Day: August 25, 2020

ISLAMABAD: After its hibernation for almost a decade, the government has decided to reactivate the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) for centralised control and monitoring of all the 10 public sector distribution companies (Discos) as part of a reforms process that may ultimately lead to their privatisation. Under the plan, the Pepco will act as “Management Agent” for all the Discos through a Management Agent Agreement (MMA) with the approval of the respective boards of directors for assisting the Privatisation Commission or any other agency or department in implementing the…

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EPT directed SBCA to not approve the building plan without SEPA approval. As SEPA welcomes that order similarly it should respect compliance to other laws and without NOC from the culture department EIA review is not justified. Report is silent on the heritage status of the building, if removed from the heritage list, how and when it was removed.  Most of the data on air quality is old page 106 to 109 of the report 2007 Proponent’s another project Clifton Icon is violator of social and environmental approval. Even few…

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KARACHI: For over a month, Prince Cinema — one of Karachi’s oldest picture houses — has been in the process of being razed to the ground. According to the billboard placed outside the gate, it is set to become the new home for a high-rise building called ‘Prince Icon’. Walking through the rubble towards the main cinema screen, it looked like the last five minutes of Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic Jurassic Park — cranes and bulldozers were placed in a similar position like raptors and T-Rex getting ready for a…

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KARACHI: Sindh government’s culture department has declared 1061 more private and public buildings as national heritage in the provincial capital.The department notification includes Karachi Gymkhana, Ayesha Badani School, Metropole Hotel, PC Hotel, Bombay Hotel (Cantt Station), PIDC House, Capri Cinema, Prince Cinema, Nishat Cinema, Saifee Hotel, Nigar Cinema, Alpha Restaurant, Seventh Day Hospital, Holy Family Hospital, Jagirdar Hotel FTC Hall, Sindh Medical College, Jinnah Hospital, Baloch Officers Mess, and other buildings.Owners of some private building say that they had not been taken into confidence on this decision. The notification says…

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