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ISLAMABAD: The Oil Companies Advisory Committee (OCAC) — which represents the companies refining and distributing oil — has accused the regulator of unduly favouring one of its members and causing distortions in the market. In a letter to the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra), the committee criticised the regulator for permitting one company to import high-speed diesel (HSD). The decision was “unfounded and irresponsible” as the country already had ample HSD stock, OCAC claimed. Without naming any entity, the OCAC referred to Gas & Oil Pakistan Ltd (GO), saying it was granted permission to import 15,000 tonnes of additional HSD in June, 15,000 tonnes in July and 40,000 tonnes in August, while further import approvals for 38,000 tonnes had also been granted for September. Group says one oil marketing company allowed to import HSD despite ample local stocks According to OCAC’s website, GO is listed as one of the group’s members. When approached for comment, GO said it w...

ISLAMABAD: The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) has recommended the privatisation of power distribution companies (Discos) in a phased manner to analyse the regulatory framework and identify potential obstacles before scaling up the divestment of other companies. This plan should begin with the most financially viable Discos and gradually include others, ensuring that the process is manageable and that lessons from earlier phases are applied to subsequent ones, SDPI suggests in its new report, “Privatisation of Pakistan’s Power Utility Sector”. The report says the Ministry of Energy, in collaboration with the National Electricity Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), must establish a framework that governs the privatisation of Discos, including precise and cost-reflective tariff-setting mechanisms, service quality standards, and consumer protection measures, ensuring that private investors are held accountable for meeting these standards while maintaining transparenc...

Dr Riaz Ahmed, an associate professor and syndicate member at the University of Karachi (KU), was released on Saturday night after eight hours of alleged “illegal detention” by three police stations in Karachi upon protest and outcry. Fellow colleague Prof Tauseef Ahmed told Dawn.com that Dr Ahmed left his home earlier today to go to KU but he did not reach the university and his whereabouts were unknown. He said the KU professor was a member of its syndicate whose meeting was scheduled for Saturday to “decide about the degree issue of a judge of Islamabad High Court (IHC)”. He added that Riaz had earlier posted on X where he alleged “external pressure” on the KU syndicate regarding the degree case. Tauseef alleged that Dr Riaz’s “disappearance” could be related to the KU’s syndicate meeting. He said that rights activists had reached Bahadurabad police station, claiming that Riaz was taken away from there in two police mobiles. Bahadurabad Station House Officer Naeem Raj...

Flooding in Sindh’s Gaj River submerged roads and pathways in over 200 villages throughout the Kachho belt, including Wahi Pandhi and Gorakh Hill Station, officials said on Saturday. The floodwater also submerged villages such as Jam Babbar, Sher Muhammad Talpur, Muhammad Bakhsh Lund and Tamo Chandio, resulting in the collapse of 30 mud houses. The situation was further compounded by flooding at four points along the Nai Gaj River which severed all ground connections between Wahi Pandhi, Gorakh Hill Station and the rest of the Kachho area from Dadu Johi. The inhabitants of Kachho complained that despite the severity of the situation, the Dadu district administration and Sindh government did not implement adequate measures. They demanded the immediate restoration of the Wahi Pandhi-Johi road to facilitate transportation and ensure the supply of essential food and resources to the affected communities. Special assistant to Sindh chief minister and focal person for the relief departm...

The National Assembly has been intimated that the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has deployed the Web Monitoring System (WMS) for internet content management which is used to block applications and websites not in tandem with the law, it emerged on Friday. Internet speeds have witnes­sed a considerable decline over the past few weeks, and users are facing difficulties in sending or down­loading media and voice notes through WhatsApp when connected to mobile data, and experiencing slow browsing speeds, even on broadband. The business community and internet service providers (ISPs) had alleged that the government’s efforts to monitor internet traffic — including a so-called ‘firewall’ — had caused the slowdown of digital services, resulting in economic losses. While the country’s information techno­logy minister, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, had confirmed that the government was upgrading its “web management system” to cope with cyber security threats, she categorically denied...

