahzad Malik remarked that just filing an application does not grant bail, there are already ten cases and the accused is roaming around. It should be noted that a case was registered against the accused in Chiniot Police Station Saddar.
ISLAMABAD: A ‘Marka-i-Haq Monument’ is being developed in sector H-8 to highlight the bravery of armed forces who defeated India in the four-day brief war in may this year.
The monument will be set up at H-8 Pakistan Movement Park which is being expanded and will be given a complete new look.
The monument is being developed by Frontier Work Organisation (EWO) as Capital Development Authority (CDA) has handed over the site to it for development of the monument.
Sources in the CDA said that the monument was being developed on the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the federal government will provide funding for the project.
“The main purpose of this project is to commemorate victims and honour the sacrifices of Shuhada and Ghazis of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos,” said an official source.
Heavy machinery and cranes were brought to the site by FWO on Thursday for starting work. The existing structure is being removed from the site, which will be replaced with added features. During a visit to the site on Thursday, it was noticed that the earth leveling work had already started.
Though the design of Marak-i-Haq Monument is not yet ready, people involved in the project stated that besides other features the monument would have the model of an unbreakable wall to show the world that Pakistan has an impregnable defence system in place.
The tallest flag installed in the area will remain intact, but its location may be changed.
The Movement Park was developed by CDA after spending a huge amount of funds to promote knowledge and events of Pakistan’s history in pictorial form a few years ago. However, its boundary wall remains incomplete while CDA has not bothered to carry out finishing, polishing and shining work on the marble stonework.
The picture walls were also in poor shape with faded colours. The walls were removed on Thursday as new structure will be built there with added features.
A Senate panel on Thursday decided to withdraw the legal powers of the boards of the central bank and equity market regulator to fix salaries of their top executives, after an exorbitant increase in the pay packages of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) executives shocked legislators.
Ministry of Law and Justice Secretary Raja Naeem Akbar backed the Senate Standing Committee on Finance’s decision to amend the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Act and the SECP Act to withdraw the authority of their boards to fix executive salaries.
Headed by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the committee had called SECP Chairman Akif Saeed to brief on the issue of retrospective increases in his salary and that of SECP commissioners.
On Senator Anusha Rahman’s recommendation, the committee unanimously decided to move amendments in both laws — the SECP Act and the SBP Act. The law secretary assured the panel that said laws will be amended to withdraw the powers of the boards.
Rahman, as per her working, told the committee that out of 18 regulators, salaries of only three were fixed by their boards, while pay packages of the other 15 were approved by the federal cabinet.
On Tuesday, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) also expressed “shock” over reports that the SECP chairman was drawing an annual salary of Rs41 million. The Daily Dawn reported that an audit had raised serious concerns over SECP’s finances, including unauthorised pay hikes for its chairman and commissioners amounting to over Rs156 million annually.
The report stated that the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) held that under the law, SECP must obtain finance ministry approval for salary hikes. However, the SECP management proceeded to approve raises for its employees during a Policy Board meeting on October 17, 2024, effective from July 1, 2023.
On Monday, the PAC questioned how a country in economic crisis could afford such packages. The audit found SECP Chairman Akif Saeed’s pay had reached Rs41.53 million for FY24, while each commissioner received Rs35.8 million due to backdated increases. It also revealed the SECP illegally distributed Rs110 million in entertainment allowances to commissioners and staff.
The SECP chairman defended the board’s decision to increase his salary, saying it was fully empowered to act and made its decision based on a market survey.
“The authority to increase the salary has been misused,” remarked former law minister Senator Farooq H Naek.
Standing Committee Chairman Senator Saleem Mandviwalla added that FBR Chairman Rashid Langrial was also making such decisions. But Langrial, who was present in the meeting, denied it.
“My salary is one-seventh of the SECP chairman’s,” said Dr Kabir Sidhu, Chairman of the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), who was also present. He noted that the CCP, also a regulator, cannot fix salaries without government approval.
