Category: Latest News

KARACHI: Speakers at a multi-stakeholder conference on Monday called on the government to urgently address prolonged electricity outages, rising power tariffs and weak energy infrastructure, warning that the worsening energy crisis is pushing industries towards shutdown and deepening financial hardship for households. The concerns were raised at a conference titled “Energy Security in a Post Iran–USA War Context”, organised by The Knowledge Forum (TKF), where participants highlighted the combined impact of rising fuel prices, mounting capacity payments and inadequate transmission systems on both consumers and businesses. They said the ongoing…

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PARIS: The head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, has warned that global commercial oil inventories are depleting at a rapid pace, leaving only “a few weeks’ supply” amid disruptions triggered by the Iran conflict and heightened geopolitical tensions. Speaking on Monday during the Group of Seven (G7) finance leaders’ meeting in Paris, Birol said that while strategic petroleum reserve releases had temporarily added around 2.5 million barrels per day to global supply, such reserves are not sustainable in the long term. He noted that seasonal demand from…

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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said that public funds must be allocated to development schemes that deliver “tangible and measurable results,” as he reviewed ongoing development spending and preparations for the next Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). Chairing a high-level meeting on development budget allocations, the prime minister stressed that ministries showing better performance would be given priority in the release of funds for future projects. He said that water storage and hydropower projects remain among the government’s top development priorities, directing that schemes related to reservoirs and…

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PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi has urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to immediately intervene in the suspension of gas supply to the CNG sector in the province, warning that the decision could trigger widespread protests and lead to a law-and-order situation. In a letter dated May 18, the chief minister said the Petroleum Division’s recent move to curtail gas supply to the CNG sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was attributed to LNG supply disruptions and operational constraints faced by Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL). While acknowledging the…

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KARACHI: Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon on Monday announced that the provincial government has approved 500 new electric vehicle (EV) buses for Karachi as part of efforts to improve the city’s public transport system. Speaking during the Sindh Assembly session while responding to various call-attention notices, the minister said the new EV buses would operate on multiple routes across Karachi and three additional bus routes would soon be launched. The announcement came after MQM lawmaker Naseer Ahmed highlighted the lack of public transport facilities in the Manghopir area and…

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