KARACHI: An international survey conducted by Ipsos has suggested that only one in 10 Pakistanis believe the country is headed in the right direction. The survey, released on Friday, indicates that the rural population is more optimistic than urban residents. According to the survey, optimism has significantly decreased, dropping from 18 per cent in the second quarter to 11pc in the third quarter, bringing it back to levels seen earlier this year. “ Economic problems continue to top the list of worrying issues for Pakistanis despite some improvement,” the report said. People are increasingly worried about rising electricity prices and taxes, it added. Since the beginning of 2024, the perception of economic challenges as the most worrying issue has lessened in Pakistan, touching a two-year low. At the same time, concerns about the rising electricity prices and the burden of taxes have become significantly more pronounced, with concerns about taxes reaching a four-year high, accor...

LARKANA: Residents of Azeem Bhatti village, located near Gambat along the Larkana-Khairpur road, wade through the flooded area towards a safe place on Thursday after heavy flooding in the region following several days of downpour.—APP • Deep depression constantly moving towards Oman • Meteorologist says storm does not pose ‘direct threat’, torrential rain in coastal areas till 31st likely • Two killed as flash floods in Gilgit wash away infrastructure; Babusar Top receives unusual snowfall • Seven killed as rain continues to lash Punjab; major reservoirs filled to brim; Hub dam may open spillways KARACHI/GILGIT: With a deep depression lying at about 250km south/southeast of Karachi on Thursday and set to move west towards Oman, the coastal areas of Pakistan are bracing for a ‘rare’ cyclonic storm likely over the northeast Arabian Sea along Sindh’s coast. Meanwhile, incessant rainfall across the country killed another nine people, induced flash floods, cut off road access, and ...

• Sindh launches project to bring solar power to 1.6m households • PPP chief says green energy only solution to crisis • Compares PML-N’s power relief with PTI’s petrol subsidy, warns ‘short-term relief may lead to long-term suffering’ KARACHI: The decision of the Punjab government to provide a subsidy to power consumers in the province remains a bone of contention between the two major allies, with PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari calling the move ‘unsustainable’ in a speech on Thursday. The PPP chief, whose party rules Sindh, also compared the relief with a petrol subsidy announced by the PTI government during its last days in power. Such moves could provide “short-term relief but [may] lead to long-term suffering”, he said while speaking at the Chief Minister’s House to mark the launching ceremony of the solar home systems project. The project aims to provide solar panels to 1.6 million low-income households across the province in phases. In the first phase, 200,000 households ...

ISLAMABAD: With the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) heads of government meeting drawing closer, New Delhi is faced with a diplomatic dilemma: whether or not Prime Minister Narendra Modi should attend the summit in Islamabad. While diplomatic sources suggest the chances of Mr Modi crossing the border are slim, India is keeping its cards close to its chest, fuelling a guessing game that has left analysts and observers on both sides of the divide wondering — will he or won’t he?“ Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch confirmed at the weekly media briefing on Thursday that Prime Minister Modi has been invited for the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting, which Pakistan is hosting on Oct 15-16, under its rotating chairmanship. Speculation about PM Modi’s participation in the SCO meeting gained momentum in the Indian media last weekend, following reports that Delhi had received an invitation. Mr Modi’s past record of skipping meetings of heads of government counci...

IT is said that we stand at the cusp of the “fourth industrial revolution”. The emergence and proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-based learning is set to usher in a new era of productivity, efficiency and governance across public and private sectors. In recognition of such potential, the Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication laid out a draft National Artificial Intelligence Policy last year, which reportedly was to be presented before the cabinet this month. The policy sets out ambitious targets for the use, scaling and proliferation of AI, while recognising — though almost in passing — the need to ensure its ethical and responsible use, which upholds the fundamental rights and privacy of users. Given the state’s existing performance on cyber safety, particularly of women, these assurances appear unrealistic. AI is a broad field that encompasses the development of computer systems capable of simulating human learning, comprehension, problem-...

