ISLAMABAD: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Friday sent a cable of condolences to President Dr. Arif Alvi after an earthquake in Pakistan’s southwest killed at least 23 people and injured hundreds on Thursday.
The epicenter of the 5.9 magnitude quake was about 15 kilometers (9 miles) north-northeast of Harnai district in the southwestern Balochistan province, according to the US Geological Survey. The initial measurement of the quake’s strength was 5.7 magnitude. It struck about 9 kilometers (5.5 miles) below the Earth’s surface; shallower quakes tend to cause more damage.
“In his cable, HRH [His Royal Highness] the Crown Prince expressed condolences to the President and families of the deceased, wishing a speedy recovery for the injured,” reported the Saudi Press Agency.
The UAE embassy in Islamabad also expressed its solidarity with the Pakistan government and families of the quake victims earlier in the day.
“UAE Embassy expresses solidarity with Islamic Republic of Pakistan for the victims of earthquake in Balochistan, presents sincere condolences & sympathy to the Government of Pakistan and families of the victims in this great loss, and wishes speedy recovery to all the injured,” the embassy tweeted.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Imran Khan shared his condolences with families who lost their loved ones in the powerful earthquake.
“I have ordered immediate assistance on an emergency basis for the Harnai, Balochistan, earthquake victims & for an immediate assessment of the damage for timely relief & compensation,” he said in a Twitter post. “My condolences & prayers go to the families who lost their loved ones.”
Aftershocks were being felt across the region on Thursday. Pakistan sits on top of colliding tectonic plates and earthquakes are common.
A quake of 7.7 magnitude that hit Quetta in 1935 killed up to 60,000 and destroyed much of the city.
In 2005, an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 killed about 73,000 people when it struck about 95 km (59 miles) northeast of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad.
Saudi crown prince condoles with victims of Pakistan earthquake
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Saudi crown prince condoles with victims of Pakistan earthquake
- Earthquake in Balochistan killed at least 23 people, injured hundreds on Thursday
- Pakistan sits on top of colliding tectonic plates and earthquakes are common
Pakistan PM approves framework for National Energy Plan aimed at cutting power costs
- Electricity costs in Pakistan have been a major concern for both industries and domestic consumers
- PM Shehbaz Sharif instructs authorities to expedite privatization of power distribution companies
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday approved the framework for a National Energy Plan aimed at ensuring low electricity costs for industries and facilitating domestic consumers, Pakistani state broadcaster reported.
The development took place during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Energy in Islamabad presided over by Sharif. The Pakistani prime minister directed all ministries and provincial governments to present a “workable and coordinated” strategy under the proposed plan.
Electricity costs in Pakistan have been a major concern for both industries and domestic consumers. Industrial users often face high tariffs that increase production cost while residential consumers struggle with rising bills that impact household budgets.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has given in-principle approval for the formulation of a comprehensive National Energy Plan in consultation with relevant ministries and provincial governments,” Radio Pakistan said in a report.
“He emphasized that the government’s top priorities include ensuring electricity supply to industries at the lowest possible cost and providing facilitation for domestic consumers.”
Sharif also approved the establishment of a dedicated secretariat for the National Energy Plan and gave approval to the framework guidelines for auctioning wheeling charges, it added.
Wheeling charges are fees paid for using another company’s power grid to transmit electricity from a generator to a consumer, covering the cost of transporting electricity over someone else’s network.
The report said Sharif instructed authorities to include the recommendations of the climate change, finance, industries and petroleum ministries into the plan.
Sharif also gave instructions to expedite the privatization of power distribution companies (DISCOs) and urged competitive tariffs for industries to boost production capacity.
Fluctuations in fuel prices, inefficiencies in the power sector, and reliance on imported energy have contributed to high electricity costs in Pakistan in recent years, making energy affordability and stability a key focus for government policies and reforms.
Pakistan has pushed energy sector reforms to tackle long-standing issues like circular debt, power theft, and transmission losses, which have caused blackouts and high electricity costs.
In February, Pakistan developed a new energy policy that it says will help the country attract $5 billion in investment through public-private partnerships.
