Day: October 28, 2026

WASHINGTON: An investment of approximately $11.4 billion over the next four years is needed to provide reliable off-grid solar electricity to hundreds of millions of people, according to a report by the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program and the Global Off-Grid Solar Association (GOGLA), Bloomberg reported. The report highlights the affordability challenge facing off-grid solar users, despite solar energy accounting for the largest share of new power capacity added worldwide. “Off-grid solar remains the least-cost solution for at least 398 million people without access to electricity and a…

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LAHORE: The federal government is planning to change the pricing mechanism for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), with Pakistan State Oil’s (PSO) landed import cost set to replace the Saudi Aramco Contract Price (SACP) as the benchmark for local producers from November 1, 2026, a move that could increase retail prices by 20-25 per cent. According to The News, the petroleum minister verbally informed industry stakeholders about the proposed change during a meeting held on Tuesday with representatives of the LPG sector. Under the proposed formula, local LPG producers would be…

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KARACHI: In a bid to restore greenery and strengthen urban biodiversity, a five-acre urban forest featuring 5,150 trees and plants has been established at the Sindh Governor House using Japan’s Miyawaki plantation technique. Named Quaid-e-Azam Forest, the project aims to improve air quality, moderate urban temperatures and create habitats for birds, butterflies and other wildlife amid Karachi’s shrinking green cover and rising exposure to extreme heat. According to Dr Saifur Rehman, Principal Secretary to the Governor House, the forest was established on the special instructions of Governor Nihal Hashmi and…

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LAHORE: Air pollution reduces life expectancy in Pakistan by an estimated 3.9 years and contributes to around 128,000 premature deaths annually, according to a report by the Pakistan Air Quality Initiative (PAQI), which warns of severe health and economic consequences from deteriorating air quality. The report estimates that air pollution imposes an economic burden equivalent to 6.5 per cent of Pakistan’s gross domestic product (GDP), while prolonged exposure to polluted air could reduce life expectancy in Lahore by up to seven years. Titled Unveiling Pakistan’s Air Pollution: A National Landscape…

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday agreed to form a six-member committee comprising government and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) representatives to develop proposals for a phased reduction in the petroleum levy and expand fuel relief to deserving households amid rising oil prices. The decision came during a meeting between the prime minister and JI Amir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, who called for the complete abolition of the petroleum levy to ease the financial burden on consumers. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the committee will comprise three representatives each from the government…

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