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) nearly five-month tax registration drive in 42 cities has brought thousands of traders onto the tax roll, but an average income tax collected from an individual under the Tajir Dost Scheme (TDS) is around Rs2,432 per month. Despite contributing 20pc to the gross domestic product, the tax contribution of the retail and wholesale sector stands at a mere 4pc. The government has been striving for years to effectively bring this sector into the tax net. Only 300,000 of an estimated 3.5 million retailers are actively filing tax returns. The TDS aims to bring the remaining 3.2m into the tax net. Since April 1, tax authorities have registered over 64,000 traders under the scheme. In the first phase, the scheme was implemented in six cities: Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Rawalpindi. The registration scope was extended to another 36 cities in July. Official sources told Dawn that on Wednesday, the FBR collected Rs503,363 in...

ISLAMABAD: The government’s much-touted tax reform is likely to face substantial resistance as the traders’ community has announced a nationwide strike on Wednesday (today), with partial support from a few political parties and trade associations. Prior to the strike call, traders’ representatives visited the Federal Board of Revenue’s headquarters on Tuesday to express their discontent to FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood and his team regarding the Tajir Dost Scheme , which was implemented in April, and the recently notified tax rates that took effect in August. The expansion of the country’s tax base will now pose a significant challenge for the PML-N and its coalition partner, the PPP, as the protesting traders have political affiliations with these parties. Nevertheless, opposition parties — JUI-F, Jamaat-i-Islami and Awami National Party — have declared their support for the agitating traders. Mr Mahmood told Dawn that the FBR is willing to resolve ‘legitimate issues’ raised during...

ISLAMABAD: After a consistent rise over the past two decades, air pollution in South Asia declined by 18 per cent in one year possibly on the back of above-normal rainfall in that year but still was the biggest external threat, said the 2024 report by the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI). Despite this slight decline which also led to a drop in global air pollution levels, South Asia remains one of the most polluted regions, accounting for 45 percent of total life years lost due to high pollution. The report stated that the average person living in the region would gain 3.5 years in their lives if WHO guidelines of 5 g/m3 were met. In Pakistan , pollution decreased the average resident’s life expectancy by 3.3 years. In more polluted areas, such as Peshawar and Lahore, it is shortening lives by more than 5 years. “In Pakistan…the PM2.5 standard is much stricter (set at 15 g/m3), and virtually the country’s entire population breathes air that doesn’t meet the standard,” the report noted....

ISLAMABAD: Mem­bers of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research were on Monday given an in-depth briefing on Green Pakistan Initiative (GPI), led by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), in driving advancements within the country’s agriculture and livestock sectors. The committee’s discussions at the Green Pakistan Initiative office in Rawalpindi covered several critical areas, emphasising the role of GPI in modernisation and sustainability of the country’s agriculture sector. Members were briefed on how GPI plans to revolutionise the sector by introducing modern farming practices. These include precision agriculture techniques, optimised fertiliser management, and advanced irrigation processes, all of which aim to significantly boost up crop yields. The move is a strategic effort to reduce the country’s dependence on food grain imports, thereby enhancing the country’s capacity to increase agricultural exports. The committee rec...

KARACHI: The Met Office’s forecast of up to 200mm rain in Karachi and 500mm in other cities of the province has kept the authorities on toes as they have taken urgent measures to deal with the potential risk of urban flooding and alerted all key departments by directing them to be vigilant during the four-day forecast period. Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah chaired a high-level meeting, where officials of the Pakistan Meteorological Department informed him about the forecast of heavy rain in many cities of Sindh, including Karachi. The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Sukkur Mayor Arsalan Shaikh, Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, representatives of the army and navy and others. The CM was informed that up to 500mm plus rainfall was expected during the four-day spell (Aug 27-Aug 30) in Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparkar, Tando Muhammad Khan and Tando Allah Yar, while Karachi may get up to 200mm of rainfall during the same period. Up to 5...

