ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has told his close aide Abdul Hafeez Shaikh to continue working as finance minister after Shaikh lost a general seat from the federal capital to a joint opposition candidate in the recent Senate elections, local media reported on Saturday.
In a one-on-one meeting after securing the vote of confidence from parliament earlier in the day, Khan said he had complete faith in Shaikh's professional abilities and applauded him for shoring up the ailing national economy.
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) administration relied heavily on its finance minister to bring down the current account deficit and keep the financial system on track during the coronavirus pandemic.
After the Islamabad High Court ruled in a case in December that no special assistant or advisor to prime minister could chair or participate in cabinet committee meetings, Khan exercised his constitutional authority to elevate Shaikh as a federal minister for a period of six months.
According to Article 91 (9) of the Constitution, the finance minister cannot be reappointed to the same position as an unelected individual, and his defeat in the Senate election implies he may only be able to serve in his current capacity until June.
According to The Express Tribune, however, the government is likely to make one more effort to get him elected to the upper house of parliament by de-seating an opposition member, Ishaq Dar, who was elected to the Senate from Punjab in 2018 but did not take oath to the office.
PM Khan asks Hafeez Shaikh to continue as finance minister after Senate defeat
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PM Khan asks Hafeez Shaikh to continue as finance minister after Senate defeat
- The prime minister expresses his faith in Shaikh's professional abilities while praising him for shoring up the national economy
- Shaikh can work in his current capacity until June, though the government may try again to get him elected to parliament
Pakistan raises petrol price by Rs3.47 for rest of January amid global market fluctuations
- Pakistan adjusts petroleum prices fortnightly to pass on the impact of any change to consumers
- Fuel price hikes can push consumer prices higher across sectors, causing popular resentment
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan government on Wednesday raised fuel prices for the remainder of the month, increasing the per-liter rates of petrol and diesel by Rs3.47 and Rs2.61 to align with recent trends in global energy markets.
Fuel prices in Pakistan are reviewed and adjusted fortnightly, based on fluctuations in international energy markets and the rupee-dollar exchange rate.
The mechanism ensures that the net impact of changes in import costs is passed on to consumers, helping to sustain the country’s fuel supply chain.
“OGRA [Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority] has worked out the consumer prices of petroleum products in view of fluctuations in [the] international market in the last fortnight,” it informed in a social media post while circulating the notification with revised rates.
It added that the new prices— 260.95 rupees per liter for high-speed diesel and 256.13 rupees per liter for petrol— would be effective starting Jan 16.
Fuel price increases typically push consumer prices higher across sectors, causing economic strain and fueling popular resentment.
Pakistan to implement new energy market system from March, relinquishing government control
- New system enables consumers to buy power from multiple suppliers, moving away from government-controlled system
- Pakistan's energy sector has long struggled with financial strain due to circular debt, power theft and transmission losses
Islamabad: Pakistan’s Energy Minister Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari said this week electricity consumers will be able to buy power from multiple suppliers starting March, as the government moves to implement a new energy market system.
Pakistan’s Cabinet Committee on Energy last October approved the formation of an independent entity to reform Pakistan’s energy market. The new system enables consumers to buy power from multiple suppliers, moving away from the current government-controlled system, where it is the sole buyer of electricity.
Pakistan’s energy sector has long struggled with financial strain due to circular debt, power theft and transmission losses, which have led to blackouts and high electricity costs.
“The National Assembly was informed today (Wednesday) that the government will not purchase electricity after March this year as authorization has been given for the creation of an Independent Electricity Market,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday.
Leghari told the lower house of parliament during the National Assembly session’s Question Hour that the Independent Electricity Market will enable consumers to purchase electricity from multiple suppliers.
Pakistan’s government expects the move will reduce the country’s circular debt and stabilize electricity prices, which along with food prices, pushed inflation to a record 38 percent high in May 2023.
The federal cabinet this week also approved a plan to renegotiate agreements with 14 independent power producers (IPPs), another move aimed at lowering electricity costs and addressing the mounting circular debt.
The main issue between the government and the IPPs were capacity charges, or payments made to IPPs regardless of electricity consumption, which have exacerbated circular debt, now exceeding Rs2.4 trillion ($8.6 billion), as per the energy minister.
Pakistan says revised contracts will save the government Rs1.4 trillion ($5 billion) over their duration, translating into annual savings of Rs137 billion ($493.2 million) for consumers.
The government’s renegotiation efforts were influenced by the International Monetary Fund’s reform recommendations, which seek to reduce tariffs and capacity payments to ease fiscal pressure.
