ISLAMABAD: A PPP delegation called on Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas on Friday and urged the opposition to join a proposed parliamentary committee on electoral reforms, Senator Sherry Rehman said.

“He told us that he will respond [to the proposal] after consultation. We are hopeful that their response will be positive,” Rehman said in a video statement after the meeting.

The proposal for the committee’s formation was shared by PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari during the National Assembly on Thursday.

He had said Parliament had decided to constitute a committee on electoral reforms in response to a PPP request and urged Opposition Leader in the NA Mehmood Khan Achakzai to nominate a representative to the committee since the opposition had described electoral rigging as a “fundamental issue”.

PTI lawmakers had quit the parliamentary standing committees last year on the directives of their party chief.

On Friday, another PPP delegation, comprising the party’s secretary general Nayyar Bokhari, Senator Waqar Mehdi, Nadeem Afzal Chan and Rehman, visited Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas with yet another invitation to join the proposed body.

The opposition delegation included Abbas, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Noor-ul-Haq Qadri and Senator Ali Zafar.

Bokhari said the opposition leaders told the PPP delegation that they would consult with all opposition parties before coming up with their response to the PPP invitation.

Speaking during the meeting, Senator Rehman said the objective of the committee was to bring the government and opposition together to formulate joint proposals for ensuring free, fair and transparent elections.

“Repeated questions over the credibility of the electoral process undermine the credibility of Parliament itself. Free, fair and transparent elections are essential not only for protecting the rights of voters but also for strengthening democratic institutions,” she added.

Rehman said that the committee would deliberate and present its recommendations before parliament for approval. She stressed that electoral reforms must be a collective parliamentary undertaking to ensure broad-based political consensus and public confidence.

A source privy to the meeting told Dawn that the PPP delegation also urged the opposition leaders to sit down with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif regarding the appointment of a new chief election commissioner (CEC), as the incumbent CEC was still sitting in office even after two years of retirement.

Under the 27th Constitutional Amendment, the CEC continues to serve until the appointment of a successor.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Rehman said: “We have told the opposition that they must join this committee, play an active role and openly express their reservations.”

She added, “If they (opposition members) remain absent, how will their reservations be addressed?”

“Every political party should ensure its participation in the committee. We all know that the PTI has boycotted parliamentary committees. So we asked them to join this committee, play an active role in it, express their reservations and suggest reforms,” Rehman said in the video statement.

These committees, she said, were the “heart of parliamentary work”.

She further stated that the PTI should participate in other parliamentary committees as well and “strengthen Parliament’s role”.

Rehman added that Abbas had welcomed the PPP delegation, expressed gratitude to Bilawal and said they would respond to the proposal after consultation.

“We are hopeful that their response will be positive,” she said.

PTI’s Parliamentary leader in the Senate, Senator Zafar, said while speaking to the media that electoral reforms were essential for strengthening democracy and ensuring public confidence in the electoral process.

However, he emphasised that the fundamental problem in Pakistan was not the absence of laws or the need to make new laws. “The real problem lies in their implementation,” he said.

“The key question is how we will ensure that existing electoral laws are implemented honestly, transparently and without discrimination. Unless this fundamental issue is addressed, merely introducing new laws will not achieve the desired results.”

Zafar thanked the PPP for extending the offer and stated that the PTI would discuss the proposal internally within the party before formulating and communicating its response.

He reiterated that any meaningful discussion on electoral reforms must address both the legal framework and, more importantly, the mechanisms to ensure its effective implementation.

A day earlier, another PPP delegation invited Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai to participate in the parliamentary committee to promote consultation and discussion among parliamentary representatives on electoral reforms.

Later, in a press conference, Raja Pervez Ashraf said the PPP delegation had a meeting with Achakzai on Bilawal’s instructions to invite him to join the committee.

“The PPP wants the PTI to participate in parliamentary standing committees as well as the electoral reforms committee,” he added.

Achakzai had sought time to consult before responding to the invitation, he said.

Addressing a rally in Karachi earlier this month, Bilawal had also extended an olive branch to the opposition parties, saying their positive engagement with the federal government could result in the reversal of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The PPP chairman had invited the opposition to join the Parliamentary electoral reforms process and “engage with the federal government”.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Thursday urged National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai to use the “authority and power” delegated to him by jailed PTI founder Imran Khan to direct opposition members to participate in House committees and discuss pressing national issues.