The FBR chairman said it was not an unfettered right to increase salaries at will and boards must define a process before determining the increase in salaries.
Law Secretary Raja Naeem Akbar, also a member of the SECP board, disclosed that SECP management had recommended the increases, which the board accepted after months of discussion.
Senator Rahman criticised the finance ministry for granting these powers to SECP and SBP boards by creating exceptions. She said no one could abuse public funds in the name of autonomy and freedom. Senator Naek pointed out that even the Supreme Court of Pakistan cannot set judges’ salaries, which are fixed by the President of Pakistan on the prime minister’s advice.
The Daily Dawn also reported in February this year that top officials of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) had raised their remunerations significantly without mandatory cabinet approval.
The report said chairpersons and members of regulatory bodies are normally entitled to a maximum Management Position (MP) Scale-I with a basic pay of Rs629,000 to Rs772,780 per month.
But after self-approved increases, the Nepra chairperson’s gross monthly salary rose to almost Rs3.25 million, while senior officials’ salaries reached around Rs2.95 million, as per the Dawn report.
NDMA releases latest situation of Chenab, Ravi Rivers RADIO PAKISTAN
Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s directions: Punjab Police on High Alert in Flood Situation and actively engaged in relief activities punjabpolice.gov.pk
Hadiqa Kiani urges residents near Ravi, Sutlej and Chenab rivers to evacuate amid devastating floods Dawn
Abdul Aleem Khan urges national unity to tackle floods and unprecedented challenges ptv.com.pk
Pakistan’s ambassador in Kabul was summoned to the Afghan foreign ministry on Thursday to lodge a formal protest against what the Taliban regime claimed were Pakistani military strikes in Nangarhar and Khost provinces, in a move indicating renewed tensions between the two hyphenated neighbours.
Afghan officials “strongly condemned” the strikes which they claimed resulted in the killing of three civilians and injuries to seven others.
In its protest note, the Afghan foreign ministry denounced what it called Pakistan’s violation of Afghan airspace and the bombing of civilian areas near the Durand Line, describing the strikes as “a blatant breach of Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and a provocative act.”
The ministry further underscored that safeguarding Afghanistan’s sovereignty remains a red line for the “Islamic Emirate”, warning that “such irresponsible actions will inevitably lead to consequences.”
There was no response from Pakistan on either the summoning of the envoy or reported strikes across the border Wednesday night.
Afghan officials in Nangarhar claimed that two drone strikes hit the house of a man in Shinwar district of Nangarhar. The province’s deputy governor, Maulvi Azizullah Mustafa, said Afghanistan was committed to peace and stability, good relations with neighbouring countries, and a neutral stance in international affairs, and such actions will affect regional stability.
The development comes amid renewed friction between Islamabad and Kabul over cross-border terrorism. Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban of providing sanctuary to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which has intensified attacks inside Pakistan after the Taliban returned to power in Kabul.
Islamabad has carried out occasional cross-border strikes, insisting they target terrorist hideouts across the porous frontier. However, Kabul has consistently protested such actions, terming them violations of sovereignty.
Tensions between the two neighbours escalated earlier this year after Pakistan closed key border crossings following a spike in terrorist attacks, while Afghanistan retaliated with restrictions on trade and movement. The latest episode underscores the fragile state of bilateral ties despite recent push by the two sides to sort out their issues.
There have been frequent high-level exchanges between Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent months but those contacts seem to have failed to make a serious headway on the issue of security.
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar recently travelled to Kabul to attend a trilateral meeting along with the Chinese and Afghan foreign ministers. In a bilateral meeting with Taliban’s interim foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Dar conveyed Pakistan’s strong reservations over the lack of progress on TTP. He told his Afghan counterpart that the recent surge in terrorist attacks was linked to safe haven of TTP and other groups on Afghan soil.
