Prime Minister: Shehbaz Sharif continues to serve as the 24th Prime Minister. He is currently on an official visit to Vienna, Austria (Feb 15–16), marking the first such visit by a Pakistani PM in over 30 years.
Key Meeting: President Asif Ali Zardari and PM Shehbaz Sharif recently held high-level talks to discuss calling a joint session of Parliament. The agenda reportedly includes new legislation and a focused debate on countering terrorism.
Foreign Relations: Pakistan is actively strengthening regional ties, having recently hosted the Presidents of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to sign strategic trade and investment agreements.
Opposition and Unrest
TTAP Protest (Feb 8, 2026): The opposition alliance, Tehreek-e-Tahaffuz-e-Aain Pakistan (TTAP)—which includes Imran Khan’s PTI—called for a nationwide “shutter-down” strike to mark the two-year anniversary of the 2024 elections, which they maintain were rigged.
Response: The strike saw a significant impact in Balochistan but received a lukewarm or “mixed” response in other provinces like Punjab and Sindh.
Imran Khan: The former Prime Minister remains incarcerated. His legal team is currently moving the Islamabad High Court to suspend sentences in the Toshakhana-2 case on medical and legal grounds.
Economic Indicators
Inflation and Growth: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb recently noted that inflation has reached “record lows.” The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) projects real GDP growth for FY26 to be between 3.75% and 4.75%.
Policy Shifts: The SBP has significantly reduced the policy rate (down 1,150 bps since June 2024) to stimulate private sector credit and support economic recovery.