He made the remarks while addressing the National Assembly during a session chaired by Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa.

Addressing the House, Bilawal called for strengthening Parliament by taking decisions on matters of national interest collectively on a single platform.

“If Parliament is powerful, we are all powerful; this is the power bestowed on us by the people of Pakistan,” he said.

Urging the speaker and the government to fulfil their responsibilities, the PPP chairman also called on the opposition to play its role in the House.

“Those who want this House to remain dysfunctional and do not want the people of Pakistan to benefit from it have succeeded,” he said, pointing towards the opposition benches. “Congratulations to you,” he added sarcastically.

“You have played a part in helping these people achieve their objective,” he said, criticising the opposition.

Bilawal also criticised the opposition’s decision to boycott committee proceedings, saying it had contributed to the “weakening” of Parliament.

“It is your responsibility to represent your party, the people and your constituencies in these committees. However, you are not raising their concerns on the relevant platforms,” he said.

Turning to Achakzai, Bilawal urged the opposition leader to use the “authority and power” delegated to him and the Senate opposition leader by Imran Khan to direct opposition members to participate in committee proceedings and discuss pressing national issues.

Bilawal said that since Parliament had decided, on a motion moved by the PPP, to constitute a committee on electoral reforms, the opposition leader should nominate a representative to the committee and submit the name to the speaker’s office.

He recalled that the opposition had described electoral rigging as its “fundamental issue”.

Urging the opposition leader to participate in the committee’s proceedings, Bilawal said the move was necessary if the opposition wanted the issue of alleged rigging to be addressed before the next general election, local government polls or by-elections.

The PPP chairman also described participation in the committee as a fundamental step towards restoring Parliament’s respect and authority.

“I request the opposition to at least exercise the power it has,” he said, questioning the purpose of an electoral reforms committee if the opposition did not participate in its proceedings.

“If we make efforts to bring all stakeholders together in a committee or arrange a briefing on terrorism, economic and security issues, and other concerns without the opposition’s participation, it will be pointless,” he said.

Against the backdrop of the evolving geopolitical situation, Bilawal called for the foreign, interior and defence ministers to brief the House on the challenges facing Pakistan.

“Tell this House about the potential threats facing Pakistan and the region, particularly as three key maritime routes are closed,” he said.

He also called for a briefing on developments related to the war in Iran and its implications for Pakistan. In addition, he sought a briefing from the government on the recent defence pacts signed by Pakistan.

“Every member of this House has the right to be informed about the challenges facing Pakistan, whether terrorism or other domestic issues, the steps being taken to address them and their potential consequences in the days ahead,” he said.

Addressing a rally in Karachi earlier this month, Bilawal had also extended an olive branch to the opposition parties, saying their positive engagement with the federal government could result in the reversal of governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The PPP chairman had invited the opposition to join the Parliamentary electoral reforms process and “engage with the federal government”.

The Centre imposed governor’s rule and emergency in KP on Oct 11, citing the provincial government’s “deliberate disengagement” from the fight against terrorism. The move had drawn criticism from the opposition.

PPP delegation meets Achakzai

Separately, a PPP delegation met Achakzai and invited the PTI to join the parliamentary committee on electoral reforms, according to a statement the party issued on X.

The PPP delegation comprised of Raja Pervez Ashraf and Syed Naveed Qamar. Senate Opposition Leader Raja Nasir Abbas was also present.

The delegation invited Achakzai to participate in the parliamentary committee to promote consultation and discussion among parliamentary representatives on electoral reforms, the statement said.

Later, in a press conference, Ashraf said the PPP delegation had a meeting with Achakzai on Bilawal’s instructions to invite him to join the committee.

“The PPP wants the PTI to participate in parliamentary standing committees as well as the electoral reforms committee,” he added.

Achakzai had sought time to consult before responding to the invitation, he said.

The PPP has consistently sought to improve the electoral process, Ashraf said, adding that PTI also wanted electoral reforms.

“The PTI will respond to the PPP after consultations,” he said.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday stressed that artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalisation could improve Pakistan’s trade, exports and other areas of development and called for effective implementation of the government’s strategic partnership with global marketing company Alibaba.

The premier was chairing a meeting in Islamabad reviewing progress on the use of AI and digitalisation in the economy and governance, as well as cooperation with Alibaba in these areas, according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

“The secret to Pakistan’s development lies in artificial intelligence and digitalisation,” the PMO quoted him as saying.