The Afghan foreign minister was supposed to travel to Islamabad earlier this month but the visit was called off at the last minute after the UN Security Council could not give him travel exemptions over objections raised by the US.
The two sides were working to sort out the issue and have rescheduled the visit but given the latest hiccup, it is not certain if Muttaqi will travel to Pakistan anytime soon.
BORN in the name of devolution, propagated as people’s rights, and celebrated as a victory for the deprived, the seventh National Finance Commission award has been nothing of the sort.
Its birth in 2010 coincided with the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment, which also created ambiguity about the role of the local governments (LGs), paving the way for the recentralisation of powers by the provincial governments.
Rather than bringing governance closer to the people, the seventh NFC award and the 18th Amendment took away whatever devolution of resources and powers existed with the LGs at that time.
In 1999, when the federal government abolished the octroi and zila tax (OZT) collection by the LGs, it introduced a 2.5 per cent increase in the GST on goods. A transparent mechanism for direct transfers to the LGs was introduced to compensate for their revenue losses. Later, the Distribution of Revenues & Grants-in-aid Order of 2006 fixed these direct transfers at one-sixth of GST collections.
Had that system continued, Karachi would have received Rs190 billion in 2024-25 as a direct transfer from GST alone (as compensation for the OZT). Other district governments in Sindh, such as those in Ghotki, Hyderabad and Thatta, would also have received direct transfers of Rs4,456 million, Rs4,486m and Rs3,618m respectively.
This right of the LGs was usurped through the seventh NFC and merged into the federal divisible pool. The provinces were allowed to use the LGs’ share as they pleased. Karachi, being the largest collector of OZT, was the worst affected, receiving meagre amounts totalling less than Rs200bn from 2010-11 to 2024-25, against its due share of Rs1,236.7bn. Karachi suffered a colossal loss of more than Rs1,000bn, or one trillion rupees, after the seventh NFC under the OZT head alone.
The seventh NFC award and 18th Amendment took away whatever devolution of resources and powers existed with the LGs.
‘Democracy’, ‘devolution of power’ under the 18th Amendment and ‘equitable distribution of resources’ under the seventh NFC were meant only for those with political power in the provinces. After becoming mega-rich under the seventh NFC, the provinces were not bound to give equitable shares to the cities or districts.
Sindh spent 3,871bn in development funds from 2010-11 to 2024-25. Comprising 37pc of Sindh’s population, Karachi was entitled to Rs1,416.6bn, but received only Rs472bn (a deficit of Rs944.6bn). The federal government’s PSDP from 2010-11 to 2024-25 amounted to Rs8,967bn.
Constituting 8.4pc of the country’s population, Karachi should have received Rs756.8bn. However, it received only Rs340bn (a deficit of Rs416.2bn). The total development deficit was Rs1,360.9bn (almost one and a half trillion rupees) from 2010-11 to 2024-25.
Due to such flaws in the 18th Amendment, the Provincial Finance Commission (PFC) has been dead since 2009. The subjects of LGs have been taken back by the provincial government, including water, sewerage, solid waste management, master plan, building control, development agencies, transport/ mass transit, land control, education, health, etc. Social indicators, including education and health, have nosedived since then.
The Infrastructure Development Cess has been collected since 1994 on goods at Karachi’s ports for the development and maintenance of the infrastructure that the carriers use when they enter Karachi via national highways. Rather than creating a fund for Karachi’s infrastructure, all the collection under the IDC is merged illegally into the provincial account. Last year, it was Rs170bn. The total IDC collection, since the cess’s inception, is estimated to be around Rs1,000bn or Rs1tr.
All these amounts, ie, direct transfers from GST taken away by the seventh NFC, deficit in development funds and misappropriation of IDC come to Rs3,360bn or over Rs3tr. It is about three times the amount of the infrastructure funding gap identified by the World Bank: “Karachi requires an estimated $9-10bn [around Rs 1,050bn in 2017] to bridge its service delivery and infrastructure gaps. Without this, the city’s livability and competitiveness will continue to deteriorate, limiting its ability to drive Pakistan’s growth” (Transforming Karachi into a Liveable and Competitive Megacity, 2017, World Bank).
