ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Tuesday strongly condemned “terrorist attacks” targeting educational institutions in Kabul, its foreign office said, which killed at least six people, including students, and injured nearly 20 others.
The explosions occurred inside the Abdul Rahim Shaheed High School and near the Mumtaz Education Center in Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood of the Afghan capital. There were no immediate reports of casualties at the Mumtaz Center.
The blasts, which occurred in rapid succession, were being investigated and more casualties were feared, according to Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran and the city’s Emergency Hospital. Several of the wounded were in serious condition, while some had been treated and released.
Zadran said a third blast had occurred at an English-language center in the same area, but did not specify whether it was caused by an explosive.
“Pakistan strongly condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We stand with our Afghan brothers in this moment of sorrow,” the Pakistani foreign office said in a statement.
It said the government and the people of Pakistan extended sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives and prayed for the early recovery of the injured.
“It is important that Afghanistan and the international community engage in close cooperation against the scourge of terrorism,” the foreign office added.
The Daesh affiliate, known as Daesh in Khorasan province or IS-K, has previously targeted schools particularly in the Shiite-dominated Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood.
In May last year, months before the Taliban took power in Kabul more than 60 children, mostly girls, were killed when two bombs were detonated outside their school, also in the Dasht-e-Barchi neighborhood.
IS has presented the biggest security challenge to the country’s Taliban rulers, who swept into Kabul last August as the United States ended its 20-year war.
Pakistan condemns ‘terrorist attacks’ targeting Kabul educational institutes
https://arab.news/8e625
Pakistan condemns ‘terrorist attacks’ targeting Kabul educational institutes
- The successive bombings killed at least six people including students in the Afghan capital
- Islamabad says Afghanistan and international community need to engage in close cooperation
Pakistan plans 3,000 EV charging stations as green mobility push gathers pace
- Roadmap unveiled by energy efficiency regulator and a private conglomerate amid early-stage EV rollout
- New EV Policy and related plans aim to install 3,000 EV stations by 2030, including 240 stations in current fiscal year
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s energy efficiency regulator and a private conglomerate have unveiled an approved roadmap to establish 3,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Tuesday.
The announcement comes as Pakistan looks to build out basic EV charging infrastructure, which remains limited and unevenly distributed, largely concentrated in major cities. Despite policy commitments to promote electric mobility as part of climate and energy-efficiency goals, the absence of a nationwide charging network has slowed broader EV adoption.
Pakistan’s EV ecosystem is still at a formative stage, with progress constrained by regulatory approvals, grid connectivity issues and coordination challenges among utilities, regulators and fuel retailers. Expanding charging infrastructure is widely seen as a prerequisite for scaling electric transport for both private and commercial use.
According to APP, the roadmap was presented during a meeting between Malik Group Chief Executive Officer Malik Khuda Baksh and National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority Managing Director and Additional Secretary Humayon Khan.
“Baksh ... in a meeting with Khan, unveiled the approved roadmap for establishing 3,000 electric vehicle charging stations across Pakistan,” APP reported. “Khan reaffirmed the authority’s full institutional backing and pledged to expand the initiative to 6,000 EV charging stations nationwide.”
The discussion reviewed hurdles delaying the rollout, including EV charger imports, customs duties, regulatory documentation and inter-agency coordination.
APP said Khan welcomed the proposal and sought recommendations for “internationally compliant EV charger brands,” while asking for a detailed “issue-and-solutions report within three days” to facilitate timely implementation of the national green mobility initiative.
Despite the issuance of 13 licenses by NEECA and the arrival of five EV charging units at designated sites, progress has been slowed by procedural bottlenecks, officials said. These include delays in electricity connections, prolonged installation of separate meters and pending no-objection certificates from power distribution companies and oil marketing firms, which continue to stall operational readiness.
Pakistan’s electric vehicle ecosystem is still in its early stages, with charging infrastructure far behind levels seen in more advanced markets. The government’s New Energy Vehicle Policy and related plans aim to install 3,000 EV charging stations by 2030, including 240 stations planned in the current fiscal year, but actual deployment remains limited and uneven, mostly clustered in major cities and along key urban corridors.
Despite regulatory backing, including the 2024 Electric Vehicles Charging Infrastructure and Battery Swapping Stations framework, progress has been slow. Many proposed stations have yet to become operational due to delays in grid connections and approvals, and public maps of nationwide charging coverage are not yet available.
Private players are beginning to install more chargers, and there are over 20 public EV charging points reported in urban centers, offering both slower AC chargers and faster DC options. However, such infrastructure is still sparse compared with the growing number of electric vehicles and the government’s long-term targets.
