KARACHI: As Prime Minister Imran Khan leaves on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia today, Friday, his special adviser on power and petroleum said the government would offer incentives to existing and new players, including state oil firm Saudi Aramco, to upgrade and set up oil refineries in Pakistan under a new policy.
Khan will embark on a three-day visit to Saudi Arabia on May 7 on the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In meetings with the Saudi leadership, Khan will cover all areas of bilateral cooperation including economics, trade, investment, environment, energy, job opportunities for the Pakistani workforce, and the welfare of the Pakistani diaspora in the kingdom.
“We would wholeheartedly welcome investment from Saudi companies in Pakistan’s energy sector,” Tabish Gauhar, special assistant to the prime minister on power and petroleum told Arab News, saying the country was in the process of rolling out a new oil refinery policy this year.
“Under the policy, various fiscal and other incentives shall be offered to existing and new players, such as Saudi Aramco, to upgrade and set up deep-conversion oil refineries in the country to further reduce our dependence on imported petrol and diesel,” Gauhar added.
During a visit to Islamabad in 2019 by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s, the two countries signed seven investment agreements worth $21 billion, including for a $10 billion Aramco oil refinery and a $1 billion petrochemical complex.
“As Pakistan is now one of the biggest LNG [Liquefied natural gas] importers regionally, we look forward to also having a strategic dialogue with state-owned Saudi companies for a long term supply arrangement on mutually beneficial terms and conditions,” Gauhar said.
He also expressed interest in Saudi participation in Pakistan’s renewable energy sector through upcoming auctions in wind and solar projects. The government has said by 2030 it plans to generate 30 percent of its electricity through renewables to cut down carbon emission and reduce reliance on imported fossil fuel.
Pakistan welcomes energy sector investments as PM Khan visits Saudi Arabia
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Pakistan welcomes energy sector investments as PM Khan visits Saudi Arabia
- Pakistan to offer incentives to existing and new players to upgrade and set up oil refineries under a new policy
- Anticipates ‘strategic dialogue’ with state-owned Saudi companies for long term LNG supply arrangement
Pakistani court sentences TLP leader for 35 years over incitement against ex-chief justice
- The case stems from a 2024 speech targeting former Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa over a blasphemy ruling
- Conviction follows the government’s move to proscribe Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan after clashes with police this year
ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court this week sentenced a leader of the religio-political party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to 35 years’ imprisonment on multiple charges for inciting hate against former Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa.
Peer Zaheer ul Hasan Bukhari made the remarks in a 2024 speech at the Lahore Press Club against the former chief justice for issuing a judgment in a case involving a man named Mubarak Sani under the blasphemy laws, a member of a minority religious community whose death sentence was overturned.
Authorities said Bukhari’s comments amounted to incitement to violence, after which police registered a case against him under various terrorism-related provisions as well as charges of inciting hatred.
The cleric was handed multiple jail terms on a range of charges, with the longest being 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, amounting to a total of 35 years.
“All the sections of imprisonment awarded to the convict shall run concurrently,” Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Arshad Javed said in a letter to the Kot Lakhpat Central Jail superintendent.
A collective fine of Rs600,000 ($,150) was also imposed on the TLP party leader under the provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The move follows Pakistan’s decision in October to ban the TLP and designate it a proscribed organization under the Anti-Terrorism Act after violent clashes between its supporters and law enforcement in Punjab.
The unrest erupted as demonstrators attempted to travel from Lahore to Islamabad, saying they wanted to stage a pro-Palestine rally outside the US Embassy.
However, officials said TLP supporters were armed with bricks and batons, arguing their intention was to stir violence similar to earlier marches toward the federal capital.
The clashes between TLP supporters and police resulted in the deaths of five people, including two policemen, and injured more than 100 officers and dozens of protesters.
Led by Saad Hussain Rizvi, the TLP is known for its confrontational street politics and mass mobilizations.
Since its emergence in 2017, the party has repeatedly organized sit-ins and marches toward Islamabad, often triggering violent confrontations and prolonged disruptions on major routes to the capital.