All these years, we believed that: “All issues of Karachi, including water supply, drainage, sewage, public transport and solid waste disposal, will be addressed at once” as the then prime minister Imran Khan said, when announcing Rs1,100bn for the Karachi Transformation Plan in September 2020.
In a similar vein, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared in April 2022 that he had “asked the relevant authorities to fully complete the K-IV project by 2024. We cannot compromise on water supply projects”. A year later, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said in June 2023, “I will take a personal interest in the development of the city.” Earlier, in April 2019, MQM’s Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui had said: “We are taking this case to the public … We have had enough.”
If Karachi gets just one year of its due share in provincial ADP (Rs372.7bn), federal PSDP (Rs84.4bn), IDC (Rs200bn) and a share in GST against OZT based on the 2006 formula (Rs222.7bn), the total would come to Rs879.8bn this year. It would mean complete funding for the K-IV water project (Rs73bn), the Karachi Circular Railway (Rs300bn), the two unfunded Blue and Brown BRTs (Rs180bn), sewage treatment plants at all discharge points (Rs270bn), and the complete rehabilitation of all Karachi roads.
If provided and spent honestly every year, these funds can bring Karachi closer to being a livable city in a few years, and Pakistan can regain its growth potential, which has been lost since the seventh NFC.
The nation expects the participants of the 11th NFC to work sincerely to: (i) undo the injustice of the seventh NFC and restore the one-sixth GST share as direct transfers to LGs based on the 2006 formula; (ii) provide safeguards to ensure the equitable distribution of development funds across regions; (iii) make provincial shares conditional on the operationalisation of the PFC; and (iv) provide transparent mechanisms to use IDC for the development of the port city and its freight corridor for future trade expansion.
The writer was formerly a federal secretary and caretaker provincial minister. He is currently the chairman of the Policy Research and Advisory Council.
• PM Shehbaz, CM Maryam oversee massive relief and evacuation operation • Over 1,400 villages inundated; grain crops submerged • Chenab expected to swell to dangerous level at Head Trimmu • Sialkot airport shut due to floodwater • Minister says no compensation for structures built illegally in high-risk areas
MANDI BAHAUDDIN: Residents wade through a flooded road in Qadirabad village near the River Chenab.—Reuters
LAHORE: The Punjab government has launched one of its largest evacuation operations in recent years, as floodwaters affected over 1.46 million people across the province, with the Chenab River expected to swell to dangerous levels at Head Trimmu.
Extremely high floods in the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers have also resulted in the loss of 17 lives.
The province is battling its worst flooding in four decades, which has caused havoc in hundreds of villages and submerged vital grain crops.
Torrential monsoon rain and India’s release of excess water from its dams swelled the three rivers that flow into the province, forcing authorities to breach riverbanks in some places and causing flooding in more than 1,400 villages.
Authorities warned that between 700,000 and 800,000 cusecs of water could pass through the Chenab River system in the next 48 hours, threatening widespread devastation.
The relocation effort covers several districts and hundreds of towns, including Jhang, Shorkot, Khanewal, Multan, Muzaffargarh, Shujaabad, Jalalpur Pirwala and Alipur.
Water levels
As of 12am on Friday, Trimmu near Jhang was in normal flow at 117,534 cubic feet per second (cusecs), but was showing a rising trend, according to the Flood Forecasting Division.
The division reported falling trends upstream. At Marala Headworks near Sialkot, the flow has dropped to 106,496 cusecs (low flood), while both Khanki and Qadirabad headworks stand at 305,436 cusecs.
While the Ravi River has stabilised at Jassar near Narowal (95,580 cusecs), Shahdara was in “exceptionally high flood” with a water outflow of 219,770 cusecs, though the trend was steady. The next stop, Head Balloki near Pattoki, was in the “high flood” category at 114,110 cusecs and showing a rising trend.
