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MQM-P decides not to join federal cabinet

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  • MQM-P convener says party is more interested in getting commitments made by coalition partners fulfilled.
  • Party wants to extend its support to broad-based government from outside.
  • Refrains from commenting on Akhtar’s remarks expressing displeasure over no mention of commitments by Shehbaz.

ISLAMABAD: Amid consultations over the formation of a new federal cabinet in the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led regime, MQM-P has decided not to be part of it, The News reported.

Instead, the party wants to extend its support to the broad-based government from the outside.

With the decision already conveyed to the prime minister, MQM-P convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said his party had discussed the formation of the new cabinet with the leaders of coalition partners in detail.

He said the MQM-P is more interested in the implementation of the commitments made by the coalition partners for the well-being of Karachi and other areas of the province.

“The commitments are significant, which need to be fulfilled,” Siddiqui said.

However, the politician did not comment on former Karachi mayor Wasim Akhtar’s remarks where he took exception to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for not mentioning commitments with the MQM-P in his maiden speech as the premier in the National Assembly.

The MQM-P had two slots of the federal cabinet in the ousted government of the PTI. Syed Aminul Haque was IT minister while Senator Farogh Nasim was the law minister, representing the MQM-P in the government. 

Sources said the MQM-P was offered two slots in the federal government, Sindh’s governorship and about half a dozen slots in the Sindh cabinet beside municipal charge of three big cities of the province including Karachi mayorship but no decision has yet been taken about assuming these assignments. 

PM Shehbaz consults coalition partners over cabinet formation

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is in consultation with the leaders of the coalition parties over the formation of his cabinet.

However, sources privy to the matter said that PPP is unwilling to be a part of the cabinet, saying that it would support the government from the treasury benches in a better way.

According to the sources, one group within the party favours the idea of joining the cabinet to strengthen the coalition, while the other group is of the view that the party should instead focus on electoral reforms for early election.

However, the final decision will be made as per the top leadership’s will in a few days.

Sources said the PPP was more interested in the constitutional offices of the parliament and it would join the cabinet in the second phase. There is a consensus in the party on taking over the office of the National Assembly speaker with Raja Pervez Ashraf and Syed Naveed Qamar as its candidates.

They claimed that Ashraf was a strong contender, while Maulana Asad Mehmood of the JUI-F, the son of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, could be the deputy speaker.

Latest News

Citizens can apply for a passport in any Pakistani city.

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By changing the rules governing passports, the government made the application procedure easier and eliminated the need for address-based issuance.

According to the recently released memoranda, the requirement that applicants apply for a passport exclusively from the address listed on their National Identity Card has been lifted, allowing individuals to apply from any place in Pakistan.

It is anticipated that this modification will significantly alleviate the delays and complexities that nationals previously experienced as a result of jurisdictional limits.

Nationally, regional passport offices have been informed of the revised regulations. With the new regulation, citizens will have more freedom and accessibility as they are no longer limited to applying within certain parameters.

According to the Director General of Passports, the adjustment was proposed in order to alleviate the challenges that the public was facing. “The citizens will now be eligible to apply for a passport from any city in Pakistan, streamlining the process and improving accessibility across the board” , said the top government official.

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US-Pakistan Discusses Democracy and Human Rights When Pakistani Ambassador Calls Congress

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Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, the ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, spoke with Congressmen Jim Mcgovern and Susan Wild over the phone recently.

The conversation centered on human rights and democratic values, as well as strengthening Pakistan-U.S. bilateral ties.

Throughout the call, the officials concurred that continuing contact is crucial to enhancing and growing Pakistan-U.S. ties.

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Business

The economic outlook for Pakistan. Report: The Economy Will Continue Its Sustainable Recovery

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Stability in the external and fiscal sectors, along with large financial inflows, have helped Pakistan show a steady recovery in the first quarter of FY2024–25.

The October economic outlook from the Finance Ministry emphasizes encouraging developments, such as the 1.03 billion dollar first tranche from the IMF’s extended financial facility, which improves macroeconomic stability.

A 3.7 percent increase in total fertilizer production and a 115.9 percent increase in imports of agricultural gear are significant achievements.

In August 2024, large-scale manufacturing grew 4.7 percent month over month, even if it decreased by 0.2 percent in July and August of the same year.

September 2024 had a 44-month low of 6.9 percent consumer price index inflation, down from 31.4 percent the year before.

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