KARACHI: Mourning processions across the province, including Karachi, to mark the chehlum of Imam Husain culminated peacefully amid tight security on Monday. Authorities had suspended cellular services across Karachi and other parts of the province since the night between Sunday and Monday as part of their security plan. The service was gradually restored late in the night. The Sindh home department had also imposed a ban on pillion riding across the province on Monday. Processions were taken out in all big and small cities of the province, where police and Rangers made elaborate security arrangements. Mobile phone services remain suspended throughout the day and past midnight in Karachi and many other cities In Karachi, the main procession was taken out from Nishtar Park and culminated at Imambargah Hussainia Iranian after passing through its traditional route. Heavy contingents of police and Rangers were deployed at Numaish and its adjoining areas of the metropolis. The traf...

KARACHI: The Dawood Foundation’s MagnifiScience Centre unveiled its latest exhibit, Ocean Odyssey, on Monday in an attempt to raise environmental awareness. Located on the third floor of the Shahzada Dawood Building, the new exhibit was inaugurated by TDF trustee Abdul Samad Dawood, who is the vice chairman of Dawood Hercules Corporation. The space was designed entirely in shades of blue, emphasising the movement and environmental impact of water. The floor, painted in varying blue tones to mirror ocean waves, added to the overall beauty of the exhibit. Scientific facts were displayed on the walls in both English and Urdu, making the information accessible to all visitors. As the space is themed around oceans, the facts highlighted various aquatic organisms and species found beneath the water’s surface. The MagifiScience Centre’s new section blends interactive fun with insights into marine conservation In addition, there was a designated game corner for children where they coul...

FENI: River waters in low-lying Bangladesh are receding after days of deadly floods but 300,000 people are still in emergency shelters requiring aid, disaster officials said on Sunday. The heavy floods , which killed at least 18 people in Bangladesh, have added to the challenges of a new government that took charge this month after a student-led revolution. Rescue teams, including joint forces of the army, air force and navy, are helping those forced from their homes and bringing aid to those who have lost everything, disaster management minister Faruk-i-Azam said. “The flood situation is improving as the flood water started to recede,” the minister said. More than 307,000 people are in shelters and more than 5.2 million have been affected by the floods, the ministry said. Floods fuelled anger between Dhaka and New Delhi, with India rejecting blame for deliberately releasing water from an upstream dam “Now we are working to restore communication in the affected areas so that we...

KHYBER: The Kukikhel protesters on Saturday announced to boycott the polio vaccination campaign and block the main Torkham highway from Monday to press the government for acceptance of their longstanding demand of ensuring the early return of the remaining internally displaced persons to their homes. Announcing their new plan at the Bhagiyaree checkpost where they have been stationed since Aug 21 (Wednesday), they said a jirga of tribal elders and politicians from seven merged districts would also be convened if there was no headway in their parlays with the government officials. Barkat Afridi, a spokesman for the protesting Kukikhels, said they had been showing leniency towards private cars but the road would be completely closed from Monday morning, with only patients being allowed to proceed. Attendance at the protest camp, however, remained thin on Saturday with organisers urging residents of Jamrud to attend the protest in large numbers. Meanwhile, heavy vehicles loaded mostly...

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on Saturday denied media reports about the potential closure of automated teller machines (ATM) and a telecommunication blackout in the country due to the non-renewal of long-distance international (LDI) licences. The LDI operators’ main function is to provide international incoming and outgoing telecom call services. Most of the 10 operators’ licences will expire in July-August 2024. The LDI operators are Worldcall, Redtone, ADG-LDI, Telecard, Dancom, Wise­comm, Circlenet, Wat­een, 4B-Gentel and Multinet. Most of them have not yet paid the principal overdue for the Universal Ser­vice Fund (USF) in their 20-year licence contract, which will soon expire. Their total outstanding principal amount reportedly stands at Rs24 billion, and the PTA has asked them to settle their dues in order to renew their licences for the next 20 years. The Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications has reconstituted a steering committee to ad...