Further downstream, Head Sidhnai near Abdul Hakeem showed a rising trend, with an inflow of 25,443 cusecs and outflow of 10,093 cusecs.
On the Sutlej River, Ganda Singh Wala near Kasur was in “exceptionally high flood” at 261,053 cusecs, Sulemanki near Bahawalnagar was in “medium flood” at 113,124 cusecs, and Head Islam was in “low flood” at 52,706 cusecs.
Meanwhile on the Indus River, Tarbela Dam showed a normal flow with an outflow of 155,400 cusecs.
Scale of damage
According to PDMA data, over 1.46 million people in 1,692 mouzas have been affected due to extremely high floods in the Sutlej, Ravi and Chenab rivers, with a total of 17 lives lost.
The government has evacuated over 265,000 people, of whom 1,372 were living in 355 relief camps and 6,656 were provided with medical help, whereas 90,348 people and 154,980 cattle were transported to safety.
A total of 991 villages were submerged due to flooding in the Chenab River. Some 395 villages were affected by the floods in Sialkot, 127 in Jhang, 124 in Multan, 48 in Chiniot, 66 in Gujrat, 51 in Khanewal, 45 in Hafizabad, 41 in Sargodha, 35 in Mandi Bahauddin, and 19 villages in Wazirabad.
Due to flooding in the Chenab, more than one million people have been evacuated and relocated to safe locations so far. Some 73,000 animals have been moved to safe locations, and 72 veterinary camps have been set up in affected districts.
In the Ravi, around 80 villages were submerged, including 75 in Narowal, four in Sheikhupura, and one in Nankana Sahib. Around 11,000 people have been evacuated and relocated to safe locations so far. Nearly 4,500 animals have been moved to safe locations. A total of 52 veterinary camps have been set up in affected districts.
As for the Sutlej River, a total of 361 villages were submerged, including 72 in Kasur, 86 in Okara, 24 in Pakpattan, 27 in Multan, 23 in Vehari, 104 in Bahawalnagar and 25 villages in Bahawalpur. Nearly 127,000 people have been evacuated and relocated to safe locations so far. A total of 70,000 animals have been moved to safe locations, whereas 90 veterinary camps have been set up.
‘No compensation’
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Thursday lauded the exemplary coordination among all stakeholders for averting a major flood disaster in Gujranwala and Wazirabad.
Speaking to the media in Wazirabad, he assured that arrangements were in place for the provision of relief items, including tents, food and medical supplies.
A survey is currently underway to estimate livestock losses, and compensation will be provided to affected individuals. However, he stressed that no compensation would be given for structures built illegally in these high-risk areas.
Meanwhile, flooding also disrupted flight operations at Sialkot International Airport, where services were suspended for 24 hours on Thursday.
The airport spokesperson confirmed that the runway and terminal were safe, with drainage work underway.
An official told Dawn that the last flight from Sialkot airport — a Dubai-bound Flydubai — departed on Thursday morning.
PM, CM visit affected areas
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, conducted an aerial survey of affected areas on Thursday. NDMA Chairman Lt Gen Inam Haider briefed the premier on the overall situation.
During her visit to the Ravi, CM Maryam expressed regret that the crisis had been aggravated by the opening of spillways by India but noted that the province’s early warning system was functioning effectively, allowing the timely evacuation of residents.
International support
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkiye phoned PM Shehbaz to express solidarity and offer assistance in rescue and relief efforts.
“Turkiye stands ready to help in any way possible, including during the rescue and relief efforts,” President Erdogan said, according to the PM Office.
PM Shehbaz thanked him for the support, calling it reflective of the “deep-rooted fraternal ties” between the two nations.