Pakistan raises alarm over Yemen airstrikes, links conflict to overall Middle East situation
- Ambassador Munir Akram expresses concern over Houthi attacks in the Red Sea at the Security Council
- He reiterates Pakistan’s stance that the conflict in Yemen should be resolved through political means
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top diplomat at the United Nations raised concerns over airstrikes in Yemen during a Security Council briefing on Wednesday, emphasizing the need to view the conflict in the context of the volatile situation across the Middle East.
The United States and Israel launched aerial attacks in Yemen in recent weeks, targeting positions held by the Houthis, a faction that controls much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa.
The strikes were said to be in response to Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and a series of missile and drone strikes against Israel, including a projectile intercepted near central Israel.
The Houthis have described their actions as a commitment to the Palestinian resistance, expressing solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon in the face of Israeli military operations.
A senior UN official noted during the briefing that the conflict in Yemen was increasingly becoming internationalized due to the involvement of external actors.
“Pakistan is deeply concerned on the airstrikes in Yemen,” Ambassador Munir Akram said during his comments to the Security Council. “Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s civilian infrastructure, including Sana’a International Airport, Red Sea ports and power stations have caused civilian casualties, further exacerbating the dire humanitarian and political crises in Yemen.”
“We are also deeply concerned over Houthi attacks on commercial and maritime vessels in the Red Sea, which threaten global trade, regional stability and the environment,” he added.
Focusing on Yemen’s internal situation, the Pakistani diplomat highlighted the progress made during the December 2023 peace negotiations, which resulted in agreements on a nationwide ceasefire, economic revival initiatives, resuming oil exports and ensuring the payment of public sector salaries.
“It is crucial to preserve these gains, establish a roadmap and fully implement commitments to foster sustainable peace,” he emphasized.
Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, also urged for “immediate de-escalation and genuine engagement for peace,” noting that nearly 40 million Yemenis had long awaited a peaceful environment to rebuild their lives.
Ambassador Akram reiterated Pakistan’s stance that the conflict in Yemen should be resolved through diplomatic and political means.
“Pakistan urges all parties to prioritize dialogue, engage in a Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political process, and resolve differences through peaceful means,” he said.
South Africa’s injured Nortje ruled out of Pakistan-hosted Champions Trophy
- Nortje has played in 19 Tests, 22 one-day internationals and 42 T20 internationals for South Africa
- Replacement for Nortje, named in South Africa’s 15-man squad on Tuesday, will be announced soon
JOHANNESBURG: Fast bowler Anrich Nortje was on Tuesday ruled out of the Champions Trophy because of a back injury.
The latest injury setback for the 31-year-old was announced by Cricket South Africa a day after he was named in his country’s 15-man squad for the tournament in Pakistan next month.
Nortje, at his peak the fastest bowler in international cricket, underwent a scan on Monday, according to a statement by CSA, “which revealed the extent of the injury.”
The statement did not specify the exact nature of the injury.
Nortje, who has played in 19 Tests, 22 one-day internationals and 42 T20 internationals, has not played any international cricket since the final of the T20 World Cup in Barbados last June.
He had been in line to make a comeback against Pakistan last month but suffered a broken toe while batting in the nets.
Nortje was also ruled out of the ongoing SA20 franchise competition in which he was due to play for Pretoria Capitals.
CSA said a replacement would be named later.
Pakistan polio program says 72 cases reported in 2024
- Seventy-second polio case reported in female child from northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district
- Pakistan polio program is scheduled to hold first nationwide vaccination drive of 2025 from Feb. 3
KARACHI: Pakistan’s polio program on Wednesday confirmed another poliovirus infection from last year, taking the tally of total cases reported in 2024 to 72 amid Islamabad’s attempts to stem the spread of the disease.
Polio is a paralyzing disease that has no cure. Multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine and completion of the routine vaccination schedule for all children under the age of five is essential to provide children high immunity against this terrible disease.
The Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health confirmed the 72nd case in a female child from the northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district.
“The onset of this case was on December 31, 2024,” the program said in a statement. “D.I. Khan has now reported 11 polio cases in 2024.”
Giving a breakdown of the cases reported in 2024, the program said 27 cases were reported from Balochistan, 22 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 21 from Sindh, and one each from Punjab and Islamabad.
Pakistan, along with neighboring Afghanistan, remains the last polio-endemic country in the world. In the early 1990s, Pakistan reported around 20,000 cases annually but in 2018 the number dropped to eight cases. Six cases were reported in 2023 and only one in 2021.
Pakistan’s polio eradication efforts have met several challenges in recent years, including attacks by militants and misinformation by religious hard-liners.
The Pakistan polio program is scheduled to hold the country’s first nationwide vaccination drive of this year from Feb. 3 till Feb. 9.
“It is crucial for parents to ensure vaccination for all their children under the age of five to keep them protected,” it said.