During the meeting, he said the effective use of digitalisation, AI and modern technology could play a “vital role in improving trade, exports, agricultural productivity, ease of doing business and the quality of public services in Pakistan”, PMO said.

PM Shehbaz welcomed Alibaba’s cooperation in facilitating Pakistani agricultural exports to Chinese markets, highlighting that modernising the agricultural sector was essential for national development. He also welcomed cooperation with Alibaba on automation in agriculture.

The prime minister directed that an AI-assisted cancer early-detection system be implemented at the earliest in collaboration with Alibaba. He also directed that a 15-day AI training programme for IT graduates be launched soon under the IT ministry’s Ignite programme, in collaboration with Alibaba.

The prime minister recalled that a memorandum of understanding had been signed with Alibaba at the company’s headquarters in Hangzhou during his visit to China in May.

He said the government’s top priorities included making full use of its strategic partnership with the global company to improve small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) access to global markets and create new opportunities for technology-driven development in the country.

The prime minister directed all relevant authorities to ensure that cooperation with Alibaba was translated into tangible results through clearly defined targets, timelines and effective monitoring of all projects. He instructed the relevant ministries to complete all necessary measures by November and submit a progress report.

The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) was directed to introduce an analytics system for monitoring the petroleum products supply chain in collaboration with Alibaba, the PMO statement said, adding that Ogra was being provided with AI tools for it.

The Export Promotion Board was also instructed to work with Alibaba to help increase Pakistan’s exports.

During the briefing on progress in strategic cooperation between Alibaba and the Pakistani government, the meeting was informed that work was under way on AI-based models for agriculture, track-and-trace technology for tobacco, and digital platforms to facilitate the export of citrus fruits and olives.

A dedicated Pakistan pavilion has also been established on Alibaba’s platform to promote Pakistani products in international markets, PMO added. A system for the digital verification of trade documents through Pakistan Single Window has been made operational as well.

Meanwhile, a two-year programme is being launched through collaboration between the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) and Alibaba to provide SMEs with access to international markets, training and e-commerce opportunities.

The meeting also reviewed progress on developing an advanced data platform and a central data hub for the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL), as well as a proposed pilot project for AI-assisted cancer diagnosis.

Initiatives involving the use of digital technology and AI in higher education, railways, postal services and urban administration are also “in the final stages of completion”, the statement added.

Federal ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Jam Kamal Khan, Dr Musadik Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Syed Mustafa Kamal and Abdul Aleem Khan attended the meeting, along with Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani and relevant senior officials.

During the premier’s four-day visit to China in May this year, Pakistan expressed its support for “China’s initiative of establishing the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organisation (WAICO), believing that this represents a concrete step toward promoting the development of artificial intelligence for good and for all”.

In July, Pakistan became a founding member of WAICO after Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar signed the agreement establishing the forum in Shanghai, China.

Earlier this year, PM Shehbaz announced the government’s plan to invest $1 billion in AI by 2030.

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was apprised on Monday that closure of Pakistan-Iran border was one of the main reasons of sky rocketing price of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in the country.

“Closure of Pak-Iran border is one of the main reasons of high prices of LPG and now we are trying to get the fuel from sea route,” said Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervez Malik while responding to a calling attention notice in the house.

The notice, which was jointly moved by Ms Aliya Kamran, Shahida Begum and Naeema Kishwar Khan, invited the attention of minister to a matter of urgent public importance regarding unprecedented increase in the prices of LPG causing grave concern among the public.

A mover of the bill Aliya Kamran said in remote and northern areas of the country the LPG was selling at Rs 700 to Rs 800 per kg against its official price, set by Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) of Rs 280 per kg.

LPG is largely consumed fuel in remote and far flung areas of the country where pipe gas is not available. The consumption of LPG and its price increase in winter.

Naeema Kishwar questioned that why the government has suspended trade with Iran through border.

On this the minister said 50 to 60pc LPG was imported from Iran and rest of the required fuel we get from Qatar. He said due to United States-Iran war LPG supply from Qatar has been suspended.

He said the government was reviewing the whole system and that it has a policy to acquir the gas from other sources abroad.

The minister also agreed the official price of LPG, prescribed by Ogra was Rs 280 per kg. However, it has been observed that even during surplus supply of LPG, the gas is nowhere sold at the government rate.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2026