Zulqernain Tahir in Lahore, Waseem Ashraf Butt in Gujrat and Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad also contributed to this report. With input from APP and Reuters
KABUL: At least three people were killed and seven wounded in two separate incidents in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Khost provinces, which Afghan authorities claimed were strikes carried out by Pakistan.
There was no official word from Islamabad, and Afghan authorities did not provide any evidence of Pakistan’s involvement in the incident, either.
Islamabad has repeatedly warned Kabul to prevent its soil from being used to stage attacks in Pakistan, and that it is fully capable of targeting terrorists who carry out such attacks.
Quoting Afghan authorities, the Reuters news agency reported on Thursday that three children were killed and several others wounded when ‘drones’ hit the home of one Haji Naeem Khan in Khost’s Spera district, near the border with North Waziristan.
AFP photographs from Spera showed people standing outside a badly damaged home in the Lahori Village.
Meanwhile, Afghan officials claimed that four sons and two wives of a man named Shahsawar were among those injured when his house was destroyed in Nangarhar’s Shinwar district.
The Taliban foreign ministry said in a statement that it strongly condemns the violation of Afghanistan’s airspace, and that the bombing of civilians such irresponsible actions will inevitably have consequences.
It said that a protest note was formally handed to Pakistan’s ambassador, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, during a meeting in Kabul on Thursday.
Pakistan has targeted terrorist camps in Afghan territory in the past: most recently in December last year, when Pakistan jets bombed positions in Paktika province, targeting members of the proscribed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
At the time, the Foreign Office had avoided directly commenting on the claim, but admitted that Pakistani forces conducted “operations in border areas to protect the people of Pakistan from terrorist groups”.
A number of cross-border infiltration bids have also been foiled. In April of this year, ISPR claimed killing at least 54 terrorists who were trying to cross into North Waziristan.
Then, earlier this month, at least 50 attackers were killed trying to cross from Afghanistan into Balochistan’s Zhob district.
Recent negotiations between the TTP and tribesmen in border districts have also laid bare the reality of their chain of command, as the militants repeatedly sought time to consult their leaders in Afghanistan.
ISLAMABAD: The opposition PTI has claimed that some 30 of its lawmakers have resigned from the membership of parliamentary committees, although the National Assembly Secretariat has only confirmed the receipt of 20 resignations.
But while party MNAs are quitting parliamentary panels, none of their senators or MPAs in Punjab have done so.
The party’s chief whip Malik Aamir Dogar told Dawn resignations had been submitted to the NA Secretariat by 5pm on Thursday.
Since not all their legislators were in town at the moment, he said the remaining lawmakers would tender their resignations when they returned to the capital.
When asked whether senators or members of the Punjab Assembly would follow suit, Mr Dogar said the party had not taken any decision with regard to those two legislative bodies.
In a post on X, Mr Dogar shared his own resignation letter, saying that he was quitting the NA standing committees on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Energy (Power Division), Rules of Procedure and Privileges, as well as the Public Accounts Committee.
However, when approached for confirmation, the NA Secretariat said that it had received resignations from 20 lawmakers in all.
On Thursday, those who submitted their resignations included interim party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Amjad Ali Khan, Sahibzada Sibghatullah, Mahboob Shah, Junaid Akbar Khan, Shahzada Gustasap, Ali Jadoon, Mujahid Ali, Malik Anwar Taj, Fazal Muhammad Khan, Sajid Khan, Arbab Amir Ayub, Asif Khan, Sheikh Waqqas Akram, Arshad Sahi, Shabir Ali Qureshi, Awais Jhakkar and Malik Aamir Dogar.
A day earlier, NA DG (Media) Zafar Sultan had told Dawn.com that Ali Asghar Khan and Faisal Amin had sent their resignations as standing committee members to NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
“I resigned from the committees based on the instructions of the PTI founder and the political committee,” Barrister Gohar told Dawn.com on Thursday. “I submitted my resignation to the speaker’s office and resigned |from the committees on law and justice, human rights, IT and the House Business Advisory Committee.”
