Category: Popular News

Debt Burden Soars: Every Pakistani Now Owes Rs318,252

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Debt Burden

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s debt burden has reached alarming levels, with every citizen now owing Rs318,252, according to fresh estimates released by the Economic Policy & Business Development (EPBD) Think Tank. The figures reveal a sharp rise over the past decade — per capita debt has surged from Rs90,047 in 2014 to Rs318,252 in 2024, reflecting an average annual increase of 13 percent. Pakistan’s public debt-to-GDP ratio currently stands at 70.2 percent, far exceeding the legal ceiling of 60 percent set under the Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Limitation Act, 2005. In regional…

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APTMA Urges Nepra to Reject IGCEP 2025–35 in Current Form, Calls for Robust Demand Forecasting

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power-sector

ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has strongly opposed the approval of the Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) 2025–2035 in its current form, warning that flawed demand forecasts could worsen Pakistan’s power sector crisis and further burden consumers with unaffordable tariffs. In a letter to the Nepra Registrar, APTMA Secretary General Shahid Sattar criticized the IGCEP’s demand forecasting methodology, describing it as “fundamentally flawed” and “upward-biased by design.” He urged the regulator to commission a dedicated team of international and national economists and statisticians to build a…

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Petroleum Division to Take Up GST Waiver Issue with IMF to Unlock $6bn Refinery Investments

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petroleum

ISLAMABAD: The Petroleum Division has decided to raise the issue of general sales tax (GST) exemption on petroleum products with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in an effort to pave the way for $6 billion worth of investments in oil refinery upgrades. An IMF mission is currently in Pakistan for programme review under its $7 billion Extended Fund Facility. According to sources, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik will hold discussions with the Fund to address concerns raised by local refineries, which claim that the GST waiver caused losses of around…

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Floods Devastate Punjab, Affecting 4.2 Million People and Damaging Key Infrastructure

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petroleum

ISLAMABAD: Devastating floods and heavy monsoon rains have affected more than 4.2 million people across 18 districts of Punjab, causing hundreds of deaths and widespread destruction. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced an increase in ex-gratia assistance for families of victims, raising the amount from Rs1 million to Rs2 million. According to a Rapid Needs Assessment (RNA) conducted by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in collaboration with the government, Muzaffargarh was the hardest-hit district, accounting for more than a quarter of the affected population.…

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Experts for addressing policy inconsistencies, transparency and inclusivity in Pakistan’s draft Integrated System Plan (ISP)

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Power Consumers

ISLAMABAD: Experts at a consultative dialogue have said that Pakistan’s recently introduced draft Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP) and Transmission System Expansion Plan (TSEP) 2025-35 needs to be more inclusive, transparent, and participatory with ownership of all federating units to ensure equitable, just and people-centric power sector development.The dialogue, titled: “Critical Analysis of IGCEP and TSEP 2025-35: Inclusive Planning for a Just Energy Transition”, was organized by Pakistan Renewable Energy Coalition (PREC) and the Alliance for Climate Justice and Clean Energy (ACJCE). The event brought together federal and provincial…

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