ISLAMABAD: Senators attending a house committee meeting on Friday cautioned that the 7pc export target set for automakers could not be achieved if locally-made vehicles failed to meet international standards. The Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production, which met with Aon Abbas in the chair, formed a three-member sub-committee under Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee to analyse the country’s electric vehicle policy. Officials informed the meeting that after the government had set the export target at 7pc for 2024-25, the companies obtained a stay order from a court, saying they would not be able to meet the target. Senator Saleem Mandviwalla regretted that cars produced in the country were not of international standards, adding that it is impossible to find suitable export markets for these vehicles. Senate committee discusses vehicle policy Senator Nyazee stated that no manufacturer should be allowed to produce cars that do not follow the WP-29 regulations, questionin...

Karachi police resorted to baton charges and aerial firing on Friday when Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) workers attempted to move towards the Central Police Office near Tower to register their protest. The TLP workers had organised the protest for police not lodging a first information report (FIR) against the organisers of the minority march at Frere Hall for allegedly spreading “fake” propaganda against section 295(c) (use of derogatory remarks, etc., in respect of the Holy Prophet (PBUH)) of the Pakistan Penal Code. City Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Arif Aziz told Dawn.com that the police resorted to baton charges and aerial firing to disperse the protestors as they allegedly attacked police personnel, injuring many and misbehaving with them. A statement from the City police spokesperson said the protesters pelted stones at the SSP Aziz’s vehicle and injured several officers of the force. Aziz said police contingents led by him and Keamari SSP Faizan Ali prevented ...

DHAKA: A United Nations team arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday to discuss with the interim government the process of investigating alleged human rights violations during the recent movement which toppled the government of prime minister Sheikh Hasina earlier this month. About 300 people, many of them university and college students, were killed during protests that began last month after students agitated against quotas in government jobs. The protests spiralled into demands for ouster of Sheikh Hasina, who was in power since 2009. An interim government, headed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, was sworn in after Hasina fled the country and flew to New Delhi following the student-led uprising. The UN office in Bangladesh said in a media advisory that the team from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights will be in Dhaka from Aug 22 to 29. “The purpose of this visit is to understand their priorities for assistance in promoting human rights,” said the media advisory, a...

Palestinians watch as smoke rises from a building hit by an Israeli strike in the Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City, on Wednesday.—AFP • Acknowledges differences, calls for ‘maximum flexibility’ from both Israel and Hamas • Egypt tells top US diplomat ‘time has come to end the ongoing war’ DOHA: Top US diplomat Antony Blinken headed home on Wednesday after failing to secure a Gaza ceasefire, warning both Israel and Hamas his plan may be the last chance to avert a broader war. The US secretary of state appealed to Hamas to urgently accept a US-backed truce proposal, while also entering into a public spat with Israel over its future presence in the Gaza Strip. “Time is of the essence,” Blinken said after stops in key Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt as well as Israel on his ninth tour of the region aiming to halt the more than 10-month war. “With every passing day, more bad things can happen to more good people who don’t deserve it,” he said before flying out of Doha. “This needs...

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has imposed a fine on the Pakistan International Airlines Corporation (PIA) for filing frivolous applications seeking review of an earlier order. Comprising Justice Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar and Justice Agha Faisal, the two-judge bench dismissed the review applications with costs of Rs25,000 each for being frivolous and devoid of merit, and directed the petitioner/applicant to deposit the same in the account of the SHC clinic. The PIA had filed petitions in 2022, assailing respective interlocutory orders rendered by the National Industrial Relat­i­ons Commission (NIRC) and the SHC had dismissed the same in November 2022. Thereafter, the bench noted that the petitioner preferred review applications ostensibly beyond the pale of limitation in January 2023. The dismissal of the petitions was inter alia predicated upon the observation that since the governing law, Industrial Relations Act (IRA) 2012, contained no provision of appeal in respect of inter...