Author: Admin

Energy Sector Posts Mixed Performance in 2025 Amid Circular Debt and Reform Push

Admin
Power project

ISLAMABAD: The year 2025 delivered a mixed outcome for Pakistan’s energy sector, marked by persistent structural challenges alongside policy moves aimed at reform under the Shehbaz Sharif-led government. One of the most entrenched problems remains the chronic circular debt, which continues to strain the entire energy value chain. To address the issue in the power sector, the government signed a Rs1.225 trillion financing agreement with a consortium of 18 banks. While the finance minister described it as the largest restructuring deal in Pakistan’s history, the arrangement essentially involved fresh borrowing…

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Pakistan Urged to Take India to ICJ Over Alleged ‘Water War’

Admin
Pak-Ind

ISLAMABAD: Following Pakistan’s recent victory over India in a short-term military conflict, experts have warned that New Delhi has launched what they describe as a “water war” against Pakistan by manipulating water releases and storage at its dams, causing damage to Pakistani agriculture. Water experts and former officials have urged the government to approach the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to seek sanctions against India for violating its international obligations under the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). They argue that India’s actions amount to a breach of the treaty, which strictly…

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HIES 2024–25 Reveals 57pc Jump in Internet Users as Access Reaches 70pc of Households

Admin
New-Project112

ISLAMABAD: The Household Integrated Economic Survey (HIES) 2024–25 has revealed a sharp rise in digital connectivity across Pakistan, with the number of individual internet users increasing by 57 per cent and household internet access doubling from 34 per cent to 70 per cent. Released on Thursday by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the annual survey provides a comprehensive overview of the country’s social and economic conditions to support evidence-based policymaking at national and provincial levels. The results were unveiled during a ceremony at the Ministry of Planning, Development and…

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PM Shehbaz Urges Accelerated Oil, Gas Exploration to Reduce Import Bill

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PM-Shabaz

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed authorities to prioritise the exploration of new oil and gas fields to reduce Pakistan’s dependence on costly petroleum imports and conserve precious foreign exchange. Chairing a high-level meeting on matters related to the Petroleum Division, the prime minister stressed that tapping domestic energy resources was essential for ensuring economic stability and long-term energy security. He also ordered the digitisation of the entire oil and gas supply chain — covering imports as well as domestic utilisation — on a priority basis. The prime…

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Petroleum Division Sits on Alleged Illegal Energy Ownership Transfer

Admin
oil-gas-sector

ISLAMABAD: Despite classifying the oil and gas sector as a strategic industry, the Petroleum Division has failed to take enforcement action six months after issuing show-cause notices to energy companies over alleged unauthorised changes in ownership and management control. The case involves Spud Energy Limited and Frontier Holdings Limited, whose parent companies reportedly offloaded their interests without obtaining mandatory prior approvals from the relevant authorities — a clear violation of Pakistan’s petroleum rules. The controversy surfaced on March 6, 2025, when Phoenix Exploration sold its 73.3 per cent stake in…

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